All Inishowen tour itineraries are custom built to suit the interests of the tourist, their location and timeframe available. The following is a suggestion of some of the Wild Atlantic Way discovery points to include while on a day trip of Inishowen, Co. Donegal.
An Inishowen tour usually begins or ends with a visit to An Grianan of Aileach, a majestic ringfort in Burt, Inishowen dating back to the sixth or seventh century. The hillfort overlooks Inishowen, Co. Donegal on one side and Co. Derry on the other.
A visit to Malin Head, Ireland’s most northerly point, is a real bucket lister. Go where the larger coaches can’t – right to ‘Banba’s Crown’, the northernmost tip. Experience the unique rugged landscape that was the filming location of ‘Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi’.
Mamore Gap is a steep, narrow road along the Urris Hills. A viewing point at the top offers panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean and surrounding countryside. There are holy relics to be found including a holy well devoted to Saint Eigne as well as a ‘Magic Road’ or ‘Gravity Hill’.
Located on the West side of the Inishowen peninsula, the scenic drive to Fort Dunree alone is as breathtaking as the view from the fort. Historically a coastal defence fortification, Fort Dunree is now a military museum with many restored guns as well as exhibitions about the area’s birds, marine life and coastal vegetation.
Surrounded by Lough Swilly, Lough Foyle and the Wild Atlantic Ocean, the Inishowen peninsula has a wealth of sandy beaches to see on a private tour of Donegal.
Entrance fee not included | Subject to seasonal opening hours
Experience how families and communities lived in the original thatched cottages in rural Ireland. The guided tour also include an Eviction Scene, Orange Hall, Republican Safe House and Irish Wake House.
Entrance fee not included | Subject to seasonal opening hours
Take a beautiful alpaca on a walk up the hills at Knockamanny Bens whilst enjoying the spectacular views of Malin Head, Glashedy Rock and the Isle of Doagh.
Entrance fee not included | Subject to seasonal opening hours
Wild Ireland is a unique wild animal sanctuary offering sanctuary to many animals which have been persecuted and hunted into extinction in Ireland including brown bears, wolves, lynx and wild boar.
The following are various combinations of some of the many Inishowen activities and attractions that can be visited in a typical private day tour. All itineraries are suggestions and intended as inspiration only. We can liaise with you to create a bespoke tour to visit what’s on your bucket list.
Donegal Tour
Henry is an amazing tour guide. My mom and I had a blast. He is extremely knowledgeable about history and the history of Donegal. The tour was also super exciting and fun. He had great restaurant recommendations and all the sites were magical. I highly recommended doing a tour with Henry. My family plans on visiting him again soon!
Meghan McNulty (TripAdvisor)
A Memorable Day in Fanad
This was the first leg of our Ireland visit and we hired Donegal Tour Guide to help us get acquainted with the area and find the remote townland where our ancestors once lived. Henry’s friendliness and expertise made him the right choice for both. He picked us up promptly at our hotel in Donegal Town and transported us comfortably in his minivan. Our day was a delightful combination of the highlights of the Fanad Peninsula Tour and a personalized journey to my great-grandmother’s birthplace on that peninsula.
Henry combined a knowledge of the region’s history and geography with the passion only a local could provide, answering our many questions about modern life in Donegal. Every stop was a highlight, including Rathmullan, with views across Lough Swilly as well as the awe-inspiring vistas at Fanad Lighthouse and Ballymastocker Bay. We enjoyed a waterside lunch complete with Henry’s local recommendations of the alcohol (Kinnegar) and non-alcohol (Football Special) varieties. The afternoon was a very thoughtfully researched trek through our family homeland. Thanks to Henry, who showed us the meaning of Céad Míle Fáilte, our day in Fanad was among the most memorable of our trip.
Brian G (TripAdvisor)
“My parents booked this tour with Henry and it was breathtaking. The sights and locations were all so beautiful and filled with history. Henry was such an amazing tour guide. He was extremely accommodating, charismatic and informative! I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to spend a day in Donegal.”
lil (TripAdvisor)
Indispensable
Henry is a godsend to people like us who don’t like to drive on holidays. With public transport almost non-existent on Inishowen, his service is much appreciated. We had a lovely day with him. Would recommend to anybody who prefer scenery to the dashboard on their holidays.
Saumava M (TripAdvisor)
“I highly recommend booking with Henry if you want to see Donegal. We went on the Inishowen Tour and it was a full day of sightseeing. He is very knowledgeable and accomodating. We never had the feeling of being rushed or having to get on to the next stop. It was actually the opposite. Henry told us to take our time exploring, taking photos etc. It was a relaxing and very enjoyable day. He asked what we had on our bucket list to see (besides the normal stops on the tour) and he made sure we saw everything on it! There is no other way we could have seen as much without Henry taking us. I mentioned my family enjoyed Golf so he also made a stop for us to see the Ballyliffin Golf Club. Donegal has beautiful scenery and the Inishowen Tour is a great way to see it. Hope to see you again Henry for another tour in the future! Thanks for a great day in Donegal!”
Linda (TripAdvisor)
“We spent our honeymoon in Donegal and rounded off the trip with the South Donegal Private Tour. Couldn’t recommend Henry highly enough. We had a fantastic time.
I booked through the chat feature on his website and was pleasantly surprised with the prompt reply. The South Donegal tour takes in miles of perfect scenery with plenty of pitstops including Killybegs, Slieve League Cliffs, Glencolmcille Folk Village and Ardara.
We opted for the additional picnic made up of local food and drinks which I’d highly recommend particularly during restrictions in dining.
If we had travelled with Henry earlier in our stay we would probably have done another day’s tour. The whole experience is very chilled out while taking in as much as possible at a really nice pace. Highly recommended.”
Shane M (TripAdvisor)
My wife and I booked Henry to take us from our wedding venue in Rathmullan to our mini-moon in Ballyliffin. He as there promptly and helped us load the car on a drizzly day. The night before, we had to adjust our plans, adding a stop at a hospital in Derry so that my wife could visit her ailing grandfather. Henry made the adjustment without issue and waited patiently in the car during the visit. My wife’s grandfather passed away that afternoon. Late that night, I sent Henry a text asking if he could pick us up early so that she could be with her family. He responded promptly and was there exactly when he said he would be the following day, then drove us safely to Derry through terrible conditions.
The long and short of it is that if you are looking for someone that is kind, compassionate, and professional. You won’t find anyone better than Henry. If you want a comfortable ride with a driver that knows and loves the region, Henry’s your man.
Even during our short and emotional trip I was impressed by his knowledge and ability to tell a story. He shared tidbits of information about places we’d both been, that neither of us knew. We can’t wait to book him again for a full tour experience.
Tony C (TripAdvisor)
Fun, Flexible, Fantastic
Henry Doohan and other members of Donegal Tour Guide could not have been more welcoming to myself and my family during our visit to Ireland. Always on time, flexible when we needed to make changes in our schedule or number of individuals in our party. Extremely knowledgable of the landscape. I highly recommend utilizing Henry and Donegal Tour Guide.
Dan G (TripAdvisor)
“What a great experience! Highly recommended. Henry arrived on the minute and collected us at our hotel. His vehicle is clean, super comfortable and cool (it was a very hot day). Setting out on our tour, Henry made sure we were comfortable, asked if we had any requests and off we went. I appreciated him going off the beaten path sometimes to show us beautiful, breathtaking sights like Malin Beg. He has an excellent knowledge of Donegal, the community and the culture, and shared that throughout. Henry had arranged a great picnic lunch for us as well which we enjoyed at Sliabh Liag. We will definitely be booking a future tour with Henry. Thank you!”
Bromero66 (TripAdvisor)
Great Experience
We wanted to visit Ireland and see where my Wife’s ancestors came from. She had done some research and had limited information about them, While we wanted to see the highlights, we let Henry know we were most interested in chasing down information about her ancestors and visiting the remote towns in Donegal where they had lived about 100 years ago. We sent him the information and he prepared the perfect itinerary for us. In addition to showing us a few highlights in the area, he worked his way though a couple of cemeteries with us in Clonmany and found her Great Grandfather’s grave site. He also helped us find his old abandoned home along a near impassible dirt road in Shamdrin. He understood us and was completely flexible in making changes in the daily plan on the fly as we learned more about her ancestors along the way. Most importantly he was a pleasant, engaging and knowledgeable companion. At the end of our two days, we felt we were leaving a friend. We will likely go back to Ireland and we will look forward to connecting with Henry again.
FLYFISHER1313 (TripAdvisor)
Click on my name below to chat on WhatsApp or send me an email to info@donegaltourguide.ie
- Henry
