Private tours for groups are available upon request.
Tour Description
South West of Ireland Walking Tour – 7 Day
Dates: 2023 – May 15th, Jun 12th, Jul 10th, Aug 14th, Sep 11th Dates: 2024 – May 13th, Jun 10th, Aug 12th, Sep 9th
Departure Location: Suffolk St – Dublin Group Size: Small (Max 16)
Walking and Hiking Holiday in the South West of Ireland.
This tour is designed to bring you from Dublin to enjoy some of the best walks in the South West of Ireland and explore the Wild Atlantic Way. The tour is fully guided and you will also visit many places of historical interest along the way.
You will be visiting places such as Dingle, Mt Brandon, Killarney, The Gap of Dunloe and the Lakes of Killarney. You’ll walk Ireland’s highest peak, Carrauntoohil. Explore the Aran Islands, the Cliffs of Moher and some of Ireland’s ancient monuments.
This tour follows along the South West section of the Wild Atlantic Way of Ireland’s coastline, bringing you to some of Ireland’s most wild and beautiful locations.
Highlights:
Kerry, Dingle, Mount Brandon, The Wild Atlantic Way, Killarney Lakes and National Park, Gap of Dunloe, Carrauntoohil, Cliffs of Moher, the Aran Islands, Doolin and The Burren.
Itinerary
South West of Ireland Walking Tour – 7 Day Itinerary:
Your Tour begins at 09:00am with a Pick up at the Molly Malone Statue on Suffolk St. (Dublin City Center)
Day 1: Drive from Dublin to Kerry, Visit the South Pole Inn Pub, Coastal Walk and Stay in Dingle.
Morning/Afternoon: After your pickup in Dublin, we travel south to Dingle in County Kerry. On the way we will be take a stop to visit the picturesque town of Adare in Limerick. This town has to be seen to be believed with its small thatched cottages and brightly coloured buildings.
It is home to Adare manor which was once home to Earl of Dunraven. We will stop here to explore this town and stretch the legs.
Continuing on our way to Dingle we will stop again to visit the town of Annascaul which is famed for being the home town of Tom Crean. The great Irish explorer who shared voyages with Scott and Shackleton to the great Antarctic. On his retirement from the British Navy, he returned home to Ireland and founded a Pub called “The South Pole Inn”. We will visit the pub for a drink or a coffee.
When we are close to Dingle the guide will bring you to Beenbane beach. From here you can enjoy a short cliff walk in towards the village of Dingle – which is a fantastic way to arrive!
Evening: Dingle or “An Daingean” which is its Gaelic and original name is a fantastic small village known for its small quaint pubs, live Irish music and relaxed atmosphere. There is plenty to see and do in his small town with great restaurants, pubs, coffee shops, craft stores, etc.
You may also be surprised when you enter some pubs in Dingle that you can also buy a pair of shoes or get yourself a new measuring tape.
Day 2: Walk the sacred Mount Brandon, Stay in Dingle
Walk on Mount Brandon: Grade: moderate- strenuous, Length: 8km, Duration: Approx. 4hrs, Ascent: 750m, Terrain: Open Mountain Tracks.
Morning / Afternoon: After a hearty breakfast we will get ourselves ready for one of my favourite walks in this area, Mt Brandon. Which is named after Saint Brendan the voyager; some think he even got as far as North America.
Is it right or left for Gibraltar What track do I take for Mizen Head? I’d love to settle down near Ventry Harbour, (St Brendan’s Voyage)
Mount Brandon is a sacred mountain and there is a pilgrim to its summit each year, which many of the locals do. It is less than 1000m but even though it is a pilgrim walk it is quite a challenge. The walk will take about 4hrs and the views from its summit are breath-taking. From the summit you can see the Wild Atlantic all around you. You can also see the Blasket Islands, the Skellig Island’s (Star Wars fame) and Ireland’s highest Mountain range on the Iveragh Peninsula.
Evening: After our walk on Mt Brandon, we will make our back to Dingle you could visit some of the craft shops, enjoy some of the local seafood or just relax.
Day 3: Killarney – Gap of Dunloe Walk – Boat across the lakes of Killarney.
Gap of Dunloe Walk: Grade: moderate, Length: 13km, Duration: Approx. 4hrs, Ascent:250m, Terrain: Small roads and hill trails.
Morning / Afternoon: This morning we leave Dingle early and make our way to Killarney and its beautiful lakes at the National Park. We will take a boat from the 15th century Ross Castle across the lakes to Lord Brandon’s Cottage.
From here we will start our walk through the Gap of Dunloe. This is a wonderful walk and one of the finest in Kerry with Purple mountain sitting above us to the left as we make our way through this wonderful valley. Finally, at the top of the valley and on completion of our walk, there is Kate Kearney’s cottage. Here you can enjoy a well-earned break, before we make our way back to Killarney by bus.
Evening: We will arrive back to our accommodation for an early night to recharge the batteries for tomorrow’s big adventure.
Day 4: Ireland’s Highest Point, Killarney National Park, Stay in Killarney
walk on Carrauntoohil: Grade: Strenuous, Length: 12km, Duration: Approx. 6hrs, Ascent: 850m, Terrain: Old mountain roads, rocks and loose stone.
Morning/Afternoon: Today is the big walk of the tour so it’s an early start to get over to Killarney. The walk on Carrauntoohil is weather permitting as your safety is paramount to the guide and us. An alternative suitable walk will be chosen by your guide in the Killarney National Park depending on the weather and the groups abilities.
Now, all going well and the weather is good then we will do the walk as planned. Carrauntoohil is 1039m in height so all due care must be taken. Thousands of locals and visitors climb this every year and you feel a great sense of achievement on getting to the top.
Evening: After we get back down and catch our breath, we will make our back towards Killarney.
The town of Killarney is the most visited town in Ireland. There are many places to visit here such as Muckross House, the lakes of Killarney, Ross castle, Torc Waterfall and more. As well as all its scenic beauty there are numerous restaurants, cafes, shops and pubs with live Irish music.
Day 5: Lahinch, Cliffs of Moher Walk, Stay in Doolin.
Morning: This morning we travel up along the west coast of Ireland known as the “Wild Atlantic Way”, crossing the River Shannon at Terbert. The River Shannon is named after an ancient Celtic Goddess and is Ireland’s longest and most impressive river. As we cross the mouth of the Shannon on the ferry keep an eye out for the schools of Dolphins to be seen everywhere. When we dock on the far side you will be in County Clare.
Afternoon: Once we are in County Clare, we will follow the coast road up towards the town Lahinch. This coastal town is a surfer’s paradise and has become more popular due to the great waves here. It’s also a great holiday destination for Irish families with many other activities on offer as well. Making our way northwards we will visit Brigid’s well before we start our cliff walk towards the Cliffs of Moher. The walk is fantastic and the cliffs themselves are a true treat for all the senses.
Evening: We will be staying in Doolin tonight, the capital of Irish traditional music in the west. This is a tiny little fishing port made popular due to its importance in Irish music and dance. Doolin is also in another “Gaeltacht area” (Irish speaking region) so you can try your new learnt language skills on the locals, I’m sure they’ll be impressed.
Here we can relax and enjoy a bite to eat, while listening to some of the best Irish musicians in the world.
Day 6: Visit the Aran Islands and stay in Doolin.
Morning / Afternoon:
Today we will take a break from walking and visit one of the most spectacular places in all of Ireland the Aran Islands. We will take a Ferry from Doolin to Inis Mor, the largest of the three Aran Islands. This is a Gaeltacht area where Irish is still the main language
The Island is full of wonder and absolutely beautiful, I’m sure you will not want to leave. We can hire some bicycles at the port as this is the best way to explore the island. We can visit the world heritage site of Dun Aonghasa Fort which stands over a dramatic 300ft cliff. There are also some wonderful beaches on the Island if you fancy a dip in the Atlantic.
Evening: After you visit to the Aran Islands, we will make our back to our accommodation and get freshened and enjoy a meal in one of the fine pubs or restaurants close by.
Morning / Afternoon: This morning we will make our way to one of the strangest landscapes in Ireland, The Burren. This is a limestone karst and was sitting at the bottom of the sea many years ago, but you can still see that clearly today. The term “Burren” is derived from the Gaelic for “stony place”. The Burren is also famous for its many different and varied types of flora which are unique to this area. We will take a walk here in this unique landscape with its stone walls and stone floors.
If we have some time in the afternoon, we could visit Galway city “city of the tribes”. This is a great little city known for its relaxed and bohemian feel. You can spend hours just walking about the small streets while listening and watching street performers of all types
Today unfortunately we will be saying goodbye to the west of Ireland for a while as we make our way back to Dublin…
We should arrive back in Dublin for 6pm, depending on traffic.
We hope that you loved our South West of Ireland Walking Holiday.
South West of Ireland Walking Tour – What to Bring
Ireland’s climate is of a moderate type and suited to walking all year round. Although it is quite changeable so starting a walk on a fine clear morning may not be the case for the afternoon.
Hill walking Boots.
Waterproof Jacket.
Rucksack for walks (25L)
Walking Trousers for Walking (Not Jeans)
Waterproof Bottoms.
Walking Socks
Thermal top / T-shirt (Not Cotton)
Sun Cream
FAQ
South West of Ireland Walking Holiday.
Walks and Fitness Levels:
The walks on this tour are of a mixed level with the option on some days to shorten.
All the walks are taken at a pace to suit the group.
The groups can range from 6 to 16 people in size with a mixed level of fitness and age usually.
If the weather is too bad on a certain day to do the suggested walk, then the guide will suggest an alternative one.
The Guide will have the final say on the day about the walk for the safety of the group.
Accommodation:
We choose our accommodation very carefully, It’s a mix of quality Guest houses and hotels.
There is Free WiFi in all the accommodations we use.
All the rooms are en-suite.
he accommodation we use are well used to us bringing them guests after a day’s walk and know that they somewhere comfortable to relax and freshen up.
Food on this Tour:
Note: The evening meal on your first night is included. Breakfasts are included and there is a wide selection to choose from including a Full Irish, fruit, cereals etc. Lunches for the walks: We will visit some local shops to get supplies. Evening Meals: A known restaurant or Pub will be suggested for evening meals in the places and towns you visit.
There are many places in Ireland that accommodate both Vegan and Vegetarian diets.
What’s Included:
7 Fully Guided Days Exploring Ireland’s Hidden Treasures.
6 Nights of Great Quality Accommodation with breakfast.
Guided Walks with Great Guides to inform and assist you.
Pickup and Transport for 7 Days.
Boat across the Lakes of Killarney.
Ferry to Aran Islands and bike hire.
The Best of Irish Traditional Music.
What’s Not Included:
Lunches.
Evening Meals.
Optional Entry Fees & Extra Activity Options.
Gratuities.
Accommodation:
We choose our accommodation very carefully, a mix of quality Guest Houses and Hotels.
There is Free WiFi in all the accommodations we use.
All the rooms are en-suite.
The accommodation we use are well used to us bringing them guests after a day’s walk and know that they somewhere comfortable to relax and freshen up.
New Worry- Free Cancellation Policy:
There are no cancellation fees for any cancellation due to COVID Travel restrictions or guidelines.
Otherwise, the Cancellation Policy is as below.
• A cancellation fee of 100% applies for cancellations made less than 2 weeks in advance, or in case of no-show.
• A cancellation fee of 50% applies for cancellations made less than 4 weeks in advance.
• No cancellation fee applies for cancellations made 4 weeks or more in advance.
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West of Ireland and explore the Wild Atlantic Way. The tour is fully guided and you will also visit many places of historical interest along the way.
