Self-Guided Hiking Tours

Ireland | Dingle Way

This is the Ireland that you dream about.

Ireland
  • Western ireland towards blasket islands while the sky is clearing up
  • A scenic view of the ocean on the Dingle Peninsula.
  • A few of the mountains and ocean in Dingle Way.
  • Dingle Way
  • Dingle Way
  • dingle way
  • Dingle Way
  • Dingle Way
  • "Peter, please mark the Hermann's as having had another great Ryder-Walker self-guided tour. In all instances the food and people were just great. Your selection of lodging accommodations was a special treat too. We enjoyed seeing the nice hotels and the simple pub style B&Bs. You were totally on the mark about the innkeepers and others whom we met. They all took special interest in our needs. They gave us rides, made calls and other arrangements for us, when they could. All that hospitality made a wonderful trip even better."- Linda and Ron Hermann
  • "I had a wonderful experience! Loved it!"- Rene L.

Trip Highlights:

  • Hike through a Gaeltacht, a federally protected region of Ireland that maintains the traditional Irish way of life, from Irish music sessions at the local pub, to predominately Gaelic-speaking communities.
  • Explore a diversity of landscapes, from pastoral farms and quaint country villages, to mountains, cliffs and the crashing surf of the Atlantic Ocean.
  • Sheep - lot's of them. It's no wonder that the Irish like their sweaters. The Dingle Peninsula boasts more than 500,000 woolly friends.

The Dingle Peninsula is the Ireland that we dream about on St. Patrick’s Day. Rugged coastlines and windswept hills give way to unspoiled villages and cozy B&Bs. Sheep graze contentedly while the sounds of Irish ditties spill from local pubs and into the surrounding countryside.

The Dingle Way explores this ancient corner of Ireland during a 10-day tour. The trip begins in the heart of County Kerry, Ireland, and follows a latticework of coastline trails, backcountry lanes, farm roads and hilltop tracks.

Accommodations range from grand, well-appointed establishments, with sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean, to cozy Bed and Breakfasts, tucked away in the remote Irish countryside.

Trip Itinerary

Choose from our standard itinerary or customize the trek by adding or subtracting days.

Independently transfer to Tralee, the capital of County Kerry. It is easy to access via train and/or bus from all major Irish airports and ports of entry. Overnight in a superb and welcoming hotel with a highly attentive staff and excellent facilities.

An unlikely, but easy to follow sequence of back roads, alleys, and canal ways begins your hike before ascending into the Slieve Mish range of hills. Ford a handful of well-maintained stream crossings before reaching the hamlet of Camp Village. Overnight in a superior B&B.

Distance: 11 miles. Elevation gain: 650 ft.

A brief backtrack regains the trail and off you go on a series of silent and charming farm roads. Head up into the hills and approach the Emlagh River before you hike above Inch Beach. The beach boasts both a café and pub. Sentinels in the way of Standing Stones invite you into the hamlet of Annascaul, and another excellent and welcoming inn.

Distance: 11 miles. Elevation gain: 950 ft.

Descend from Annascaul to the seashore and Minard Castle, built by the Knight of Kerry and destroyed by Oliver Cromwell. This ruin is the largest fortress on the peninsula. A long and gradual descent through farmland takes you to charming Dingle proper. For the next two nights you are in an excellent and well-located inn.

Distance: 12 miles. Elevation gain: 1150 ft.

Every little village or hamlet on the peninsula has its charm, but Dingle is certainly the spot to while away a lazy rest day and soak in the beauty of Southern Ireland. Bustling and colorful, this market and port town boasts no fewer than 52 pubs, as well as an endless array of quaint tea houses.

You have reached the southernmost point of the Dingle Way by now and it is time to turn your sights to the more northern coast. Enter upon Ventry harbor and enjoy a few kilometers of sand underfoot. Coastal islands come into view as you wander amidst the both ruined and intact Clochans (Bronze Age hive-like huts). Arrive at the village of Dunquin and a superior B & B.

Distance: 12 miles. Elevation gain: 1250 ft.

Today enjoy the variety of wandering in and out of smaller sea cliffs, beaches, and coves. Brandon Mountain, the second highest in Ireland now beckons as you approach it to the North. Finish at the base of this imposing peak. The hamlet you are in is Baile na nGall, which, in the company of sister villages Feohanagh and Ballyferriter, creates a welcoming oasis along this rugged coast.

Distance: up to 15.5 miles. Elevation gain: 330 ft.

This stage from Feohanagh to Cloghane is certainly the most challenging climb of the circuit, with an ascent of over 2000 feet toward the summit of Brandon Mountain, one of five summits in this range. It is the second highest peak in Ireland, and the route commands outstanding views. As always you have an excellent inn awaiting you tonight.

Distance: up to 13 miles. Elevation gain: 2200 ft.

We’ve arranged a taxi transfer from your hotel in Cloghane to your hotel in Killarney. This picturesque town has a lot to offer. We will provide suggestions for a hike or excursion, or you can simply unwind and explore one of Ireland’s most beloved destinations. 

Distance: One hour taxi ride from Cloghane.

Dingle Way | Ireland

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