1. The Kerry Way — County Kerry
215 km (134 miles) · 8–12 days · Moderate · Loop from Killarney
Ireland's longest waymarked trail, and still the one we'd choose if we could only walk one. From Killarney it heads through Killarney National Park past Torc Waterfall, into the Black Valley beneath the Macgillycuddy's Reeks, then out along the Atlantic edge of the Iveragh Peninsula through Glenbeigh, Waterville and Caherdaniel. Don't miss: the old coach road between Waterville and Caherdaniel, high above Derrynane Bay — on a clear day it's the finest coastal mile in Ireland.
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2. The Dingle Way — County Kerry
179 km (111 miles) · 8–10 days · Moderate · Loop from Tralee
A loop around the Dingle Peninsula that mixes long sandy beaches, green farmland and the shoulder of Mount Brandon, one of Ireland's highest mountains. The far west is the reason it ranks this high: early Christian beehive huts, the cliffs at Slea Head, and the Blasket Islands sitting out in the Atlantic. Dingle town itself has music most nights of the week. Don't miss: the Slea Head day, where the trail turns the corner of the peninsula and the Blaskets fill the horizon.
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3. The Sheep's Head Way — West Cork
93 km (58 miles) · 5–8 days · Easy to Moderate · Loop from Bantry
The quietest trail on this list, and the one our returning walkers rate highest. A narrow peninsula between Bantry Bay and Dunmanus Bay, tiny villages, and a path that was the first in Ireland to earn the European Quality Trail designation. From Seefin, the highest point at 344 m, you can see both bays at once. Don't miss: the final kilometres out to the Sheep's Head Lighthouse at the very tip of the peninsula — many of our guests call it the best walking day they've had anywhere.
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4. The Wicklow Way — Dublin & Wicklow
127 km (79 miles) · 5–10 days · Moderate to Challenging · Dublin to Clonegal
Ireland's oldest waymarked trail, and the easiest to reach — the start at Marlay Park is under an hour from Dublin Airport. It climbs quickly into the granite Wicklow Mountains: the boardwalk over Djouce with Powerscourt Waterfall below, lonely glens, and the monastic valley of Glendalough with its round tower and two lakes. Don't miss: the descent into Glendalough in evening light, when the day-trippers have gone home.
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5. The Causeway Coast Way — County Antrim
53 km (33 miles) · 3–5 days · Moderate · Portstewart to Ballycastle
Kilometre for kilometre, the most spectacular walking in Ireland. The path strings together the Giant's Causeway, the ruins of Dunluce Castle, the white sweep of White Park Bay and the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge — basalt cliffs on one side, the North Atlantic on the other. Don't miss: arriving at the Giant's Causeway on foot along the cliff-top path, before the coach parks fill below.
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6. The Beara Way — Cork & Kerry
196 km (122 miles) · 6–9 days · Moderate to Challenging · Loop from Glengarriff
Ireland's wildest peninsula. The Beara Way crosses remote mountain passes, abandoned copper-mine country around Allihies, and villages where you'll often have the pub to yourself. At the peninsula's end, Ireland's only cable car swings across to Dursey Island. Don't miss: the coast between Allihies and Eyeries — brightly painted villages, copper-stained cliffs, and barely another walker in sight.
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7. Saint Patrick's Way — County Armagh & Down
132 km (82 miles) · 6–9 days · Moderate · Armagh to Downpatrick
Ireland's Camino. A pilgrim trail from Armagh — Ireland's ecclesiastical capital — along the 18th-century Newry Canal, over the granite Mourne Mountains, and down the coast to St Patrick's grave at Down Cathedral in Downpatrick. You carry a Pilgrim Passport, stamp it at ten points, and collect a certificate at the end. Don't miss: the Mourne crossing from Rostrevor to Newcastle, with Carlingford Lough below and Slieve Donard ahead. Our first-hand guide to walking Ireland's Camino covers the route in detail.
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8. The Burren Way — County Clare
114 km (71 miles) · 5–7 days · Easy to Moderate · Lahinch to Corofin
Nowhere else in Europe looks like the Burren — a silver limestone landscape where Arctic-Alpine and Mediterranean wildflowers grow side by side in the cracks of the pavement. The trail links Doolin, the home of Irish traditional music, with green roads over the karst hills. Don't miss: walking the coastal path toward the Cliffs of Moher in the early morning, approaching Ireland's most famous cliffs the quiet way — on foot.
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9. The Cooley & Mourne Mountains — Louth & Down
100+ km (62+ miles) · 5–8 days · Challenging · Carlingford & Newcastle
Two granite mountain ranges facing each other across Carlingford Lough, joined by a short ferry crossing. On the Cooley side, medieval Carlingford and the hills of the Táin legend; on the Mourne side, the famous dry-stone Mourne Wall and the highest summits in Northern Ireland. Don't miss: the ferry across the lough — mountains behind you, mountains ahead, and a complete change of landscape in fifteen minutes.
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10. The Western Way — Connemara, Galway & Mayo
Multi-day sections · Moderate · Oughterard to Westport
Connemara is the Ireland of the postcards — bog, lake, mountain and very few people. The Western Way threads between the Twelve Bens and the Maumturk mountains and passes the dark waters of Killary Harbour, Ireland's fjord. This is the trail for walkers who measure a good day by how much silence it held. Don't miss: the stretch above Killary Harbour, where the fjord cuts ten kilometres inland between the mountains.
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11. The Barrow Way — Carlow & Kilkenny
114 km (71 miles) · 5–8 days · Easy · Lowtown to St Mullins
Ireland's gentlest long-distance trail — a riverside towpath beside the River Barrow, past locks, weirs and barges, through heritage towns like Graiguenamanagh. Flat, peaceful and full of birdlife, it's the route we recommend to first-time long-distance walkers and anyone who wants their walking unhurried. Don't miss: the final wooded miles into St Mullins, where the river narrows between steep green banks.
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12. The National Famine Way — Roscommon to Dublin
165 km (103 miles) · 6–13 days · Moderate · Strokestown to Dublin
A heritage trail unlike any other in Ireland. It follows the 1847 route of 1,490 emigrants who walked from Strokestown Park to the Dublin ships during the Great Famine, much of it along the quiet towpath of the Royal Canal. Pairs of bronze children's shoes mark the way. Moving, thought-provoking, and very easy underfoot. Don't miss: Strokestown Park House and the National Famine Museum before you take your first step.
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13. Croagh Patrick — County Mayo
Day hike · 7 km (4.3 miles) return · 764 m summit · Challenging
Ireland's holy mountain. Pilgrims have climbed Croagh Patrick for well over a thousand years, and the view from the summit chapel — the islands of Clew Bay scattered below like dropped coins — is worth every step of the loose, steep final cone. Go early, bring poles, and allow 3–4 hours. Don't miss: the first sight of Clew Bay as you crest the shoulder of the mountain.
Read our complete Croagh Patrick guide arrow_forward
14. Slieve Donard — County Down
Day hike · 9 km (5.6 miles) return · 850 m summit · Challenging
Northern Ireland's highest mountain rises almost straight from the sea at Newcastle. The classic route climbs through the forest of the Glen River valley to the saddle, then follows the dry-stone Mourne Wall to the summit — sea to summit in a morning. On a clear day you can see the Isle of Man. Don't miss: the moment you reach the Mourne Wall and the far side of the range opens up at your feet.
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15. Diamond Hill — Connemara National Park, Galway
Day hike · 7 km (4.3 miles) loop · 442 m summit · Moderate
The best effort-to-view ratio in Ireland. A well-built looped path from the Connemara National Park visitor centre at Letterfrack climbs Diamond Hill's quartzite cone, with Kylemore Abbey, the Twelve Bens and the island-studded coast all in view from the top. Two to three unforgettable hours. Don't miss: the summit ridge — hold on to your hat and take your time.
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Still deciding? Our guide to planning a hiking trip in Ireland walks you through the choice step by step, and our tour grading page explains exactly what Easy, Moderate and Challenging mean in daily kilometres and climb.
