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The Wicklow Way is a 131-kilometre (81-mile) long-distance trail that crosses the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland. It runs from Marlay Park in Dublin's southern suburbs through County Wicklow and ends in the village of Clonegal in County Carlow.
Our walking tours follow the route from South to North allowing you to ease into the walks before the more challenging climbs near Dublin.
The Wicklow Way is typically completed in 5–7 days and is one of the busiest of Ireland's National Waymarked Trails, with up to 24,000 people walking the most popular sections of the route.
The trail follows forest tracks, mountain paths, boreens and quiet country roads. The way also passes the Monastic City at Glendalough, founded in the 6th century by Saint Kevin.
Wicklow Way - 5 Day Itinerary
Option 1: An extra day in Glendalough to take some time to explore the monastic site and great looped walks.
Option 2: Extend your stay, at start or finish, to explore Dublin city.
Note: Our walking holiday’s on the Wicklow Way run from south to north to allow a gradual start before the walks become more challenging. Should you prefer, however, we are happy to organise it from north to south.
Itineraries
Day 1
Arrive in Glenmalure
Make your way to your first accommodation inGlenmalure. We will advise you on the best way to travel from your point of arrival.
Day 2
Glenmalure to Glendalough / Laragh
oday the Wicklow Way takes you out of the Glenmalure Valley with some fantastic views of the famous Glenmalure waterfall. You will cross Mullacor Mountain and slowly descend into Glendalough (Valley of 2 lakes) with its 6th-century Monastic site. You will stay in Glendalough or Laragh.
Hike: Distance 14 km / Duration: 5 hours / Climb (↑) 430m
Day 3
Glendalough – Lough Tay
A pleasant but shorter walk taking in some great scenery and Ireland’s highest Village; Roundwood. On a clear day, you can opt to include Scarr Mountain (challenging).
Hike: Distance 12km / Duration: 4 – 5 hours / Climb: (↑) 400 (Scarr 700m)
Day 4
Lough Tay to Enniskerry
Probably the most famous section of the Wicklow Way thanks to films such as; Brave Heart, King Arthur and Dancing at Lughnasa. Today you will pass a memorial dedicated to the founder of this trail, J.B. Malone. This walk offers great views of Lough Tay and Lough Dan and as you cross the side of Djouce Moutain you will pass Powerscourt with its famous waterfall.
Hike: Distance 17km / Duration: 4.5–5.5 hours / Climb: (↑) 550
Day 5
Departure from Enniskerry
After breakfast commence your homeward journey. Please let us know if you would like to book an additional night or two to visit Dublin's Fair City.
What’s included in our Walking holidays?
- Carefully selected family-run and welcoming B&B accommodation.
- Comfortable en-suite bedrooms.*
- A full Irish breakfast to keep your engines running.
- Complimentary luggage transfers.
- Detailed maps and route notes, so you never get lost.
- Local advice on places to visit and where to eat.**
- Full pre-departure info to allow you to prepare for your walking holiday.
- Waterproof map case to keep your documents dry.
- Extra night(s) accommodation booked on request.
- Need information on local transport options? We’re happy to assist!
- 24/7 local emergency contact.
What’s not included?
- Your flights
- Travel and baggage insurance
- Lunches / Evening meals
* Unless already booked out in which case we’ll try to secure a private bathroom.
** You will have the opportunity to purchase picnic lunches and evening meals each day. If you are staying in a remote location, the B&B owner will prepare a tasty surprise for you upon request.
Accommodation
During your self-guided walking holiday in Ireland, you will be accommodated in local family-run guesthouses (B&Bs) or small family-run hotels, where you will encounter a friendly welcome and homely comfort. Bord Failte approves all our accommodation – the Irish Tourist Board or the Northern Ireland Tourism Board and is at least 3 stars. Rooms are twin, double or triple en-suite and single rooms are also available on request.
Need anything else?
At Walking Holiday Ireland, we pride ourselves in providing a unique experience to look after all your trip details. This allows you to immerse yourself in the Irish landscape and culture completely.
Please do not hesitate to contacts us should you have any additional requirements or needs and we will endeavour to provide these to our best ability.
The Wicklow Way Trail map
Although a lot of guides indicated the Wicklow way running from north to south at Walking Holiday Ireland our tours run from south to north. We do this because the southern Wicklow mountains are lower and therefore the walks only get a little harder as we near Dublin.
Please note that decent waterproof hiking boots are a must as part of the track can be muddy and wet. The terrain and trail are well maintained by volunteers but some areas can be a little bit tricky depending on weather conditions.
The Walks
Glenmalure to Glendalough
| Length | 16 km | ||
| Ascent | 532 m. | Descent | 535 m. |
| Max. Elevation | 568 m. | Min. Elevation | 135 m. |
Glendalough to Roundwood / Lough Tay
| Length | 19 km | ||
| Ascent | 713 m. | Descent | 437 m. |
| Max. Elevation | 443 m. | Min. Elevation | 137 m. |
Lough Tay to Enniskerry / Crone Wood
| Length | 13 km | ||
| Ascent | 315m. | Descent | 599m. |
| Max. Elevation | 626m. | Min. Elevation | 155m. |
We have listed a few essentials that you will have to bring along and when you make your booking we will send you out a full list of essentials.
Comfortable waterproof walking Boots
Waterproof jacket & over trousers
Waterproof map case
Backpack, lined with plastic bag
Gaiters
Walking poles (It may be possible to provide these locally if requested)
Thick socks / hat / gloves
Water bottle & lunch box
Small torch
First aid
Sunscreen / Insect repellent
Compass / GPS device
and for that special moment, your camera
What’s included in our Walking holidays?
Carefully selected family-run and welcoming B&B accommodation.
Comfortable en-suite bedrooms.*
A full Irish breakfast to keep your engines running.
Complimentary luggage transfers.
Detailed maps and route notes so you never get lost.
Local advice on places to visit and where to eat.**
Full pre-departure info to allow you to prepare for your walking holiday.
Waterproof map case to keep your documents dry.
Extra night(s) accommodation booked on request.
Need information on local transport options? We’re happy to assist!
24/7 local emergency contact.
What’s not included?
Your flights
Travel and baggage insurance
Lunches / Evening meals
* Unless already booked out in which case we’ll try to secure a private bathroom
** You will have the opportunity to purchase picnic lunches and evening meals each day. If you are staying in a remote location, the B&B owner will prepare a tasty surprise for you upon request.
You are strongly advised to obtain insurance cover for personal accidents, cancellation charges, medical expenses, loss of money or baggage, travel and personal liability when taking part in any of our tours. Walking Holiday Ireland or its servants or agents cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to your baggage, or for any illness or injury while on our tours. We also cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage resulting from circumstances beyond our control.
Pick the tour you’d like to join and fill in the booking form. Within a few days, you will receive confirmation of your booking. When we receive a deposit of 30% to secure the booking we will start putting everything together for you. The final payment is due six weeks before the start of the tour and you will then receive all information on your tour.
Meals – Breakfast is included in your price and packed lunches can be purchased at almost all accommodations. We will have a list of restaurants for you to choose from for your evening and all will be either at your accommodation or within a short walking distance away. Vegetarians (including those that eat fish) will be catered for, but this needs to be acknowledged on your booking form.
You will be accommodated in local family-run guesthouses (B&Bs) or small family-run hotels, where you will encounter a friendly welcome and homely comfort. All our accommodation is approved by Bord Failte – the Irish Tourist Board or the Northern Ireland Tourism Board and are at least 3 stars. Rooms are twin, double or triple en-suite and single rooms are also available on request.
No, that’s definitely not the case!The dominant influence on Ireland’s climate is the Atlantic Ocean. Consequently, Ireland does not suffer from the extremes of temperature experienced by many other countries at similar latitudes. The average annual temperature is about 9 °C. In the middle and east of the country, temperatures tend to be somewhat more extreme than in other parts of the country. For example, the summer means daily maximum is about 19 °C and the winter mean daily minimum is about 2.5 °C in these areas.Have a look at our Irish weather page here for more detailed information about the weather in the region where you will be walking.
There are a lot of places where it would be worthwhile to stay an extra night to explore more in the area. We can also book extra nights for you at the start or the end of your tour. Some of these options can be booked directly on our booking form are please send us an email and we will happily inform you of some of the options available. We will also provide you with information on how to get there and to the starting point of the walk or the airport. Just let us know what you would like and we’ll do our best to help you.
Add a review
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Pricing NameStartEndGroup (Min-Max)Pricing
M Breman– :
Wonderful trip in beautiful surroundings.
Everything was well organized, including the transfers. Wicklow is so beautiful and we loved our hikes. The accommodation was all superb and our hosts were welcoming and very helpful. Many thanks for a fantastic holiday we will be back soon!
L HUIJSMANS– :
Great Holiday!
We really enjoyed this fantastic hiking tour! Everything was well organised.
Beautiful surroundings, great weather and quality accommodation.
L HUIJSMANS
Walking Holiday Ireland– :
Prachtige reis
Je kunt volop genieten van de vakantie, alles is geregeld.
C VAN DIJK – reisperiode juli 2019
Walking Holiday Ireland– :
Countryside walks
Never been to Ireland but why would you go there? Only for the Whiskey and the Guinness? No, but what is? Just try, we thought. The beautiful countryside, the friendly people, cosy pubs and it is wonderfully quiet and people pay attention to each other. It was all great!
S VAN FLANDERS – travel period July 2019