Moderate 9 Days / 7 Nights Walking

National Famine Way Walking Holiday — 9 Days

The full 169 km from Strokestown to Dublin in six long days

Starting From €1075 per person

This is the complete National Famine Way at speed. Six walking days, 169 km, Strokestown to the Dublin quays. It follows the trail own Full Tilt plan.

Make no mistake about the distances. You average 28 km a day, and the longest day is 34 km. The ground is flat the whole way, which is what makes it possible at all.

You still see everything. Richmond Harbour, the bronze shoes, the summit locks at Coolnahay, the Famine Pot at Enfield, and the sculptures on Custom House Quay.

There is no bed at Hill of Down, so we drive you to Enfield for that night and back to the trail in the morning.

Highlights

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The full 169 km, in one week

Six walking days from the National Famine Museum at Strokestown to the Famine sculptures on the Dublin quays. The whole trail, end to end, with nothing left out.

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Flat ground is what makes it possible

Total climb across the entire trail is about 650 metres. That is what lets a fit walker cover 28 km a day on a canal towpath and still enjoy the evening.

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Museum entry and the Passport Pack

Entry to the National Famine Museum is included, along with the official Passport Pack. Collect a stamp in each county and claim your certificate at EPIC in Dublin.

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We solve the gaps for you

Hill of Down has no accommodation at all. We drive you to a bed at Enfield and back to the water next morning, and your luggage moves on ahead as usual.

Who Is This For?

This is for strong, experienced walkers. You should be comfortable walking 28 km in a day and doing it again the next morning.

Flat ground makes these distances achievable, but they are still long days. If 28 km sounds like a lot, take the ten day instead. You will see the same trail with far more time to enjoy it.

Tour Itinerary

Day 1

Arrive Strokestown, National Famine Museum

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Your holiday begins at Strokestown Park, where the National Famine Museum holds the estate archive that makes this trail possible, including the record of the 1,490 tenants cleared from the land in 1847. Take your time here; the walking makes far more sense once you have stood in these rooms. Collect your Passport before you set out.

Day 2

Strokestown to Tarmonbarry

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pin_drop Strokestown → Tarmonbarryhiking 17.7 kmlandscape ↑92mlandscape ↓100mschedule 5h 15m

20 km · about 5 hours · country roads, then canal towpath

Quiet Roscommon roads carry you out of Strokestown and down to the Shannon at Clondra, where Richmond Harbour marks the western end of the Royal Canal. From here the towpath runs unbroken to Dublin. The first of the bronze children's shoes appears along the way, there are over thirty of them set into the route.

Day 3

Tarmonbarry to Ballymahon

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pin_drop Tarmonbarry → Foighahiking 20.4 kmlandscape ↑16mschedule 6h

34 km · about 8½ hours · level canal towpath

The longest day of the week, and a committing one, flat the whole way, but 34 kilometres is 34 kilometres. You pass Keenagh and the turn for the Corlea Trackway, an Iron Age bog road from 148 BC, before the canal brings you into Abbeyshrule. Carry food and water; services on this stretch are thin.

Day 4

Foigha Bridge to Ballynacargy

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pin_drop Foigha Bridge → Ballynacargyhiking 24.2 kmlandscape ↑9mschedule 7h

28 km · about 7 hours · level canal towpath

Through Ballynacarrigy and on past Coolnahay Harbour, where the canal reaches its summit level. The walking is easy underfoot and the day ends at Mullingar Harbour, the largest town on the route and the halfway mark in spirit if not quite in distance.

Day 5

Ballynacargy to Mullingar

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pin_drop Ballynacargy → Mullingarhiking 19.2 kmlandscape ↑31mschedule 5h 30m

None

Day 6

Mullingar to Hill of Down

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pin_drop Mullingar → Hill of Downhiking 25.9 kmlandscape ↓18mschedule 7h 30m

26 km · about 6½ hours · level canal towpath

The hardest day on the trail. 26 kilometres of towpath through Riverstown and Thomastown Harbour to the hamlet of Hill of Down. There is no accommodation at Hill of Down itself, so we transfer you the short distance to your guesthouse at Enfield and back out again in the morning, your bags go on ahead as usual.

Day 7

Hill of Down to Maynooth

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pin_drop Hill of Down → Maynoothhiking 33.9 kmlandscape ↓18mschedule 9h 30m

33 km · about 8½ hours · level canal towpath

Back to the canal at Hill of Down for a long but straightforward day east through Moyvalley, Enfield and Kilcock. Look for the Famine Pot at Enfield, one of the cauldrons used to serve the soup that kept people alive. The day finishes at Maynooth Harbour, with Maynooth Castle and St Patrick's College a few minutes from the towpath.

Day 8

Maynooth to Dublin Docklands

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pin_drop Maynooth → Dublin Docklandshiking 27.4 kmlandscape ↓52mschedule 7h 45m

27 km · about 6½ hours · canal towpath into the city

The last day, and the one the whole trail has been pointing at. Through Leixlip, Clonsilla and Ashtown as the canal threads into Dublin, finishing at the Famine sculptures on Custom House Quay, the quayside where the 1,490 boarded for Liverpool. Your certificate of completion is waiting at the end.

Day 9

Departure from Dublin

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Breakfast and onward travel. If you can spare the morning, the Jeanie Johnston famine ship is moored a few minutes from where you finished, and EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum is next door, both pick up the story exactly where the trail leaves off.

Accommodation

You stay in B&Bs, guesthouses and small hotels along the canal. Seven nights, all en suite, all with breakfast.

After days this long you will want a decent bed and a good meal, so we pick places with food on site or a pub a short walk away.

What's Included

check_circle What's Included

done7 nights accommodation in B&Bs, guesthouses and small hotels (en suite rooms)
doneFull Irish or continental breakfast every morning
doneDaily luggage transfer between accommodation
doneAdmission to the National Famine Museum at Strokestown Park, with the gardens and woodlands
doneThe official National Famine Way Passport Pack, your personalised ship ticket for one of the original Strokestown famine families, the 14 page Passport & Guide, the 30 page End of Trail booklet, your famine family's fate, the Bronze Shoes lapel brooch and your Certificate of Completion, collected at EPIC in Dublin
doneTransfers between the trail and your accommodation where the trail has no beds of its own
donePersonalised digital itinerary and route app for your smartphone that keeps you on the trail at all times
done24 hours a day emergency contact and on trail support
doneBefore you travel information pack

block Not Included

closeFlights to and from Ireland
closeTravel and walking insurance, which is essential. We are happy to suggest providers
closeLunches and dinners
closeTravel to Strokestown on day one, and home from Dublin on day eight
closePersonal expenses

Best Time to Visit

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

You can walk the National Famine Way from April to October. May, June and September are the best months. The days are long, the air is mild, and there are fewer midges by the water. July and August are warmest, but the towns are busier. The yearly Remembrance Walk is held in May, and it brings a real sense of company to the trail. Early spring and late autumn are quiet. The days are shorter then, and the towpath is wetter.

From

€1075 per person

Based on 2 sharing

Single room supplement

Walking with others but want your own room

+ €440

Walking solo?

Your own room and luggage transfers, all included

€1,720

Preferred Start Date

calendar_month

Book at least 20 days in advance

Number of Walkers

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Your total€2,150

2 walkers sharing

Add €440 for each walker who wants their own room.

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Cliff & Louise

Your Personal Hosts

Have a question about this tour? We've walked it dozens of times and love helping you plan your trip.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What's included in this 9-day tour? expand_more

Here's what your price covers:

7 nights accommodation in B&Bs, guesthouses and small hotels (en suite rooms)
Full Irish or continental breakfast every morning
Daily luggage transfer between accommodation
Admission to the National Famine Museum at Strokestown Park, with the gardens and woodlands
The official National Famine Way Passport Pack, your personalised ship ticket for one of the original Strokestown famine families, the 14 page Passport & Guide, the 30 page End of Trail booklet, your famine family's fate, the Bronze Shoes lapel brooch and your Certificate of Completion, collected at EPIC in Dublin
Transfers between the trail and your accommodation where the trail has no beds of its own
Personalised digital itinerary and route app for your smartphone that keeps you on the trail at all times
24 hours a day emergency contact and on trail support

Not included: Flights to and from Ireland, Lunches and dinners, Personal expenses.

Which days can I start? expand_more

Any day you like between 15 April and 15 October. This is a self-guided holiday, so there are no fixed departure dates: you choose the day you arrive and we build the trip around it.

You can book online from three weeks ahead. June to August fills up first, so for summer it pays to book early.

How fit do I need to be? expand_more

This tour is graded Moderate. You walk on 7 days, 19.8–33.5 km a day. There is some climbing, so you should be comfortable walking day after day. A few months of regular walking, including some hills, is the best preparation. You set your own pace, with route notes and our GPS app to guide you.

How we grade our tours

What happens if I need to cancel? expand_more

We take a 25% deposit to book, and the balance is due six weeks before you start. If you need to cancel:

More than 6 weeks before: you lose the deposit only
4 to 6 weeks before: 50% of the tour cost
2 to 4 weeks before: 80% of the tour cost
Less than 2 weeks before: 100% of the tour cost

We strongly recommend travel insurance that covers cancellation. If we can't find suitable accommodation for your dates, you get a full refund. Full booking terms

Can I walk solo, and is there a single supplement? expand_more

Yes, solo walkers are very welcome and there is no minimum group size. Walking on your own, this tour costs €1,720 instead of €1,075. That includes a solo supplement of €645 and gives you a room to yourself every night.

Travelling with others but would like your own room? The single-room supplement is €440 per person (8 nights at €55).

Do I get a certificate for walking the National Famine Way? expand_more

Yes. The official National Famine Way Passport is included in your holiday price. You collect a stamp in each county as you walk. Hand your passport in at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum in Dublin at the end of the trail and you receive your completion certificate.

Where does the National Famine Way start and end? expand_more

The trail starts at the National Famine Museum at Strokestown Park, County Roscommon. It finishes at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum in the Dublin Docklands, where you collect your completion certificate. The Famine Memorial sculptures on Custom House Quay are a short walk from EPIC, so most walkers visit both on their last day.

How difficult is the National Famine Way? expand_more

It is one of the easiest long walks in Ireland. Most of the trail follows the Royal Canal towpath, which is flat the whole way, with only about 650 metres of climbing over the full route. The challenge is distance, not hills. Daily stages run from about 12 km on our 13 day tour to over 30 km on the longest days of the 8 day tour, so pick the pace that suits you.

How many days does it take to walk the National Famine Way? expand_more

Most walkers take six to ten walking days to cover the full trail from Strokestown to Dublin. Our holidays run 8, 10 or 13 days in total, which includes your arrival and departure days. The 13 day tour adds a rest day in Mullingar. Short on time? You can walk it in two halves of 6 days each: Part A from Strokestown to Mullingar, and Part B from Mullingar to Dublin.

What are the bronze shoes on the National Famine Way? expand_more

Over 30 pairs of bronze children's shoes mark the route. Each pair stands for a child who made the walk from Strokestown to Dublin in 1847. Together they tell the story of Daniel Tighe, who was twelve that year, and who lived. Spotting them becomes part of the walk.

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