Ireland doesn't do half-measures. The walking is brilliant, the landscapes shift constantly, and there's almost always a decent pub at the end of the day. Whether you're planning your first walking holiday in Ireland or you've already ticked off one route and want to know what's next, this guide covers the best hikes in Ireland - from the windswept west coast to the ancient glens of Northern Ireland.
All these routes are available as fully self-guided walking holidays. Your accommodation is booked, your luggage is transferred between stops, and your routes are mapped in the app. You just have to walk.
The Dingle Way (West Coast) Best for coastal scenery and craic
Location: West Coast, Co. Kerry
National Geographic once called the Dingle Peninsula the most beautiful place on earth. It's a bold claim, but walk the Dingle Way and you'll understand why. This circular route covers around 160km (100 miles), looping the whole peninsula from Tralee, out past the Iron Age forts at Dunbeg, around Slea Head with the Great Blasket Islands sitting off the tip, and back through the Irish-speaking heartland of Dún Chaoin.
The terrain is varied - long coastal stretches, mountain passes, bog paths - with daily distances typically ranging from 18km to 27km (11-17 miles). The Dingle town itself is the social hub: a working fishing port packed with pubs with live music every night, seafood restaurants, and more character per square metre than anywhere in Ireland.
The Macs trips: The Dingle Way 10 Days & 9 Nights walks the full circular route. Shorter versions are available if you want the highlights without the longer daily distances - including the Best of the Dingle Way (7 Days).
The Kerry Way | Best for mountains and Ireland's longest trail
Location: South-west, Co. Kerry
The Kerry Way is Ireland's longest waymarked footpath at 215km (134 miles). It starts and ends in Killarney, looping the Iveragh Peninsula - the larger landmass immediately south of the Dingle Peninsula. Killarney National Park is the backdrop for the first few days: Ireland's oldest protected area, home to native oak woods, ancient abbey ruins at Muckross, and the MacGillycuddy's Reeks - the country's highest mountain range, topping out above 1,000m.
Beyond the park, the route passes through remote glens and valley tracks, skirting the Black Valley before the coast opens up around Caherdaniel and Derrynane Bay, where seals haul out on the rocks offshore. It's a bigger, wilder route than the Dingle - expect more solitude and some genuinely long days.
The Macs trips: The flagship Kerry Way 11 Days & 10 Nights covers the full loop. For a shorter taste, the Kerry Way Short Break (5 Days) walks the Killarney to Glenbeigh section - one of the most dramatic stretches of the trail.
The Wicklow Way | Best for history, mountains, and Dublin city start
Location: East Coast, Co. Wicklow
Ireland's oldest waymarked trail, the Wicklow Way, runs 127km (79 miles) from the southern suburbs of Dublin into the heart of 'Ireland's Ancient East'. It's a walk of two distinct characters: the high, open moorland of the Wicklow Mountains - whose granite peaks are actually older than the Alps and Himalayas - and the wooded glens and farmland valleys that follow.
The highlight for most walkers is Glendalough - a 6th-century monastic settlement set in a glacial valley with two lakes and a round tower still standing. The route also passes Lough Tay, a dark peat-stained lake known locally as the Guinness Lake, and Powerscourt Estate, one of Ireland's finest Georgian houses.
The Macs trips: Most itineraries start with a night in Dublin. The Wicklow Way 8 Days & 7 Nights is the classic option. For an upgrade, Dublin & the Wicklow Way in Comfort pairs the walking with premium accommodation in historic estates and award-winning countryside hotels.
Ireland’s West Coast | Best for remote beauty and a slower pace
Location: Co. Clare & Co. Galway
For walkers who want to take their time, the west coast routes around the Burren and Cliffs of Moher are hard to beat. The Burren is one of Europe's most unusual landscapes - a vast limestone plateau scattered with wildflowers that grow in the cracks between the rocks, with Neolithic tombs and Iron Age forts dotting the hillsides.
The Cliffs of Moher need no introduction - 214m of sheer Atlantic-facing rock stretching 8km along the coast. Walking the cliff path rather than arriving by coach is a different experience entirely. These routes sit in our Slower Adventures category: a bit less mileage each day, but no less scenery.
The Macs trip: Walking Ireland's West Coast (7 Days) takes in the Burren, the Cliffs of Moher, and the Aran Islands. If you'd rather drive between the highlights and add in short hikes, the Wild Atlantic Way Drive & Hike starts and ends in Dublin and covers the whole western seaboard.
Northern Ireland | Best for dramatic coastal scenery and Game of Thrones country
Location: Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland deserves a place on any list of the best hikes in Ireland. The Causeway Coast is genuinely one of the most dramatic stretches of coastline in the British Isles - basalt columns, sea stacks, rope bridges, and dark water all the way to Scotland on a clear day.
The Giant's Causeway needs little introduction - 40,000 interlocking hexagonal basalt columns formed by ancient volcanic eruptions, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But walking the full Causeway Coastal Path takes you well beyond the tourist hotspot, through the Dark Hedges (familiar to Game of Thrones fans), past Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, and along the clifftops above Ballintoy. The Antrim Glens - nine distinct river valleys cutting back from the coast - add another dimension: green, quiet, and almost entirely without crowds.
The Macs trip: The Causeway Coast and Antrim Glens (8 Days & 7 Nights) is our walking holiday in Northern Ireland, covering the full coastal path and taking in the glens. A genuinely different trip from the republic's routes - wilder in places, with a distinctly different cultural flavour.
How to choose your Ireland walking holiday
Ireland's routes work well on their own, but they also combine well. The Dingle Way and Kerry Way are close enough that walkers often book these routes back-to-back. The Wicklow Way suits anyone who wants to include time in Dublin. The west coast routes are best for first-timers or anyone who'd rather have a few shorter days. And the Causeway Coast is the obvious choice if you're looking for walks in Northern Ireland specifically.
All Macs walking holidays in Ireland come with hand-picked accommodation, luggage transfers between each stop, and your maps and route notes loaded in the Macs app. There are no groups, no guides, and no fixed daily schedule - you walk at your pace, stop when you want, and have 24/7 support on hand if anything needs sorting.
Browse all Ireland walking holidays to compare routes, durations, and difficulty grades.
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