Best of the Dingle Way

This route is suitable for most regular walkers of average fitness. You should train by walking some daily walks of similar daily distances to your planned itinerary.

The terrain is undulating. The route includes historic paths such as boreens (narrow country roads), farm tracks, cliff-top paths, wide sandy beaches and some minor roads.

Beaches make up about 17% of the route.

Most beaches can be walked on safely, even if there is a high tide. Do take extra care in stormy weather, it might be safer to either walk along the dunes or avoid the beach by walking on roads instead. When crossing streams, make sure to judge if the terrain is firm enough to walk on.

This tour is graded moderate and is suitable for most regular walkers of average fitness. Within the tour, individual days may vary in difficulty - some might be a bit tougher or easier than the overall rating suggests.

Accommodation along the Dingle Way is small and varied - you'll stay in family-run B&Bs, guest houses, and hotels, with a warm welcome and traditional Irish hospitality guaranteed.

We always try to accommodate you at the locations in your itinerary, but this can sometimes be difficult due to limited availability in remote areas. If we need to place you elsewhere, you'll always get directions to and from the trail, or in some cases a return transfer, though this may mean a slightly longer or shorter day. Booking as far in advance as possible is recommended to secure your preferred overnight locations.

There's a shortage of accommodation in Dunquin, so you're likely to be accommodated in Dingle town instead, with return taxi transfers provided to and from the trail. The same applies in Camp, where availability is limited and tends to run out early in the season - in this case you'll stay in Tralee instead, with transfers provided at an additional supplement.

Yes, solo travelers are very welcome. There will be a supplement because some costs, like transfers, aren't shared. Or if you'd like to book a single room, just ask. These are available for a supplement.

A hearty breakfast is included each morning. Lunch and dinner aren't included, so you're free to choose from the options available. Most of your accommodations are happy to provide a packed lunch on request, bookable on arrival, or you can pick something up at a local shop or café. In the evening, dinner is available either at your accommodation or at nearby pubs and restaurants.

The Dingle Way is available from April to October and you can start on any day of the week within the season. Irish weather is famously changeable, so it's hard to pin down one single best time to go, but anytime between April and October should offer a wonderful experience - conditions are rarely extreme, though it's worth being prepared for all types of weather.

This is one of the most popular classic trails in Ireland, so we'd suggest booking as early as possible to secure your preferred accommodations and avoid disappointment.

Your bags will be collected from your accommodation each day and moved onto your overnight accommodation.

The Dingle Way is waymarked throughout and easy to follow. We recommend walking the circuit in the traditional clockwise direction. Please note that depending on the time of year and recent weather, the trail can be boggy in places, which may slow your pace.

Navigation is straightforward using our app which has maps, tracks and daily route info. Simply download the information and tracks for offline use and follow the route on your phone. Once on the trail you do not need signal for the app to work and follow your progress.

Recommended Reading
The Dingle Way Rucksack Readers Guide

To reach Tralee, you can fly into Kerry Airport, with Ryanair flights from London Luton, London Stansted and Frankfurt, and Aer Lingus flights between Dublin and Kerry. Alternatively, fly into Cork Airport, served by Aer Lingus from Bristol, London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester and Birmingham, then take a short bus (around 20 minutes) to Cork Kent train station and a 2-hour train on to Tralee. You can also fly into Shannon Airport, served by Aer Lingus from Dublin, Bristol, Manchester, London Heathrow and Birmingham as well as Boston and New York JFK, by Ryanair from Liverpool and London Stansted, and by Air Transat from Toronto, then take a bus (around 2 hours 50 minutes to 3 hours 15 minutes, via Cork) to Tralee. Dublin Airport is also easily accessible from the UK with several low-cost airlines and scheduled international carriers, as well as Irish Ferries sailing from Holyhead, with a good bus service from Dublin Airport into the city centre. Locally, a Bus Éireann service runs between Camp and Tralee (around 25 minutes) and between Tralee and Annascaul (around 55 minutes), with fares payable on board.

If you choose the 10 Day or 6 Day tours, your tour also finishes in Tralee, so you can simply follow these directions in reverse.

If you choose the 8 Day tour, your tour finishes in the village of Cloghane on the northern coast of the Dingle Peninsula. A local bus runs from Cloghane back to Tralee, usually timed to coincide with standard check-out times (between 10am and 11am) - check Local Link Kerry for the timetable. You can also take the local bus back to Dingle town, changing at Camp.

You'll need good hiking shoes or boots, comfortable hiking clothes, waterproofs, a daypack, and we recommend hiking poles. A portable charger for your cell phone is essential. On booking, our Tour Info will give you a complete packing list.

On certain days you can shorten the route or skip it entirely by using a taxi or public transport.

We highly recommend that you have travel insurance when you book with Macs Adventure. Your policy should cover medical treatment (including repatriation and emergency evacuation by air ambulance or helicopter), injury, death, third-party liability, and trip cancellation