The Dingle Way -10 Days & 9 Nights

The Dingle Way - 10 Days & 9 Nights

10 Days & 9 Nights 4.6 Read 95 reviews

Wandering through the array of archaeological monuments which dot the route
Sampling traditional Irish music and a pint of Guinness in Dingle
Dipping your toes in the refreshing waters at Ventry Harbour
Walking along wild coastlines and sandy beaches, including Ireland’s longest at 11km
Breathing in the scents of wildflowers, heather and the fresh ocean air
Experiencing warm Irish hospitality at hand-picked B&B’s and guesthouses

National Geographic Traveller voted south-west Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula as “the most beautiful place on earth”. The Dingle Way takes walkers through arguably the most impressive and richest archaeological heritage of all of Ireland's national trails. Stride out across wild moorland cloaked in heather and abundant in wildflowers. Hike between small villages and along coastal routes with wide golden beaches. Highlights include a stay in the charming town of Dingle and the village of Dunquin, which overlooks the beautifully desolate Blasket Islands. See ruined castles, forts, ancient standing stones and 'clocháin' (beehive huts) which date back to 6000BC.

What To Expect

Travel restrictions and resources, to and from any destination

The Dingle Way is a bracing cliff-top walk in one of the most stunning, historic and remote parts of Europe. With its well way-marked path, unforgettable scenery and welcoming people, the Dingle Peninsula is a great place to forget about the worries of modern life.

Tour Type:

Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way, Tour Du Mont Blanc and the Passau to Vienna Danube Cycle Path, to name but a few!

Activity:

Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&B’s, inns, and guesthouses.

This trip is suitable for:

Solo Travellers

As a guide, we would suggest that the minimum age of traveler this tour would be suitable for is: 11 Years

Ideal if you have an interest in:

Long-Distance Trails
Coastal Walking

Activity Level & Terrain

Our Dingle Way itineraries are graded moderate and are suitable for regular walkers. The route does not go any higher than 650m (the ascent over a spur of Mount Brandon) and elsewhere the route never rises above 350m making it a low-level, but undulating route. Most days offer between 6 to 8 hours of walking on good terrain which 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 and it should be noted that overall about 48% follow tarmac roads (bitumen). Although the amount of road walking is more than walkers might expect, the roads are scenic, varied, and mostly along quiet lanes. This reflects the fact that rights of way are almost non-existent in Ireland, and this is something that the Dingle Way has in common with other Irish trails. From time to time there may be some busier stretches where you will need to be cautious of traffic.

Navigation

The Dingle Way is waymarked throughout and easy to follow. Our recommended route and the general best practice is walking the Dingle Way circuit in the traditional clockwise direction.

Navigation is straightforward as you can use the Macs Adventure Smartphone App which has maps, GPS tracks, and daily route information. Simply download the GPS tracks for offline use and follow the route on your phone with the assurance that navigation will be simple, and you can’t get lost. You will find more information on downloading the app in your Macs Adventure Account.

Please note that depending on the time of year and recent weather, the trail may be boggy in places that could reduce your average walking speed.

Experience & Fitness

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.

Accommodations

The accommodations along the Dingle Way are small and varied, you will stay in family-run B&Bs, guest houses, and hotels. A warm welcome is guaranteed as well as traditional Irish hospitality.

We will always try to accommodate you at the locations that are detailed in the itinerary, but this may sometimes be difficult due to limited availability in remote areas. Sometimes we might have to accommodate you elsewhere and if this is the case, you will always receive directions to and from the trail or in some cases, return transfers from the path. Please be aware that this may result in slightly longer or shorter walking days. Booking as far in advance as possible is recommended to secure the preferred overnight locations.

We will be happy to accommodate your party with single rooms if requested and this trip is also available to solo walkers.

There is a lack of accommodation in Dunquin which can make it more difficult for us to secure an overnight stay in this area. This means that you are likely to be accommodated in Dingle town instead and return taxi transfers to and from the path will be provided. The same applies to Camp, where the choice of accommodation is small and tends to run out of availability early in the season. This means that you will be accommodated in Tralee instead and transfers will be provided at an additional supplement.

Meals

A hearty breakfast is included each morning. Lunch and dinner are not included so you are free to choose from the available options. Most of your accommodations will more than happy to provide a packed lunch on request and this can be booked on arrival. Alternatively, you can buy lunch at local shops or stop in a café. Dinner is available either at your accommodation or at nearby pubs or restaurants.

Included

Overnight accommodation in hand picked B&B's, guesthouses and small hotels in en suite rooms wherever possible.
Door-to-door baggage transfers
A detailed information pack and guidebook
Transfer as per the itinerary
Access to the maps via the Macs Adventure smartphone navigation app
24-7 Emergency telephone support from our office in the event of any issues

Excluded

Travel to starting point/from finish point
Lunches, dinners, snacks and drinks
Travel Insurance
Personal Equipment
Taxi transfers or public transport should you need to skip a stage.

Extras

Additional Transfers
Extra nights before, after or during your walk

When To Go

The Dingle Way is available from April to October and you can start your trip on any date of the week within the season. As the Irish weather is so famously changeable, it is hard for us to indicate the very best time to go. However, we believe that anytime between April and October should offer a wonderful experience. The Irish weather is changeable but not often extreme, although it is important to be prepared for any conditions!

This is one of the most popular classic trails on the Emerald Isle and for that reason, we suggest booking as early as possible to secure our preferred accommodations and avoid disappointment.

Getting to the Start

In order to get to Tralee you can fly into Kerry Airport. Flights are available to Kerry Airport with Ryanair from London Luton, London Stansted and Frankfurt. Aer Lingus fly between Dublin and Kerry Airport. There is a bus (30 mins-1h30) from Kerry Airport to Tralee. For bus timetables, see www.buseirann.ie

Flights are also available to Cork Airport with Aer Lingus from Bristol, London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester and Birmingham. From Cork Airport it is a short bus ride (20 mins) to Cork Kent train station, then a 2hr train ride to Tralee. For train timetables, see http://www.irishrail.ie/

You can also fly into Shannon Airport with Aer Lingus from Dublin, Bristol, Manchester, London Heathrow and Birmingham, as well as Boston and New York JFK. Ryanair fly to Shannon from Liverpool and London Stansted. Air Transat fly from Toronto to Shannon. From Shannon Airport take a bus (approx. 2h50-3h15, via Cork) to Tralee.

A bus service is available between Dublin/Limerick and Shannon Airport—see http://www.jjkavanagh.ie/

Dublin Airport is easily accessible from the UK with several low-cost airlines covering the route as well as scheduled international carriers. Irish Ferries also operate from Holyhead to Dublin.

From Dublin Airport there is a good bus service into Dublin city centre. From Camp to Tralee there is a bus service, which takes approx. 25 mins. See www.buseireann.ie/

By Bus around Dingle Peninsula: From Camp to Tralee and vice-versa there is a bus service, which takes approx. 25 mins. From Tralee to Annascaul there is also a bus service, which takes approx. 55 mins. Buses are payable locally. See www.buseireann.ie.

Getting from the End

This tour also finishes in Tralee, so you can simply follow the directions in reverse.

Luggage Transfer

Daily door-to-door luggage transfers are included in the price of your trip, allowing you to set off on each walk carrying a light backpack.

At Macs Adventure we work in partnership with many luggage transfer providers who set a limit on how many bags/suitcases they will transfer per person, and also the weight of the bag/suitcase. Ninety-nine percent of the time they will only transfer one bag per person, but the allowed weight ranges from anything between 15 and 20kg per bag, depending on the tour you are taking. We do not have control over the limits that these providers set. Therefore, it is very important that you read the luggage information specific to your tour before departure. If you do not adhere to these limits there is a great possibility that you will be charged locally both for extra bags (including shopping bags or boots) and if they are too heavy. This limitation can be a challenge, especially as airlines generally have limits that are higher. However, our luggage providers have reasons for these limits (usually due to the Health and Safety of their employees) which we must respect.

On this trip, we ask you to keep your luggage to a maximum weight of 15 kilograms per item. Although most airlines have a standard baggage allowance of 23kg, we kindly ask you to distribute any excess weight over a separate bag. Please note that 2 bags per person are allowed, meaning 4 bags per couple.

General Information

The distances and ascent / descents are approximations of the recommended routes. Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and pants), sun hat and sunscreen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack.

Travel Insurance

It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity and emergency evacuation and hospital care.

Baggage Transfers - how does it work?

Whats the grading of this tour?

What equipment do I need?

When is the best time of year?

Am I able to take my dog?

What happens if I can’t walk a stage?