Lough Tay, County Wicklow

Wicklow Way

View Photos

View Map

On this page:

Overview

Route

What’s Included?

Itineraries & Prices

Accommodation

Travel Info

Additional Days

Overview

Walking Holidays

7 - 10 Nights

86 miles / 138 km

Prices from: £925 per person
Start: Marlay Park, near Dublin
Finish: Clonegal, County Carlow
Availability: Any start date from March to October
Grading: Moderate
Way-marked: Yes

Wicklow Way Highlights

Vibrant Dublin

Spend time in Dublin, Ireland’s wonderful capital situated on the River Liffey.

Beautiful landscapes

Experience breathtaking scenery as you hike across the varied landscapes of ‘The Emerald Isle’ – forestry, rolling countryside and hills and peaceful lakes.

Rolling hills

Enjoy the contrast of the southern section of the walk as you leave the mountains behind and emerge into open countryside.

Traditional Irish hospitality

Immerse yourself in Irish culture and enjoy the warm welcomes and traditional hospitality in each location along the trail.

Peaceful Glendalough

Visit the tranquil Vale of Glendalough and explore the 6th-century monastery.

Wicklow Mountains & Lough Tay

Enjoy scenic views across mountainous terrain, and down to Lough Tay, “the jewel of the hills”.

A Tranquil Trail Through the Heart of County Wicklow

The Wicklow Way is Ireland’s first waymarked trail, founded by J.B. Malone, one of the Emerald Isle’s most famous hillwalkers. Along the way, walkers will experience some outstanding views over the varied landscapes and soak up the truly welcoming Irish hospitality.

The Wicklow Way is comparatively low-level, which is perfect for walkers who want impressive scenery without the demanding legwork. The route traverses the modest Wicklow and Dublin Mountains, starting in Ireland’s charismatic capital, Dublin, and finishing in Clonegal. Spanning 86 miles, the Wicklow Way combines wonderful vistas of rolling green hills with peat covered granite mountains, and natural beauty steeped in history and legend. This peaceful walk through lakes, mountains and glens, combined with the unhurried pace of life offers a revitalising and refreshing experience.

Your journey begins in Marlay Park in Dublin and quickly leaves the city behind. The route takes you through some wonderful forest trails, remote and scenic mountain landscape and rolling countryside. The Wicklow Way is also rich in history and along the route, you will come across many ruins and reminders of previous inhabitants of this wild terrain. En-route, you will discover a memorial to J.B. Malone, which aptly lies overlooking the twinkling Lough Tay and the historic valley of Glenmalure. The Southern section of the walk is in strong contrast to the Wicklow Mountains in the early days of the walk, with its narrow lanes and rolling hills.

There are no great ascents on the Wicklow Way but there are some long and challenging days. The section in the Wicklow mountains is especially exposed and the trail runs through a largely uninhabited country. This is not a route to be undertaken casually and is probably not suitable if this is your first long-distance walk.

Wicklow Way Route Map

Recommended Itinerary

Our most popular itinerary is WICKW3 which covers the route in 8 days / 9 nights.

Travel to Dublin for your first night’s accommodation

Arrive in Dublin, renowned for its Georgian architecture and wonderful pubs, and spend the evening at your first night’s accommodation.

Day 1: Marlay Park to Glencree (10.5 miles / 17 km)

Your first day on the Wicklow Way starts at Marlay Park on the outskirts of Dublin. There is a short walk through the Park before the route rises to cross the Dublin Mountains, passing Kilmashogue, Fairy Castle and Prince William’s Seat. You will cross the boundary between Counties Dublin and Wicklow, before descending into the Glencree Valley.

Your accommodation will be in Coolakay or Enniskerry, which is an additional 3.5 – 5.5 miles from Glencree.

Day 2: Glencree to Roundwood (12 miles / 19 km)

This morning, you will retrace your steps to Glencree, which will add 3.5 – 5.5 miles to your day. The route continues across the Glencree Valley, skirting around Djouce Mountain and alongside the regal Powerscourt Estate. You will also have the opportunity to take in the impressive Powerscourt Waterfall. Today’s walking offers sensational vistas of the glacial lakes of Lough Tay and Lough Dan.

Your accommodation tonight is in the pretty village of Roundwood.

Day 3: Roundwood to Glendalough (8 miles / 12 km)

Today you will leave Ireland’s highest village behind and traverse farmland, forest and mountain tracks, with Scarr Mountain in your sights before descending into Laragh, where you will find your accommodation for the evening.

Glendalough Monastic City, a 6th-century settlement located in idyllic surroundings, is en route today and is well worth a visit.

Day 4: Glendalough to Glenmalure (11 miles / 17 km)

The majority of today’s walking is on forest tracks, where you can take in the fine wildlife and waterfalls. The route passes through the valley of Glendalough, over the shoulder of Lugduff Mountain to the pass of Borenacrow.

From here you descend into Glenmalure, where Lugnaquilla, County Wicklow’s highest mountain, will be in view.

Day 5: Glenmalure to Iron Bridge (9 miles / 14 km)

This section to Iron Bridge passes through some good forest tracks and a few rough paths. Beginning by ascending the sylvan slopes of Slieve Maan, the route loops around the Carrickaslane Mountain before descending into the Ow River valley at the Iron Bridge, where you will spend the night.

Day 6: Iron Bridge to Tinahely (14 miles / 21 km)

Today’s walk marks the end of the mountainous stages as the terrain changes to gentle rolling countryside. The stage passes the small and once charming Georgian hamlet of Moyne and carries on South to Tinahely.

Day 7: Tinahely to Shillelagh (9 miles / 14 km)

This morning the route quickly leads you up an old cattle road and onto the shoulder of Muskeagh Hill, with fine views to the West. A little further along the trail, you will find Tallon’s Pub, more famously known as ‘The Dying Cow’.

Before heading into Shillelagh for the night you will pass through Raheenakit Forest – which means ‘fort of the cat’ – a reminder of times when wildcats roamed Ireland’s countryside.

Day 8: Shillelagh to Clonegal (11 miles / 17 km)

The final day on the trail is fairly gentle with undulating, open countryside. You will finish your walk in Clonegal, where you can celebrate with a pint of Guinness or perhaps a visit to Huntington Castle.

Onward travel

After breakfast, you will start your journey home after a wonderful walking holiday on the Wicklow Way.

What’s Included?

Your Wicklow Way walking holiday includes:

Carefully selected accommodation along the route and trail transfers when applicable
En-suite or private bathroom facilities whenever possible
Daily door-to-door baggage transfers
Comprehensive information pack, kit list, guidebook and map (one set per room)
Personalised itinerary with details of your accommodation, route and recommendations for lunch and dinner
Traditional Irish breakfast
24-hour emergency contact number
Full financial protection

Your walking holiday doesn't include:

Travel insurance
Transport to and from the start and end of the walk
Lunches and evening meals

Itineraries & Prices

We offer 4 suggested itineraries for walking the Wicklow Way.

Our most popular itinerary is WICKW3 which covers the route in 8 days.

Our WICKW4 itinerary includes an additional day in Laragh which gives you the opportunity to spend time exploring the ancient Monastic city at Glendalough.

Tour code

Itinerary

Average miles

Difficulty

Price per person

WICKW1

6 Days / 7 Nights

14.5 miles per day

Moderate

From £925

Average miles : 14.5 miles per day

Tour code: WICKW1

Difficulty : Moderate

6 Days / 7 Nights (WICKW1)

This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this package. Transfers are included when you are staying a considerable distance away from the trail.

Some overnight locations* are located slightly off-trail. The additional mileage will be noted in your itinerary.

Additional nights can be added at any stage along the walk and we would be delighted to adjust it for you.

All of our prices are per person based on two people sharing a room. Our packages include all accommodation, baggage transfers and full information pack.

Single room & solo walker supplements

Single rooms are available at a supplement which covers the additional costs of a single room or single occupancy of a twin or double room.

As we incur additional costs for transferring a single bag, there is also a solo walker supplement in addition to the single supplement.

Arrive Travel to Dublin for your first night's accommodation

Day 1 Marlay Park to Glencree* 10.5 miles / 17 km

Day 2 Glencree* to Roundwood 12 miles / 19 km

Day 3 Roundwood to Glendalough* 8 miles / 12 km

Day 4 Glendalough* to Glenmalure 11 miles / 17 km

Day 5 Glenmalure to Iron Bridge 9 miles / 14 km

Day 6 Iron Bridge to Tinahely 14 miles / 21 km

Depart Onward travel from Tinahely

Prices

Standard

Good quality B&Bs, Guest Houses & Hotels

From £925 per person

Good quality and comfortable B&Bs, guest houses and some hotels located as close to the trail as possible. We will prioritise en-suite facilities or a private bathroom, although in remote areas with limited accommodation this may not always be possible.

Enquire Now

WICKW2

7 Days / 8 Nights

12 miles per day

Moderate

From £1055

Average miles : 12 miles per day

Tour code: WICKW2

Difficulty : Moderate

7 Days / 8 Nights (WICKW2)

This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this package. Transfers are included when you are staying a considerable distance away from the trail.

Some overnight locations* are located slightly off-trail. The additional mileage will be noted in your itinerary.

Additional nights can be added at any stage along the walk and we would be delighted to adjust it for you.

All of our prices are per person based on two people sharing a room. Our packages include all accommodation, baggage transfers and full information pack.

Single room & solo walker supplements

Single rooms are available at a supplement which covers the additional costs of a single room or single occupancy of a twin or double room.

As we incur additional costs for transferring a single bag, there is also a solo walker supplement in addition to the single supplement.

Arrive Travel to Dublin for your first night's accommodation

Day 1 Marlay Park to Glencree* 10.5 miles / 17 km

Day 2 Glencree* to Roundwood 12 miles / 19 km

Day 3 Roundwood to Glendalough* 8 miles / 12 km

Day 4 Glendalough* to Glenmalure 11 miles / 17 km

Day 5 Glenmalure to Iron Bridge 9 miles / 14 km

Day 6 Iron Bridge to Tinahely 14 miles / 21 km

Day 7 Tinahely to Clonegal 20 miles / 31 km

Depart Onward travel from Clonegal

Prices

Standard

Good quality B&Bs, Guest Houses & Hotels

From £1055 per person

Enquire Now

WICKW3

8 Days / 9 Nights

11 miles per day

Moderate

From £1125

Average miles : 11 miles per day

Tour code: WICKW3

Difficulty : Moderate

8 Days / 9 Nights (WICKW3)

This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this package. Transfers are included when you are staying a considerable distance away from the trail.

Some overnight locations* are located slightly off-trail. The additional mileage will be noted in your itinerary.

Additional nights can be added at any stage along the walk and we would be delighted to adjust it for you.

All of our prices are per person based on two people sharing a room. Our packages include all accommodation, baggage transfers and full information pack.

Single room & solo walker supplements

Single rooms are available at a supplement which covers the additional costs of a single room or single occupancy of a twin or double room.

As we incur additional costs for transferring a single bag, there is also a solo walker supplement in addition to the single supplement.

Arrive Travel to Dublin for your first night's accommodation

Day 1 Marlay Park to Glencree* 10.5 miles / 17 km

Day 2 Glencree* to Roundwood 12 miles / 19 km

Day 3 Roundwood to Glendalough* 8 miles / 12 km

Day 4 Glendalough* to Glenmalure 11 miles / 17 km

Day 5 Glenmalure to Iron Bridge 9 miles / 14 km

Day 6 Iron Bridge to Tinahely 14 miles / 21 km

Day 7 Tinahely to Shillelagh 9 miles / 14 km

Day 8 Shillelagh to Clonegal 11 miles / 17 km

Depart Onward travel from Clonegal

Prices

Standard

Good quality B&Bs, Guest Houses & Hotels

From £1125 per person

Enquire Now

WICKW4

8 Days / 10 Nights

11 miles per day

Moderate

From £1310

Average miles : 11 miles per day

Tour code: WICKW4

Difficulty : Moderate

8 Days / 10 Nights (WICKW4)

This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this package. Transfers are included when you are staying a considerable distance away from the trail.

Some overnight locations* are located slightly off-trail. The additional mileage will be noted in your itinerary.

Additional nights can be added at any stage along the walk and we would be delighted to adjust it for you.

All of our prices are per person based on two people sharing a room. Our packages include all accommodation, baggage transfers and full information pack.

Single room & solo walker supplements

Single rooms are available at a supplement which covers the additional costs of a single room or single occupancy of a twin or double room.

As we incur additional costs for transferring a single bag, there is also a solo walker supplement in addition to the single supplement.

Arrive Travel to Dublin for your first night's accommodation

Day 1 Marlay Park to Glencree* 10.5 miles / 17 km

Day 2 Glencree* to Roundwood 12 miles / 19 km

Day 3 Roundwood to Glendalough* 8 miles / 12 km

Day 4 Rest day to visit Glendalough

Day 5 Glendalough* to Glenmalure 11 miles / 17 km

Day 6 Glenmalure to Iron Bridge 9 miles / 14 km

Day 7 Iron Bridge to Tinahely 14 miles / 21 km

Day 8 Tinahely to Shillelagh 9 miles / 14 km

Day 9 Shillelagh to Clonegal 11 miles / 17 km

Depart Onward travel from Clonegal

Prices

Standard

Good quality B&Bs, Guest Houses & Hotels

From £1310 per person

Enquire Now

Wicklow Way Accommodation

All of the accommodation that we reserve for you has been personally selected by our expert team to ensure it meets our exacting standards. We regularly review our extensive database.

We will always prioritise accommodation as close to the walking trail as possible. Occasionally, your accommodation may be located a short distance from the trail, or you may need to spend more than one night in the same place, in which case we will provide return transfers.

Travel Information

As an environmentally conscious tour operator, we actively encourage the use of public transport by providing clients with a detailed breakdown of travel options in their information packs. The following information may help with your pre-trip planning.

Getting to Dublin

By Air

Nearest International Airports: Dublin Airport.

An airport shuttle bus operates between Dublin Airport and Dublin city centre (journey time 40 min). From here you can travel to Marlay Park by bus or taxi. Marlay Park is located 6 miles south of the city centre.

By Public Transport

Nearest Railway Station: Dublin.

There are numerous train services to Dublin from all over Ireland.

In order to reach the start of the walk at Marlay Park, take Dublin Bus 16 from central Dublin to Grange Road, which is opposite the north gate of the Park (journey time 50 min from O’Connell Street).

By Car

If you plan to travel by car, it may be possible to park in Dublin for the duration of your holiday. We can advise you about parking options when you make your enquiry.

Departing from Clonegal

By Air

Nearest International Airports: Dublin.

From Clonegal you can take a taxi to Rathdrum station to return to Dublin by train, or to Kildavin or Bunclody to return to Dublin by bus.

By Public Transport

Nearest Railway Station: Rathdrum.

There are infrequent train services departing from Rathdrum to Dublin (journey time 1 hour 25 min). On an average weekday, there are 5 trains travelling from Rathdrum to Dublin.

As the train services can be very busy, we recommend booking in advance.

Alternatively you can take the efficient Bus Eireann Expressway service from Kildavin or Bunclody (4 or 5.5km from Clonegal). This bus service will take you to Dublin Busarus Station on Store Street.

By Car

Long term car parking in Clonegal is limited, so we recommend that you travel by public transport. However, if you do plan to travel by car, we can advise you about parking options when you make your enquiry.

Additional Days

We would be delighted to arrange additional accommodation for you along the Wicklow Way.

You may wish to plan a rest day or have an additional night at any of the locations along the route which offer activities or sightseeing opportunities – we’ve made some suggestions below. Please request this when you make an enquiry.

Dublin

Stay an extra night in Dublin, Ireland’s capital situated on the River Liffey. Visit the huge Guinness Storehouse museum and enjoy the journey into the history of the world-famous drink.
Explore Temple Bar on the South side of the city, which houses many of the traditional Irish pubs on its cobbled lanes, and where you can sample some local ales and listen to some lively Irish music.
Visit Dublin Castle which towers over the city’s historic centre.

Enniskerry

Spend a day at Powerscourt House & Gardens, a superb blend of formal gardens, ornamental lakes and the romantic backdrop of Great Sugarloaf mountain

Laragh / Glendalough

The Glendalough Valley is the perfect location for a rest day during your walk. The world-famous 7th Century Monastic Site is certainly worth a visit, and the scenic lakes and valleys are the perfect place for some additional day walks

Tinahely

Enjoy the charming and picturesque village of Tinahely and its attractive market square. There are a number of day walks from the village, including the Old Railway Walk.

How do our Walking Holidays Work?

For more than 20 years, we’ve been weaving together unforgettable walking holidays amidst the enchanting landscapes of the British Isles. Dive deeper into how they work in our comprehensive guide. Read more

Our client walking in the North York Moors National Park

Walking the Wicklow Way: A Journey Through the Garden of Ireland

Stretching from Dublin into a glorious patchwork of lakes and glacier-carved valleys, the Wicklow Way is a true Irish gem. Discover why this trail made such an impression on our Senior Travel Specialist, Sine. Read more