Choose Your Hike

We offer different tour grading levels depending on the balance of physical challenge and comfort level that you require

Gentle Hikes

Our Gentle Dingle Way Hiking Tours are designed with the part-time hiker in mind, but they still include some manageable challenges.

They are aimed at hikers for whom taking photos, meeting the locals and enjoying a long lunch are as important as the hike itself.

Due to the nature of the trail and the locations of the villages and trailheads, many of these tours still include some longer days and a certain amount of ascent and descent during the day. We recommend that, before booking your walking holiday, you compare the distances, walking times and ascents for each itinerary to get a better understanding of what to expect from each tour.

Look out for the 🥾 symbol: this itinerary covers the entire Dingle Way trail.

Due to the nature of the trail and the locations of the villages and trailheads, many of these tours still include some longer days and a certain amount of ascent and descent during the day. We recommend that, before booking your walking holiday, you compare the distances, walking times and ascents for each itinerary to get a better understanding of what to expect from each tour.

Average Hiking Distance: 16-18km (10-11 miles) per day Average Hiking Time: 4-6 hours per day

See Tours: 5 Tage 6 Tage 7 Tage 8 Tage 9 Tage 10 Tage 11 Tage 12 Tage
5-Tage / 4-Nächte Leicht Ventry - Cuas from 599 € per person View Itinerary
6-Tage / 5-Nächte Leicht Annascaul - Cuas from 709 € per person View Itinerary
7-Tage / 6-Nächte Leicht Camp - Cuas from 839 € per person View Itinerary
8-Tage / 7-Nächte Leicht Ventry - Camp from 949 € per person View Itinerary
9-Tage / 8-Nächte Leicht Ventry - Tralee from 1049 € per person View Itinerary
10-Tage / 9-Nächte Leicht Annascaul - Tralee from 1149 € per person View Itinerary
11-Tage / 10-Nächte Leicht 🥾 Camp - Tralee from 1299 € per person View Itinerary
12-Tage / 11-Nächte Leicht 🥾 Tralee - Tralee from 1449 € per person View Itinerary

Moderate Hikes

Our Moderate Hiking Tours will suit people who are used to regular exercise.

Hikers will appreciate the chance to cover plenty of ground each day without going beyond their limits.

Look out for the 🥾 symbol: this itinerary covers the entire Dingle Way trail.

Average Hiking Distance: 20-23km (12-14 miles) per day Average Hiking Time: 5-7 hours per day

See Tours: 4 Tage 5 Tage 6 Tage 7 Tage 8 Tage 9 Tage 10 Tage
4-Tage / 3-Nächte Moderat Dingle Town - Cuas from 489 € per person View Itinerary
5-Tage / 4-Nächte Moderat Annascaul - Cuas from 599 € per person View Itinerary
6-Tage / 5-Nächte Moderat Camp - Cuas from 709 € per person View Itinerary
7-Tage / 6-Nächte Moderat Dingle Town - Camp from 839 € per person View Itinerary
8-Tage / 7-Nächte Moderat Annascaul - Camp from 949 € per person View Itinerary
9-Tage / 8-Nächte Moderat Dingle Town - Dingle Town from 1049 € per person View Itinerary
10-Tage / 9-Nächte Moderat 🥾 Tralee - Tralee from 1149 € per person View Itinerary

Trail Info

The Route

The Dingle Way is traditionally walked in a clockwise direction, starting out from Tralee and then heading along the northern slopes of the Slieve Mish Mountains. The route then branches south at the tiny village of Camp and crosses the peninsula towards Inch Beach. From there it moves on to the village of Annascaul, where you will find the famous South Pole Inn. The next stop is Dingle, the most westerly town in Europe, before the walk continues around the rugged westernmost point of Ireland at Slea Head.

The trail loops back to the north of the Dingle Peninsula via Dunquin and Ballyferriter, and then you will have the option to either make the climb over Masatiompan (at 650m, the highest point on the trail), or take a less strenuous alternative southern route over the shoulder of Mount Brandon into Cloghane. Next, there is a long, beautiful beach hike to Castlegregory, before heading back to Camp, and then retracing your steps to Tralee.

Terrain Overview

Most of the Dingle Way crosses low-lying land and looks up at mountains rather than down from them. The aggregate ascent over the route is approximately 2,900m, but, although there are some short steep ascents, there are almost no significant steep climbs. The exception to this is the traverse of Masatiompan (between Cuas and Cloghane), which sees the trail ascend to a height of 650 metres above sea level.

There is a wide variety of terrain covered by the Dingle Way and it consists mainly of quiet tarmac roads, mountain, field and cliff paths, and over 20km of good beach walking. Small roads, known locally in Ireland as ‘boreens’, make up a large part of the trail and help provide a quick walking pace.

Beaches make up a significant part of the Dingle Way, some of which provide an opportunity to take some weight off one’s weary feet by taking a swim. The remainder of the walk goes through open farmland and mountainous moorland.

Elevation profile

Elevation Profile Dingle Way

Terrain by Stages

Tralee – Camp: A gentle canal towpath leads away from Tralee. This is quickly followed by a rugged mountain path across the slopes of Slieve Mish.

Camp – Annascaul: This section consists of minor roads across the top of the peninsula, with a mixture of grassy tracks and paths.

Annascaul – Dingle: Here you will follow quiet country roads that run next to the coast. You will also traverse hillside paths through farmland.

Dingle – Dunquin: Leading out of Dingle town are quiet country roads. This is followed by a long beach walk, and the day ends with a mountain path to Slea Head.

Dunquin – Cuas: This section of the trail consists of a relatively gentle hike along minor coastal roads and quiet beaches. You will encounter some boggy patches towards the end of the hike.

Cuas – Cloghane

  • Option 1: This is a steep climb and descent along a lonely, rugged mountain path. It can be quite slippery when wet.
  • Option 2: Alternatively, this is a long, relatively gradual ascent followed by more rapid descent along an old mountain road into Cloghane.

Cloghane – Castlegregory: This stretch of the route consists of a long beach walk interspersed with coastal paths and occasional road walking.

Castlegregory – Tralee: The final leg of the trail is a mixture of beach, road and mountain paths. There is a canal towpath from Blennerville into Tralee.

Prices / What's Included

Length of Tour Price Per Person (€ ) Single Supplement (€ ) :¹
4 days / 3 nights 489 180 BOOK NOW
5 days / 4 nights 599 230 BOOK NOW
6 days / 5 nights 709 290 BOOK NOW
7 days / 6 nights 839 320 BOOK NOW
8 days / 7 nights 949 380 BOOK NOW
9 days / 8 nights 1049 440 BOOK NOW
10 days / 9 nights 1149 500 BOOK NOW
11 days / 10 nights 1299 540 BOOK NOW
12 days / 11 nights 1449 580 BOOK NOW
¹A single supplement is an additional charge for walkers booking single accommodation (a room for one person). The total tour price per person requesting a single room is the price per person plus the single supplement.

What’s Included in the Price?

  • Stay in our friendly, family-run guesthouses
  • Relax in comfortable en-suite bedrooms*
  • Big breakfasts will keep you going all day long
  • Luggage? Don’t worry, we’ll move it for you!
  • Detailed maps, route notes and GPS tracks mean you’ll never get lost
  • Walking directions written and updated by the Hillwalk Tours team
  • Local alternative/supplementary route options based on local knowledge
  • Our waterproof map-case keeps your maps and documents dry
  • If you need to contact us, we’re here 24/7 to help
  • Insider tips on the best places to eat and drink**
  • Explore the local history and culture in our fascinating guides
  • Discover the most interesting attractions on the trail
  • Need info on transport? We’re happy to help

* Unless already booked out in which case we’ll try to secure a private bathroom

** You will have the opportunity to purchase picnic lunches and evening meals each day. If you are staying in a remote location, the B&B owner will prepare a tasty surprise for you upon request.

Please Note:

We occasionally charge additional supplements on the Dingle Way for tours starting during the high season. This is due to higher costs involved in booking our upgrade option or in cases where our normal accommodation suppliers do not have availability, and an alternative, more expensive, supplier is sourced with your approval.

Extra Days/Activities

Sometimes you need a break from all that hiking! Luckily, the Dingle Way region is full of fun things to do!

Dingle Town: A charming, creative and surprisingly cosmopolitan place where pubs double as shops and you are always sure to find some Irish music. For 37 years Dingle Harbour was also famously home to Fungie, a beloved wild bottle-nosed dolphin.

Dingle/Dunquin: Take a step back in time with a short boat trip to the stunning Blasket Islands – a special place steeped in history and literary culture. (Tours to the Blasket Islands take place from April – September. Please note that we do not book tickets for the Blasket Island tours.)

Ballyferriter: In the morning try your hand at pottery making in the famous Louis Mulcahy Workshop. Then, go for a swim on the beach or visit the 6th Century Gallarus Oratory in the afternoon.

Booking Extra Days

  1. Choose WHERE you wish to stay.
  2. Decide HOW MANY NIGHTS you need.
  3. Go to the BOOKING FORM and fill in the ‘Extra Nights Required/Other Requests’ section.

The costs of extra nights during your Dingle Way hiking tour start from €75 per person per night and from €100 for single hikers who will have their own private room. 

You can also add extra nights in some other popular locations in Ireland: Dublin (Dún Laoghaire), Galway, etc. Please enquire when booking. The costs of these extra nights vary by location and date booked.

Please note that if you book any extra nights in a location not included in your tour itinerary, you will have to make your own arrangements to transfer your bags to this location.

Accommodation

Staying at the very best accommodation during your time in Ireland can transform a “good” hiking tour into a “great” hiking tour.

That’s why, at Hillwalk Tours, we take the quality of our accommodation partners seriously. So much so that you will find we strive to only work with high-quality and well-reviewed accommodation. Additionally, most of our accommodation partners have been personally checked by a member of the Hillwalk Tours team to ensure your comfort.

As keen hikers ourselves we know you’ll want somewhere relaxing to put your feet up in the evening. A place where a warm smile from your hosts makes you feel welcome as soon as you step through the door. If your hiking gear gets wet, it’s nice to know that you can dry it or, if you ask, it may even be taken from you and returned nice and dry the next morning.

Comfy beds, en-suite bathrooms (where available), tasty breakfast menus, and a friendly & cosy atmosphere – these are all the things that we like so you can rest assured that we’ll do our best to find them for you as well.

To find out more about the types of accommodation you can expect to find on a Hillwalk Tours walking holiday, read here: Accommodation on your Walking Tour

In addition, if you’d like to stay an extra night at any location during your hiking tour, just let us know.

Please Note:

Due to limited accommodation options in some locations on your tour, we may need to book you into accommodation which will require transfers to/from your hike start/end point or where you will have private bathroom facilities instead of an ensuite. We may also need to book you into the same accommodation for more than one night to cover multiple locations. The cost of this is covered in your basic tour price and will not affect your tour itinerary.

In general, we try to book accommodation which is as close to the local amenities as possible. If you are staying in a remote location (where access to local pubs/restaurants is not feasible), the hosts of the accommodation that you are staying at will ensure that you are well fed.

Travel Info

Getting to and from your Dingle Way hiking tour is easy… when you know how!

In your hiking pack, you will receive all the necessary public transport information you need to make your journey as convenient as possible.

In the meantime, if you’d like to do some advance planning yourself, here are our tips:

Most Convenient Airports

Sustainable Travel (from Europe)

Public Transport

How to Get to the Start-point of your Hiking Tour within Ireland:

Departing from the Dingle Peninsula:

Take the public bus to Tralee. From Tralee, use train or public bus services.

Travelling by car?

If you would like to leave your car at the first or last accommodation on your tour, for the duration of the tour, then you can directly contact the accommodation owners before the start of your tour to check that this is possible. We will provide contact details for the accommodation provider.

FAQ

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