Wicklow Way

Walk Overview

County Wicklow is the largest mountainous region in Ireland and is renowned for offering some of the best walking in the country. Wicklow is known as “The Garden of Ireland” and lies just south of the capital, Dublin. This area showcases a variety of scenery including remote upland lakes, unspoilt mountain trails, steep-sided valleys, mountain streams, forests and farmlands. The Wicklow Way is Ireland’s oldest long distance hiking trail and was created by the famous Irish hill walker J.B. Malone. This popular path stretches from southern Dublin, through the Wicklow Mountains and on to County Carlow.

There are many scenic and historical highlights along the Wicklow Way. The beautiful upland lakes of Lough Dan and Lough Tay are particularly tranquil. The mighty Powerscourt Waterfall (Ireland’s highest waterfall) and nearby Powerscourt Gardens both warrant a detour. Walkers also need to allow time to explore the remarkably preserved sixth century monastic village of Glendalough and its stunning lakes. The majestic Glenmalure Valley is Ireland’s longest glacial valley stretching over 20 kilometres.

The Wicklow Way runs between Marlay Park just south of Dublin and the village of Clonegal in County Carlow. Traditionally, the Wicklow Way is tackled from north to south, however the walk can be undertaken in either direction. The advantages of walking from the south to the north are twofold. First, the southern section covers low level terrain which helps to ease walkers into the walk before heading into the mountain region. Second, walking south to north finishes conveniently in Ireland’s capital city, Dublin.

The complete Wicklow Way covers 127 kilometres (79 miles) and generally takes between 7-10 days of walking. Your total trip duration then depends on whether you incorporate rest days and, if so, how many.

Assistance and further information:

• For assistance in walking all or part of the Wicklow Way, click the button below.

• For more information on walking in eastern Ireland, click the button below:

• A seven walking day itinerary covering the complete Wicklow Way is shown below. It involves an average daily distance of 18 kilometres. Many people do shortened versions of the walk. We can help you choose the best segment for the time of the year and the number of days you wish to allocate to the walk.

Itinerary

The entire Wicklow Way takes between 7 and 10 walking days to complete. A typical 7 day itinerary completing the entire trail is shown below.

Day 1

Dublin (Marlay Park) to Enniskerry (Knockree)

Distance: 21 km

Time: 5.5 hours

Accommodation: Bed & Breakfast, Hotel

Day 2

Enniskerry to Roundwood

Distance: 20 km

Time: 5 hours

Accommodation: Bed & Breakfast

Day 3

Roundwood to Glendalough

Distance: 12 km

Time: 3 hours

Accommodation: Bed & Breakfast, Hotel

Walk Options

Guided

We are not aware of any tour operators offering the Wicklow Way as a guided trip. However, there are tour operators who offer guided walking trips in the Wicklow Mountains region on specified dates during the walking season.

Some guided tour operators offer accommodation at one central base (usually spacious and comfortable) and walkers are transferred to a section of the walk each day.

Typically, the package offered by the guided tour operators includes:

• 6 Day tour with professional guides, 5 days of walking

• 5 Nights accommodation

• All breakfasts and packed lunches

• Transfers between the track and the accommodation (where applicable)and evenings out

• Pickup at Dublin Airport and return to Dublin Airport at the end of the tour

• Entry fees to Powerscourt Gardens

Assisted self-guided

A number of tour operators offer the Wicklow Way as a self-guided trip.

Typically, the service includes:

• Track notes, maps and information pack

• Accommodation, usually with ensuites (the range and quantity of accommodation available in some villages is limited; also, the basic package offered by some tour operators might not always extend to ensuites)

• Luggage transport between accommodation (and sometimes, where necessary, vehicle transfers between track and accommodation)

• Breakfasts and optional packed lunches

• 24/7 Support

The duration of the self-guided options varies depending upon how far you wish to walk each day. Accommodation options range from comfortable through to luxury, again depending upon the size of the village or town and the purchased package.

Independent

There are limited camping options along the route. It’s feasible to book accommodation along the route yourself and, if you require luggage transfers, to arrange that independently.

For those considering this option, it’s worth noting that the self-guided tour operators often have preferred rates with accommodation providers and luggage transfer companies. They also often have reserved allocations at the best-located/most suitable accommodation for the particular walk, so sometimes when accommodation shows no availability to an independent inquiry there’s still availability through a self-guided operator.

Essential Information

Access

The start of the Wicklow Way is Marlay Park to the south of Dublin which is reached by a 20 minute bus trip from central Dublin.

Clonegal has regular connections to Dublin by bus.

Best time

The best time to do the walk is between March and October.

It is important to note that the summer months are the most popular time to do this walk and consequently there is a high demand for the various accommodation options during this period.

Difficulty

This walk is rated at a difficulty level of moderate. The route is well waymarked and easy to follow provided that you have a suitable map and guidebook. The trail follows footpaths and some roads. There are several ascents and descents along the way.

Accommodation

There is limited accommodation along the route hence reservations are essential. Accommodation options include hostels, B&B’s, guesthouses, inns and hotels.

Many of the accommodation providers, particularly those near to the route, are attuned to walkers’ needs or offer amenities suited to walkers.

We can assist walkers in choosing the accommodation options which best suit their needs.

Dining

We can assist you in choosing some special dining options along the route.

Other activities

The Wicklow Mountain region offers many attractions in addition to the Wicklow Way.

Many walkers choose to add extra days to their trip so that they can explore these other attractions. Some will do that through rest days along the trail; others prefer ‘add-ons’ at the end of the walk. Some do both!

An extra night at Enniskerry allows time to visit the world famous Powerscourt Gardens. The village of Roundwood is a good base from which to further explore Lough Dan and its surrounding valley. Glendalough is a popular choice for a rest day in order to visit the legendary monastic settlement of Saint Kevin. There are also numerous walking trails around the Glendalough lakes.

We can assist walkers to explore the many attractions of the Wicklow Mountains region.

Assistance

We can assist walkers with various aspects of their walking holidays.