Frequently Asked Questions

You can book directly through our website by selecting your preferred tour and clicking Book Now, or use the Trip Enquiry form to contact us first. A deposit of 25% of the invoice is required at the time of booking to secure your place.

Yes. UK and EU driving licences are fully valid in Ireland. Non-EU licence holders should carry an International Driving Permit.

Citizens of EU/EEA countries, the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand don't need a visa for the Republic of Ireland. Check inis.gov.ie for your specific nationality. Northern Ireland (UK) has separate entry requirements — see our Northern Ireland ETA guide.

Car rental gives the most flexibility for reaching trailheads and airports. For the walking days themselves, luggage transfers mean you travel with just a daypack — your bags move between accommodation stops without you. Our tours handle all of the logistics.

You do not need to be a mountain athlete. Most Irish long-distance trails are moderate, with daily distances of 15–25 km on varied terrain including country lanes, bog roads, and mountain paths. A few months of regular walking — including some hills — is the best preparation. Trails like the Barrow Way and Burren Way suit beginners, while the Kerry Way and Cooley & Mournes suit walkers with more experience.

Mobile coverage is generally good in and around the villages (Killarney, Cahersiveen, Waterville, Sneem, Kenmare), but patchy to non-existent on the remote mountain sections, particularly on Days 2, 3, and 6. We recommend downloading offline maps before you set out each day. Our self-guided tour includes detailed route notes and maps so you are never fully reliant on your phone for navigation.

Our Kerry Way 8-day self-guided tour starts from €935 per person. This includes seven nights' accommodation at handpicked guesthouses and B&Bs, breakfast each morning, daily luggage transfers, detailed maps and route notes, and 24/7 support from our team. Single supplements and extra nights can be arranged on request.

Walking poles are not essential but highly recommended, especially for the steep descents on Days 2, 3, and 6. They reduce strain on your knees during long downhill sections and provide stability on uneven terrain and stream crossings. If you have never used poles before, practice with them before your trip — they take some getting used to but most walkers find them invaluable by day three.

Five of our favourite interesting facts about Ireland:

1. Ireland has no native snakes — the sea rose too fast after the last ice age.

2. Newgrange is older than both the Egyptian pyramids and Stonehenge, and its roof box still aligns with the winter solstice sunrise.

3. Bram Stoker, who wrote Dracula, was born in Dublin.

4. Ireland has won Eurovision seven times — more than any other country.

5. There are roughly 70 million people of Irish descent worldwide, about ten times the population of the island itself.

Many of Ireland's best-known trails carry mythological names. The Giant's Causeway on the Antrim coast is named after the warrior giant Fionn Mac Cumhaill. The Queen Maeve Trail in Sligo climbs to the cairn where the legendary warrior queen of Connacht is said to be buried. The Táin Way in County Louth follows the route of Ireland's greatest epic, the Cattle Raid of Cooley. And Glendalough's trails wind through the monastic valley of St Kevin, the sixth-century hermit who lived in a Bronze Age tomb.

Yes — the Skellig Islands are visible from the trail on Day 3 (Cahersiveen to Waterville) as you climb into the mountains. On clear days, the distinctive jagged silhouettes appear on the Atlantic horizon. The islands housed one of Europe's most isolated early Christian monasteries and were also used as a filming location for Star Wars. You cannot visit the islands as part of the Kerry Way walk itself, but boat trips depart from Portmagee nearby.

Day 6, from Sneem to Kenmare, is the most demanding stage at 27.3 km with 733 m of ascent. It is the longest day and involves significant climbing through remote mountain terrain. By this point you will have five days of walking fitness behind you, which makes a real difference. The shortest and easiest stage is Day 4, Waterville to Caherdaniel, at just 14.5 km.

Steep and scree-based with 764 m of elevation over 3 km. Use trekking poles and turn back if weather deteriorates. I took roughly 90 minutes from the base.

In Irish, the traditional greeting is "Dia dhuit" (JEE-ah gwit), meaning "God be with you." In everyday English across Ireland, you're more likely to hear "howya" in Dublin, "Well?" in Cork, or "What about ye?" in the North. All of them mean the same thing: welcome, come in, sit down.

Yes, and it is a great way to see more of Ireland. Popular combinations include the Kerry Way + Dingle Way (both in County Kerry), the Wicklow Way + a few days in Dublin, or the Causeway Coast + Cooley & Mournes for a cross-border adventure. We can arrange transfers between trails and tailor the itinerary to your available time. Just get in touch and we will help you plan it.

Massachusetts, where more than 25% of residents identify as Irish-American. Boston, Providence, New Haven and Hartford all have large Irish-American communities. The Boston St Patrick's Day parade is one of the oldest in the world, held since 1737.

Ireland is best known for its green landscape; its literary tradition (Yeats, Beckett, Joyce, Heaney — four Nobel Prize winners in literature from a country of 5 million people); its music and pub culture; its diaspora; and increasingly, its extraordinary walking routes. The Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland's network of Waymarked Ways have made the country one of Europe's most respected walking destinations.

It depends on what you find dramatic. The Kerry Way offers the most variety — mountains, coast, and green valleys over 214 km. The Dingle Way has the wildest Atlantic coastline. The Causeway Coast Way packs volcanic sea cliffs and the Giant's Causeway into a shorter route. And the Burren Way passes the Cliffs of Moher and a limestone karst landscape unlike anywhere else in Europe. Each trail has a character of its own.

The best months for hiking in Ireland are May through September, with June and July offering up to 17 hours of daylight. May and September are quieter on the trails and often surprisingly dry. Shoulder months like April and October can be beautiful but bring shorter days and more unpredictable weather. Winter hiking is only recommended for experienced walkers comfortable with wet, cold conditions and limited daylight.

Yes. Ireland's mild climate means trails are open and walkable in every month.

Summer (June–August) brings the longest days and best visibility, but also the most crowds.

Spring and autumn are ideal — quieter trails, softer light, and temperatures that suit long days on your feet.

Winter hiking is absolutely possible on lower-level routes, but shorter daylight hours and wetter conditions require more planning.

Whatever the season, layers and waterproofs are essential. Irish weather can change quickly, and that's as true in July as it is in January.

No — on a self-guided walking holiday with Walking Holiday Ireland, your luggage is transferred between accommodations each day. You only carry a daypack with water, snacks, a rain jacket, and anything you need on the trail. Your bags will be waiting for you when you arrive at your next B&B. This applies to all six trails featured in this guide.

The Dindshenchas — meaning "the lore of places" — is a medieval Irish literary tradition. It's a collection of poems and prose from the 11th and 12th centuries that explains how Irish places got their names. Almost every river, mountain, lake, and pass in Ireland has an origin story in the Dindshenchas, connecting landscape features to gods, heroes, and ancient events. When you walk Irish trails, you're moving through a landscape where every feature was named by storytellers.

Yes — and our self-guided itineraries are built around them. The Causeway Coast walk takes you along the Giant's Causeway, where Fionn Mac Cumhaill's stones still stand. Knocknarea in Sligo leads to Queen Maeve's Cairn. The Wicklow Way passes through Glendalough and St Kevin's monastic valley. The Táin Way in County Louth follows the landscape of Ireland's great cattle-raid epic. Each of these routes lets you walk the same ground the legends are set on.

Not at all — the scenery stands on its own. But knowing the legends behind Irish trail names adds a layer that turns a good walk into something you remember years afterwards. When you reach the cairn on Knocknarea, it hits differently if you know who Maeve was. When you stand at the Giant's Causeway, the columns are more interesting if you can picture Fionn building them. We include short legend notes on the route briefings we send before your trip.

Fionn Mac Cumhaill was the legendary warrior leader of the Fianna in Irish mythology — a band of hunter-warriors who roamed Ireland in the third century. The story tells that Fionn built the Giant's Causeway as stepping stones across the sea to Scotland to fight the giant Benandonner, then tore most of it up when fleeing back. His tales are woven into landscape features all over Ireland, especially along the Antrim coast and in the Wicklow Mountains.

The Cailleach Bheara — the Hag of Beara — is one of the oldest figures in Irish mythology, a goddess of winter, stone, and landscape. Her name is woven into the geography of southwest Ireland; the Beara Peninsula carries her name. Local tradition says she leapt from hilltop to hilltop, dropping stones from her apron that became the cairns and standing stones scattered across the mountains. Her legend lives on in landscapes from the Beara Peninsula to Slieve Gullion in County Armagh.

Our self-guided packages include accommodation with breakfast, luggage transfers between every stop, detailed route notes and maps, and a 24/7 support line. Prices start from around €655 per person for a 5-day tour. Budget approximately €30–50 per day on top of your package price for meals. Guided tours are priced higher to include the guide. Getting to Ireland is straightforward — Dublin, Cork, Shannon, and Kerry airports all have international connections, and we can arrange transfers from the airport to your starting point.

Look for:

• Type G socket (Ireland/UK compatible)

• CE certification

• Multiple USB ports

• Surge protection

• Quality brand (reputable electronics manufacturers)

Recommended brands: Belkin, Anker, Samsonite, or similar quality manufacturers

Yes! Northern Ireland (UK) uses the same Type G outlets and 230V electricity. Your Irish adapter works perfectly in Northern Ireland.

Yes, all guesthouses, hotels, and B&Bs provide electrical outlets. Outlets are typically near desks, nightstands, or bathroom mirrors. Please ask the staff for assistance if you are unable to locate an outlet.

All modern power banks auto-convert voltage. Just bring a Type G adapter to charge the power bank in your accommodation. Once charged, the power bank works anywhere globally.

Yes, during certain seasons such as winter or early spring, you may encounter cold temperatures, strong winds, rain showers, and muddy trails. Before setting out, it's crucial to prepare and check local weather forecasts.

Probably not. Check your device chargers—if they say "Input: 100-240V", they auto-convert and need only the adapter. If any device says "110V only", bring a voltage converter for that specific device.

Yes. Irish tap water is among the safest in Europe. There's no need for bottled water.

Not really. Ireland's Atlantic climate keeps most biting insects at bay. Midges exist but are far less aggressive than in Scotland — coastal routes like the Dingle Way and Kerry Way rarely have issues thanks to the sea breeze. Ticks are present in long grass and heather, so a quick check after boggy sections is sensible. A small tube of insect repellent is worth packing for summer trips, but insects won't define your experience. Ireland's weather is a far bigger consideration than its wildlife.

All our self-guided guests have a 24-hour support contact number. For emergencies in Ireland, call 999 or 112. Mountain Rescue Ireland covers the major walking areas.

Yes, many people do. Carry a mobile phone and let someone know your plans. Weather changes fast on the bog. Walking with a partner is safer on the summit section.

It's a two-day intensive trail to a sacred summit. Other routes like St Finbarr's Way are longer and more distributed. The Croagh Patrick walk is uniquely steep at its conclusion.