Moderate 6 Days / 4 Nights Walking

Cooley Peninsula Walking Holiday — 6 Days

More time in Ireland's most storied peninsula

Starting From €725 per person

The 5-day Cooley Peninsula tour is wonderful, but sometimes you want more. This 6-day version gives you two full days exploring Carlingford on foot — each with a different looped route — so you can experience the lough shore, the forest trails above the village, and the panoramic ridgeline walks at a genuinely unhurried pace.

You still do the two signature hill stages: Ravensdale Forest to Lumpers, and the spectacular Táin Way descent from Lumpers into Carlingford. But instead of one free day at the end, you have two days of structured looped walking based out of your Carlingford B&B, letting you explore the peninsula from a different angle each morning.

This is a tour for walkers who want to really inhabit a place rather than pass through it. The Cooley Peninsula rewards that approach. Its mythology goes back three thousand years, and the medieval village of Carlingford has been drawing walkers, oyster-lovers, and quiet admirers for centuries.

Highlights

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Two Days in the Cooley Mountains

Two proper hill stages — Ravensdale to Lumpers and the dramatic Táin Way ridgeline to Carlingford — giving you the full measure of the peninsula's mountain character before settling in by the lough.

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Carlingford Looped Walks

Two different looped routes from Carlingford explore the village's wider landscape: lough shore paths, forest trails, and ridge panoramas that change completely depending on direction and weather.

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Medieval Carlingford

Two nights in Carlingford means real time to explore — King John's Castle, the narrow medieval lanes, the waterfront, and some of the freshest oysters in Ireland.

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Walking the Táin Legend

These are the hills where Cúchulainn defended Ulster against the armies of Connacht. The Táin Way follows ancient droving paths through living mythology — the landscape itself tells the story.

Who Is This For?

This tour is ideal for walkers who enjoy a relaxed multi-day pace with time to explore rather than just transit. You should be comfortable walking 12–18 km per day over mixed terrain. The two Cooley hill stages involve significant ascent and some rocky ground — particularly the Ravensdale and Táin Way stages — but the Carlingford looped walks are gentler and entirely manageable. Perfect for first-time self-guided walkers, couples, and anyone who wants the complete Cooley experience without feeling rushed.

Tour Itinerary

Day 1

Arrival in Dundalk

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Arrive in Dundalk and settle into your first B&B. The town is your gateway to the Cooley Peninsula — connected to Dublin and Belfast by frequent rail and bus services. Take an evening stroll, find a good restaurant, and prepare for the mountains ahead.

Day 2

Ravensdale Forest to Lumpers

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pin_drop Annaverna → Lumpershiking 14.6 kmlandscape ↑556mlandscape ↓571m

Your first walking day takes you through Ravensdale Forest and up into the Cooley Mountains. The trail climbs through mixed woodland before opening onto wide heather moorland with views over Dundalk Bay. It's a day of building atmosphere — the forest gradually giving way to open ridge, and the first sense of the ancient landscape you're walking into. You return to Dundalk for a second night.

Day 3

Lumpers to Carlingford via the Táin Way

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pin_drop Lumpers → Carlingfordhiking 13.7 kmlandscape ↑539mlandscape ↓585m

The signature stage of the tour. From Lumpers you climb to the spine of the Cooley Peninsula and follow the Táin Way — the ancient route of the Cattle Raid of Cooley — along the high ridgeline. Crossing Maeve's Gap, the views open in every direction: the Irish Sea to the east, Carlingford Lough glittering below, and the Mournes rising beyond. The descent into medieval Carlingford is unforgettable.

Day 4

Carlingford Looped Walk 1

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pin_drop Carlingford → Carlingfordhiking 12.9 kmlandscape ↑741mlandscape ↓741m

Your first full day based out of Carlingford. This looped walk explores the lough shore and the lower slopes of Slieve Foye — a completely different perspective on the peninsula from yesterday's high ridge. You'll pass through ancient woodland, along the water's edge, and into corners of Carlingford that most visitors never find. Evenings in Carlingford are for oysters and traditional music.

Day 5

Carlingford Looped Walk 2

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pin_drop Carlingford → Carlingfordhiking 9.0 kmlandscape ↑373mlandscape ↓373m

A second looped walk from Carlingford, this time climbing higher for the ridge views and forest trails above the village. The Cooley Peninsula looks entirely different from above — the full sweep of the lough, the patchwork of field and forest below, and the Mournes across the water. A final afternoon in Carlingford before departure tomorrow.

Day 6

Departure from Carlingford

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A last breakfast in Carlingford before heading home. Your pre-departure pack includes public transport options back to Dublin and Belfast. It's worth arriving early at the harbour for a final coffee by the lough before you go.

Accommodation

- Accommodation: 5 nights in en-suite B&B rooms - Breakfast: Full Irish or continental breakfast every morning - Luggage Transfer: Daily door-to-door transfer of your main bag - Navigation: Personalised digital itinerary and route app for your smartphone that keeps you on the trail at all times - Pre-Departure Travel Pack: Sent 4 weeks before you travel - Support: 24/7 emergency support line for the duration of your trip

What's Included

check_circle What's Included

doneAccommodation: 5 nights in en-suite B&B rooms
doneBreakfast: Full Irish or continental breakfast every morning
doneLuggage Transfer: Daily door-to-door transfer of your main bag
doneNavigation: Personalised digital itinerary and route app for your smartphone that keeps you on the trail at all times
donePre-Departure Travel Pack: Sent 4 weeks before you travel
doneSupport: 24/7 emergency support line for the duration of your trip

block Not Included

closeFlights: Travel to Ireland is not included
closeInsurance: You will need travel and walking holiday insurance
closeMeals: Lunches and dinners (we'll happily recommend pubs and restaurants en route)
closePersonal Gear: Hiking equipment and clothing

Best Time to Visit

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

May and June are our top picks. Long evenings, wildflowers on the Cooley foothills and manageable trail traffic make these months hard to beat. June and early July offer the longest daylight hours, which matter for the longer Mourne Ridge days.

September is arguably the finest month of all. Bracken turns gold, the light is sharp and clear, trails are quieter, and accommodation is easier to book.

July and August are the warmest months but the busiest. Slieve Donard sees significant foot traffic, and accommodation needs to be booked well in advance.

The walking season runs from late spring through to late autumn, typically April to October.

Time your visit with a festival. Many trails host walking festivals throughout the season — see our complete 2026 walking festivals calendar to plan around one.

From

€725 per person

Based on 2 sharing

Preferred Start Date

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Book at least 20 days in advance

Number of Walkers

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phone or call +353 42 932 3396

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