Ireland: Dingle Way

  Ireland: The Dingle Way 

           One of the most beautiful peninsulas in Ireland offering spectacular views of mountain, sea and islands.  

IRELAND: THE DINGLE WAY GUIDED WALKING TOUR

7 NIGHTS / 8 DAYS


Walking in Ireland is nothing new, especially for the Irish, and while the island itself is small, it offers an enormous variety of various sceneries to be discovered.  From forests to beaches to mountains and everything in between, a walk in Ireland with Ramblers will give you the opportunity to explore this lucky landscape.  The Dingle Way, located in the south-west of Ireland, is one of many dedicated walking trails in Ireland. This walk starts near Tralee, the capital of Kerry. You'll spend 7 days walking over the ever-changing landscapes the Dingle Way traverses.  From walks in the foothills of slieve Mish to crossing the hills of Mount Brandon, from the turquoise waves of the Atlantic near Slea Head to the quiet offered by farmland and lonesome parcels of golden beaches on the Maharess.

 

You'll pass by some of the best archeological sites in Ireland while on this walk. You'll witness standing stones, ogham stones and the many beehive huts along the dingle Way.


Our guide will take you through the beautiful Gouguanbarra valley where St. Declan's church is nestled on an island in the lake. Visit the most fascinating garden at interpretive center on Garish Island learning the history of this little island. Hear the stories of Muckross House and how Queen Victoria put Killarney on the map.


 We'll take a boat trip from the end of the walk to Ross Castle on the Gap of Dunloe and walk on Blasket Island.



Day 1 - Gouganebarra 

Fly into Shannon, which is the nearest international airport, or fly into Dublin and get train to Killarney.  Lunch (at your own expense) available at many of the local coffee shops and restaurants.  We will wander through Killarney House and gardens.  The National Parks & Wildlife Services have been working tirelessly to restore the gardens and achieve the 18th, 19th and 20th century magnificence and bring the gardens into their present-day glory. Restoration includes use of the remaining antique collection still present in the house to regale the history of the house and the lives of those who lived there.  We then depart to Gouganebarra. http://www.gouganebarrahotel.com/


Day 2  - Kenmare     

Our walk takes us through the old paths and forestry of Gouganebarra (Irish: Guagán Barra, meaning "the rock of Barra") then off to Kenmare. We stop off and travel by boat to Garnish Island located in the sheltered harbour of Glengarriff in Bantry Bay. These world-renowned gardens are laid out in beautiful walks and have some stunning specimen plants which are rare in this climate. The Gardens were created by Annan Bryce and Harold Peto, architect and garden designer. For history buffs the Island also boasts a Martello tower on its southern shores.  There is an amazing view of the bay from the battlements of the tower.  We book into our hotel that evening. (4 to 5 miles)

https://www.kenmarebayhotel.com/


Day 3  - Kenmare

The Sheep’s Head Way is one of Ireland’s best-loved walking routes.  At the very edge of Europe, it boasts an unspoilt natural landscape with stunning coastal views. This place has been recognised as a European Destination of Excellence. You’ll soon see for yourself why people see it as a kind of modern Eden.  (4 to 8 miles)


 Day 4  - The Old Kenmare Road  

This ancient walkway between Kenmare and Killarney offers not only delightful ancient oak forest but  natural bog lands with babbling brooks, high waterfalls, and to finish a visit Muckross House gardens.  This  Tudor style mansion designed by the architect, William Burn, built in 1843 for Henry Arthur Herbert and his wife, the watercolourist Mary Balfour Herbert.  A house fit for a queen.... visited by Queen Victoria and her husband Albert in the 1863. (5-6 miles)


Day 5  -  Gap of Dunloe (Dingle) 

The Gap of Dunloe, a narrow valley that splits the Purple Mountain massif from Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, Ireland’s highest mountain range. Walk the seven-mile trail on foot, then return to Killarney via the wonderful boat ride to  Later, visit Ross Castle, site of strong resistance to Oliver Cromwell’s Roundheads during the Irish Wars.

https://www.dinglebenners.com/(7 miles) Should this hike feel long, there is always the possibility of an old fashioned pony and trap that has been part of the scenery for well over 100 years.


 Day 6  - The Dingle Peninsula (Dingle)

Slay Head, this southwest Atlantic coast, is ringed by sandy beaches and craggy cliffs. Inland are rolling hills and mountains, including 952m Mount Brandon. A maze of fuchsia-fringed boreen’s (country lanes) weaves together an ancient landscape of prehistoric ring forts and beehive huts, early Christian chapels, crosses and holy wells, picturesque hamlets and abandoned villages. To cap it all we finish at the Blasket Island visitor’s center. (6 miles)


 Day 7  - Visit the Blasket Islands (Dingle)

On our final hike, (Weather depending) we boat to the Blasket Islands, follow in the footsteps of many of the blasket writers, to see for ourselves what life may have been like on these westerly Islands.  The stories, the island life, the old ruins, the old pier and a coffee in Peig Sayers old house.   The islands cliffs are home to a myriad of seabirds and the Atlantic Ocean hosts whales, dolphins, seals and sharks.  Back on the mainland, we’ll spend our final night in Dingle, before your journey home. (4 to 6 miles)


Day 8

Travel back to Shannon airport, (Allow two to three hours travel to Shannon from Dingle) Therefore if you are flying back on the Sunday, you need two hours before flight, so leaving Dingle at 6 to 6.16 am at the latest for your flight the earliest can be at 11.


Ramblers reseves the right to make changes to the above itinerary if necessary. 

May 3 to 10, 2020


Price:  $4,375 - Per Person  /  Double Occupancy

Single Supplement: $500


Interested in a different departure date? Consider a private tour or a self guided tour.


Your trip price includes the following. 

  • 6  scenic guided walks led by your guide Michelle Hughes
  • 7 nights accommodations in authentic Irish hotels
  • Double-occupancy room with private bath
  • 7 Dinners, 6 Lunches, 7 Breakfasts
  • Boat trip from the end of the walk to Ross Castle on the Gap of Dunloe
  • Muckross House

For additional information, please call or email us at info@ramblers.com and one of our exceptional Travel Advisors will be happy to share with you all kinds of details.

Best Time to Go

We have carefully selected dates for this tour to balance the weather and crowds along the Connemara Coast. 


Convenient Airport

You can reach the starting point via a 2 1/2 - 3 hour bus from Dublin, or arrive in Shannon by 10:30 AM on the first day of the tour, and receive a complimentary transfer to the start of the tour from the Shannon airport.


If you would like to arrive a day early, please let us know and we can assist you with prenight accommodations.


Upon completion of the tour, you will be taken back to Shannon for your onward departure.


Traveling By Rail and Bus

http://www.irishrail.ie/

http://www.gobus.ie/

 http://www.citylink.ie/


Weather

https://www.accuweather.com/en/ie/ireland-weather




Self-Guided Tours  &  Trip Extensions


We also offer self-guided walking and hiking tours in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.  For these hiking tours we provide a carefully laid out itinerary, handle the accommodations, provide trail maps and trail notes, provide luggage transfers and local emergency contacts.  All you need is your day pack and you are on your way.  You can also add on to your tour with our trip extensions.  These 2-4 night extensions will allow you to maximize your time in Britain and Ireland. 

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