Hiking Hidden Ireland

Guided Walking Tour of the West

This luxury guided walking tour of County Kerry and parts of West Cork is designed to give active travelers with an interest in moderate-level walking and hiking the opportunity to experience an Ireland often spoken of but rarely encountered.

The trip can be enjoyed anytime from early spring to late fall. Luxury accommodations are strategically located at just two locations — perfect base camps from which to explore the spectacular southwest.

Travelers can expect every day to be an intimate study of nature, history and archaeology of the peninsulas of Beara, Iveragh (Ring of Kerry) and Dingle. You will experience a hidden Ireland of breathtaking beauty and remarkable diversity as you pass through Killarney Valley and Killarney National Park, see the extraordinary landscape of the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks and witness the majestic islands of Skellig Michael and the Great Blasket. Your guide will unlock the rich cultural history of Ireland as well as provide insight into its mythic lore.

Itinerary Highlights

Our itineraries are for your inspiration. Please contact a travel advisor to customize this itinerary to fit your needs.

  • Experience the Bronze Age archaeology of the Beara Peninsula
  • Hike the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks
  • Climb the steps to sacred Skellig Michael 
  • Enjoy coastal hill walking on the Dingle Peninsula 
  • Learn the literary history of Blasket Island

Trip Overview

Day 1 - 3 : Begin your adventure
Day 4 - 6 : The Western Coast
Western Ireland
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Day 1 - 3 : Begin your adventure

Day 1: Killarney and the Ring of Kerry

From the spectacular base of the Aghadoe Heights Hotel & Spa, which overlooks the magnificent Killarney Valley, this cultural adventure begins by exploring Killarney National Park itself and surroundings such as the Black Valley and Gap of Dunloe.

Black Valley in Ireland
Black Valley in Ireland - © Peter Cox

Day 2: Beara Peninsula

The beautiful town of Kenmare, nestled between mountain and ocean and recognized as a gourmet and arts center, is a gateway to the wild and rugged Beara Peninsula. Running south and west of Kenmare, Beara holds some of the most scenic walking opportunities in Ireland. It is an area rich in archaeology, particularly in Bronze Age sites, among them stone circles and tombs, and a host of passionate creators of Slow Food.

Day 3: Skellig Michael

The great peninsula of Iveragh (Uibh Ráthach) holds some wonderful remote and hidden places. The lofty Macgillycuddy’s Reeks dominate the interior and overlook intricate coastlines and islands, with hikes along ancient ways and holy landscapes, over wild beaches and Atlantic headlands at “the edge of the world.” A particular highlight of today’s trip is the opportunity to reach the sacred rock-island of Skellig Michael. These pointed peaks in the North Atlantic are home to tens of thousands of seabirds and the site of the world’s most spectacular hermitage.

Aghadoe Heights Hotel & Spa

Day 4 - 6 : The Western Coast

Day 4: Dingle Peninsula

Enjoy a leisurely morning before a lunch of local artisan foods, and then head out onto the Dingle Peninsula, the most northerly of the five fingerlike promontories of the southwest. This is a powerful place where almost 10,000 years of history is etched on a landscape described by National Geographic as “probably the most beautiful on earth,” and where Gaelic culture thrives. Here the coastal hill walking is simply breathtaking, and in the company of your local guide, you will walk on hallowed land and not see a footprint. Our hiking entry to Dingle township this afternoon will be via the Conair Pass, a high saddle overlooking mountains and ocean, before an evening of the finest seafood in Ireland.

Blasket Islands off the Dingle Peninsula
Blasket Islands off the Dingle Peninsula - © Peter Cox

Day 5: Hiking Mount Eagle

Mount Eagle is one of the most notable coastal hill walks on Ireland’s Atlantic seaboard. Our route here follows a turf-cutter’s road to the rounded summit before we descend a tapering ridgeline that extends to the westernmost rocks in Ireland. This lofty site and its vast panoramas of the Atlantic bays, local headlands, mountains and islands make this a particularly awesome place to take in the majestic light of the region. There will be opportunities to check out the archaeology of the region, time to meet some of the fine artisans living on the peninsula and join intimate sessions with traditional musicians.

Day 6: The Great Blasket Island

The Great Blasket Island is the largest in an archipelago that lies off the western end of the Dingle Peninsula. It is a place of rugged oceanic scenery where the elements of nature are powerfully present. The island has an extraordinary natural history, and no exploration of it is possible without touching on the incredibly vibrant cultural tapestry woven into its history. Our walks here are guided by those with strong connections to the people of the Blaskets, whose stories of this land and seascape, and the gifted writers who called it home, will resonate long after one departs the island for Dingle or the nearer Dún Chaoin.

Emlagh House

Further Reading

Alternate Southwestern Ireland itinerary
Family-friendly Ireland
Discover Hidden Ireland

Day 7: Depart for Home

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Book This Itinerary

Contact a travel advisor to book your custom itinerary. Fill out the form or call (630) 734-4610.