The Dingle Way is a circular route of 179km (112mi) circumnavigating the Dingle Peninsula west of Tralee in County Kerry. It follows minor roads, traditional access routes to turf cutting areas and forest paths. The only high ascent is 600m, crossing the shoulder of Brandon Mountain between Ballydavid and Cloghane. This route is well marked and achievable by all walkers.
The Dingle Way walking route skirts the mountains of the Slieve Mish range, which form the spine of this long peninsula, jutting into the Atlantic Ocean. The mountains are rounded, not as high as their nearest neighbours on the Iveragh Peninsula, and formed from a beautiful old red sandstone that is always visible. Glaciation in the last Ice Age left coums and valleys, the natural harbours of Dingle and Ventry and a gentleness that never fails to impress. The western end is breathtaking – the Blasket Islands rear from the Atlantic calling to the sheltered haven of Dunquin (Dun Chaoin) before the mountains rise to the impressive bulk of Brandon, St. Brendan’s Mountain.
The peninsula is littered with remains from the early Christian period, oratories, beehive huts, megalithic tombstones, monastic enclosures, high crosses, to name a few. It is a spiritual awakening. Beautiful white sandy beaches, a temperate Gulf Stream climate and the profusion of strong colours in the flora – montbretia, fuchsia, purple loosestrife to name a few – make the Dingle Peninsula a wonderful location.
The town of Dingle retains its essential character attributed to a working fishing harbour. The steep streets have been reinvented with colourful tourist shops, craft outlets and a host of restaurants and pubs. There are still many local niches to enjoy the town behind the scenes. It is also the centre of one of Ireland’s most popular Gaeltacht regions, where 43% of households are predominantly Gaelic speakers, which adds a wonderful flavour to the local supermarkets!
Overnight stops (apart from Dingle) are in villages, allowing an opportunity to experience life with the locals and a chance to try Guinness and Gaelic.
To squeeze the best into our itineraries, we don’t include the Tralee to Camp section. We can include the first section for anyone who wishes to walk the full route.
Price Includes
Optional Extras
Pricing
The 10 day tour follows the same route as the standard 8 day itinerary, with additional days on the northern section offering a chance to climb Mount Brandon (Ireland’s second highest peak) and additional walking in Castlegregory.
This tour is rated STRENUOUS for one day and RELAXED for all other days.
See how we determine levels of difficulty for each of our hiking tours by visiting our FAQ page.
Travel to Camp via Tralee on scheduled bus service or by taxi. Camp is situated overlooking Tralee Bay to the north with the majestic Gearhane and Caherconree peaks to the east. It has been an historic crossing point of the Slieve Mish Mountains since the first settlers were here in 1700BC . Camp is a small settlement, with plenty of local colour and a short circular walk to limber up for the kilometers ahead!
Overnight accommodation in Camp village.
Hike to the south on turf cutting roads, through the glorious bogland of Slieve Mish – this wilderness of the blanket bog is punctuated with conifer forest and stacks of drying turf. Skirt Ardroe Hill, overlooking magnificent sand dunes at Inch Beach, with views south to the Ring of Kerry and Ireland’s highest mountain range, before following the “Maum” (pass) down to Annascaul village.
Distance 18.5km (11mi). Ascents 460m. Approximate walking time 6 hours.
Optional hike over Brackaloon Hill, add 5km (3mi) and 2 hours.
Overnight accommodation in Annascaul.
Follow Acres Hill to the staunch remains of 12th century Minard Castle, mostly destroyed by Cromwell’s army in 1650. Turn inland again on minor roads to the railway village of Lispole. All the way you are within scent of the seas of Dingle Bay and encircled by the Kerry Mountains. From Lispole, the Way follows mostly sheep farming country before climbing An Cnoc Maol Mor and descending the old green droving road into Dingle town.
Distance 23km (14mi). Ascents 460m. Approximate walking time 6-7 hours.
Overnight accommodation in Dingle town.
It is mostly minor roads and beaches today, but beyond the village of Ventry is some of the most spectacular scenery you could hope to find. The Way weaves through fuchsia hedges and climbs an old track on the foothill of Mount Eagle past the early Christian beehive huts at Fahan. Behind are views of Ventry Harbour and south to the Ring of Kerry and Valentia Island. Ahead the Way opens up to Slea Head and the Blasket Islands. Beyond this is America!
We included an alternative route over Mount Eagle, which is a gorgeous walk but is demanding and requires navigation skills. It is not advisable in poor weather conditions.
Distance 25km (16mi). Ascents 650m. Approximate walking time 7 hours.
Optional extra hike over Mount Eagle: 5km (3mi) and 2 hours.
Today’s route follows the Norse named Smerwick Harbour and a detour takes you to Dun an Oir, the Fort of Gold where Italian and Spaniard soldiers were besieged by troops of Elizabeth 1 in 1580. Ballydavid is a thriving fishing harbour and a Gaelic speaking community.
Distance 16km (10mi). Ascents 180m. Approximate walking time 6 hours.
Optional route over Cruach Mharthain add 1 hour.
Overnight accommodation in Ballydavid.
You are in the cradle of early Christian civilization here, with as many as sixty notable sites of cultural and religious development from the 5th to 9th centuries. Walk to Cloghane, climbing up to the saddle of Mas an Tiompain (the Pass of the Drum) below Mount Brandon. Take in the superb scenery of Tralee Bay and the Magharees against the hues of the Slieve Mish Mountains.
Distance 22km (14mi). Ascents 30m. Approximate walking time 7 hours.
Overnight accommodation in Cloghane.
Option 1: Climb Mount Brandon, Ireland’s second highest mountain at 951m. Ascents 950m. Approximate walking time 8 hours, only recommended in good weather and for experienced hikers.
Option 2: Walk to the Valley of Loch a Dúin, inhabited from the early Bronze Age. There are approximately eighty stone structures, wedge tombs, standing stones, cooking sites (fulacht fia) and rock art. Distance 10km (6mi). Ascents 100m. Approximate walking time 4 hours.
Overnight accommodation in Cloghane.
Today’s walk follows the coast all the way around the Castlegregory promontory or across the neck of it via Lough Gill, home to Bewick swans and Natterjack toads. We have 2 options for this route:
Option 1: Castlegregory via the long route around the coast. Distance 27km (17mi). Approximate walking time 8 hours.
Option 2: Castlegregory via the short route. Distance 12km (7mi). Approximate walking time 4 hours.
Overnight accommodation in Castlegregory.
A nice coastal route along Tralee Bay. The optional route visits the deserted village of Killelton, its inhabitants evicted by their landlord in the 19th century. There are also the remains of a 12th century oratory. It is a wonderful place with immense views of Tralee Bay.
Distance 10km (6mi). Ascents 80m. Approximate walking time 3 hours.
Alternate route via Killelton famine village: Distance 10km (6mi). Ascents 100m. Approximate walking time 3 hours.
Overnight accommodation in Camp village.
Scheduled bus services from Camp to Tralee (20 minutes) for onward connections.
May 2024 – John
I walked the Dingle Way in May 2024 with Tailor-Made, the 10 day walk with a couple of added stops. This is my second walk with Tailor-Made — last year I walked the Kerry Way with them. The Dingle walk itself was a pleasure and it has its share of spectacular views and history. The Way is easy to follow even without the Notes. There is only one big climb, which is both a nice incline (so not steep) and rewards with a true panorama. The B&Bs I stayed at were all very nice. The hosts were friendly, helpful, and served great breakfasts. I particularly liked the places in Dingle, Dun Quin, and An Doneen, but all were comfortable and welcoming (and nicely warned when the pub would stop serving food so you don’t go to bed hungry). I added a couple of extra days so I was able to make a trip from Dingle to Great Blasket Island, which I recommend if you can fit it in. There is a well-preserved circle fort at Dun Quin. I had a few questions for Tailor-Made, which were answered promptly and completely, and they checked in with me along the walk to ensure all was well.
August 2023 – Sonja, Germany
We hiked the Dingle way in August 2023 supported by Tailor-made tours. They selected the “filet pieces” from the 8 day hike because we wanted a shorter duration and a rest day without missing out on the highlights. Tailor-Made Tours booked and organized all our accommodation and luggage transfers for us, so we only carried our daypacks. The B&Bs were all different and all of a good standard. The team at TMT was also able to swiftly deal with a question we had and solved this to our satisfaction. Everything was seamless, easy and friendly – can highly recommend!
May 2023 – Bernie, Australia
A most memorable and enjoyable walk around Dingle Peninsula. Great communications and logistics. The B&Bs were well located, and the owners are lovely, chatty and helpful in everyway. Loved hearing about life for the locals on the Peninsula. And the breakfasts were tasty and very plentiful, to help prepare for a day of walking. Well lucked out so well with the weather, two days absolutely perfect. Highly recommend Deirdre and Sean at Tailor Made Tours Ireland!
September 2023 – Elizabeth
Tailor-Made Tours set up a hiking holiday for my friends and me for September 2023. We hiked in two locations – the Dingle Peninsula and the Wicklow National Park. TMT arranged transportation across country for us, found us nice B&Bs and hotels to stay in and provided us with excellent maps and hiking instructions. Over the course of several months, while arranging our hikes, they were attentive to our needs, answered our myriad questions, and provided us with pertinent information.
It was a pleasure to work with Tailor-Made Tours and I certainly recommend this company for any hiking needs you may have in the beautiful country of Ireland.
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