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
If you only have a small window of opportunity, this five day walking break on the Dingle Peninsula in southwest Ireland will enscapsulate the very best of the Dingle Way walking route from Dingle Town to Cloghane. Experience spectacular scenery, fine walking and local hospitality. History and culture are an integral part of this most westerly corner of Europe.
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 Dingle town. Optional walks today if you have time.
Option 1: Limber up with a local circuit walk on Ballysitteragh Hill. This is a strenuous but rewarding walk, with fabulous views of Dingle town and harbour. On a good day you can see most of the peninsula. It is not compulsory to complete the full round trip, you can walk as far as you feel comfortable with and return the same way. Distance 19km (12mi). Ascents 630m. Approximate walking time 6.5 hours.
Option 2: Dingle harbour walk, a low level easy walk by the shoreline on the eastern side of the harbour.
Distance 6km (4mi). No ascents. Approximate walking time 2 hours.
Overnight accommodation in Dingle town.
Minor roads take you from Dingle to Ventry and beyond is some of the most spectacular scenery you could hope to find. Cross the magnificent Ventry harbour, weave through fuchsia hedges and climb an old track on the foothill of Mount Eagle past the early Christian beehive huts at Fahan. Behind are views south to the Ring of Kerry and Valentia Island. Ahead the route opens up to Slea Head and the Blasket Islands. This is the most westerly point in Europe, beyond is North America!
Distance 25km (16mi). Ascents 650m. Approximate walking time 7 hours.
Optional route over Mount Eagle add 5km (3mi) and 2 hours.
We include notes for this climb, only advisable in good weather conditions.
Overnight accommodation in Dunquin.
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. An optional hike takes you up to the saddle of Mas an Tiompain (the Pass of the Drum) below Mount Brandon, Ireland’s second highest mountain at 950m. The scenery is superb with Tralee Bay and the Magharees against the hues of the Slieve Mish mountains. There are several local hikes including Ballydavid Head taking in the spectacular 9th century stone fort of Cathair Fionnurach.
Distance 14km (9mi). Ascents 750m. Approximate walking time 5 hours.
Overnight accommodation in Ballydavid.
Transfer from your guesthouse back to Dingle town. Year round bus services are available from Dingle to Tralee or a seasonal service to Killarney.
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.
+353 86 814 3156
info@tailor-madetours.com
