Discover Ireland
The island of Ireland is a bit like the country’s famous crystal. The coastline sparkles, especially along the Atlantic coast where walking holidays in Ireland never fail to lead you to a secret cove or along an expansive clifftop. The landscape is cut into intricate patterns by the elements, from the Glens of Antrim or Causeway Coast to the prolific peninsulas of the west coast, such as Dingle or Beara, all havens for Ireland adventure tours.
Similar to crystal, which gives off rainbows when held up to the light, you won’t be short of rainbows in Ireland. Expect the most colossal natural lightshows on walking or cycling tours, Ireland’s Ring of Kerry or Wicklow Mountains, for example, changing hues by the hour. The island may be divided into two countries but, as you will see on our holidays, which cover the whole of Ireland, there is no border when it comes to beauty.
Our tours in Ireland
Adventure types
Popular regions and trails
Ireland: where to go
Killarney National Park and Kerry Way
Killarney National Park is the country’s oldest national park, and at the heart of all cycling and walking holidays in Ireland. The latter take place on the Kerry Way, a colossal and sometimes challenging 210km long-distance walking trail that takes 12 days to complete. For cycling tours, Ireland’s Ring of Kerry takes you through the national park and also along the Iveragh Peninsula and to Valentia Island. Whichever way you take, the national park and Kerry’s emeralds shine brightly, be it at Killarney’s lakes, on the rich boglands and sandy beaches, or as the sun rises over Macgillycuddy’s Reeks.
Beara Peninsula
The west coast of Ireland is peppered with the prettiest of peninsulas, and sometimes it’s hard to know which one to stop at. Beara is a beauty, however, and one that many Irish people haven’t even visited. The Beara Way is a waymarked 196km walking trail taking you around, over and into the heart of this wild and windy hillwalking heaven. Whether you choose to walk the Beara Peninsula in 12 days or do the slightly shorter 10 day or eight day versions, you can mix exhilarating cliff top walks or ancient bog roads with island idylls of Garinish and Bere. And you’ll also find a wide array of great foodie spots on these Ireland adventure tours.
Dingle Peninsula
The Dingle Way is an exquisite walking trail that covers 179km of some of Ireland’s finest beaches, rural villages, dramatic cliffs and panoramic views along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way. It’s a world renowned walking trail, and yet you will always find tranquil spots on the likes of Mount Brandon, Ireland’s second highest mountain, in the foothills of Slieve Mish or among the dunes of the grand Inch Strand. We recommend diving into Dingle big time on the 10 day self-guided walking tour, or taking in many of its heavenly highlights in eight days. When it comes to cycling tours, Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula is also spectacular, one of the highlights being a ride across Conor Pass, which traverses the peninsula at an elevation of 456m between Dingle town and Brandon Bay.
Mourne Mountains
For serious hillwalking holidays in Ireland, head over the border into Northern Ireland to the Mourne Mountains. Just 50km from Belfast, this range of granite tors clings to the coast of County Down, dipping down like giant mythical creatures to drink from the sea. They aren’t that giant, in fact, with Slieve Donard (853m) being the highest peak of twelve over 600m, with the historic Mourne Wall traversing them. However, this range feels remote and wild, and has some spectacular views. The Mourne Way is a trail that takes you through some of the Mournes, exploring the likes of Slieve Meelbeg, Commedagh and Donard, Happy Valley as well as Castlewellan Forest Park.
Causeway Coast
The Giant’s Causeway is Northern Ireland’s most visited site, and not surprising as its conglomeration of basalt columns that emerge from the sea is a miracle of nature. What’s almost more amazing is that only a handful of these visitors explore the surrounding coast on foot, even though the clifftop paths around the likes of Dunseverick or Dunluce Castles, the wide sands of White Park Bay and the wild beauty of Rathlin Island are also giants of gorgeousness. On our self-guided walking holiday of the Causeway Coast, you also have one more spectacle to add into the mix, that of the Glens of Antrim, with walks in two of the famous glens, Glenariff and Glenshesk.
Wicklow Mountains National Park
One of six national parks in Ireland, this is closest to the capital, just 23km from Dublin city centre. A vast open bogland, with rounded bronze coloured peaks, you can walk in some of the country’s wildest spots, with vistas of heath, waterfalls and long winding roads for miles around including out to sea, as the national park overlooks the east coast. The Wicklow Way dips in and out of the national park for 132km, visiting some of its most magnificent natural heritage highlights, such as Glendalough and Powerscourt Waterfall, Glenmalure Valley and the stretched out saddles at Mullacor, White Hill and Djouce Mountain.
Ireland: things to do
- It’s fitting that long-distance walking trails are all called ‘ways’ in Ireland, given that people here do seem to have a way about them that is intangibly Irish. They demonstrate welcoming, warm and wholesome ways, whether you meet them in a pub on the Kerry Way, a deli on the Dingle or Donegal Way, sharing banter on the Beara Way or shooting the breeze on the Sheep’s Head Way. You’ll find plenty of peaceful trails on walking holidays in Ireland, but you will also delight in the Irish carefree ways.
- Pack your swimming gear in your backpack to give our Ireland adventure tours aquatic added value. You may need a few suits on the Kerry Way of course, with glistening sands like Derrynane or Inch beckoning at every turn. Wash off the dust of wanderlust on the Blasket Island’s beautiful Trá Bán, on a cycling holiday around the Dingle Peninsula. And with the Mourne Mountains famously sweeping down to the sea, you will want to have a cossie to celebrate completion of the Mourne Way.
- The Irish food scene has transformed over the last two decades, with slow and sustainable food featuring on many menus, from fine dining to pubs. One of the best books to pack before you travel to the west coast of Ireland, is The Wild Atlantic Way – Where To Eat and Stay on the Wild Atlantic Way by Ireland’s leading foodies, John and Sally McKenna. It’s a passport to the finest picnics and pubs, delis and deliciousness all around the coast, from Cork to Donegal.
Responsible travel tips
- Ireland’s islands are like extra emeralds sprinkled around its shores, many with small, traditional island communities that depend on tourism to survive. You can visit several of these islands on our cycling and walking holidays in Ireland, so please do ensure that you spend some money locally when you are there. They are unique places to visit and it’s vital that we try and sustain them as best we can. They include Bere Island on our Beara Way holidays, Great Blasket Island while cycling or walking the Dingle Way, or Rathlin Island on our Causeway Coast walking holiday.
- Ireland is very committed to protecting its flora and fauna, and building biodiversity. To read up more about leading conservation organisations, see the Irish Peatland Conservation Council, An Taisce, Birdwatch Ireland and the Irish Wildlife Trust. You can also donate to their causes of course.
- Ireland banned certain Single Use Plastics in 2021, including plastic cotton bud sticks, disposable plastic cutlery, plates, stirrers, chopsticks, straws, and polystyrene food and beverage containers. Some outlets may still be breaking the rules on this and so, if you spot any, Friends of the Earth Ireland has asked you to let them know.
- Ireland is really not that far away from Great Britain by train and ferry and so, if you want to reduce your carbon footprint by around 70%, there are some options open to you. One of the best is the Rail and Sail tickets, a combined ferry and train connecting some of the UK’s leading mainline stations to Ireland via UK ferry ports of Holyhead, Fishguard or Cairnryan. Your ticket includes the train, ferry and, in some cases, your onward train journey within Ireland. If you want to book trains within Ireland, see Irish Rail and Translink in Northern Ireland.
- Do read up on politics a little bit before you go, and tread carefully as the issues around colonialism and sectarianism are still very real for a lot of people. And don’t mock the Irish accent, or attempt to copy it, it never goes down well.
Travel and visa requirements
If you are a British citizen, you can visit and remain indefinitely in Ireland under the Common Travel Area rules. British nationals are not legally required to show a passport to enter Ireland, but we always recommend carrying your passport, as many transport operators require it. And Irish immigration officers can sometimes ask for proof of British nationality. It’s also worth noting that, as Ireland is not in the Schengen area it is therefore not affected by the new Entry/Exit System (EES) introduced in 2026. Nor will it be affected by ETIAS, due soon after.
For non-British people, you do not need a visa for Ireland, if you are visiting as a tourist for less than 90 days from the following countries.
- EU/EEA/Schengen countries
- USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand
- Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, UAE
- Some Latin American countries including Brazil, Argentina and Mexico
Citizens from the following regions generally require a Short Stay C Tourist Visa to visit Ireland for short stays (up to 90 days):
- Most African countries (except those with visa-free agreements such as the Seychelles)
- Most Asian countries, including India, China, Pakistan, Philippines and Thailand
- Russia and Belarus
- Middle Eastern countries, including Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon
- Many Caribbean and Pacific nations
To double check whether you need a visa, see the Irish Immigration or check the tool below.
FAQs
All of our Irish cycling and walking holidays run between March and October, the majority starting in April, and highest temperatures are in July and August, topping at around 19C. But like everywhere, Ireland has its ups and downs with the climate crisis, and summer temperatures hit the highest on record at over 40C in 2022. And of course, Ireland is famous for being rainy. The thing about rain in Ireland is, you just have to go with it – and bring a good rain jacket. And then, importantly, join in with Irish people’s favourite pastime in the pub at the end of an amazing hiking trail, by chatting about the weather. For more details, see our month by month guide on hiking or cycling in Ireland.
Ireland is really not that far away from Great Britain by train and ferry and so, if you want to reduce your carbon footprint by around 70%, there are some options open to you. One of the best is the Rail and Sail tickets, a combined ferry and train connecting some of the UK’s leading mainline stations to Ireland via UK ferry ports of Holyhead, Fishguard or Cairnryan. Your ticket includes the train, ferry and, in some cases, your onward train journey within Ireland. If you want to book trains within Ireland, see Irish Rail or Translink in Northern Ireland.
Family, failte and a fine pint are everything in Ireland (failte meaning welcome). Just look at the Irish Constitution and you’ll see that the family is fundamental there. Although we don’t have any family-specific tours in Ireland, it’s worth checking out our easy/moderate level walking holidays to see if they appeal to all family members. If you have older teens, for example, who have walking experience, you may want to explore more moderate level hiking holidays. Our adventure specialists are here to cater for your needs, and we can often adapt a day’s itinerary if you think it’s going to be too hard or too easy.
Most definitely, and we welcome solo travellers on all of our Irish adventures. It is a very safe country and you will always be given a traditional welcome if travelling alone. Please remember that a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared.
Ireland has no major health risks and it is also rabies-free. No vaccinations are required, but the WHO recommends routine vaccines such as tetanus, measles, mumps and rubella before travelling. Ticks can be a problem when hiking, so you do need to take precautions. Wear long sleeves and trousers, and tuck your trousers into hiking socks when possible. Lyme disease and Tick-Borne Encephalitis (TBE) are both tick-borne, so always check yourself fully after hiking and carry a tick remover with you too, so that you can catch them quickly.
Always make sure that you have suitable health insurance to suit your adventure travel and Ireland has an excellent pharmacy system where you can get consultations if you haven’t time to get to a doctor. As with all international travels, it’s always worth getting up to date information at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for UK travellers, or similar foreign office advice in your home country.
Also, as many of our walking holidays in Ireland are in remote mountain terrain, it’s important to be prepared and be au fait with safety procedures. We have a detailed blog on Safety in mountain landscapes, with many useful tips.
Of course, this depends on the region that you are visiting but, as with most of our adventures, you may be exploring remote terrain where weather conditions can be unpredictable. For that reason, we have some detailed blogs on packing, which may be of help: What to pack for a cycling trip and What to pack for a hiking trip. As well as that, don’t forget to pack your sense of adventure and plenty of sunscreen (yes, even in Ireland).
We always endeavour to ensure that your accommodations are aware of any dietary needs when we book your trip. Ireland is very switched on to all dietary needs and supermarkets also have large sections of dairy or gluten-free produce. You won’t be looked at strangely in Ireland at all if you ask for your dietary requirements to be catered for, even in rural areas.
It’s the euro, or €, the same currency that’s used across most countries in the European Union. If you travel across the border into Northern Ireland, the currency is £ Sterling, as it’s part of the United Kingdom since Brexit.
Please note that if you get bank notes from an ATM in Northern Ireland, they are often different to ones from an ATM in England, even though they are both £ Sterling. Although Northern Irish bank notes are legal tender in the UK, some shops don’t like accepting them, simply because they’re ill-informed. So the best advice is to spend your Northern Irish notes while still there, or any bank or post office in England will change them for you, to avoid any hassle.
Read more about Ireland
How to travel to Ireland by train and ferry
Although the default for many is to fly to Ireland, it’s really not that far away from Great Britain by train and ferry. And, as an Irish travel writer, based in the UK, I have travelled to Ireland by train and ferry many many times. Here are my top tips on how to do so.
Best hikes in Ireland
Ireland has many long-distance walking trails tucked into its relatively small island, but where there’s a will, there’s a way. And there are a lot of ways, which is what most of Ireland’s walking trails are called. Here are our favourite day hikes from this collection of emeralds.
Quick tips for travelling in Ireland
Ireland is one of those countries that many think they know, but actually there are so many aspects that escape their notice. Whether you’re talking political or cultural, food, flora or fauna, check out all our top Irish tips.
Best walking trails in Ireland
Exploring Ireland on one of these hikes is the best way to delve deep into the island’s fine natural and cultural heritage. Leave the logistics and luggage with us and hit the road as it rises up to meet you.
Best time to go to Ireland
Time your trip to Ireland to include some seriously good Irish culture while hiking or cycling. Every month of the year has something precious to offer, from food to arts festivals.
Hiking holidays with some of the best mountain walks
Hiking in the Alps, Carpathians or Pyrenees, to name but a few, is to experience poetry in motion. If you have a need to escape to mountains, keep reading for some of the most exquisite elevated trails, for those seeking moderate or more strenuous adventures.
