Overview
This two-week, relaxed self-guided walking holiday in Ireland takes in highlights of two of the country’s most dramatic coastal scenery along its Wild Atlantic Way: the Kerry Way and the Beara Way. The former is along County Kerry’s Iveragh Peninsula, a land of ruby red bogs, glistening waterfalls, views of Macgillycuddy’s Reeks and remote beaches such as Caherdaniel. The Beara Way is further south, in County Cork, and follows a wild and quiet circuit from Glengarriff Nature Reserve to follow trails enveloped by the Beara Mountains. While walking the Kerry and Beara Ways, you have two overnight stays in each location, hosted at locally-owned guesthouses with that world-famous Irish welcome, giving you more time to relax and enjoy some of the pubs and fine food that this part of Ireland has to offer.
Should you have less time to spend walking in Ireland, take a look at our shorter Kerry & Beara Way walking holidays.
- Killarney National Park
- Dromore Castle
- Glengarriff Nature Reserve – an extensive old oak woodland nestled into a rugged glen
- Unspoilt dramatic coastline of the Wild Atlantic Way
- Charming fishing villages
- Traditional Irish music in Kenmare
Click to view map
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival Waterville
From Cork or Shannon airports, travel by bus to Killarney, then use the local bus service to Waterville, a colourful coastal village located between the Atlantic Ocean and Lough Currane on the magnificent Ring of Kerry.
- Accommodation: Clifford’s Ocean View or similar
Day 2: Free day in Waterville | 16km
Free day to enjoy this ancient coastal village, nestled between the mountains, the expansive Lough Currane and the Atlantic coast. Walk the hinterland overlooking the lake and ocean, returning on the Kerry Way. There are also many watersport activities, such as seashore safaris, snorkelling, kayaking, SUP and boat tours.
- Walking for the day (optional): 16km, 5h
- Accommodation: Clifford’s Ocean View or similar
Day 3: Waterville to Caherdaniel | 15km
A wonderfully scenic route as the Kerry Way rounds the southern side of the peninsula. The distance is short, and there is time to take a detour at Derrynane and visit Derrynane House and Gardens, home of Daniel O’Connell, known as ‘The Liberator’, who was the father of Catholic Emancipation during the 19th century.
- Walking for the day: 15km, 5h
- Accommodation: Derrynane Bay House or similar
Day 4: Free day in Caherdaniel | 12km
Free day in Caherdaniel to walk the Mass Path, a wonderfully scenic route on the shores of Derrynane Bay. Visit 6th century Abbey Island and Derrynane House.
- Walking for the day (optional): 12km, 4h
- Accommodation: Derrynane Bay House or similar
Day 5: Caherdaniel to Sneem | 19km
Walk on the Old Butter Road – from where butter was transported to Cork in the 19th century. The Way climbs again on Eagle Hill’s foothills, and a short detour takes you to the 3rd century, stone-built Staigue Fort. Your route stays above the main Ring of Kerry road, following rocky paths through sheep country to Sneem.
- Walking for the day: 19km, 6h
- Accommodation: Coomassig View B&B or similar
Day 6: Free day in Sneem | 10-15km
Free day in Sneem to follow a choice of loop walks into the foothills of the Macgillycuddy Reek mountains.
- Walking for the day (optional): 10-15km, 3-5h
- Accommodation: Coomassig View B&B or similar
Day 7: Sneem to Kenmare | 14km
Today’s walk takes you along the rocky shoreline of Kenmare Bay, easy walking through a forest and the estate of Dromore Castle. The delightful Blackwater Bridge spans the Blackwater River coming from high in the Macgillycuddy Reeks. Kenmare is delightful market town on the Roughty River banks, where it opens up into Kenmare Bay.
- Walking for the day: 14km, 6h (longer option: 26km, 8h)
- Accommodation: Kenmare House B&B or similar
Day 8: Free day in Kenmare
Free day in Kenmare, explore Reenagross Woodlands, take a marine safari trip on Kenmare Bay, or walk the Kenmare Heritage Trail around this 16th century heritage town.
- Accommodation: Kenmare House B&B or similar
Day 9: Kenmare to Glengarriff | 19km
Departing Kenmare, walk the Beara Way through the Esk and Barraboy Mountains to Glengarriff, situated on beautiful Bantry Bay. “Glengarriff” means the “rugged glen”, and is now a wooded and beautiful valley.
- Walking for the day: 19km, 6h
- Accommodation: Noraville House or similar
Day 10: Free day in Glengarriff
You may wish to visit Garinish Island, a sub-tropical garden about 10mins off the coast by ferry, famous for its Italian Garden and ancient sun temple.
- Accommodation: Noraville House or similar
Day 11: Glengarriff to Adrigole | 16km
Walk through Glengarriff woods and Glenlough Mountains, following old tracks alongside Coomarkane River, climbing Sugarloaf’s flank, and skirting mountain lakes to descend from Mass Mount and the Holy Well.
- Walking for the day: 16km, 5-6h
- Accommodation: Dromagowlane House or similar
Day 12: Free day in Adrigole | 16km
Adrigole is a quiet corner of the country where sheep trails and coastal quays are perfect for tranquil, remote walking. There are numerous megalithic stone remains within easy access. A local loop walk of 8km takes you to Adrigole harbour.
- Walking for the day (optional): 16km, 5-6h
- Accommodation: Dromagowlane House or similar
Day 13: Adrigole to Castletownbere | 22km
Today you will enjoy wonderful views over Bantry Bay and a series of pre-historic sites close to the route. Cross the rugged slopes of Hungry Hill by bog roads, farm tracks and minor roads. Castletownbere, nestled in Bere Haven harbour and sheltered by Bere Island, is the principal town and fishing port of the peninsula and has some fantastic food spots.
- Walking for the day: 22km, 6h
- Accommodation: Cottage Heights B&B or similar
Day 14: Free day in Castletownbere | 24km
Visit Bere Island with a residential community of just 210 people. Walk through open sheep farming country, visiting Ardnakinna Lighthouse and Martello Tower. Or, on the mainland, visit Dunboy Castle, home to the O’Sullivan clan, who ruled the area for three centuries. Puxley mansion was a 19th century family home of the Puxleys, who mined copper in the area. Bicycles are for hire in Castletownbere for more exploration.
- Walking for the day (optional): 24km, 6h
- Accommodation: Cottage Heights B&B or similar
Day 15: Departure
Departure by bus or train.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation on this tour includes a mix of small, locally-owned hotels, B&Bs and traditional guesthouses. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including their location, warm hospitality, fine local food or commitment to responsible tourism. All rooms have en-suite or private bathrooms. Note that it is sometimes necessary to accommodate you a short walk away from the trail itself, as there is not always suitable accommodation close to the trail. Details will be given in your pre-departure info pack.
Click to view default hotels
- Dromagowlane House
- Kenmare House B&B
- Cottage Heights B&B
- Coomassig View B&B
- Derrynane Bay House
- Clifford’s Ocean View
- Noraville House
*Hotels are subject to availability. In case a particular hotel is fully booked for your desired dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal or higher value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included on all days. When no restaurant location is available on the route, lunches and snacks should either be bought from local shops, or packed lunch can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before. You can have dinner at the guesthouse you are staying at or at village pubs and restaurants.
Difficulty and terrain
This itinerary is suitable for regular walkers. The terrain consists of mainly quiet tarmac roads, bog roads, cliff and woodland paths and open moorland, and some sections can be quite rough and remote. Overall, about a third of both Kerry and Beara Ways follow tarmac roads, which is inevitable because rights of way are sometimes limited in Ireland, and this is common for most Irish trails. During rainy weather, some of the trails can be very muddy and waterlogged, so wear good-quality walking boots. The road walking is mostly along quiet and scenic lanes, and there are only a few busier stretches where you will need to be cautious with traffic (read more about difficulty grades). The routes are waymarked, and the itinerary is easy to follow. We strongly advise you to follow only marked trails and never try to shorten the path through unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed road notes and maps, and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed info on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This trip is available from early April to the end of October.
The flexibility of self-guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates, and you can start your trip on any date during the season.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended airports for this tour are Dublin (DUB), Kerry (KIR), Cork (ORK) or Shannon (SNN).
By train or bus
- Dublin Airport is easily accessible from the UK, with several low-cost airlines covering the route as well as scheduled international carriers. Irish Ferries also operate from Holyhead to Dublin. From Dublin Airport there is a good bus service to Dublin city centre. From Dublin, take the bus or train to Killarney and then a local bus to Waterville.
- Kerry Airport: There is a bus from Kerry Airport to Killarney and then a local bus to Waterville.
- Cork Airport: Flights are available to Cork Airport from Bristol, London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester and Birmingham. From Cork Airport, it is a short bus ride (20 mins) to Cork Kent train station, then by bus to Killarney and Waterville.
- Shannon Airport: Flights are available to Shannon Airport from Dublin, Bristol, Manchester, London Heathrow and Birmingham, and Boston and New York JFK. From Shannon Airport, it is a short bus ride (20 mins) to Limerick, then to Killarney and Waterville.
- See Bus Éireann and Irish Rail for details, or use the Omio planner above.
Inclusions
Included
- 14 nights in private en-suite rooms (B&Bs and guesthouses)
- 14 breakfasts
- Luggage transfers from hotel to hotel on all walking days (up to 18kg per person)
- Detailed journey documentation and practical information (road notes, 1:50000 maps)
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable on-site)
- Any items not explicitly listed as included
Options, extras and supplements
- A supplement applies to members of a group who require a single room – we will endeavour to fulfil but reserve the right to decline single room bookings in July and August. Any booking is limited to 2 single rooms, of which one room may be subject in places to an additional supplement if we cannot secure a single room rate
- This holiday is available for solo travellers; a supplement will be charged as accommodation and luggage transfer costs are not shared (we never mix and match – solo travellers will be accommodated in single rooms)
- Extra nights along the trail are bookable upon request
- A transfer supplement will be added to tours when accommodation in our usual guesthouses in the relevant location is not available for your booking dates
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