Overview
A nine day, self-guided walking holiday along Northern Ireland’s pilgrim route, a 142km long-distance trail that takes in cultural and Christian heritage sites between Armagh and Downpatrick, as well as the natural spectacle of the Mourne Mountains and surrounding coast. The Saint Patrick’s Way offers some of the best and most tranquil walking in Northern Ireland and includes two days of walking among the Mourne’s twelve peaks, on easy walking trails. Stay in small, locally-owned guesthouses, with luggage transfers.
You can also stamp your Pilgrim Passport at the ten specified locations along the route and present your completed stamped Passport at The Saint Patrick Centre to receive your Certificate of Achievement.
- Downpatrick, Saint Patrick’s final resting place
- Armagh cathedrals
- St Patrick’s Cathedral Armagh
- Navan Centre and Fort
- Mourne Mountains
- Murlough National Nature Reserve
- County Down beaches
- Tollymore Forest Park
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival Armagh
Armagh is considered the spiritual centre of the island of Ireland, and its also its oldest city, where Saint Patrick first built a stone church on a hill in 445AD. There are now two outstanding cathedrals both named after him, one Roman Catholic and the other Church of Ireland, making this the perfect starting point for exploring Saint Patrick’s life and legacy. If you have time, we recommend visiting the ancient archaeological site, Navan Centre and Fort, on the outskirts of Armagh, or relax and take in the vast history of this historic city.
- Accommodation: The Charlemont Arms Hotel or similar
Day 2: Armagh – Scarva | 32km
After a hearty Irish breakfast, start walking from Armagh, passing Lowry’s Lake and then Gosford Forest Park towards Tandragee. The destination for this section is the small County Down village of Scarva.
- Walking for the day: 32km, 6-7h, ↑148m ↓175m
- Accommodation: Druminargle House or similar
Day 3: Scarva – Newry | 20km
Today’s journey takes you along the Newry Canal towpath, following a mainly flat trail. Newry Canal is the oldest summit-level canal in Britain and Ireland, and opened in 1742 to connecting Portadown and historic city of Newry. The city of Newry is where your day comes to a close, with plenty of bars, restaurants as well as the Newry and Mourne Museum.
- Walking for the day: 20km, 4-5h, ↑47m ↓75m
- Accommodation: The Mourne Country Hotel or similar
Day 4: Newry – Rostrevor | 18km
Soon after you leave Newry, you get views across Carlingford Lough, with the Cooley and Mourne Mountains on either side. This area on the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland borderlands is steeped in folklore and your last stop of the day, Rostrevor, is said to have inspired C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia. St. Bronagh’s a disciple of St. Patrick, set up a monastery in the area which ruins can be seen today and date back to the 6th century.
- Walking for the day: 18km, 4h, ↑333m ↓339m
- Accommodation: The Rostrevor Inn or similar
Day 5: Rostrevor – Hilltown | 15km
Leaving Rostrevor’s shores of Carlingford Lough, continue into the Mourne Mountains, firstly through Kilbroney Park Forest then onto open hillside trails to the village of Hilltown where you spend the night. Hilltown is on the River Bann and is one of the closest villages to the main peaks of the Mourne Mountains.
- Walking for the day: 15km, 4h, ↑419m ↓304m
- Accommodation: Clonmurr B&B or similar
Day 6: Hilltown – Newcastle | 21km
Continue on the trail through the Mourne Mountains, following a mix of open hillside and forest tracks in the mountains’ foothills. The second half of the day takes you through Tollymore Forest Park and into the seaside resort town of Newcastle, overlooked by the impressive Slieve Donard, the highest of the Mourne peaks.
- Walking for the day: 21km, 5h, ↑498m ↓653m
- Accommodation: Conlyn House B&B or similar
Day 7: Newcastle – Dundrum | 12km
Today is a very easy day, walking along the beach from Newcastle to Dundrum. Leaving Newcastle, you pass the world-famous Royal County Down Golf Club after which the path leads you to the ancient dune ecosystem of Murlough National Nature Reserve, before following the inner bay to the village of Dundrum. Make sure to explore the ruins of the village’s 12th-century Norman Castle, and enjoy the village’s famous Mourne Seafood Bar.
- Walking for the day: 12km, 3h, ↑55m ↓57m
- Accommodation: Arley House B&B or similar
Day 8: Dundrum – Downpatrick | 24km
From Dundrum, the coastal path runs along a disused railway line that once connected Belfast and Newcastle. Take in the coastline, woodlands and mudflats of Dundrum Bay, which provide an important habitat for wading birds. From here, you walk through what is known locally as St. Patrick’s Country as this is where Saint Patrick brought his boat ashore on Strangford Lough. Walk in Saint Patrick’s footsteps, from the site where he established his first church to the place which is thought to be resting place, on Cathedral Hill, within the grounds of Down Cathedral. If you have time, we also recommend a visit to the Saint Patrick Centre.
- Walking for the day: 24km, 5h, ↑171m ↓155m
- Accommodation: Denvir’s Coaching Inn or similar
Day 9: Departure
Your tour ends after a hearty breakfast, and you begin your onward journey.
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.
Click to view default hotels
- The Charlemont Arms Hotel
- Druminargle House
- The Mourne Country Hotel
- The Rostrevor Inn
- Clonmurr B&B
- Conlyn House B&B
- Arley House B&B
- Denvir’s Coaching Inn
Hotels are subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal 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 the village inns and restaurants.
Difficulty and terrain
This itinerary is suitable for leisure walking and pilgrimages (read more about difficulty grades). The routes are waymarked, and the itinerary is easy to follow. The route covers varied topography, from rolling hills to canal towpaths. Every day offers different views and terrain, with a combination of off- and on-road trails. We strongly advise you to follow only marked trails and never try to shorten the path through the 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 till 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. Northern Ireland’s climate is oceanic, with cold, rainy winters and mild summers. The temperature usually becomes relatively mild by the second half of May, although nights can still be quite cold. From June to August, temperatures are enjoyable for walking: average highs are around 18/19C. For more information, see our blog on the best time to go to Ireland.
Getting there
Up-to-date travel advice on the United Kingdom is available here (for Canadian citizens) and here (for US citizens).
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended airports for this tour are Dublin Airport (DUB), Belfast International Airport (BFS) or Belfast City Airport (BHD)
By train or bus
- If you’d like to travel to Ireland without flying, read our blog, How to travel to Ireland by train and ferry
- From Dublin airport, take the direct bus X4 towards Armagh (1h 25mins).
- From Belfast International Airport take the Express 300 bus for a 30mins journey to the Belfast City Centre bus station. Hop on one of the many buses to Armagh (approx. 1h).
- Ferry from Cairnryan to Belfast: sail between Scotland and Northern Ireland six times daily on a crossing time from only 2h 15mins.
- Ferry from Liverpool to Belfast: Twice daily direct link from the heart of England to Northern Ireland with crossing time approximately 8h with a choice of both day and night sailings.
- For more information, please visit StenaLine and use the Omio planner above.
UK Visa and entry requirements:
IMPORTANT: From 2025, the UK is implementing a new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for many countries around the world. Up until 08 January, the ETA requirement only applied to nationals from Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE.
On 08 January 2025, the ETA requirement was extended to visitors from eligible non-European countries, including Australian, Canadian and US nationals. Then, on 02 April 2025, the ETA requirement was extended to eligible European countries, referring to most of Europe.
You can view the full list of countries that this applies to here and apply for your ETA here, or on the UK ETA app. The ETA usually takes up to three working days to be processed, although we advise applying as early as possible, in advance of your travel dates. People travelling with an Irish passport don’t need an ETA.
You can read more about the UK entry requirements on our blog.
Inclusions
Included
- 8 nights in private en-suite rooms (B&Bs and guesthouses)
- 8 breakfasts
- Detailed journey documentation and practical information (maps and waterproof route notes, details of restaurants and places of interest along the way)
- Luggage transfers from hotel to hotel on all walking days (up to 20kg per person)
- 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
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers
- Extra nights along the trail are bookable upon request
