Overview
The Donegal Way walk connects Donegal with the town of Ardara on the far north-west coast of Ireland. Along the route, you will experience the wild and raw nature of the Donegal countryside as you hike across the rolling and gentle hills of the Blue Stack Mountains. Starting in the town of Donegal, you will enjoy a unique self-guided walking experience taking in the scenic Lough Eske, ancient Glencolmcille, stunning coastal cliffs with all its myriad of bird and plant life, passing by the ancient mountain graveyard of Disert and reaching the picturesque village of Glencolumbkille.
- Slieve League, although less famous than the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare, they reach almost three times higher!
- The Blue Stack Mountains
- The magical cuisine in Ard na Breatha Guesthouse
Click to view map
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival Donegal
Located on the northeastern shore of Donegal Bay, Donegal is a lovely traditional town and the county capital. Your guesthouse is situated 2km from the town at the start of the Bluestack Way. We highly recommend you try the lovely dinner served by your hosts (not included).
- Accommodation: Ard Na Breatha or similar
Day 2: Donegal to Lough Eske | 20km
The Way follows the lake’s western shore and woodlands before climbing the foothills of the Bluestack Mountains. There are beautiful views from the Banagher saddle of Lough Eske and the mountains ahead. Follow the Eglish river valley through the drumlins of south Donegal to the deserted townlands. Your hosts will transfer you from the end of the walk back to your guesthouse.
- Accommodation: Ard Na Breatha or similar
- Walking for the day: 20km, 5h, ↑440m
Day 3: Bluestack Mountians to Glenties | 13-18km
Morning transfer to where the walk finished yesterday. Hike to Glenties over the pass at Cloghmeen Hill through blanket bogland. Today’s walk is through more of the lowland settlements, past the pre-Christian graveyard of Disert. Traverse the mountain of Luaghnabrogue to follow through the solitude of the Owenroe River to the sheep farming country south of Glenties.
- Accommodation: Avalon Bed & Breakfast or similar
- Walking for the day: 13km, 4h, ↑370m (Optional extra route to Lough Anna: + 5km)
Day 4: Rest Day in Glenties | 14km
Free day to walk in the Glenties area. Walk through lanes and boglands to the beautiful Lough Naeroaghy on the little drumlin of Derkbeg 330m. Enjoy fabulous views of the Gweebarra Bay and west to the Atlantic.
- Accommodation: Avalon Bed & Breakfast or similar
- Walking for the day: 14km, 4h, ↑130m
Day 5: Glenties to Ardara | 12km
Follow the Bluestack Way and the Owenea River to Ardara. Today’s walk follows the fishing access route to the Owrnea River on gorse-lined paths with the Atlantic ahead and the mountains behind. It’s a relatively easy day’s walking and allows plenty of time to enjoy the lovely town of Ardara.
- Accommodation: Auntie B’s or similar
- Walking for the day: 12km, 4h, ↑80m
Day 6: Ardara to Glencolumbkille | 20km
Transfer by taxi to Maghera Strand. Follow the Slí Cholmcille along the foothills of the Slieve Tooey and Crockuna mountains to Glencolmkille. Climb by road to the Owenree River valley’s top to look down on Loughros Beg Bay, Maghera Strand and east to Ardara. The Way crosses a mountain pass at 350m to descend by road through sheep farming foothills to the Port’s gloriously remote cove. Make sure to have a picnic on this spot. Your final climb of the day takes you up Faugher Mountain to descend to the village of Glencolumbkille. This remote and beautiful corner of Donegal is also a Gaelic speaking area and has many interesting megalithic and early Christian monuments.
- Accommodation: Millstone B&B or similar
- Walking for the day: 20km, 6h, ↑630m
Day 7: Slieve League Sea Cliffs and Cashel | 14km
The route to Carrick follows blanket bogland and the traditional cart tracks between the settlements. Teelin Bay is a lovely enclosed fishing harbour, a gentle introduction because over the top are the stunning, exhilarating Slieve League cliffs. Don’t miss them. Your hosts will collect you from Teelin and transfer you to your accommodation near Kilcar.
- Accommodation: Dun Ulun House or similar
- Walking for the day: 14km, 4h, ↑310m (Optional route to Slieve League Cliffs: 12km, ↑550m)
Day 8: Departure
Depart Kilcar by local bus to Donegal (approx. 45 min). For more details – visit Local Link Donegal. Direct and convenient link from Donegal to Dublin airport is provided by Expressway.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodations on this tour include a mix of welcoming B&Bs and guesthouses. They have been carefully selected for their location, atmosphere, cuisine and/or unique services. All rooms are en-suite. Note that it is sometimes necessary to accommodate you a short walk/drive 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
- Ard Na Breatha (Donegal)
- Avalon Bed & Breakfast (Glenties)
- Auntie B’s (Ardara)
- Millstone B&B (Glencolumbkille)
- Dun Ulun House (Cashel).
*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 guesthouse 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 active hikers with a good level of fitness. The hikes each day will vary from 13-20km. The terrain consists mainly of tarmac roads, bog roads, and open moorland. Considerable stretches of the tarmac sections, although through a wonderful landscape, are on busy, narrow roads, where care needs to be taken. Open moorland sections, which are quite isolated, can be very wet (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 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.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended airport for this tour is Dublin (DUB).
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.
- Direct and convenient link from Dublin airport to Donegal is provided by Expressway.
Inclusions
Included
- 7 nights in private en-suite rooms (B&Bs and guesthouses)
- 7 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
Gallery
