A Wicklow Walking Holiday on Your Schedule
A self-guided Wicklow Way walk can be the perfect way to see this stunning landscape on your own schedule and time. At Footfalls Walking Holidays, we cater our self-guided walking tours to you, so you can peruse our sample itinerary below but always feel free to get in touch for adjustments or with questions.
The Wicklow Way is Ireland’s oldest waymarked walking trail and is enjoyed by many independent walkers every year. J.B. Malone pioneered this now-popular long-distance hiking trail over 40 years ago. Covering a total distance of 127 kilometres (79 miles) from Marlay Park in Dublin to Clonegal, the route spans extraordinary landscapes and jaw-dropping history.
This 4-day self-guided hiking vacation along the Wicklow Way gives you the opportunity to enjoy almost 30 kilometres of some of the best views of Wicklow, the Garden of Ireland.
The example itinerary below goes from South to North (towards Dublin), allowing you to finish your walking tour approximately just 45 minutes away from Dublin city centre.
Take a look at our other self-guided walking tours of Ireland for more route inspiration! Or alternatively, consider joining like-minded walkers in one of our small-group guided walking tours of Ireland. We love meeting folks from all around the world and showing them our beautiful backyard here in Ireland!
Self-Guided Wicklow Way Adventures
Prices / Dates
Price: €387 per person sharing
Single Supplement: +€150
Tour Dates: 1 March to 31 November
Tour Grade: Easy
Accommodation: Guesthouse
Included / Excluded
- 3 nights bed & breakfast
- All accommodation is pre-booked in approved family-run guesthouses with all rooms en-suite.
- The Wicklow Way map guide and waterproof route notes.
- GPX Files for each walking day
- Details on restaurants and places of interest to visit along the way.
- Luggage transfers daily while you walk.
- All information on trains or buses needed to get to your first accommodation, during the tour and back at the end of the tour.
- 24-7 Emergency Telephone support
- Public transport to the beginning of the tour and back at the end
- Packed Lunches
- Evening Meals
- Drinks and Snacks
- Personal Equipment
Wicklow Walking Itinerary
Arrive at Dublin Airport and take the train to the town of Rathdrum. Overnight in Rathdrum
For the first half of today's walk, you will follow the Wicklow Way trail as it steadily climbs up and out of Glenmalure Valley via forest trails. This picturesque landscape includes rolling hills, green pastures, and an impressive waterfall that plunges down into the valley. From there, the way-marked trail then crosses the saddle between Lugduff and Mullacor Mountains and descends into the wonderful valley of Glendalough. Beautiful Glendalough is one of the most popular destinations in Ireland. Its name in Irish, “Gleann Dá Loch”, means “The Valley of The Two Lakes”. You’ll have a chance to explore both of these lakes as you continue down to the valley floor. You will stay overnight in Glendalough or Laragh. Distance: 14 Km/8.75 miles, Ascent: 450 m/1350 ft, Approximate walking time: 4 hours
On this day, you will have two walking options to choose from! First, you can choose to stay on the Wicklow Way to follow a low-level trail across the side of Paddock Hill and enjoy lovely views back over Glendalough.
Alternatively, you can take a more challenging trail across Scarr Mountain. On a clear day, you can enjoy magnificent views from the summit across the Irish Sea and all the way to the Welsh Mountains.
Both trail options end in the small, but lively, village of Roundwood. Roundwood happens to be the highest village in Ireland! You will stay overnight in Roundwood.
Wicklow Way - Distance: 10 Km/6 miles, Ascent: 250 m/750 ft, Approximate walking time: 3 hours
Scarr Mountain - Distance: 15 km/9 miles, Ascent: 520 m/1560 ft, Approximate walking time: 4.5 hours
Depart Roundwood for you next destination.
