Ring of Kerry: 8-Day Self-Guided Walk

Intermediate. Expect five to seven or eight hours of walking and an average ascent of 500 m per day, with one longer, hillier stage. Shorter options are available on some days. There are few technical sections, and the route follows a mix of tracks and footpaths. This is a point-to-point walking holiday; you should enjoy walking and have a good level of fitness.

You only need to carry a small daypack with your picnic and personal items. Your main luggage will be waiting at your accommodation each evening.

From one person.
Solo departures incur an additional supplement on top of the single-room supplement.

Eight days, seven nights.

Departures are generally offered from April through October; exact dates depend on current availability.

You stay in B&Bs in rooms for two with private bathrooms. Single rooms can be booked for a supplement.
Examples of accommodation:

B&B Caherdaniel ® B&B Caherdaniel

B&B Clifford’s ® B&B Clifford’s

B&B Coomassig View ® B&B Coomassig View

B&B Druid Cottage ® B&B Druid Cottage

Failte Farmhouse ® Failte Farmhouse

B&B Oldeforge ® B&B Oldeforge

Breakfasts included. Lunches and dinners are not included. Your travel pack includes information on where to buy supplies for your picnic. Please tell us about any food allergies or special diets when you book; we will do our best to accommodate them.

At your first accommodation in Glenbeigh on Day 1.

End

After breakfast at your accommodation in Killarney on Day 8.

Airports in Dublin, Shannon or Cork. Main airlines:

• Regular flights Aer Lingus (Irish Company), Air France,… generally via Dublin.
• Charter flights Gaeland, Look, Nouvelles Frontières, Plein Vent…
• Budget flights: Ryanair departing from Beauvais, Nice, Charleroi…

From Cork airport: you must go to the bus station in the city centre or the railway station, then take a train or bus to Killarney (approximately 2h). Then take a bus to Glenbeigh (line 279 A, approximately 50 minutes journey).
From Dublin airport: you must take a bus between the airport and Dublin Heuston station. You must then take a train to Killarney (approximately 3h20 journey) then a bus to Glenbeigh.
From Kerry airport: you must take a bus between Kerry airport and Killarney (approximately 40 minutes journey) then a bus between Killarney and Glenbeigh (line 280, approximately 50 minutes journey).

Direct connections: Brittany Ferries, Irish Ferries. Via Great Britain: Brittany Ferries, Irish Ferries, Hoverspeed, Stena Line, Swansea Cork Ferries.

Eurolines Paris Gallieni International Station offers bus departures from Paris to Dublin, Cork, Galway, Tralee, Limerick. This direct route uses Irish Ferries services. Daily departures from Paris or the provinces to Ireland with a connection in London. Via Eurotunnel: Irish Ferries offers a formula combining a passage via Eurotunnel with Irish Sea crossings between Pembroke and Rosslare, Holyhead and Dublin.

For bus services, which can be convenient and considerably cheaper than a taxi, check journey times and routes on the Bus Éireann website.

For train services, check the Irish Rail website.

Some of our trips offer opportunities to swim during a stage or at the end of the day. You alone must decide whether conditions are suitable; swimming is at your own risk.

Member of Agir pour un Tourisme Responsable (ATR)

Grand Angle has been a member of ATR, the French association for responsible tourism, since 2012. We design walking, cycling and snow holidays that encourage travellers to explore with curiosity, respect and care.

We have served on its board of directors since 2018 and help develop more responsible practices across the sector. In particular, we are committed to:

• Transparency in our practices and our rates
• Respect for our partners and local populations
• Protecting the environment on every trip

We also share the values of the traveller’s ethical charter, which encourages everyone to adopt simple gestures to protect the places we pass through and promote beautiful encounters.

Travelife Partner

Since 2025, Grand Angle has held Travelife Partner status, an international recognition of responsible practices in environmental, ethical and sustainable management across our business, partners and trips.

This is the second level in the Travelife certification programme. We continue to work towards the higher Travelife Certified level in line with our sustainable development policy.

You will receive a complete travel pack with detailed maps, route notes, GPX tracks, an accommodation list and vouchers. Depending on arrangements, it will be sent before departure or left at your first accommodation. This is an unguided trip.

In this section you will find links to products from our partner Alpinstore, a French e-commerce site specializing in outdoor equipment, based in Annecy.

For transporting your belongings

• A comfortable backpack from 30 to 50 L with a ventral belt to carry your personal belongings and lunch during the day
• One piece of luggage for transfer: a rucksack, a sturdy travel bag or a compact suitcase, limited to 15 kg per person

Discover in our Magazine how to pack your hiking backpack properly.

For hiking

For comfort in changing weather, wear layers: warm base layers that wick away perspiration, a fleece or sweatshirt, and a mountain jacket with waterproof, breathable overtrousers. Outside hot climates, avoid cotton, which holds moisture against the skin and dries slowly; choose suitable technical fabrics.

• Hiking boots that support the ankle with a good tread, featuring a heel counter and good waterproofing
• Comfortable hiking socks (at least three pairs)
• A fleece
• Comfortable hiking pants (quick-drying technical fabric)
• Comfortable quick-drying shorts
• T-shirts or technical underwear (quick-drying fabric)
• A long-sleeved shirt
• Trekking poles (telescopic), very important for facilitating walking. Discover all the benefits of hiking poles in our dedicated article

Note: synthetic technical clothing is very effective. New merino wool clothing has also appeared; they are very effective and pleasant to wear, and have the advantage of not developing perspiration odours!

For your picnic lunch

• A picnic kit: bowl, container or plastic plate, and cutlery (spoon, fork and knife)
• One or two water bottles with a total capacity of at least 1.5 L (essential); a flask for winter

Against the sun and rain

• Sunscreen (high protection)
• Sunglasses
• Hat, cap or wide-brimmed hat
• A rain cape or a waterproof jacket such as “softshell or Gore-Tex” and possibly waterproof pants

After exertion

• A pair of comfortable trainers for the evening
• Change of clothes and personal items
• Toiletry bag and towel (mini)
• Swimsuit and towel for fitness areas (if specified) or swimming
• A small first-aid kit: personal medication, surgical masks, hand sanitiser, plasters, sterile compresses and bandages, gauze, disinfectant, arnica granules and aspirin. This list is not exhaustive; adapt it to your own medical needs.

Find these tips in our article #what to bring on a hike.

This list is provided for guidance only and should be adapted based on your stay and the season you are travelling.

Country: Ireland
Capital: Dublin
Population: 4757976 inhabitants

Travellers, including children, must carry a valid national identity card or passport if they are EU citizens. For further information, see the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

French Embassy in Dublin
66 Fitzwilliam Lane - Dublin 2
Telephone: 003531 2775000

Country code: + 353.

Ireland is one hour behind mainland France. When it is 12:00 in France, it is 11:00 in Dublin.

From April to September, Ireland generally has milder weather, longer days and less rain than in winter. Rain is still possible, so pack waterproof layers. December and January are colder; if you travel then, bring warm, waterproof clothing.

Source: Ireland Guide.com

The euro.