7 Day Guided Walking Tour – Wicklow

Includes 5 Fully Guided Walks along the Wicklow Way

Tours specially tailored for groups of 4 or more. This holiday includes five fully guided walking days with the option of special interest trips to places such as Kilkenny or Dublin city.

Ideal for family gatherings of all ages, group of friends and clubs looking for something new.

All events listed in this itinerary can be changed and tailored to suit your individual needs.

Itinerary 7-day Guided Walking Holiday

Day 1: Sightseeing & Short Walk
We collect you in Dublin Airport or other location in Dublin City and transfer to your accommodation at Lough Dan House, which will be your base and home for the duration of tour. After settling into your rooms and a nice lunch, we explore the Inchavore Valley and the ruins of a famine village where many families once lived, enjoy the spectacular Inchavore Valley with several white sandy beaches along a meandering river and stunning Lake shore.

Day 2: Walking
Route 2 from Lough Dan House, Wicklow Way and circuit of Lough Dan. Distance 16 kilometres. Terrain: forest tracks, mountain paths, lakeshore, rivers and open farmland. Grade moderate – some steep decent on tarmac and green roads to lakeshore, small areas of soft ground in the valleys.

The walk covers a section of the Wicklow Way from Pier Gates to Old Bridge and includes some of the most spectacular scenery in Ireland.

Day 3: Walking
Route 3: From Lough Dan House, Scar, and Wicklow Way to Glendalough. Distance 17 kilometres. Terrain: good walking paths, open mountain and forest tracks, and covers some sections of the Wicklow Way from Paddock hill to Glendalough. Grade moderate – the route includes Kanturk and Scar Mountain, total ascent 641 metres. A most enjoyable and rewarding walk some strenuous parts but by no means difficult for the average fit person, superb views of mountains, glens and valleys.

Day 4: Optional Day Trip to Kilkenny City, the Heritage City of Ireland

The journey to Kilkenny City takes about one hour and 20 minutes and is an education about Ireland’s various landscapes and cultures.
We do a guided walking tour of the City starting at the main tourist office and finishing at the beautiful Rose Garden in the grounds of world famous Kilkenny Castle where we will enjoy a picnic lunch. After lunch you’re free to explore the City and do some shopping or just relaxing in this wonderful place.

Kilkenny City, Co Kilkenny

Kilkenny City is Ireland’s most historic and compact medieval City. The use of the term City is a point of some dispute. Kilkenny’s inhabitants claim its City status because of a medieval charter it received 800 years ago. Kilkenny’s centre is based on the west bank of the River Nore around Parliament Street, High Street and the Parade, with Rothe House at one end and Kilkenny Castle on the hill at the other. Modern Kilkenny’s origins are rooted in the middle ages when a monastery was founded there, from which the City (and county) takes its name. Much of its old medieval architecture remains intact and the street plan of the centre has changed little in the last six hundred years.

Day 5: Walking

Route 5: Circuit of Glendalough

Distance can be varied from 9 to 17 kilometres, total ascent 450 metres. Terrain: mountain paths, boardwalk over soft ground, stone pitching and gravel tracks. Grade moderate. One of the most popular walks in Ireland a complete circuit of the Monastic City and the two lakes, and some of the most magnificent views you will ever see.

Many easy low level walks and activities are available here for less active members of the group.

A Brief History

Glendalough, or the Glen of two Lakes, is one of the most important sites of monastic ruins in Ireland. It is also known as the city of the seven Churches. Fourteen centuries have passed since the death of its founder, St. Kevin, when the valley was part of Ireland’s Golden Age.

The two lakes, which gave the valley its name, came into existence thousands of years ago, after the Ice Age, when great deposits of earth and stone were strewn across the valley in the area where the Round Tower now exists. The mountain streams eventually formed a large lake. The Poullanass river spread alluvial deposits across the centre of the lake and created a divide to form the Upper and Lower Lakes. The Glenalo river flows in from the West into the Upper lake which is the larger and deepest of the two lakes.

Before the arrival of St. Kevin this valley (glen) would have been desolate and remote. It must have been ideal for St Kevin as a retreat and area to be ‘away from it all’. Kevin died in 617 A.D. at the age of 120 years and his name and life’s work is forever entwine with the ruins and the Glendalough Valley.

Day 6: Walking

Route, Coastal walk, distance 7 to 15 kilometres or more.

Bray Cliff Walk. Duration: About 2 hours Greystone or Newcastle to Bray Sea-front.

The walk around Bray Head is a real gem. As well as the uninterrupted views out to sea and of the cliff scenery, one of the most appealing aspects of the walk is how quickly the ambience changes from a quiet seaside walk to the bustle of Bray Town and Promenade . The clear, level path is suitable for all ages which make it a perfect family walk.

The railway from Bray to Greystones was planned and built between 1847 and 1856. The site for the railway, along the cliffs around Bray Head, was a strange decision, since it involved serious engineering challenges. A more obvious route from Shankhill to Wicklow would have been through the Glen of the Downs, it’s a natural cutting in the landscape. However, the landowner, Lord Meath, didn’t want the railway to divide his estate. Instead, he gave the railway company the cliff route free but, because of the geology, it is still one of the most costly stretches of railway track in Ireland. Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the celebrated engineer, was called in for consultation, and under his direction a single line, with several tunnels was constructed and continued round the Head and south as far as Wicklow.

Flora and Fauna

The rocky outcrop of Bray Head is of geological interest, comprising some very ancient slate and shale stone, formed in Pre-Cambrian times over 542 million years ago. In the 1870’s very rare and unusual fossils of small sea creatures were found in these ancient rocks and are believed to be among the oldest known remains of life on this planet. In the shallow waters near the cliffs the petrified remains of ancient forest trees lie hidden. These fossilised trees can still be seen at low tide to the north of Bray, and are also found on the other side of the Irish Sea, in Wales. The mountain peaks of Wales can be seen from the top of Bray Head on clear, sunny mornings and evenings.

Today’s walk finishes on the Bray sea front, the most beautiful promenades in Ireland.

Day 7: Tour ends
After breakfast you depart for Dublin City or Airport, if a clear day we take a final scenic route over Luggala, Lough-Tay and Sally gap, The journey takes us over miles of high moorland along an old Military Road. across Featherbed Mountain approaching Dublin from the west with stunning views of the entire City along the way.

All walks listed in the itinerary can be tailored specially to suit your needs individual needs.

“Nestled in the Wicklow Mountains, the Lough Dan House is the perfect home base for hiking, relaxing or exploring the historical treasures of this area. Upon our arrival, we were pleasantly greeted by Sean and Teresa. We found the surroundings to be peaceful and beautiful, complete with a double rainbow complements of Mother Nature. The interior of the entire home (from top to bottom) was just lovely: neat, clean and very comfortable. Our bedroom was spacious complete with a tea set for complimentary tea. In the room that she shared with our children, my mother fell in love with the bay window that looked over the farm fields and mountains. Every morning we were served a most delicious breakfast in their lovely dining room. Our daughter fell in love with Teresa’s porridge. Owners Sean and Teresa were so helpful and accommodating that they made us feel like family. For fantastic accommodations, hospitality, meals and scenery, you just can’t beat the Lough Dan House. This family of 4 (5 with grandmom in tow) would love to return to Ireland again one day and would definitely stay there again. It is truly the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!”

“Lough Dan House…
Shaun, Teresa and Family were very welcoming, the B&B is situated right in the Mountains, a dream for walkers!
We regulary needed lifts on an evening down to Roundwood and to Dublin Airport Monday morning at 4am, this was never a problem, infact everything we asked of Shaun and Teresa they were more than happy to help!

We can highly recommend the Food and packed lunches, traditional, great home cooking (You’ll never go hungry!)

SERVICE WITH A BIG SMILE“