Wicklow Walking Holiday

Arrive in Laragh in the Wicklow Mountains

The quaint village of Laragh in the Wicklow Mountains will be your base for this 3-night Walking Holiday. You can make the journey to Laragh independently by bus or by car. On arrival in Laragh in the afternoon, check in to your accommodation. We advise arriving no later than 16.00hrs so you have time to settle into your new surroundings before meeting our guide.

Welcome meeting

Lets’ get to know each other. At 17.00hrs, our guide will introduce themselves during a welcome meeting at our accommodation. Our guide will prepare us for what we can expect in terms of distance, duration, and terrain during the adventures we will have in the hills of Wicklow. A packed lunch will be included on both hiking days. Walking or hiking boots are essential for all our hikes throughout our guided group holiday. Following the welcome meeting join our guide and fellow group members for an evening meal at the very well-regarded Wicklow Heather Restaurant. Afterwards you will have the remainder of the evening to enjoy at your leisure in Laragh.

St Kevin’s Pilgrim Path

Join us as we follow St Kevin’s Pilgrim Path, walking from Ballinagree Bridge to Glendalough. Our morning will start with a short transfer to Ballinagree Bridge from where we will start making our way along the ancient walking route that has been used by Pilgrim’s for hundreds of years. This area of Wicklow is synonymous with St Kevin who created an ancient monastic site in the Glendalough Valley in the 6th & 7th centuries and our guide will bring the story of St Kevin to life on today’s hike.  

From Wicklow Gap, the highest point of our route today, we will take a gentle descending pathway where we will be able to see the original flagstones laid down so many years before. We will continue along the Glendasan River as it winds its way down to the Valley of Glendalough. We will have the chance to see stunning views across the lake where we can see the iconic “St Kevins bed”, a small cave which he used to sleep in and use for contemplative meditation.

We finish today in the world-renowned Glendalough Monastic City where we have some time to soak in the atmosphere amongst the wonderful, ruined churches and the iconic round tower.

(Difficulty: Moderate / Distance: 12.5km / Elevation Gain: 300 metres).

We can expect to encounter gravel and grassy tracks along with short sections on the road and paved walking paths throughout the day.

At leisure in Laragh

This evening you will have time at leisure in Laragh. Your guide will be happy to suggest local restaurants or pubs to suit your taste.  

Looped hike in Glendalough including The Spinc, Mullacor, Cullentragh and the Derrybawn Mountain

Lets’ explore Glendalough together! Our hike today will take us into the Wicklow Mountains, high above the Glendalough Valley. We begin with trekking along a well-formed track taking us through the Glendalough oak woodlands and past the wonderful Poulanass Waterfall. Our guide will show us the site of St. Kevin’s Cell before continuing to the summit and the spectacular viewing point at the “Spinc”. From here we can see the spectacular vista of the two lakes and the valley below and we will continue across open mountain and blanket bog while ticking off three more summits, Mullacor, Cullentragh and the Derrybawn Mountain, as we are immersed in what makes the East coast such a unique place to hike in Ireland. We will end today’s adventure in the mountains by descending towards the village of Laragh.

(Difficulty: Challenging / Distance: 13km / Elevation Gain: 765 metres).

We can expect to experience a combination of paved walking, gravel and rocky trails as well as open mountain tracks during today’s pursuits.

Farewell evening meal

Join us for a farewell evening meal at The Wicklow Heather Restaurant. Lets’ come together for our last night and share our favourite memories of the days gone by over dinner. Afterwards you will have the remainder of the evening to spend as you wish.

Return home

This morning you are free to depart at your own leisure by private arrangements. You may purchase breakfast independently at The Wicklow Heather House before checking out if you desire. We recommend an independent visit to The Glendalough Visitor Centre to finish off your time in Wicklow. We hope you leave with many great memories of our group hiking holiday together in “The Garden” of Ireland.