To help you explore and enjoy the beautiful Irish countryside, we have put together a selection of free hiking guides for a day out in the outdoors. All of these self-guided walks allow you to get a small taste of our longer hiking holidays, where you can enjoy Ireland’s trails independently and at your own pace. Similar to our longer holidays, these free guides offer a range of walks suitable for everyone from the part-time hiker to those with more experience.
Whether hiking alone or in the company of friends and family, you can find all the information you need to plan and enjoy your day out:
- Advice on where you can park, what to bring and some safety tips
- Route notes with turn-by-turn directions and plenty of information on what you can see on your hike
- Large scale map showing the route and the local area
- GPS track (GPX) plus information on how to use it
- Local attractions and where you can get a good meal after your hike
To get your free guide simply click on the “Download” button of the walk you are interested in. The documents are in PDF format and can easily be printed out at home or they can be used on your smartphone.
Crone Woods to Djouce
Crone Woods, Co. Wicklow 14.5km 5-6 hours 700m
This fantastic, moderately difficult hike passes through conifer and broadleaf woodland as it climbs past Deerpark and Powerscourt Waterfall to the top of Djouce mountain (733m). From up there you often have great views of the heart of the Wicklow Mountains. The walk follows forest tracks, mountain paths and sections on boardwalks with occasional sections of more rugged mountain terrain.
Lough Tay to Djouce
Roundwood, Co. Wicklow 7-11km 3-5 hours 300-500m
A great, moderately difficult hike that starts above Lough Tay, the Guinness Lake, and then climbs gradually to the top of Djouce mountain (733m). The view from up there often offers great vistas of the heart of the Wicklow Mountains. The route follows forest tracks, mountain paths, longer sections on boardwalks and occasional sections of more rugged mountain terrain.
Rathdrum to Clara Bridge
Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow 9.5-12km 3-4 hours 300m
A gentle, relaxing walk, along the beautiful Avonmore River to the peaceful hamlet of Clara, which offers wonderful forest and river scenery and plenty of nature. The route follows good forest and riverside tracks and paths. There is some road walking on the loop after passing through Clara and one or two easy climbs near Clara Bridge.
Trooperstown Loop
Laragh, Co. Wicklow 10km 3-4 hours 425m
This gentle to moderate loop walk across Trooperstown Hill, south of Laragh, offers good views into the central Wicklow Mountains and towards the Wicklow coast in the east. The route follows minor roads, country and forest tracks and hill paths. There is one long but quite manageable climb to Trooperstown Hill followed by a steeper descent (there is an option to bypass the climb though).
Ballyvaughan Wood Loop
Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare 9km 2-3 hours <50m
A gentle and relatively short loop walk that follows woodland paths, minor roads and green lanes through the valley behind the seaside village of Ballyvaughan. The walk passes close to Aillwee Cave, the most famous of the thousands of ancient caves beneath the Burren and offers splendid views of the surrounding folded limestone landscape of the Burren.
Black Head Loop
Fanore, Co. Clare 19.5km 5-7 hours 500m
This moderately difficult to challenging loop walk consists of a mix of Burren hill and coast and includes a few medium climbs. It follows tracks, greenways, mountain paths and quiet roads from Fanore Beach around Black Head and through Gleninagh and the Caher Valley. The hike offers wonderful views of Galway Bay and the Aran Islands and, at the right time of the year, is also rich in Burren wildflowers.
Carran Loop
Carran, Co. Clare 10km 3-4 hours 160m
A gentle to moderately difficult loop walk that follows minor roads, tracks and open limestone pavement around Carran in the heart of the Burren. The route visits Templecronan, one of five Early Historic Church sites in the Burren, before making its way across the Burren limestone pavement on Termon Hill to St Fachtnan’s Holy Well. On your return to the car park you pass the Burren Perfumery and the large Carran Turlough.
Killary Famine Road
Near Leenane, Co. Galway 16km 4-5 hours 130m
A wonderful, gentle to moderately difficult loop walk that follows an old famine road along Killary Harbour, one of Ireland’s only fjords. The hike visits Rosroe Pier and returns via two lakes while often offering great views of Mweelrea and Ben Gorm as well as the Maum Turk Mountains and the Twelve Bens in the distance. This walk over relatively easy terrain has only one short climb and follows quiet country roads and a gently sloping ‘green road’.
