The Kerry Way

The Kerry Way is a 214-km point-to-point waymarked trail in County Kerry, Ireland, gaining roughly 4,350 m of elevation over 9 walking days as it loops the Iveragh Peninsula. Rated moderate to challenging, it threads green roads, mountain passes and Atlantic coast between Killarney's lakes and the cliffs above the Skellig islands.

About the The Kerry Way

The Kerry Way is Ireland's longest signposted walking trail and one of the flagship routes on the country's National Walking Network (NWN). Starting and finishing in Killarney, the circuit traces the inland mountains and Atlantic shoreline of the Iveragh Peninsula — the same ground covered by the famous Ring of Kerry driving route, but on old butter roads, drovers' paths and bog tracks rather than tarmac. Over its 214 kilometres it climbs from sea level to passes near 380 m, accumulating around 4,350 m of total ascent across the full loop.

Because the trail is a continuous circle, most walkers treat it as a 9-day point-to-point journey, walking 13 to 33 km per day. It is graded moderate to challenging: the navigation is straightforward where the yellow "walking man" waymarks appear every few hundred metres, but several sections cross open mountain where mist, wind and wet bog raise the difficulty sharply. The second day, Black Valley to Glencar, carries about 795 m of ascent over 20 km and is widely considered the hardest single stage.

The reward for the effort is variety. In a single week you pass Killarney National Park's oak woods and waterfalls, the flanks of MacGillycuddy's Reeks (Ireland's highest range), the long strand at Rossbeigh, the cliff views toward the Skellig Michael UNESCO site, and the sheltered woodlands around Kenmare Bay. If you are weighing your daily food load against those long 8-hour days, our guide on how many calories you need hiking a full day is worth a read before you shop.

The route was first opened in stages through the 1980s and now forms part of the National Walking Network's flagship long-distance trails, maintained by Kerry County Council with funding and standards set nationally. Walkers can tackle it in either direction, but the anti-clockwise loop described here — starting with the mountainous Killarney-to-Glencar section while legs are fresh, then easing onto the gentler Atlantic coast — is the most popular. Unlike Alpine trails, there are no high-altitude huts: the Kerry Way is a low-mountain coastal route where the highest point sits below 400 m, yet exposure, rain and bog make it feel far more committing than those modest numbers suggest.

Route Overview & Stages

The figures below follow the most common 9-stage anti-clockwise itinerary from Killarney. Distances and ascent are approximate; several stages offer alternative high or low routes depending on weather.

That schedule totals roughly 225 km with linking variants included; the official signed circuit is measured at 214 km. Many walkers add a rest day in Killarney or Cahersiveen, stretching the trip to 10 or 11 days. Tracking each day as a separate stage in a tool like HikeLoad's hike planner makes it easy to balance the long 33 km legs against the short 13 km recovery day.

Highlights & Points of Interest

• Torc Waterfall — a 20 m cascade in Killarney National Park, reached within the first two hours of Stage 1.
• Black Valley (Cummeenduff) — a remote glen at the foot of the Reeks, one of the last places in Ireland to receive mains electricity (1976).
• MacGillycuddy's Reeks — Ireland's highest mountain range, including Carrauntoohil (1,038 m), framing Stage 2's Lack Pass.
• Rossbeigh Beach — a 4 km sand spit reaching into Dingle Bay, a highlight of the short Glenbeigh stage.
• Drung Hill old butter road — an 18th-century trading path traversing cliffs high above the Atlantic on Stage 4.
• Coomakista Pass — a panoramic saddle near 200 m with views to the Skellig islands and Scariff.
• Derrynane & Caherdaniel — sheltered dune beaches and the historic home of statesman Daniel O'Connell.
• Sneem village — a postcard-pretty pair of squares on the Sneem River, a classic resupply and rest stop.

Best Time to Hike the The Kerry Way

Kerry sits in the path of Atlantic weather, so it is wet in every season — Killarney averages over 1,200 mm of rain a year. The walking window runs from April to October, and the sweet spot is the late-spring to early-autumn period when the bog underfoot is at its driest and daylight is long.

May is the single best month. As of 2026, late spring brings the most settled conditions of the year, daylight stretching past 9 p.m., flowering gorse and hawthorn along the green roads, and — crucially — fewer of the biting midges that plague the Black Valley in high summer. June is a close second with the longest days of the year. July and August are warmest but busier and buggier, while September offers a reliable second window of dry, stable weather as the crowds thin. April and October are walkable for flexible hikers willing to accept shorter days and a higher chance of storms. Whatever month you choose, the high mountain stages can be enveloped in mist within minutes, so carry a map and compass and check the Met Éireann forecast the night before each stage.

One Kerry quirk worth planning around is daylight rather than temperature. In May and June the sun rises before 6 a.m. and sets after 9.30 p.m., giving 16 hours of light to absorb a 33 km coastal stage at a relaxed pace. By contrast, an October start leaves barely 10 hours of usable daylight, which turns the same stage into a race against dusk. Temperatures are mild and narrow year-round — typically 9–18 °C in the walking season — so the real seasonal variable is light and the state of the ground underfoot.

Practical Information

Accommodation

The Kerry Way is a town-to-town trail, so most walkers sleep indoors rather than camp. Each overnight village has options:

• B&Bs — the backbone of the route, typically €45–€75 per person per night including a full Irish breakfast. Book early for May–September; villages like Black Valley and Glencar have only a handful of beds.
• Hostels — the Black Valley and Killarney both have hostels from roughly €25–€35 for a dorm bed.
• Hotels & guesthouses — available in Killarney, Cahersiveen, Waterville, Sneem and Kenmare from around €90 for a double.
• Camping — wild camping is not a legal right in Ireland and requires the landowner's permission, but commercial campsites near Glenbeigh, Waterville and Killarney charge roughly €10–€15 per tent.

Because beds are scarce in the smaller glens, reserve your whole chain of stays before you start. Spreading the load you carry between accommodation evenly is easier when you log every item in a gear list beforehand.

Getting There & Back

Killarney is the start, finish and main gateway. Kerry Airport (Farranfore) is about 20 minutes away by road and has connections to Dublin and several UK and European cities; Cork Airport is roughly 90 minutes away with wider international links. By rail, Irish Rail runs trains from Dublin Heuston to Killarney roughly every two hours, a journey of about 3 hours 15 minutes, usually with a change at Mallow. Because the trail is a loop, you return to your starting point on foot — no shuttle is needed, though local Bus Éireann services link Killarney, Kenmare and the Ring of Kerry villages if you need to skip a stage.

Permits & Fees

No permit and no trail fee are required to walk the Kerry Way — it is free and open year-round. Much of the route crosses private farmland under access agreements, so keep to the waymarked line, close gates behind you and keep dogs under control near livestock. Killarney National Park is also free to enter on foot. Always follow Leave No Trace principles, as the bog and oak woodland here are ecologically sensitive.

Gear & Packing List

Kerry's wet, windy, changeable weather drives the kit list more than the terrain does. Waterproof boots, full waterproof jacket and trousers, gaiters, merino base layers, a warm mid-layer, blister plasters, at least one litre of water capacity and walking poles are all essentials — even in July. A map and compass are non-negotiable for the exposed mountain stages where mist can roll in fast.

For a hut-to-hut style trip where you carry only day kit between B&Bs, a light 35–40 L pack is ideal. The Fjällräven Abisko Hike 35 handles a comfortable daily load, while the ultralight Hyperlite Mountain Gear 2400 Windrider shrugs off rain on its DCF shell. If you plan to camp and carry more, step up to the Hyperlite Mountain Gear 3400 Windrider or the roomy Osprey Atmos AG 50. For more options, our roundup of the best ultralight backpacks of 2026 tests seven packs head to head.

Similar Trails You Might Like

If the Kerry Way's mix of mountain passes, coastline and town-to-town comfort appeals, several other multi-day routes scratch the same itch. The Theth to Valbona trek in Albania offers a similar blend of dramatic high passes and village stays in a wilder, less-travelled corner of Europe. Browse more long-distance options in HikeLoad's explore section to compare distances, ascent and seasons before you commit.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the best time to walk the Kerry Way?
May is the standout month: the underfoot bog is at its driest, daylight stretches past 9 p.m., and the midges that swarm the Black Valley in midsummer are largely absent. June, July, August and September are all walkable, with September giving a reliable second dry window, while April and October suit flexible hikers who accept shorter days.

How difficult is the Kerry Way?
It is rated moderate to challenging. The waymarking is good and much of the route follows green roads, but several stages cross open mountain with around 4,350 m of total ascent over the full 214 km loop. Stage 2, Black Valley to Glencar, is the hardest at roughly 795 m of climb. Wet bog, wind and sudden mist add to the challenge.

How many kilometres per day will I walk?
On the standard 9-day itinerary, daily distances range from about 13 km (Glencar to Glenbeigh) to 33 km (Cahersiveen to Waterville), averaging roughly 24 km. Walking times run 5 to 8 hours per stage. Many people add one or two rest days, spreading the trip over 10 or 11 days to keep the long coastal stages manageable.

Where do I stay along the Kerry Way?
The trail links villages, so most walkers use B&Bs (roughly €45–€75 per person), hostels in Killarney and the Black Valley (€25–€35 a dorm bed), and hotels in the larger towns. Beds in the smaller glens are very limited, so book your entire chain of overnight stops before you set out, especially between May and September.

Do I need a permit or pay a fee?
No. The Kerry Way is free to walk and open all year, with no permit required. Parts of the route cross private farmland under access agreements and through Killarney National Park, so stay on the waymarked path, close gates, keep dogs under control near livestock and follow Leave No Trace. Entry to the national park on foot is also free.

Sources: Sport Ireland — official Kerry Way trail listing and Kerry Way official trail description.