Self-Guided Donegal Hike

Self Guided

The perfect way for the independent explorer to see our hidden gems & discover the many paths less travelled.

Grading

Moderate Walks each day – Previous Hiking experience required

Duration

Various

Price

From

€555

Per Person

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Location Map

Explore Ireland’s hidden treasures along the Wild Atlantic Way on this unique 8 day Self-Guided Donegal Hike.

A unique Irish experience; this tour will excite & inspire you with it’s majestic mountains, terrific coastlines, astounding sunsets & picturesque landscapes. A location where sometimes, the Northern Lights can be seen from!

The Irish language is spoke in some of the regions on this tour, making it a authentic Irish adventure.

Single Room Supplement costs and Solo Traveller Supplement costs are listed in the itinerary PDFs below. 5-Day Donegal Hike 8-Day Donegal Hike

Should you decide to choose Solo Traveler Supplement please note the single room supplement costs are already included.

For more information about this tour & to explore all your other options please contact a member of our team here.

To see a short video of some of the highlights on this tour check out our YouTube channel here.

Ireland Walk Hike Bike

5.0

Based on 24 reviews

review us on

Daphne Desimpelaere

15:52 08 Dec 22

We did discover the beautiful region of the County of Kerry (Kerry Ring Tour).Very well organized by IWHB, good communication with the team (good reactivity, and kean to find solutions and open minded, especially when we had to postpone our journey due to the COVID). The hotels/guestrooms very well choosen (good location and guests friendly). Luggage drop off to the next accomodation was a really good option. The infos were correct. We do recommend Ireland Walk Hike Bike and will travel again with them, for sure.

Brian White

22:12 28 Nov 22

Wonderful trip. Everything was planned perfectly by Ireland WBH. B&Bs were great with Irish breakfast every day to fortify us for the ride. Would love to do another bike trip with them.

David McAleavey

21:17 27 Nov 22

Our walk along parts of the Dingle Way and connected trails as organized by Ireland Walk Hike Bike was everything we had hoped for, from extremely courteous and responsive staff to useful links before the trip (including excellent exercise videos!) and a specially-designed GPS app which knew which route we were following as well as where we had gotten to. (While we also used the provided maps and cue sheets, the GPS app in itself would probably have been sufficient.) The B&Bs which we were booked into were all cozy and clean, and our luggage was handled without any problem. I would recommend this outfit (IWBH) – and I have indeed recommended it – to anyone wishing to explore the part of Ireland we encountered. IWBH also deserve credit for holding our deposit for two years of COVID delay; and I’m very glad that we could finally undertake the walk. For what it’s worth, we took the self-guided “comfort” hike, which meant that we would receive taxi rides to favorable trailheads each day. (From what we could tell, we most often avoided flat boring stretches near towns, without sacrificing more remote and interesting parts.)

Jeanne Sargent

11:56 27 Nov 22

My husband and I did a self-guided hike through a large part of the Dingle Peninsula to celebrate his 80th birthday. Naturally, we had some concerns about getting lost, having the needed stamina and wanting support along our way. Ireland Walk Hike Bike staff were there for us every step of the way. They chose excellent accommodations at very reasonable prices; taught me how to use the GPS function on my first ever smartphone and arranged transportation to and from Shannon Airport to Tralee. We met so many wonderful folks along our treks who took time from their walk to talk about their lives. It went like clockwork and have toyed with the idea of a repeat adventure if our health permits.

Carol Smith

00:56 24 Nov 22

I usually plan vacations months ahead of time but this one came together in just a few short weeks thanks to Ireland Walk Hike Bike. They worked with our rather impromptu and tight time frame to arrange a 6-day outing along the Kerry Way, and we had a magical time from start to finish. The Kerry Way is moody, broody, and incredibly varied. All arrangements were spot on, from accommodation to transport to walking notes. All we had to do was soak up the scenic rambling each day, drink a celebratory Guinness each night, and meet really interesting people along the way. Ireland captured a piece of my heart – will need to go back again with Ireland WHB to retrieve it!

What makes us differEnt?

Hiking Day Transfers – We include transfers to and from the hikes to improve your hiking experience. We remove unnecessary road sections on multiple days to maximise your enjoyment of each trail. “We received taxi rides to favourable trailheads, so we avoided flat boring stretches near towns, without sacrificing more remote and interesting parts.” – David USA

Our Tailormade App – Our app is not just a GPS navigation tool…… you will have your entire holiday in your hand. You will have easy access to your route notes, points of interest, destination details and emergency contact information. “The materials provided before and during the trip were extremely helpful. The phone app was excellent.” – Carole, USA

Overnight Locations – We have carefully selected the start and finish locations for your overnights to allow for easy access and departure by public transfers. If not, we include a transfer to/ from the nearest transfer hub. “The B&Bs were charming, very comfortable with personable hosts.” – Jack, USA

We write our own Route Notes – Our new route notes are even easier to follow with marked maps and distances between each point. We hike and re-check the routes each year to ensure all details are up to date. We do not give you generic guidebooks for your hikes. “Everything went off without a hitch. Directions and maps were great and easy to follow.” – Kelly, USA

On Tour Support – Not only do we offer you a 24/7 emergency contact support, we will also contact you regularly during your tour to see how things are going and if you have any questions for us. “I cannot praise Ireland Walk Hike Bike enough. They are just outstanding at what they do.” – Russ, UK

What's Included?

Ensuite room in select accommodations with breakfast

Luggage transfers as per itinerary

Digital Route Notes & Maps or GPS Navigation app

Dedicated holiday specialist to help with planning

24 hour telephone support service

Upgrade option available – Please see downloadable PDF itineraries for details

AVAILABLE TOURS

Tour

Duration

Price

5-Day Self-Guided Donegal Hike

Duration: 4 nights

Cost pps: €555

View Tour

8-Day Self-Guided Donegal Hike

Duration: 7 nights

Cost pps: €765

View Tour

Itinerary

Day 1 - Dunfanaghy

Arrive to the beautiful coastal town of Dunfanaghy where your holiday begins.

Day 2 - Gweedore to Dunlewy

Mount Errigal is Donegal’s highest mountain. Your hike today gives you wonderful views of this mountain as you hike near Dunlewy Lake.

Total Distance: 8.9km | Total Ascent: 234m | Total Descent: 200m | Max Elevations: 166m

Day 3 - Dunlewy to Falcarragh

Following part of an old Railway Line, your hike today takes you to the northern coast of the Wild Atlantic Way as you reach the town of Falcarragh.

Total Distance: 14.9km | Total Ascent: 338m | Total Descent: 369m | Max Elevations: 178m

Day 4 - Bloody Foreland Loop

This coastal route takes you through bogland and along part of the Wild Atlantic Way as you follow the coast to Gortahork.

Total Distance: 22.5km | Total Ascent: 378m | Total Descent: 393m | Max Elevations: 89m

Day 5 - Dunfanaghy to Letterkenny

Depart after breakfast from Dunfanaghy. There are several private bus services & a public bus service to Letterkenny. From Letterkenny you can connect with services to most major towns & cities in Ireland.

Click here to view/download our full itinerary PDF

Day 1 - Donegal

Arrive to Donegal town in the north west of Ireland where your holiday begins.

Day 2 - Blue Stack Way

Walking from your accommodation you follow the “Blue Stack Way-Marked Way” around the shores of the beautiful Lough Eske, along the foothills of Banagher Hill, beside the Eglish River to finish in the little village of Letterbarra.

Total Distance: 23.3km | Total Ascent: 684m | Total Descent: 619m | Max Elevations: 315m

Day 3 - Letterbarra to Glenties

Following across old bog roads & through farmland, you then have a lovely walk over the foothills of the Bluestacks to arrive into the village of Glenties.

Total Distance: 19.2km | Total Ascent: 619m | Total Descent: 735m | Max Elevations: 432m

Day 4 - Glenties to Ardara

From Glenties, you follow along the Owentocker River on a beautiful hike to reach Ardara.

Total Distance: 11.8km | Total Ascent: 316m | Totsl Descent: 337m | Max Elevations: 112m

Day 5 - Ardara to Kilcar

Continuing south from Ardara, you hike through the Glengesh Pass and across bogland before descending into the village of Kilcar with lovely views across Donegal Bay.

Total Distance: 19.3km | Total Ascents: 600m | Total Descent: 600m | Max Elevations: 350m

Day 6 - Carrick to Glencolmcille

Hiking west today, your trail takes you along the coast from Carrick & then inland to reach the Irish speaking village of Glencolmcille.

Total Distance: 16.0km | Total Ascent: 526m | Total Descent: 529m | Max Elevations: 240m

Day 7 - Glencolmcille to Ardara

From Glencolmcille, you follow over the beautiful Glen Head and along the coast to reach “Port”. Continue east along the Owenwee River to return to the village of Ardara.

Total Distance: 32.4km | Total Ascent: 894m | Total Descent: 883m | Max Elevations: 329m

Day 8 - Ardara

From Ardara a direct bus service returns you to Donegal town where you can connect with a wider bus service.

Click here to view/download our full itinerary PDF

Departure Dates

To book your tour choose your preferred Departure Date and click on Next Step.

Highlights

St John’s Point

Arranmore

Assarancagh Waterfall

Slieve League

Package Options

Prices quoted are for the Digital Option. If you would prefer the Traditional Pack please let us know your booking form page.

Grading

Moderate Walks each day – Previous Hiking experience required

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Self-Guided Donegal Hike

Self Guided

Grading

Duration

Price

Share Now

Location Map

Single Room Supplement costs and Solo Traveller Supplement costs are listed in the itinerary PDFs below. 5-Day Donegal Hike 8-Day Donegal Hike

What makes us differEnt?

What's Included?

AVAILABLE TOURS

Itinerary

Departure Dates

Highlights

Package Options

Grading

Share Now

Similar Trips

€378

Self-Guided Kerry Way Hike

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Self-Guided Dingle Way Hike

€378

Self-Guided Burren Way Hikes

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