15 Hiking & Trekking Tours in Ireland to Build a Day Around

1.Game of Thrones Winterfell Locations Trek

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 814 reviews · 11 hours (approx.) · from $95Our pick

Leave Dublin at 7:45 a.m. for an 11-hour Game of Thrones day trip through Tollymore Forest, Strangford, Castle Ward, and Inch Abbey. Guides such as Lar, Lars, and Robbie appeared as extras in the series and add behind-the-scenes stories, clips, and filming details. Expect about 5 miles of brisk walking, changing weather, and lunch at your own cost.

“The actual experience was fabulous. The guide Lawrence was very knowledgeable and fun!! The bus driver, Dennis, was amazing as well! Great driver! With that said, the bus was quite uncomfortable. There was a constant loud beeping which made the ride annoying. Lawrence and Dennis tried to fix and call company. The A/C & heat were also not functioning correctly. The bus was hot and humid. Thank you!”

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2.Dublin Coastal Hike, Pints & Puppies Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 647 reviews · 3 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $56

Join Hidden Howth Experiences for a 3 to 4 hour walk from Howth station through village lanes, St. Mary’s Abbey, the cliff path, Baily Lighthouse, and Howth Summit. Guides such as Patrick, Mark, and Paddy mix local history, folklore, jokes, and songs. A pint at The Bloody Stream and a short journey video are included.

“Patrick was amazing! A verifiable smorgasbord of Howth knowledge, singing, accents, and silly stories. Would recommend to anyone!”

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3.Cliffs Of Moher Hiking Tour from Doolin – Small Group

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 324 reviews · 3 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $41Best value

Walk about 5 miles from Doolin to the Cliffs of Moher at a relaxed pace with an English-speaking guide. Guides such as Oisin, Simon, Phil, Sean, Tommy, and Sofie have led walks with local history, folklore, photo stops, and access to quieter cliff views. A taxi back to Doolin costs extra.

“Oisin was a fabulous guide. Very knowledgable and friendly. Lots of good historical info and fun to chat with him as a local. Highly recommend the tour and you’ll be very happy if you get Oisin.”

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4.Dublin Coastal Hike with Howth Adventures

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 289 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $47

Meet your local guide at Howth Market for a three-hour coastal hike through the harbor, St. Mary’s Abbey, Howth Head, and the cliff path. Expect steep sections, changing weather, sea views, local stories, and a small group of up to 10 people. Guides may include Zach, Matt, Rob, Sean, or Paul, and Loki the dog sometimes joins the walk.

“Great tour by Shane (spelling?), including history, both ancient and recent (U2, thin Lizzy, etc), a stunning walk, and even some recited literature and poetry. Three hours in some of the prettiest country we have seen.”

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5.Howth Safari Hiking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 279 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $71

Meet your guide in Howth for scones, tea, and coffee, then hike 6 to 9 miles across heathland, cliffs, beaches, and rough coastal paths. Guides such as Shane, Zack, Dee, and Sean share local stories while you see Martello Towers, sea caves, Baily Lighthouse, and Dublin Bay. Loki the guide dog may join on some departures.

“This was our favorite part of your trip to Ireland! Amazing time our guide was terrific, had so much information to share while showing us some of the most beautiful countryside in the world. Loki made the hike even better and was a joy to watch. It was so good we plan to come back to Howth for sure loved this adventure.”

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6.Wicklow Mountains Horse Trekking

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 118 reviews · 1 hour 20 minutes (approx.) · from $90

Set out from Hollywood Horse and Pony Trekking near Ballymore Eustace for an 80-minute ride through the Wicklow Mountains and Kings River valley. Ray, Lisa, Nicole, and Jack match horses to riding ability, teach beginners before departure, and guide small groups of up to six. You may walk near the lake or canter if your experience allows.

“Absolutely amazing! Wish I could give more than 5 stars! Everyone was very friendly, especially our guide! He was kind and helpful and very informative. He even went as far as making sure we made it to our bus to head home and went above and beyond. We went as a group of three girls and loved it. We would definitely do it again and hope we can return sometime! Just FANTASTIC! I would highly recommend booking with this experience! Words honestly can’t even begin to express how much we enjoyed it and would recommend it”

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7.Howth Coastal Hiking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 116 reviews · from $44

Walk from Howth Market through the fishing village, St Mary’s Abbey, heathland trails, Ben of Howth, Baily Lighthouse, and the cliffs. Guides such as Zack, Dee, Sean, Paul, and Shane share local stories, nature notes, and route knowledge. Expect hills, wet paths, big views, and time back in the harbour for food.

“Dee and Afrik were so lovely. This was the best hiking tour I’ve ever been on, Dee’s enthusiasm and passion for teaching was a delight. Such beautiful views.”

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8.Howth Hiking Trail from Dublin: Mythology and Legend

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 77 reviews · from $46

Join a Spanish-speaking guide such as Álvaro, Luis, or Javi for an 11 km walk around Howth Peninsula. Expect harbor views, forests, cliffs, Howth Castle, Celtic legends, a picnic stop, and the Baily Lighthouse. The hike lasts about five to six hours and requires sturdy shoes, food, and a separate train ticket.

“He's just the best guide I've ever met. And the tour is just beautiful, he show us the best places in there. I really recomend to do his tours because I'm gonna do them all. Just perfect, everything so friendly and carefully chose.”

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9.Cliffs of Moher Hiking Tour from Galway – Small Group

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 74 reviews · 8 to 9 hours (approx.) · from $107

Leave Galway at 7:45 am for a small-group hike from Doolin to the Cliffs of Moher. Your guide handles the transport, shares local stories, and leads a 5-mile coastal walk over 3 to 4 hours. Guides may include Ollie, Phil, Sophia, Tommy, or Sean. A €5 taxi returns you to Doolin for lunch and shopping.

“What a fantastic adventure! Clean van, awesome driver Phil. Wonderful funny stories on the drive from Phil and a wise choice for our lunch. Tom, cannot say enough wonderful things about this extremely knowledgeable young man. His storytelling of the area was extremely interesting and accurate. He was very mindful of all the people on the hike to make sure we were safe and gave us the opportunity to see the cliffs from a breath taking area. Book this hike!”

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10.Dublin Coastal Hike and Pints & Puppies

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 70 reviews · from $53

Join Mark or Paddy and a friendly dog for a 3.5-hour walk around Howth’s cliffs, harbor, castle, and old abbey ruins. You’ll hear local stories, look for seals, and finish with a complimentary pint at an Irish pub. The route includes a steep 20 to 30-minute climb, so wear firm walking shoes.

“Absolutely the best tour guides ever! Mark and little Missy were amazing from start to finish. Funny, knowledgeable, friendly, the perfect Irish tour guide. Everything I was hoping for and more. Howth is beautiful. Little Missy is gorgeous. To be honest, this is under priced! Mark you need to up your prices! The value for money is great! So glad we booked this and could not recommend highly enough. Mark is Master of the tour guides! Thank you so much for the best day. And to our new American friends, absolute pleasure to meet you!Read more”

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11.Howth Safari Hiking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 70 reviews · from $67

Spend about five hours hiking 10 to 15 km around Howth with a local English-speaking guide. Start with scones, tea, and coffee, then follow rough coastal paths to Shielmartin Hill, Red Rock, Doldrum Beach, Jamesons Cove, and Baily Lighthouse. Guides such as Shane, Isaac, and Conor add local stories, while the tour ends with a free photo video.

“Nothing to improve …was very happy with what we were able to see and learn about!”

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12.Glendalough Night Hike and History Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 55 reviews · from $44

Join Wild Summits for a four to five-hour guided hike around Glendalough’s lakes, beginning at sunset and continuing into the night. Guides such as Elena lead you past Sika deer, the miners’ village, and the sixth-century monastic site. Headlamps are provided, but you need moderate fitness and must be at least 12.

“Both guides but especially Elena were marvolous. Perhaps start earlier so the pace is not so fast and more time to enjoy the views.”

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13.Toe Head Clifftop Hike in West Cork

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 48 reviews · 2 hours 45 minutes (approx.) · from $60

Join Conor for a gentle 7 km loop around Toe Head in West Cork. In about 2 hours 45 minutes, you’ll follow quiet coastal paths, see an Iron Age fort, a famine village, wild orchids, an EIRE sign, and Cnoc na nGabhar. The small group is limited to 10, with water, light snacks, stories, and tea with homemade cookies at the beach.

“This experience was amazing! Conor was so great and informative and answered all of our questions throughout the hike. There were so many gorgeous views and we really appreciated all of the history he provided about the different places we stopped. Next time we’re in Ireland, we will definitely be booking another experience with him. Thank you, Conor!!”

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14.Bog Safari Hike

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 27 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $50

Join guide Sharon for a two-hour walk through an ancient Donegal bog near Ballyannon. You’ll learn how peatlands formed, hear local myths, see traditional turf cutting and an old monastic site, and take in wide views across Inishowen and West Donegal. The small group size keeps the outing personal.

“I highly recommend taking the Bog Tour. Sharon shares wisdom, information and lore in a chatty and approachable manner. Plus you get to hike in a BOG! I was lucky to have Sharon to myself and relatively good weather. We met up with one of her neighbors out working in the big so got to see how the bog places a role in the daily lives of people still. It is a unique experience that I thoroughly enjoyed!”

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15.Trek the Tombs and Trails in the Dublin Mountains

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 14 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $180

Join guide Ben and a small group of up to eight for a seven-hour hike from Dundrum into the Dublin Mountains. Ride local buses, visit two megalithic burial sites, walk the Dublin Mountains Way, pick seasonal berries, and finish with optional food or a pint before returning by bus.

“Had a lovely time hiking with Ben. He had so much knowledge of Irish history and I learned a lot. The tombs and the views were my favorite part. The hike was gorgeous. You should definitely book this hike.”

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