Wicklow Way- Ireland. 130km. May 2026

 

OVERVIEW:

Sli Cualann Nua.  The Wicklow Way.  

Ireland's oldest and most popular walking path runs 130 kilometres from the sleepy village of Clonegal northwards to Marley Park in the southern suburbs of Dublin. 

Wandering along the Wicklow you are guaranteed to encounter;

• Prolific greenness
• Sheep, many, many sheep
• Ancient ruins, mighty stone bridges, pretty country lanes and quaint hamlets
• A surprising amount of birdlife and deer
• Rain, sun, sleet, wind, views, no views, crowds and solitude
• Rock boundary walls to the horizon
• Gut busting pub lunches
• Serenity and quietude 

Pumped for Ireland.  

My partner Shiny and I flew into Dublin from Paris and immediately starting grinning as a frigid, dank rain pelted down while we waited for our airport bus.  

Landing in Dublin felt fun, it honestly felt like 'home', as the cliche goes.  

This good vibe and excitement continued for the entirety of our stay in on the island whether walking, car touring or just poking around.  

The Wicklow Way is an easy stroll close to major services and showcases a lovely area of the country; Wicklow County.

You pass Lough Tay and Powerscourt where much of Vikings was filmed.  

There is the 6th century monastic settlement ruins of Glendalough.

The summit of Djouce pokes high up in the clouds above the surrounding heather moorland.

Sweet hiking.

Map sourced from wicklowway.com

GETTING TO THE TRAIL:

You have a choice of starting at Dublin in the north and heading south to Clonegal or vice versa.

We knocked over the logistics and hassle of getting to Clonegal first and walking to Dublin.

Given the Wicklow's close proximity to Dublin, there are a number of possible public transportation combinations you could employ to access Clonegal.  

We caught a train to Carlow from Hueston Station in Dublin and hired a taxi to drive us to the start of the trail in Clonegal.  

All up that took around 90 minutes. 

There are also bus services that can get you from Dublin quite close to the southern terminus at Clonegal.

I tried hunting down a shuttle service to facilitate a direct pick up and drop off to the southern terminus from Dublin but didn't get a hello or reply from any that were advertised to undertake that service.

Map sourced from Googlemaps.

Thrush.

CAMPING AND NAVIGATION:

The path is well signed with turns and directions indicated when you need them.  

There's a mix of quiet road walking, slipping over sheep fences and high mountain path tracks. 

I utilised Alltrails offline mapping on my phone in conjunction with the 'Wicklow Way Map Guide- Direction: Clonegal to Marlay Park, Dublin' guidebook I purchased for 11 Euros at the Great Outdoors gear store on South Great Georges Street in Dublin.  I also grabbed a gas cannister there too.

Camping on the Wicklow Way is tricky but doable.  There are 3 official mountain huts and the area around each that allow camping.  The poky huts weren't really my jam and they get busy on the weekends but they are there as a respite from the weather and an option if you aren't picky.   

We paid for a pitch at the Dying Cow Pub and wild camped near the Mucklagh Hut and up in mountains near Mullacor overlooking the Glendalough region.  

You could easily pay for accommodation every night if that floats your boat.

Day 1- Camping at Dying Cow Pub

Day 2- Camping near Mucklagh Mountain Hut

Day 3- Camping near Mullacor

Day 4- Room at Heather House in Laragh

Day 5- Room at Knockaree Hostel

Before and after our Wicklow walk we stayed at the NYX Hotel in Portobello, Dublin.  We were able to leave our main pieces of luggage in storage with the hotel while on trail. 

Chugging obligatory pints of Guinness at the Dying Cow Pub. 

Campsite near Mucklagh Hut.

WATER AND RESUPPLY:

Water can be sourced along the trail from streams, taps in settlements and water tanks at the hut sites.

We also carried enough water from paid lodgings like the Dying Cow and Heather House to last most of the day.

A decent food resupply can be purchased from McCoy's XL shop in Laragh.

We grabbed cold beverages at the Dying Cow Pub (kilometre 28 heading north from Clonegal) and various establishments in Laragh.  Great breakfast at the Wicklow Heather in Laragh too. 

The Glenmalure Lodge was right on trail and served up another filling breakfast as well. 

The Wicklow is only 130 kilometres long, an easy food carry with a resupply half way at Laragh.

I also spied basic food items for purchase behind the reception counter at Knockaree Hostel.

Blue tit.

Bluebells, encountered everywhere.

THE GOOD BITS:

• The road walks were peaceful and lacking in heavy traffic.  Roadside verges full of wild flowers and rockwalls, quite enjoyable.
• Friendly locals knew what we were doing and where we were heading.
• The official website here is chock full of information and maps for planning your hike.

THINGS TO KNOW:

• If you are keen on wild camping you may need to get creative and keep a sharp eye out for private, flat(ish) spots.  Most of the forestry area suitable for camping is run by Coillte the state agency.  Trees seem to be planted very close with no access roads or lanes carved out and then just left in a heap of stumps when harvested, meaning flat pitches are tricky to locate.
• The Wicklow is a popular pathway, the majority of folks choose to stay in B&B's and if you want to do the same then booking ahead with a firm plan is advised.
• Weather is very changeable.  As in rain one minute, get your sunscreen out the next.

All photos by Shiny & Safari.