Meeting in Shannon. Transfer to Dingle. Dingle Harbor; 3 miles, easy to moderate

From the Shannon region, you journey southwest with your new walking companions and Irish guides. Your destination is the picturesque village of Dingle and the charming Benners Hotel, where a lovely lunch awaits.

This afternoon, you drive a few minutes to the harbor mouth where you may spot the friendly resident dolphin, Funghi, who swims alongside bathing visitors. Your warm-up walk on coastal trails is a perfect introduction to the island—rocky shores, crashing waves, verdant hills, and golden beaches make up the horizon. The path takes you back to the ancient village where you learn about Dingle’s turbulent history and how it eventually prospered thanks to its superb natural harbor.

Tonight, you gather for dinner at a local restaurant. On the menu is fresh seafood harvested from the surrounding pristine sea. After dinner, you may choose to pay a visit to the local pubs, where traditional Irish music lightens the heart.

Coastal walk; 6 miles, easy. Optional afternoon walk; 4 miles, moderate, 600-ft elevation gain

The morning walk encompasses some of the stunning coastal scenery made famous by “Ryan’s Daughter,” David Leans’s epic movie. Following along backroads and the shoreline, the route passes by an area where, in 1680, an ill-fated attempt by the Spanish to assist the Desmond rebellion against the Elizabethans at Dun an Or (“fort of gold”) took place. The gentle dirt trail eventually turns to fine sand, inviting you to take your shoes off and cool your feet in the refreshing Atlantic Ocean. You stroll the beach at your own pace, breathing in the invigorating air before returning to Dingle.

Lunch is on your own and there are plenty of inviting cafés and pubs to choose from, perhaps for fresh crab cakes or a hearty soup. This afternoon you may choose to join a moderate walk following an old bog road up Cnoc a’Carn, overlooking the ancient town. The other option is to meander among Dingle’s colorful streets and down to the harbor, admiring endless rows of sailboats and exploring the many craft shops, or simply to relax at the hotel, settling in one of the cozy living spaces with a book or a glass of wine.

You gather with the group for a superb dinner at a long established family-owned restaurant, with a background in farming, where most ingredients are from the day’s harvest.

Slea Head; 5 miles, moderate with some steep sections. Optional afternoon walk; 3 miles, easy

This morning you set out toward Slea Head, where small farms cling to the precipitous slopes along Dingle Way. The land here exposes Iron Age remains, such as beehive huts used by Eremite monks and farmers. Rounding the head, breathtaking views of the Blasket Islands spread out before you—the westernmost inhabited part of Europe. The morning adventure takes you on grassy paths through pastures dotted with sheep and an occasional donkey, along stone walls and up and down stiles, or climbing hills that always reward your efforts with sweeping views of the Irish countryside.

After a lunch of either a delicious soup, quiche, or a sandwich of fresh bread and tasty cheese in the village of Dunquin, the focus turns to the evolution of the early Irish Church from the 6th to the 12th centuries. Within a few square miles there is an unusual density of early Christian settlement sites, including Reask, Gallarus Oratory, and Kilmalkedar church.

Returning to Dingle, there is time to relax at your charming hotel before enjoying a sumptuous dinner at yet another local restaurant, featuring local delicacies such as freshly caught salmon and ice cream with brandied berries.

Inch Strand; 5 miles, easy to moderate. Killarney National Park; 2.5 miles, easy

After breakfast you bid farewell to the ocean and travel inland into a richly varied countryside—one that has been heralded in song for centuries—Killarney National Park and the Kingdom of Kerry. Along the way, you stop for a morning walk at Inch Strand, a wide sand dune peninsula inhabited only by sea birds and where you can hear the thunderous roar of the surf.

You continue your journey to Killarney, where there is time to explore and have an independent lunch in town. You gather with the group mid-afternoon and head out for your second walk of the day on the well-maintained trails of Killarney National Park, the emerald jewel of Ireland, also listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. An 11,000-acre nature reserve, the park protects the largest remaining tracts of natural oak woodland in the country, the last remaining herd of native Irish red deer, the three lakes of Killarney, and the eastern end of Ireland’s highest mountain range, the Macgillicuddy’s Reeks. The trail also passes the manicured grounds of a castle and yet another stone church, testament to Ireland’s rich history.

This evening, after settling into your hotel, enjoy dinner in a local restaurant.

Lakes of Killarney and Inishfallen Island boat excursion. Killarney National Park; 3 miles, easy to moderate

Today there is time for a leisurely breakfast as you depart mid-morning. Stopping at a local café, you pick-up your own lunch—a made-to-order sandwich of fresh bread, local produce, cheese, or curried chicken. You then embark for a two-hour boat journey, for there is no better and more beautiful way to explore the three lakes of Killarney and pristine Inishfallen Island. The island was once inhabited by the monks of St. Fionan, known for their valuable account of early Irish history in the “Annals of Innisfallen.” Following this exciting boat excursion, you unpack your picnic lunch at the grounds of Lord Brandon’s Cottage, the site of a local gentry’s hunting lodge.

Your second afternoon in Killarney National Park begins with an easy three-mile walk through a natural peat bog, with stops to examine its flora and fauna. Upon arrival at Derrycunnihy Cascade, the walk becomes a little more strenuous. At the end of the day, some may wish to peruse Killarney’s woolen shops while others may return to the hotel and lounge in the atrium, admiring the manicured grounds of this private estate.

You are free to choose from one of Killarney’s numerous restaurants or pubs for dinner on your own this evening.

Old Kenmare Road; 5 miles, easy to moderate, 600-ft elevation gain. Muckross Lake; 4 miles, easy

Today’s walk begins along the Old Kenmare Road. The route starts with a brief ascent, as you are afforded spectacular views of heather-clad mountains and the Lakes of Killarney, which you have explored intimately the day before. Later you arrive in the charming, picturesque town of Kenmare, where you may join the locals sipping on a pint of stout, and enjoy a delightful pub lunch.

This afternoon an easy four-mile walk passes through the woodland surrounding Muckross Lake (literally “middle lake”). Here along the limestone reefs of this peninsula a unique yew forest grows that seems a likely habitat for the mythological leprechaun.

This evening, you partake in a festive farewell dinner at the hotel. The restaurant here uses the freshest of quality ingredients, sourced locally. Try the Kerry Lamb or the Ballydehob Duck.

Transfer to Shannon. Farewell

This morning breakfast is served early, before boarding the coach to transfer to Shannon and bid farewell to fellow walkers and guides.