Wicklow Way Trek (130 kms/6 days)

Back in August 2020 after being in months of strict lockdown, my wife and I decided to venture out on this little adventure. It turned out to be one of the most beautiful & memorable weeks of our life so we thought why not share it with more outdoor lovers out there.

For those who don’t know about it, Wicklow way trail is a 131-kilometre (81-mile) long-distance trail that crosses the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland. It runs from Marlay Park in the southern suburbs of Dublin through County Wicklow and ends in the village of Clonegal in County Carlow. The trail follows forest tracks, mountain paths, upland lakes and steep-sided glacial valleys. Typically completed in 5–7 days, it is one of the must-do things when in Ireland.

Packing essentials

• Good backpack (This is really essential or else you’ll have sore back and shoulders)
• Good hiking boots (Don’t underestimate its importance)
• Water bottle/Bladder (Keep atleast 2 ltrs of water. Trust me you’re gonna need it)
• Portable mini stove kit (This one’s a good buy https://outdooradventurestore.ie/product/pocket-rocket-2-mini-stove-kit)
• Hot water flask (We went for this one https://outdooradventurestore.ie/product/tiv-wide-mouth-vacuum-flasks)
• Waterproof Breathable Hiking Jacket & Trousers (Because hey it’s Ireland! It could rain anytime)
• Wicklow way map (In case phone battery runs out. You can get it online or any bookstore)
• Clothes & canned food

Day 1 (23 kms Dublin-Enniskerry)

The trek begins from Marlay Park, Dublin so we took a Dublin bus that dropped us near the park entrance. There’s a well posted signboard here that shows the start point. Make sure to have a decent app on phone that shows the routes. We used “Hiiker” mobile phone app, a compass & a physical map in a waterproof plastic bag as backup.

This was one of the toughest days of our walk as the ascent is pretty steep and the backpack is at its heaviest load. On this day you cross the Dublin mountains with breath-taking views of Dublin so make sure to start early.

Our stop for the night was Coolakay B&B, Enniskerry which is located 3kms outside the Wicklow Way trail. Accommodation for two was 100e with breakfast included. The views from our room was gorgeous so I’d highly recommend it.

Day 2 (13 kms Enniskerry-Roundwood)

Our morning began with a lovely breakfast at the B&B and we reached a high spot overseeing Powerscourt waterfall quite early in the walk. The next section was a bit harder as we ascended with the Djouce mountain on our right hand side. There’s a section here with boardwalks for rainy weather and I would advise you to be very careful here. My wife slipped here and hurt her ankle. We even witnessed a young boy being airlifted by the Mountain rescue team as he had injured his foot quite badly after slipping on that boardwalk.

Later we stopped by the JB Malone memorial stone plaque overlooking Lough Tay. For those who don’t know who he is, this Wicklow way trail is his brain child. He was an avid hillwalker who had walked it back in the 1960s and did all the hard work to make sure it becomes an established walking trail.

We managed to finish quite early which was a good respite from the previous day’s long trek. Our stop for the night was at Lus Mor lodge in Roundwood. Accommodation for two was 87e with breakfast included. The chilled out staff and ambience there is amazing and hey guess what, they even had 2 little ponies playing outside in their front yard 🙂

Day 3 (30 kms Roundwood-Glenmalure)

We woke up with a long gruelling day ahead of us and what didn’t help matters was that it was raining heavily outside. But the breakfast we got at Lus Mor was simply world class and I must say, the effort that was put in to serve us was just what we needed as a boost to get us going.

We made a short pit stop at Brusher gap hut which is one of the three hiker huts along this route. You’ll find loads of interesting paraphernalia there such as a visitor’s diary with loads of fascinating memoirs from passing hikers, some leftover canned food etc. After a couple of hours we reached Glendalough lake where we stopped by for some refreshments.

Our stop for the night was at Coolalingo B&B which is located in the heart of the Glenmalure Valley. There’s a pub outside which serves some pretty good hot food with amazing views out front. Accommodation for two was 72e.

Day 4 (15 kms Glenmalure-Aghvannagh)

After a sumptuous breakfast and some playtime with the owner’s two cute pet dogs, we left for a relatively easy day ahead. This section was one of the remotest isolated parts of the trail with lots of flora & fauna. My wife even spotted a few deer crossing our path ahead a couple of times.

We stopped by at Muclagh hiker hut for a few minutes and left a little memoir note in the diary. If you do pass by, feel free to have a look at the one dated 5th August 2020 with Anish & Upasana’s names 🙂

Some boardwalk path on this route can get quite tricky during rain as its a constant ascent. My wife had no problem here but I struggled a bit. Be extra safe here while walking on this section with heavy bags if you have slippery boots during rain.

We reached our stop for the night at Ballyteige lodge, Avhagannah. This famous shooting lodge is owned and run by Sean McArdle who welcomed us with a lovely cup of tea. We had reached quite early so we were able to explore the area around this lodge in the late hours of evening. Accommodation for two was 99e with breakfast included.

Day 5 (19 kms Aghvannagh-Tinahely)

We left Ballyteige lodge after a nice breakfast made by none other than Sean McArdle himself. The route to Tinahely crosses a lot of farmland and you’ll come across lots of sheep and horses along the way. And not to forget, some of their poop too so be prepared for lots of different “smells” 😉 We sure made lots of animal friends along our way this day.

We even met some people on the way who were out wild foraging for mushrooms. After a long day of stepping on poop, we desperately needed a shower and our stay in Murphy’s Hotel was exactly what we needed. Accommodation was 110e with breakfast included. The room was quite fancy with a bath tub and cable television and we slept quite comfortably knowing little what was in store for us next day.

Day 6 (35 kms Tinahely-Clonegal)

This day turned out to be the toughest day of our trek both mentally and physically. We were already a bit tired and exhausted after 5 days of walking but this day tested us the most. Although there weren’t many high climbs and route was relatively flat with some country roads, we both found it pretty tough going. On a positive note, we tasted some wild blueberries and raspberries to treat ourselves.

By the time we reached Clonegal which is the end of Wicklow way trail, we had blisters on our feet & tears in our eyes. I’m still not sure whether those tears were from pain or pleasure but it was a memorable end to a fascinating week for both of us. If you’re lucky, you could even collect your Wicklow way completion certificate from Osborne’s pub if its open.

We took a short taxi ride from Clonegal stayed over at Meadowside B&B, Bunclody where we met our brilliant hosts and had a wonderful stay. Accommodation was 80e for two of us.

Finally, My advice to any of you considering doing this walk is to plan it properly and trust me, you’ll have absolutely some of the most amazing time of your life. We still cherish and remember the solitude and peace of those 6 days 🙂