Kerry Way
Long Distance Waymarked Way · Kerry
Kerry Way is a 232.1 km strenuous waymarked loop in Kerry, starting near Killarney.
Grade
| Activity | Grade | Difficulty | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walking | Strenuous | Challenging | 9 days |
Getting there
Starts at Killarney.
- Trailhead coordinates
- 52.05777, -9.51208
- Irish Grid reference
- V 963 906
- Ordnance Survey sheets
- Discovery Series Sheets 78, 83, 84, 70* (*ca 1.3km on track) and 85** (**ca 1.9km on road)
The National Trails Register's own latitude and longitude fields are empty for all 1,186 trails on it. This trailhead comes from Sport Ireland's separate Trailheads dataset, matched to this trail on its register ID.
Public transport
At Start: Good express and local bus service.Check with Bus Eireann. At End: None
About the trail
The Iveragh Peninsula is the largest of Kerry's Atlantic peninsulas, extending 60 kilometres into the ocean from the mainland, and it is 32 kilometres across. The Iveragh contains the Killarney Lakes with their mountainous backgrounds, the most famously picturesque landscapes in Ireland since tourism began in the late eighteen hundreds. The main mountain group on the peninsula, called the Macgillicuddy Reeks, contains the two highest summits in Ireland, Carrauntoohil at 1038m and Caher at 1001m. The Kerry Way, at 230km the longest of the Irish Waymarked Trails, is a circular route that circumnavigates the peninsula, starting and finishing in Killarney, and also passing through fine Kerry towns such as Glenbeigh, Caherciveen, Waterville, Sneem and Kenmare. The landscape the route passes through is very varied, from the lakes of Killarney to high and remote mountain moorland: Carrauntoohil and Caher tower over the route west of Black Valley and the return leg passes along the startlingly contrasting semi-tropical, palm-treed south coast. Terrain consists mainly of quiet tarmac roads, open moorland, woodland and field paths and boreens. Some sections of the open moorland can be very isolated, and off-road sections can often be very wet and muddy. Aggregate ascent over the whole route is about 5400m, and there are some sustained and quite steep climbs. The highest point on the Way is 385m above sea-level, at Windy Gap between Glenmore and Caherdaniel There are some long stretches between overnight accommodation possibilities, and walkers should plan their days carefully to take these into consideration: public transport options are very good.
Before you go
77 kms or 36% of the Way follows local roads. ***Dogs not permitted on the Kerry Way*** PLEASE NOTE: The area between Derrycunnihy Church and Lord Brandon's Cottage suffers from flooding at different times throughout the year, especially after periods of heavy rainfall. It is advised to make local enquiries prior to walking this section. PLEASE NOTE THE KERRY WAY WILL BE TEMPORARILY CLOSED AT LACKA FOREST (BETWEEN ASSAROE AND KENMARE) DUE TO TREE HARVESTING OPERATIONS FOR 2 TO 3 WEEKS FROM 1ST OCTOBER 2018. DIVERSIONS WILL BE IN PLACE SO PLEASE FOLLOW THE RE-ROUTE SIGNS.
- Waymarking
- Yellow arrow on black background
- Dogs
- No
Who manages it
South Kerry Development Partnership Ltd
South Kerry Development Partnership Ltd, Library Place, Killorglin, Co. Kerry Tel: 066-9761615 Email: [email protected]
Conditions and closures change. The operator is the authority on both, not this page.
Trails nearby
Measured trailhead to trailhead, in a straight line.
- Strickeen Trail 8.8 km away · 2.3 km trail
- Cronin's Yard Loop 13 km away · 5.2 km trail
- Lisleibane Loop 14 km away · 5.3 km trail
- Rossacroo Wood - Milenium Park Trail 14 km away · 1.3 km trail
- Duhallow Way 17 km away · 73.9 km trail
- Kilbanow Mountain Loop 18 km away · 5.3 km trail
Common questions
How long is the Kerry Way?
232.1 km, recorded as a loop on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register. It climbs 5,310 m in total. Sport Ireland estimates 9 days.
How hard is the Kerry Way?
Sport Ireland grades it Strenuous, with an overall difficulty of Challenging. Grades are set against national criteria, so they are comparable with other registered trails.
Where does the Kerry Way start?
Starts at Killarney. The trailhead is at 52.05777, -9.51208 (Irish Grid V 963 906).
Can you bring a dog on the Kerry Way?
No. The register records dogs as not allowed on this trail.
Can you get to the Kerry Way without a car?
At Start: Good express and local bus service.Check with Bus Eireann. At End: None.
Who manages the Kerry Way?
South Kerry Development Partnership Ltd. They are the authority on current conditions and closures, not this page.
More in Kerry
Trail data from the Sport Ireland National Trails Register, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Trailhead coordinates from the companion Trailheads dataset. Snapshot taken 2026-08-13.