This was a wonderful hike, the scenery is stunning and we were rewarded day after day with beautiful coastline, green rolling hills and farmland, friendly locals and well run guest houses.
Walking from inn to inn was epic and it was really nice to end in Dublin. The logistics were seamless. My only criticism is that one of the days was spent walking through a large clear cut area, which was interesting but not especially beautiful.
Experience superb walking through the spectacular Irish countryside near Dublin. The Wicklow Way is Ireland's oldest waymarked trail, pioneered by a famous hill walker, J.B Malone over 40 years ago and reveals some of Irelands finest views. Think Powerscourt Waterfall, Luggala, Loch Dan, Glenmalure Valley and historical Glendalough. The trail extends from Marlay Park in Dublin to Clonegal on the borders of Wicklow and Carlow covering a distance of approx 127 kilometres (79 miles). This 9-day trip covers the full Wicklow Way. The advantage of walking south to north means you will finish your walk in Dublin. For those a little shorter on time, there is a 7-day option that starts in Tinahely and takes you to Dublin.
The way winds through the Wicklow Mountains, one of Ireland's most spectacular upland areas. The Wicklow Way explores unspoilt trails, remote scenery, lakes, glacial valleys, forests and gentle farmland. Starting in southwest County Wicklow, the route passes through rural communities, old market towns and grand estates on its way to the bright lights of Dublin. Hiking near Dublin means a straightforward connection to the start of your trip, which is the small typical 'one street' village of Clonegal. An apt starting place for this walk into the remote and beautiful Wicklow Mountains. It is a route that remains mainly in the countryside making the short detours necessary to find a comfortable bed for the night.
A couple of fairly long but gentle days introduce you to the Newry Forest and over high points of Moylisha and Stookeen Hill to the 17th century village of Shillelagh and then on to the beautiful village of Tinahely. Quiet roads, forest trails and open mountainsides, with views back towards Clonegal and across the neighbouring counties of Carlow and Wexford, lead to Moyne and on to the most dramatic stages of the walk. A magnificent day's walk includes the spectacular Ow valley that passes below Wicklow's highest mountain, Lugnaquilla (925m), and along the 16km long glaciated Glenmalure Valley. This walk ends at the scattering of houses and splendid inn that make up Glenmalure hamlet. If climbing out of the Glenmalure Valley doesn't literally take your breath away then the fantastic views and the Glenmalure Waterfall probably will. Cross Mullacor Mountain and walk into Glendalough, 'the valley of two lakes' and site of a monastic settlement (from the 6th to the 13th century) for a little sightseeing. A short vehicle transfer gets you on the road to Oldbridge near Roundwood, which claims to be Ireland's highest village. The Penultimate day's walk is to the charming area around the village of Enniskerry. It is a mini classic with views of Lough Dan and Lough Tay. At the head of the valley is the Guinness family estate and later in the day enjoy views of Powerscourt Waterfall, the longest in the country. The last walk goes over Prince William's Seat for views across the city of Dublin, now in striking distance for some afternoon sightseeing and a lively evening in the city centre or one of its many fine restaurants.
Explore the cultural heart of Europe on the "Exploring Dublin, United Kingdom and Paris" tour, a 10-day sightseeing journey tailored for seniors eager for comfort and discovery. Begin in Dublin’s friendly streets, traverse the historic landmarks of London, and finish amidst the elegance of Paris. Each city offers a mix of guided tours and free time, ensuring a relaxed pace and plenty of opportunities to soak in the local culture. The unique benefit of this trip is the seamless combination of three iconic cities in one itinerary, letting you experience the best of Ireland, the UK, and France with ease and style.
The tour was extensive, but was well organized. The places selected were interesting for the most part. I liked the Powerescourt gardens, Kinsdale, the horse and carriage tour and the Cliffs of Moher. I enjoyed the way in which the driver maneuvered the coach through the beautiful roadways of the Republic of Ireland, in particular.
This is not a usual tour but like a hop on hop off tour.. people joined and left our group at nearly every point along the way. We had six different tour guides not including the local tour guides. The tour was mostly Spanish speaking and the guides said everything in both English and Spanish which became annoying for both English speaking and Spanish speaking passengers.. Every optional outing was cancelled and the moulin rouge outing was booked for the 11pm show which didn’t finish til after 1am and had to be back on the bus at 7.30am.. there were children and babies on the tour which some might not like. The only time it bothered me was when the teething baby’s dirty diapers were put in the bin on the bus stinking out the back of the bus. One of the buses we were on for the uk leg of our trip was obviously designed to carry small children. The seats were tiny and the seat in front of you pushed on your knees and if the person in front reclined their seat it was only inches from your face. I couldn’t even look at my iPad as it wouldn’t fit between me and the seat in front and the air conditioner was not working on the first day.. I have never considered leaving a tour half way through before but I actually looked up renting a car to continue the tour myself.. we were taken to some places after close time like the tower of London when it would have made more sense to do the bus tour of the sites that evening and take us to the tower when it was open.. I did enjoy the tour as it was my first time in Europe and most of our guides were great but I would never book a Europamundo tour again
