From Marlay Park on the edge of Dublin over the Wicklow Mountains to Clonegal in County Carlow, in Visit Wicklow's six parts: Knockree, Oldbridge, Glendalough, Glenmalure, and Crossbridge near Tinahely.
Best season: All year. Neither Sport Ireland nor Visit Wicklow publishes a walking season. An Óige's hostels at Knockree and Glendalough are open all year, and the Glendalough Bus runs every day except Christmas Day. Some sections can be wet and muddy, Sport Ireland says. In midwinter there are under 8 hours of daylight, less than the longest parts take. Before you go
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Six parts, Visit Wicklow's own, of 9 to 33 km and 3 to 8 hours. Parts 5 and 6 are 33 and 31 km: Visit Wicklow allows 8 hours for each, and our own estimate is longer. We could confirm no bed between Glenmalure and Tinahely, so part 5 stays one long day in every plan; the seven-day plan splits part 6 at Shillelagh, about 2.4 km off the Way. South of Glendalough beds are few and mostly off the Way. Choose a plan, or pick your own start, finish and nights below.
Changing where you stay suggests a new number of days: the fewest that keep each day under 8 h of walking and in daylight, where a place to stay allows.
Days end where the route has a stay, a camp or a village.
Stage 1: Out of Marlay Park on the southern edge of Dublin and over the hills to Knockree in the Glencree valley: 19.8 km, 7 h, graded strenuous, Visit Wicklow says. The part ends at An Óige's Knockree Hostel, whose grounds the Way crosses.
Overnight
Hostel or bunkhouse · An Óige
Pick a date to check the season.
The end of part 1, in the Glencree valley above Enniskerry. The Way passes through the grounds of An Óige's Knockree Hostel, the only bed on the Way here; Enniskerry village is the other choice, about 40 minutes on foot from the nearest bus, An Óige says.
Stage 2: From Knockree by Powerscourt Waterfall and over open mountain to Oldbridge: 20.4 km, 8 h. Visit Wicklow's page address says Roundwood, but its title ends the part at Oldbridge, on the Way. Roundwood, with a pub that has rooms, is about 2 km off the Way; the Wicklow Way Lodge B&B is about 200 m on.
Overnight
Hotel
Pick a date to check the season.
The end of part 2 on the Way, a crossroads hamlet. Visit Wicklow's page address says Roundwood, but its title ends the part at Oldbridge: Roundwood, with a pub that has rooms, is about 2 km off the Way. The Wicklow Way Lodge B&B is about 200 m on along the Way.
Or a room in the village. Find your own accommodation; TrailSplits has not checked what is open.
Stage 3: From Oldbridge along a road and a farm lane over Paddock Hill, then down to Glendalough: 9.4 km, 3 h, the shortest part. Glendalough has the Glendalough Bus to Dublin all year.
Overnight
Hostel or bunkhouse · An Óige
Pick a date to check the season.
Glendalough, by Laragh: the monastic site and the lakes. It is the best-connected stop on the Way, with the Glendalough Bus to Dublin all year (not on Christmas Day) and TFI Local Link 183 and 895. An Óige's Glendalough International Hostel is about 300 m away.
Or a room in the village. Find your own accommodation; TrailSplits has not checked what is open.
Stage 4: From Glendalough past the Upper Lake, up a tough climb and down to Glenmalure at Drumgoff Bridge: 13.9 km, 5 h. The national park is upgrading the White Trail above the Upper Lake (the White Zig Zags, from the Miners' Village up to the footbridge) from 20 July 2026 for 5 or 6 months. The trails stay open, except on one or two days when stone comes in by helicopter, and only about 10 m is worked on at a time. No detour is published, and the park does not say whether the Wicklow Way itself is affected: obey the trail crew and the signs. At Drumgoff, where this part ends, the signed reroute along the Clohernagh brook begins: see part 5.
Overnight
Hostel or bunkhouse · An Óige
Pick a date to check the season.
The middle of the Way, by Drumgoff Bridge in Glenmalure. Beds are few: An Óige's Glenmalure Hostel is about 2.6 km up the valley, with no electricity or running water and no online booking. OpenStreetMap also lists Glenmalure Lodge, a guest house by the bridge; we have not read its own page.
Or a room in the village. OpenStreetMap lists at least 1 place to stay within about 300 m; TrailSplits has not checked which are open.
Stage 5: The longest part, from Glenmalure south by Moyne to Crossbridge near Tinahely: 32.8 km, 8 h, Visit Wicklow says; its page is titled Glenmalure to Tinahely and ends the day at Crossbridge, about 0.8 km off the Way. Right at the start, Sport Ireland has signed a reroute along the Clohernagh brook at Drumgoff for forestry works, since August 2024 and until further notice; the ground is uneven. The official route here is not mapped yet: our line still takes the old route for about the first 2.5 km of this part (km 63.5 to 66 of the Way). Follow the signed diversion: southbound, follow the tree line and the brook up from the Half Way Marker to the forest road, then turn right to rejoin the Way. We could confirm no bed between Glenmalure and Tinahely, so this part stays one long day: start early.
Crossbridge Stay in or via Tinahely
Visit Wicklow ends part 5 at Crossbridge, a hamlet near Tinahely, and starts part 6 from it; our line ends where the Way passes nearest, about 0.8 km from the hamlet. There is no bed here: Tinahely is the nearest town, about 1.2 km east of the Way some 2.4 km before this point. Some hosts offer walkers a lift: ask when you book.
Find your own accommodation; TrailSplits has not checked what is open.
Stage 6: From Crossbridge by Shillelagh to the finish in Clonegal, County Carlow: 32.4 km, 8 h, Visit Wicklow says; 31.4 km on our line, more than half of it on paved roads in the map data. Shillelagh village is about 2.4 km off the Way: the seven-day plan breaks the part there. Clonegal has few beds and few buses: plan the way home before you set out.
Longest day: day 2, 8 h.
Days end at a stage end with a refuge or a village, or in a village the route passes through. Walking times are the times published by visitwicklow.ie where a stage has one, with the time measured on the mapped line beside it; a day that walks part of a stage gets a share of the stage's time by distance and climb.Outside Switzerland our walking times often run short of the times route operators publish; treat them as optimistic. Running times use 7.5 km/h plus one hour per 700 m of climb: a steady reference, not a prediction. Daylight is sunrise to sunset where the day starts; the time left is for breaks, meals and delays.Refuge dates come from the operator's own pages; when they are not published, we say so. For villages we count the places to stay OpenStreetMap lists; we have not checked which are open. A plan is not a booking: reserve every night before you commit to these day lengths.
Where each stage ends, the 2026 and 2027 seasons the operator publishes, and how to book. Read from the operators' pages on 13 October 2026; each stage page shows the sources and the grade profile.
| Stage | Night at | 2026 | 2027 | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Marlay Park to Knockree | Knockree Hostel | 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026 | 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2027 | Book online |
| 2. Knockree to Oldbridge | Wicklow Way Lodge B&B | 2026 dates not published | not published | Booking method not published |
| 3. Oldbridge to Glendalough | Glendalough International Hostel | 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026 | 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2027 | Book online |
| 4. Glendalough to Glenmalure | Glenmalure Hostel | 2026 dates not published | not published | Booking request |
| 5. Glenmalure to Crossbridge | Tinahely | Not checked | Not checked | |
| 6. Crossbridge to Clonegal | Clonegal · accommodation in town, not checked | Each host has its own season | Book with a host | |
Loading the forecast for low point (46 m) and high point (633 m)…
Typical weather on this trail: at the lowest point (46 m) and the highest point (633 m). Select a month to see why it is rated as it is.
| Month | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weather | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Mixed | Mixed |
| Stages rated good on typical weather | 0/6 | 0/6 | 2/6 | 6/6 | 6/6 | 6/6 | 6/6 | 6/6 | 6/6 | 6/6 | 4/6 | 0/6 |
| High point, day / night | 5°/0° | 6°/0° | 7°/1° | 9°/2° | 12°/4° | 15°/7° | 16°/9° | 16°/9° | 14°/7° | 10°/5° | 7°/2° | 5°/0° |
| Low point, day / night | 9°/3° | 9°/3° | 11°/4° | 13°/5° | 15°/8° | 18°/10° | 19°/12° | 19°/12° | 17°/10° | 14°/8° | 11°/5° | 9°/4° |
| Rain, mm | 121 | 100 | 91 | 91 | 88 | 85 | 96 | 110 | 116 | 145 | 156 | 140 |
| Snow at high point | Possible | Possible | Possible | Frost | – | – | – | – | – | – | Frost | Possible |
| Daylight | 8 h 06 | 9 h 50 | 11 h 45 | 13 h 54 | 15 h 46 | 16 h 52 | 16 h 28 | 14 h 50 | 12 h 47 | 10 h 43 | 8 h 45 | 7 h 38 |
Source: TerraClimate 1991–2020 monthly averages. Averages for the area at each point’s elevation (4 km grid, corrected for height). Not a forecast or a report of current trail conditions. Snow at the high point is estimated with a simple snowpack model from these temperatures and precipitation, not observed; steep islands and high summits can hold more snow than it shows. Daylight is for the 15th of each month. Hut, transport and park seasons are separate: check them for your dates.
Before you go
Arrange your stays, food and travel first, then check conditions again near departure.
Most places to stay are off the Way, Sport Ireland says, so plan with care and book every night ahead. No permit is needed. An Óige's hostels at Knockree and Glendalough take bookings online; its Glenmalure hostel takes enquiries only. South of Glenmalure beds are few, in Tinahely, Shillelagh and around Clonegal, and some hosts offer walkers a lift to and from the Way: ask when you book. Dogs are not allowed on the Wicklow Way.
Since August 2024 Sport Ireland has signed a reroute along the Clohernagh brook at Drumgoff, near the middle of the Way, for forestry works, until further notice. The signs are easy to follow, it says; the ground is uneven, so take care. Northbound, leave the Way at the hairpin bend towards a cul-de-sac, then follow the tree line down to rejoin it; southbound, follow the tree line and the brook up from the Half Way Marker to the forest road and turn right. The official route here is not mapped yet: our line still takes the old route for about 2.5 km at the start of part 5, so follow the signed diversion. Read 13 October 2026.
Sport Ireland: the Drumgoff reroute (map)From 20 July 2026, for 5 or 6 months, the national park is upgrading the White Trail above the Upper Lake, from the Miners' Village up to the footbridge; the Blue Trail may be disrupted too. The trails stay open, except on one or two days when stone is flown in by helicopter. No detour is published, and the park does not say whether the Wicklow Way itself is affected: on part 4, obey the crew and the signs. Read 13 October 2026.
Wicklow Mountains National Park: Glendalough trail worksParts 5 and 6 are 32.8 and 32.4 km, 8 hours each by Visit Wicklow's figures, and Visit Wicklow says the Way is usually split into six or seven sections. We could confirm no bed between Glenmalure and Tinahely; Shillelagh, about 2.4 km off the Way, splits part 6. Beds at Tinahely, Shillelagh and Clonegal are few: book them first. Read 13 October 2026.
Visit Wicklow: the Wicklow WayMuch of the Way crosses forest owned by Coillte, the state forestry company, which posts harvesting closures and diversions on its updates page. On 13 October 2026 none was current on the Way: the last, at Glenmalure from 27 April 2026, was for about six weeks. Check the page before you set off, and follow any diversion signs.
Coillte: events and updatesDogs are not allowed on the Wicklow Way, Sport Ireland says, and some sections can be wet and muddy. Read 13 October 2026.
Sport Ireland: the Wicklow WayClosures and notices last checked 13 October 2026: Coillte: Wicklow Way forest work · Glendalough Bus: notices · Wicklow Mountains National Park: Glendalough trail works · Wicklow Mountains National Park: news · Sport Ireland: Wicklow Way notice. Check them again before you set out.
Getting there
Choose a stage or journey above to narrow the travel searches.
Google Maps journey searches, not confirmed services. A mountain endpoint may need a booked transfer or an additional walk.
Marlay Park is in Rathfarnham, on the southern edge of Dublin. Dublin Bus route 16 runs there through the city centre, the guidebook site wicklowway.com says; check times with Dublin Bus.
Dublin BusThe Glendalough Bus (St Kevin's) runs from St Stephen's Green in Dublin by Bray, Roundwood and Laragh to Glendalough every day except Christmas Day, with only a few departures a day. TFI Local Link 183 links Glendalough with Arklow, and the 895 with Sallins and Naas for the train. For Knockree, take Dublin Bus 44 to Enniskerry, then the L15, then walk about 40 minutes, An Óige says.
Glendalough Bus: timetableTransport from Clonegal is thin. Bus Éireann's 132 between Dublin, Tullow and Bunclody stops at Bunclody, about 3 km away, and Kildavin, on the Dublin to Waterford road, is about 3 km away too; check the times with the operator before you set out.
Transport for Ireland: Bus Éireann routesTake your trip with you
Prepare every part while you still have a connection, and test it offline before you set out.
Keep your route and maps on your phone for places without a signal. For multi-day trips, prepare them in the installed TrailSplits app.
Saving a bookmark is not a map download. Storage can be cleared by your device; keep a backup map for remote trips.
Sport Ireland gives 128.1 km from Marlay Park to Clonegal; Visit Wicklow divides it into six parts of 9 to 33 km, 3 to 8 hours each, and says it is usually split into six or seven sections, in 6 sections on our map. The guide's day planner offers plans from 6 to 7 days on the overnight stops, and you can choose your own nights.
All year. Neither Sport Ireland nor Visit Wicklow publishes a walking season.
Marlay Park is in Rathfarnham, on the southern edge of Dublin. The "Connect your journey" section has the travel details, with 2 more travel notes.
Most places to stay are off the Way, Sport Ireland says, so plan with care and book every night ahead.
Yes: the whole route and every section, free, for a GPS watch or a phone. The guide also saves your plan for offline use in the app.
Closures we know of are shown on the days and sections they affect, in the day planner and on the stage pages. We watch 5 official notice pages (Coillte: Wicklow Way forest work; Glendalough Bus: notices; Wicklow Mountains National Park: Glendalough trail works; Wicklow Mountains National Park: news; Sport Ireland: Wicklow Way notice); the date we last read them is shown with the notices on this page. Check them again before you set off.
Route & sources
Sport Ireland, which looks after Ireland's National Waymarked Ways, publishes the Wicklow Way as one route of 128.1 km from Marlay Park in Dublin to Clonegal in County Carlow, with no stages. Visit Wicklow (Wicklow County Tourism, which Sport Ireland names as the trail's management body) divides it into six parts, with an official stage time for each, shown beside ours on every stage. The line here is the route on OpenStreetMap (relation 2740, from the planet of 11 October 2026): about 128 km, the whole trail, cut at the six part ends, each within about 1.1 km of Visit Wicklow's figure. Two part ends are not on the Way itself: Visit Wicklow ends part 2 at Oldbridge (its page address says Roundwood, about 2 km off the Way) and part 5 at Crossbridge, a hamlet near Tinahely about 0.8 km off the Way; our line ends each where the Way passes. At Drumgoff, at the start of part 5, Sport Ireland has signed a reroute along the Clohernagh brook for forestry works since August 2024, until further notice. The official route here is not mapped yet: our line still takes the old route for about 2.5 km (km 63.5 to 66 of the Way), so follow the signs there, not the line. Sport Ireland's two figures for the total ascent disagree, so we quote neither. Our climb is measured on terrain heights, so short steep steps are smoothed out.
Official guidance and mapped-source comparison checked 13 October 2026. Map data is a route reference, not confirmation of today's path, weather or accommodation availability.
Sport Ireland: the Wicklow WayMap data © OpenStreetMap contributors · Source relation
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