Wicklow vs Kerry for Walking — Which Should You Do First?

I run a B&B on the Wicklow Way and I spend most of my time steering walkers toward Wicklow. So you might expect me to say Wicklow wins every comparison hands down. But that would not be honest. Kerry is extraordinary. The MacGillycuddy's Reeks on a clear day are a genuinely different class of mountain from anything in Wicklow. The coastline around Dingle will stay with you for years. If you have the time and the transport, Kerry is worth every hour of the drive.

What I will say is this: Wicklow makes a better first Irish walking trip. And Kerry makes a better second.

At a glance

	Wicklow	Kerry
From Dublin	45 min by car / DART to Bray	4 hrs by car, no direct public transport
Long-distance trail	Wicklow Way, 132 km	Kerry Way, 214 km
Highest point	Lugnaquilla, 925 m	Carrauntoohil, 1,039 m
Best for beginners	Excellent graded range	Steeper learning curve
Peak B&B price (Jul)	~€90–130/night	~€120–180/night

Access and logistics

This is where the comparison is at its most lopsided, and it matters more than people expect when planning a walking trip.

Wicklow from Dublin: the DART runs from Connolly Station to Bray in approximately 35 minutes for around €5. From Bray, several trailheads are walkable or a short taxi ride. A car from Dublin city centre reaches the Wicklow Mountains in 45–60 minutes depending on your starting point. Glendalough is under an hour from most of Dublin city. St Kevin's Bus runs a weekend service from Dublin to Glendalough for those without a car.

Kerry from Dublin: four hours minimum by car to Killarney — more if you are driving to Dingle. No reasonable public transport to Kerry's main walking trailheads exists. The train from Dublin to Killarney runs but still leaves you 20 km from most mountain starts. You either hire a car or join an organised tour. For a spontaneous day walk, Kerry is not practical from Dublin.

Conclusion: Wicklow wins decisively on access, particularly for non-drivers and anyone who wants to make a day decision rather than a multi-day one.

Terrain and scenery

Wicklow's landscape is defined by deep glacial valleys — Glendalough, Glenmalure, Glendassan — cutting into rolling heather moorland. The high plateau between the valleys sits at 500–700 m and is genuinely wild: no fences, no shelter, and poor visibility in cloud. The low-level walks are mixed oak and conifer forest, gentle coastal cliffs, and river valleys. Lough Tay, visible from the road above Roundwood, is one of the most photographed views in Leinster.

Kerry's landscape is different in character. The MacGillycuddy's Reeks rise sharply from near sea level, reaching 1,039 m at Carrauntoohil. The Atlantic coastline of the Dingle Peninsula — Slea Head, Brandon Mountain, the Blasket Islands visible offshore — is unlike anything in Wicklow. Killarney's ancient oak woodland at the lakeside is genuinely old growth and unlike anything in the east. The scale is bigger, the drama is bigger, the exposure is bigger.

Wicklow is softer, greener, more forgiving. Kerry is more dramatic and more exposed. Both are beautiful in completely different ways — Wicklow is an intimate landscape, Kerry is a cinematic one.

Difficulty range

Wicklow has one of the best beginner-to-expert ranges of any Irish county. At the easy end: the flat Railway Walk at Tinahely (3 km, no elevation), the Glendalough Green Road (fully surfaced valley floor), the Bray to Greystones Cliff Walk. In the middle: the Great Sugar Loaf (501 m, accessible to fit beginners), the Glendalough Spinc (boardwalked ridge, well-marked). At the serious end: Lugnaquilla (925 m, requires navigation experience), the Wicklow Way's mountain sections, Tonelagee and the Glenmacnass plateau.

Kerry's most celebrated routes are more uniformly demanding. Carrauntoohil (1,039 m) is a proper mountain requiring experience in ridge navigation. The Dingle Way's coastal sections are beautiful but exposed to Atlantic weather. The Reeks Ridge traverse is one of the most challenging day walks in Ireland. Kerry has some easy walks — the Killarney lakeside paths are gentle — but the county's reputation rests on difficult terrain.

Conclusion: Wicklow is significantly better for beginners and occasional walkers. Kerry demands more experience and better kit.

Accommodation cost

South Wicklow B&Bs run €90–130 per night in peak season. Central Wicklow around Glendalough runs €100–150. The accommodation is good quality and, because it is within easy reach of Dublin, there is less pressure on bed availability outside of Bank Holiday weekends.

Kerry's accommodation, particularly in Killarney, Dingle and Kenmare, runs €120–180 per night in July and August and books out months in advance. Killarney in particular is heavily tourist-dependent and priced accordingly. Add hire car cost (€40–70 per day for a small car) and petrol for the 400 km round trip from Dublin, and the Kerry trip costs significantly more.

Conclusion: Wicklow is the more affordable option by a meaningful margin, particularly for multi-day trips.

Weather

Both counties are wet. This cannot be said plainly enough for anyone planning a walking trip to either.

Kerry receives significantly more Atlantic rainfall than Wicklow — over 2,000 mm per year on the Reeks versus around 1,200 mm in the Wicklow Mountains. The Atlantic weather systems arrive in Kerry first and with more force. A bad day on Carrauntoohil in October is genuinely serious. A bad day on Lugnaquilla in January is not far behind.

Wicklow is drier and marginally warmer in summer. However: Wicklow's mountain weather is equally unpredictable and a bad day on the Spinc or on the high Wicklow plateau requires the same kit and the same respect as a bad day in Kerry. Neither county offers a reliable guarantee of dry walking weather in any month.

The practical difference: a poor weather day in Wicklow means you can drive to a sheltered valley walk or wait an hour for the front to pass. In Kerry, with the same accommodation booking and a hire car parked outside, you have less flexibility to bail on your plan.

When Wicklow wins

• Weekend trip from Dublin — 45 minutes versus 4 hours
• You do not have a car — DART and St Kevin's Bus cover key trailheads
• It is your first long-distance Irish walk — Wicklow Way is the better learning route
• You are walking with children or a mixed-ability group — better graded easy routes
• You want September or October colour without Kerry's tourist crowds
• Budget is a real consideration — €30–50 per day cheaper on average
• You want flexibility — more stages, more walk options, easier bail-out

When Kerry wins

• You have a full week and a hire car — Kerry rewards slow travel
• Atlantic coastline and ocean views are the priority — nothing in Wicklow matches Slea Head
• You are an experienced walker looking for a serious physical challenge
• You want to climb Ireland's highest mountain (Carrauntoohil, 1,039 m)
• You are happy to book accommodation 3–6 months ahead in summer
• You have already done the Wicklow Way and want the next level

What if you do both?

Do Wicklow first. The Wicklow Way gets you fit, teaches you Irish mountain navigation, and helps you understand what gear works for you on Irish terrain. The seven stages from Clonegal to Marlay Park cover 132 km of varied ground — boggy moorland, steep ascents, long ridge walks, sheltered forests — and when you finish it, you are a competent Irish mountain walker.

Then come to Kerry the following year with that confidence and fitness. The Kerry Way (214 km) is significantly longer and more demanding than the Wicklow Way — doing it after the Wicklow Way rather than instead of it produces a completely different and much better experience.

I have seen walkers attempt the Kerry Way as their first long-distance walk and it nearly breaks them. The same walkers who did Wicklow first take Kerry in their stride. The Wicklow Way is not a lesser version of the Kerry Way — it is a different walk with different demands. But it is the better preparation for Kerry.