Kerry Way
Slí Uíbh Ráthach
OSM hiking route looping the Iveragh Peninsula from Killarney, Ireland (184.6 km loop). Vertical figures sampled from Copernicus GLO-30. Days (15) is a placeholder from round(lengthKm/12), not the published 7–10 day window (unverified).
Last verified 2026-09-24 vs South Kerry Development Partnership / Kerry County Council
Cite this record
The Hiking World, Kerry Way, verified 2026-09-24, https://www.thehikingworld.com/trails/kerry-way
How we verify · last checked 2026-09-24
Byline
- The Hiking World editorial · author
Desk byline for seed records. Named surveying editors replace this once a trail is verified.
Figures marked provisional are seed data and still need verification. Source and last-checked date sit under each cited value.
Weather forecast
Loading live forecast…
Permits and fees
| Permit | Cost | Quota / restriction | Issuer | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No walking permitUnverified — not officially sourced | Not recorded | — | South Kerry Development Partnership / Kerry County Council | Issuer page | Unverified |
Line download is the stored OSM geometry, simplified. It is not a surveyed GPS track. GPX · GeoJSON
Editorial v1 · Provisional catalog
Strenuous long-distance walk
- SAC T1–T2 (mapped — no official SAC grade)
- Hiking. Trail well cleared, flat or slightly sloped, no fall hazard. through Mountain hiking. Continuous trail, some steep ground, sure-footedness helpful.
- YDS Class 1
- Class 1. Walking on an established path; low fall risk.
Log in to view the elevation profile
Ingested from OpenStreetMap relation 183744 (ODbL). The mapped line and 2D length are derived from that geometry. Ascent, descent, and high/low points are sampled from Copernicus GLO-30 (copernicus-dem:glo-30) and remain provisional. Water, permits, and hazards were not taken from OSM tags and must be verified.
OSM 2D length is 184.6 km (relation 183744; The Kerry Way, name:ga Slí Uíbh Ráthach, OSM distance=214 km, Wikidata Q1739608). Approach-role members were dropped. A 3.5 km endpoint snap joined the 120.2 km and 61.2 km spine halves (facing gap 3.25 km, inside the ceiling). Leftover fragments 30.2 km (17.9+8.4+3.9 km) were not glued: nearest leftover-to-spine gaps are 16.1–37.3 km, above the snap ceiling. The OSM way-bag does not vertex-close: stored start (Killarney) and end are 11.82 km apart. A 2026-08-24 Overpass check found no path/footway/bridleway/steps component touching both ends. routeType is loop per the official Killarney circuit; a closer was not invented. Published 215 km / 9 sections (https://www.kerryway.ie/, checked 2026-08-24) are cross-checks only, not this DataPoint.
DEM high 380 m / low 0 m sits in the low-ridge band. The official site says the Way avoids the higher peaks and opts for the lower reaches of mountain ridges (https://www.kerryway.ie/, checked 2026-08-24). High point left as Copernicus.
typicalDays 9 is the published typical: Sport Ireland lists Time 9 days / Length 232.1 km (https://www.sportireland.ie/outdoors/walking/trails/kerry-way, checked 2026-08-24). Published window 7–10 days / 9 official sections; not a DataPoint. Practical season March–October; the Way is year-round walkable (same page; https://www.kerryway.ie/, checked 2026-08-24).
Water was not mapped to named WaterSource points (no honest atFraction). Villages and streams exist along the loop; they were not positioned from an official named list this pass.
Water
No water sources recorded.
Surface
Surface is not recorded. This field is filled only from an OSM surface tag, not from the grade.
Permits & fees
No permit required.
Getting there
Sourced legs to the Killarney (OSM line start) base start station — where this trail record begins. This is not a route planner: durations are approximate and marked provisional until an official transport page confirms them.
Road · Kerry (KIR) → Killarney
Official portal: Kerry Airport is an international airport in Farrenfore, just outside Killarney and Tralee (https://www.kerryway.ie/things-to-know/, checked 2026-08-24).
kerryway.ie · verified 2026-08-24 · official · provisionalRail · Cork (ORK) → Killarney
Official portal: Killarney is directly linked by railway to Cork and Dublin, 7 to 8 daily services (https://www.kerryway.ie/things-to-know/, checked 2026-08-24). Cork Airport is the southern air gateway (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cork_Airport, checked 2026-08-24).
kerryway.ie · verified 2026-08-24 · official · provisionalRail · Dublin (DUB) → Killarney
Same official transport notes: Killarney train station is next to the bus station, with direct trains from Dublin (https://www.kerryway.ie/things-to-know/, checked 2026-08-24).
kerryway.ie · verified 2026-08-24 · official · provisional
Killarney bus station is beside Killarney Outlet Centre with nationwide services (https://www.kerryway.ie/things-to-know/, checked 2026-08-24). The OSM line does not vertex-close; this record's base station is the Killarney start.
Plan from your location
Type a city, then pick a match. These links open external search tools — they do not fetch fares or timetables.
Getting there car-free
Killarney (OSM line start) · car-free flag: yes
Official portal: Killarney train station is next to the bus station, with direct trains to Cork and Dublin; Kerry Airport is at Farrenfore outside Killarney (https://www.kerryway.ie/things-to-know/, checked 2026-08-24).
OSM line end · car-free flag: unknown
The OSM way-bag does not vertex-close (~11.8 km from the Killarney start). A closer was not invented.
Trailheads
- Killarney (OSM line start) car-free: yes
- OSM line end car-free: unknown
Log in to view trailhead transit detail
Hazards
- Check the latest weather forecast: mountains and remote areas can be more dangerous during weather alerts, especially near high mountain passes, river crossings and lakes (https://www.kerryway.ie/things-to-know/, checked 2026-08-24).
- Ticks and midges: the official site recommends insect repellent and long sleeves/trousers tucked into socks (same page, checked 2026-08-24).
- Sport Ireland: open moorland can be very isolated; off-road sections are often wet, muddy bog, with sustained steep climbs and long gaps between lodgings (https://www.sportireland.ie/outdoors/walking/trails/kerry-way, checked 2026-08-24).
- The Way is intended to progress through a variety of landscapes on the lower reaches of mountain ridges rather than the highest peaks (https://www.kerryway.ie/, checked 2026-08-24).
Questions
Do I need a permit for Kerry Way?
No trail permit is listed as required on this record for Kerry Way.
When is the best time to hike Kerry Way?
On this record the best season is: Practical Mar–Oct (year-round walkable).
How difficult is Kerry Way?
Kerry Way is graded Sport Ireland: Strenuous · SAC T1–T2 (mapped — no official SAC grade) · YDS 1. A sourced hazard on this record: Check the latest weather forecast: mountains and remote areas can be more dangerous during weather alerts, especially near high mountain passes, river crossings and lakes (https://www.kerryway.ie/things-to-know/, checked 2026-08-24).
How long is Kerry Way?
The OSM 2-D length on this record is 184.6 km (provisional). Published figures may differ. See /guides/how-long-is-the-trail
How do I get to Kerry Way?
The record’s base start is Killarney (OSM line start). A primary gateway on the record is Kerry Airport (KIR). Trailhead transit notes are not included in this public FAQ.
Related trails
- Fishermen's Trail · Same collection
- Lycian Way · Same collection
Featured in
- Permit & season calendar
- UK & Ireland waymarked trails
- Difficulty scales and surface
- Seasonality on the catalog
- Water sources on the catalog
- Car-free and transit access
- Government fees and operator markup
- Coastal long-distance trails
- Car-free long-distance hikes
- Shoulder-season treks
- Multi-day loop treks
- Low-altitude treks