Ireland's beautiful wilderness, mysteries and brilliant shades of green make this land stand alone among earth’s natural wonders as Ireland itself stands alone on the edge of the continent of Europe. Explore the highlands of Kerry with us, taking in the majestic MacGillycuddy Reeks, Ireland's highest mountain range. This ride covers a variety of terrain - country lanes, forests, mountain tracks, bogs and some of the beaches at Waterville and on to the magnificent 6.4km (4 miles) stretch of golden sand at Rossbeigh. The Iveragh Peninsula stretches south-west from Killarney and has many places of historic and archaeological interest along the world renowned Ring of Kerry.
A typical day starts, after a hearty breakfast after which the horses are presented to the riders, ready to go on their day's adventure. There is approximately five hours of riding time to explore the bountiful green landscape per day with a lunch break in the middle. At the end of the day, the horses are handed over to the groom and the riders are transported to their bed & breakfast for the evening. You then have your evenings free to explore the nearby towns of the area. Two of the towns we visit are small seaside resorts and three nights are spent in Killarney, a tourist haven of shopping, restaurants and pubs with lively and traditional Irish music. Riders and guides meet on the Saturday to get to know each other and on Sunday we will start our trek to the Ring of Kerry and up into the mountains. One high-lighted destination is Lake Caragh, to which we ride to through a vibrant landscape with rogue cloud formations roaming overhead ,which bathe the hillside in intermittent splashes of sunlight, forming a strange halo over the valley. Crayola Crayons, in their box of 500 colors, has yet to capture all the shades of green featured in Ireland’s countryside....The trail is led at all times by an experienced guide(s) and we are happy to take special care of any nervous or timid riders. Accommodations are in Killarney, Glenbeigh and Waterville. Luggage is transferred by vehicle to each accommodation.

You will be staying in prearranged accommodation in top class hotels/guesthouses and B&B's along the trail. Based on sharing a two twin room or double room.
Breakfast and lunches are included in the package price.

Lunch; Picnic style out on the trail (bread, fruit, meat, cheese etc.) tea/coffee/water.

Dinner is not included; For dinner the group meets in quality local restaurants and orders a la carte. *Dinners are usually 12 - 15 Euros in price.

Saturday and Thursday nights are in Killarney. Renowned for its beauty, famed for the splendor of its scenery, Killarney is one of the world's best loved tourist spots. Situated in the south-western corner of Ireland, with its three famous lakes reflecting the ever changing skies above the great mountain ranges, Killarney has been the inspiration of poets and painters for many centuries, and now it is also a thriving commercial and tourist centre. For those interested in history and archaeology there are many outstanding items of interest to be seen

Sunday and Monday nights are spent in the quaint village of Glenbeigh. (Glenbeigh comes from Gleann Beithe, the Glen of the Birch Trees). The village is almost entirely by mountains, and the area offers a famous friendliness and humour which is nowhere better found than in this tranquil and charming region of Kerry. The scenery is breath-taking, with the River Behy and Rossbeigh Strand close by. The area is full of history and such a destination as Winns Folly Castle is well worth a visit

Tuesday and Wednesday nights are spent in the small coastal village of Waterville (meaning the little whirlpool). The village, nestles on a narrow strip of land between Lough Currane and the Atlantic Ocean,right in the heart of south-west Kerry. Its location between the seashore and the impressive mountains and headlands, gives the area many interesting scenic points and fine beaches. By all accounts, the first Celtic invaders are reputed to have landed in Ballinskelligs Bay, coming ashore near the village. The beginnings of the Gaelic Nation are echoed by the Archaeological remains on Church Island, Derrynane Abbey and Skellig Michael tp name but a few, thus giving the area a wealth of history

We require that all riders participating on the Ring of Kerry Ride are able to walk, trot and canter competently in an English saddle. We advise western riders to take some English Style lessons before participating on this trip in order to familiarize themselves with English tack and style of riding.

Safety For Riders:

-Please listen to our guides instructions and respect them
-Please ask feel free to ask for clarification if you do not understand any instruction from your guide
-Trail riding involves long and hard hours on both horses and riders., so it is up to the guide to dictate the pace and at no time is anyone allowed to by-pass the leader or set the pace. Any person behaving in a manner deemed likely to cause an accident or disregarding the instructions of the guide(s) will be removed from the ride unfortunately, please take heed!
-Do not hold your horse back so you can trot/canter or gallop to catch up to the rest of the group

The reliable and friendly horses are a mix of Irish breeds and there is an equine partner suitable for everyone!

All horses have English saddles and bridles. The saddles we predominantly use are the ‘Swiss Ranger’ saddle, made by Peter August Spirig (Switzerland). These saddles are designed for comfort for the long distance rider and their horse. So extra gel pads etc. are not necessary, but if riders wish to bring them, they are more than welcome to!

Day 1 Saturday: Day of arrival and check-in for all riders (there are good bus connections from Shannon/Limmerick) . There are no formal plans and no riding on this day as riders will be checking in at different times throughout the day (check-in before 6pm, if later you must advise us in advance). All clients will also check-in at the stables to meet with one of the O’Sullivan Family and discuss experience level and general trail ride information. You will then be taken to your overnight accommodation in the Killarney area. We try to keep all riders at the same location each night so if you don’t bump into any of the others on Saturday evening, you will easily identify the people in riding clothes at breakfast on Sunday morning.

Day 2 Sunday: With riders, horses and all luggage ready for transfer, the day begins with a short trip to the base of Seefinn Mountain, where the first days ride starts. When horses and riders have been introduced, the ride heads off and up over the Windy Gap, viewing the splendor of Caragh Lake and the valley beyond. The ride then continues on to Coomasaharn Lake enclosed by Horseshoe Mountain, followed by a scenic ride over some Irish Bogland and finishing for the day at our stable in Mountain Stage.
The overnight stops for Sunday and Monday nights are by the quaint village of Glenbeigh. (Glenbeigh comes from Gleann Beithe, the Glen of the Birch Trees). Surrounded almost entirely by mountains, Glenbeigh offers a famous friendliness and humor. The beauty of the area is breath-taking, with the River Behy and Rossbeigh Strand close by. History is evident throughout the locality and such a destination as Winn’s Folly Castle is well worth a visit.

Day 3 Monday: After breakfast riders are collected and returned to their horses. The day is spent on Rossbeigh beach, galloping along stretches of golden sand. Pass by a tower built more than a century ago, which is a guide mark for ships entering Castlemaine Harbour. The panorama of Dingle and the Iveragh Penninsulas to the North and South. Lunch on the beach. Afterward some more galloping, returning from the beach via the Cliff Road.

Day 4 Tuesday: Breakfast. A morning ride takes horse and rider from Kells Station through the bogs of Cnoc Bawn and on to Liss Bawn, taking in some spectacular views of Caherciveen and its surroundings. Lunch is served alongside a nearby forestry. After lunch continue on through Island Boy and the Inny Valley. Finishing for the day alongside the Tulligane Woods.
The overnight stop for Tuesday and Wednesday is spent by the coastal village of Waterville. Waterville (the little whirlpool), nestles on a narrow strip of land between Lough Currane and Atlantic Ocean, in the very centre of south-west Kerry. Situated as it is between the seashore and the impressive mountains and headlands, the area has many interesting routes to offer and many fine beaches. The first Celtic invaders are reputed to have landed in Ballinskelligs Bay, coming ashore near Waterville. These beginnings of the Gaelic Nation are echoed by the archaeological remains such as those found on Church Island, at Derrynane Abbey or Skellig Micheal, giving the area a wealth of history.

Day 5 Wednesday: An adventurous morning is spent in the Tulligane Woods. Lunch alongside the Inny River. Afterwards, a scenic ride into Waterville via the Old Glencar/Waterville road, along the shores of the famous fishing lake, Lough Currane.

Day 6 Thursday: The day begins with a brisk ride to Waterville Beach, spending the morning enjoying some exciting gallops. The panorama of Hoggs Head and Ballinskelligs Bay concludes the afternoon ride in Waterville. Afterwards, both horses and riders are transferred back to Killarney.

Day 7 Friday: Breakfast & Departure.
If you need to arrange transfers etc or need bus or trail times its best do all this on check-in on the previous Saturday.

Dates Note: Note: Also suitable for non riders to accompany riders on this trip. There are many sightseeing options in the area, as well as golfing.

Other Info
Meeting: Killarney town
Airport: Shannon, Cork, or Kerry
Transfer: Shannon, Cork or Kerry

Ireland, is famed for its luscious green terrain split up by rocky mountains and rolling hills. The saying goes in Ireland that you can tell the difference between summer and winter by measuring the temperature of the rain - so by this you can gauge that rain is a dominant feature and there isn’t a lot of temperature variation across the country.

The weather is mild but changeable and rain can be expected at any time of the year. Parts of the country are oceanic, and as you move further away from the coast the conditions become slightly more temperature- however the prevailing factor across the whole country is that few temperature extremes are experienced.

Ireland is affected by the North Atlantic Drift, so this has a moderating affect on the climate and keeps winter in Ireland warmer than places of similar latitudes. Its northerly location, however, means that summers never get particular hot either. The climate is generally fairly typical of an insular climate and is moderated by the moist winds that blow across the island, these winds prevail from the south west, off the Atlantic, and can reach particular high speeds at times of the year.

On the whole the west coast is much wetter than the east coast, so this should dispel common belief that Dublin is the wettest city in Ireland. Lying on the east coast, Dublin sees almost half as much rainfall as parts of the west coast.

Inland Ireland gets warmer in the summer months than the coastal region, though on the flipside it also gets much colder in the winter. These temperature differences are not that great, with central Ireland only being a few degrees cooler than the coast. In the centre of the country across the year will record about 40 days below freezing, however on the coast the mercury will only fall below 0 degrees on average 10 days per year.

The country is made up of a ring of coastal mountains, with low lying central plains in the centre. Due to Ireland's mild climate and significant rainfall this has lead to luscious green terrain and plentiful vegetation which makes for very scenic and pleasant landscapes, which has lead to the island being called the ‘Emerald Isle.’ Home to rolling hills, mountainous rocky areas and dramatic green vistas, Ireland is a picturesque place to visit any time of the year.

Riders must wear hard hats (can be provided if requested in advance, please let Hidden Trails know).

In Ireland riding helmets are mandatory! The riding center has several models to choose from, but you might be better off to bring your own that fits.
For the Ring of Kerry Ride, current European standards apply!

*EN 1384:1996
*PAS 015:1998
*SNELL E2001
*ASTM F1163
*BSEN 14572
*BSEN 1384:1997

Regular comfortable riding wear (jodphurs, boots, helmet).
Either tall riding boots / or short paddock boots with half or full chaps (footwear must be with heel).
Jeans are not suitable or recommended - unless you typically ride with jeans & chaps at home.
Light sweaters for summer, heavy sweaters for spring or autumn.
Riding crop & gloves.
Good quality waterproof raincoat and waterproof rain pants.
**No ponchos, plastic or cycling capes allowed. Clients will not be permitted to wear these for riding!**
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These items are NOT available at the riding center. Helmet upon advance request!

Otherwise comfortable clothing - there is no dress code. Dress in layers as the weather varies. Waterproof clothing is recommended.

Saddle Bags:

Saddle bags are provided but typically only suited to carrying the following items due to space:
-Raincoat and Rainproof over pants, a water-bottle, extra sweater, your camera, small bag with personal items

Ring of Kerry Ride

Rates include:

Packages and Options

Transfer and Other Options:

Rates do not include: