Cities / Europe / Ireland / Kilkenny

Best walking routes in Kilkenny

9 routes ranked on sights, efficiency, hills & length — real foot distance and elevation.

4.0 scoreHills 0/103.4 kmBest Jun–Aug
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Ranked routes

Same score for every walk. Click a card to expand details on the map.

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#1
Viewpoint

Kilkenny Old Town Walking Tour

Old town

11 stops3.5 km2 h

3.5 kmdistance2 hwith stops11stops+18 mgain
2.9 sights7.4 efficiency0.3 hills9.9 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 45 min+ up to 3 h 10 min insides+18 m climb along route
  1. Maudlin Castle
  2. Church of Saint John the Evangelist, Kilkenny
  3. St John's Priory
  4. Green's Bridge
  5. Saint Canice's Cathedral
  6. Kilkenny Grey Friary
  7. Black Abbey
  8. St. Mary's Cathedral, Kilkenny
  9. St. Mary's Church, St. Mary's Lane, Kilkenny
  10. Shee Alms House
  11. Kilkenny Castle
40–57 m

Photo: ViewpointBerthold WernerCC BY-SA 4.0

4.8/10
#2
Viewpoint

One Hour in Kilkenny: A Short Walk

1 hour

6 stops2.2 km1 h

2.2 kmdistance1 hwith stops6stops+11 mgain
3.3 sights6.5 efficiency0.2 hills8.8 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 30 min+ up to 2 h 45 min insides+11 m climb along route
  1. [https://www.stkieranscollege.ie St Kieran's College]
  2. Talbot Tower
  3. Kilkenny Castle
  4. Butler Gallery
  5. Kyteler's Inn
  6. Rothe House
40–61 m

Photo: ViewpointNo machine-readable author provided. Tolivero~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims).Public domain

4.6/10
#3
Viewpoint

Old Town of Kilkenny in 2 Hours

Old town

8 stops2.4 km1 h 25 min

2.4 kmdistance1 h 25 minwith stops8stops+18 mgain
3.5 sights7.0 efficiency0.3 hills6.8 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 35 min+ up to 2 h 5 min insides+18 m climb along route
  1. Green's Bridge
  2. Saint Canice's Cathedral
  3. Kilkenny Grey Friary
  4. Black Abbey
  5. St. Mary's Cathedral, Kilkenny
  6. St. Mary's Church, St. Mary's Lane, Kilkenny
  7. Shee Alms House
  8. Kilkenny Castle
40–57 m

Photo: ViewpointNo machine-readable author provided. Stevage assumed (based on copyright claims).CC BY-SA 2.5

4.6/10
#4
Viewpoint

Self-Guided Walking Tour of Kilkenny

Walking tour

11 stops5.6 km2 h 25 min

5.6 kmdistance2 h 25 minwith stops11stops+24 mgain
2.7 sights7.0 efficiency0.4 hills7.5 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 1 h 15 min+ up to 3 h insides+24 m climb along route
  1. [https://www.stkieranscollege.ie St Kieran's College]
  2. Talbot Tower
  3. St. Mary's Cathedral, Kilkenny
  4. Saint Canice's Cathedral
  5. Green's Bridge
  6. Kilkenny Grey Friary
  7. Rothe House
  8. Kyteler's Inn
  9. Shee Alms House
  10. Butler Gallery
  11. National Reptile Zoo
40–61 m

Photo: ViewpointAndreas F. BorchertCC BY-SA 4.0

4.3/10
#5
Viewpoint

Churches & Cathedrals of Kilkenny Walk

Churches

8 stops2.4 km1 h 40 min

2.4 kmdistance1 h 40 minwith stops8stops+21 mgain
2.7 sights6.8 efficiency0.3 hills6.9 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 35 min+ up to 2 h insides+21 m climb along route
  1. Church of Saint John the Evangelist, Kilkenny
  2. St John's Priory
  3. St. Mary's Church, St. Mary's Lane, Kilkenny
  4. St. Mary's Cathedral, Kilkenny
  5. Black Abbey
  6. St Canice's Church
  7. Saint Canice's Cathedral
  8. Kilkenny Grey Friary
40–57 m

Photo: Viewpoint瑞丽江的河水CC BY-SA 4.0

4.1/10
#6
Viewpoint

Castles & Fortresses of Kilkenny

Castles Fortresses

5 stops1.5 km45 min

1.5 kmdistance45 minwith stops5stops+11 mgain
2.7 sights7.6 efficiency0.2 hills4.4 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 20 min+ up to 2 h 15 min insides+11 m climb along route
  1. Maudlin Castle
  2. Grace's Old Castle
  3. St. Kieran's Well
  4. Kyteler's Inn
  5. Kilkenny Castle
40–54 m

Photo: ViewpointElisa.rolleCC BY-SA 4.0

3.9/10
#7
Viewpoint

Kilkenny Loop Walk from Grace's Old Castle

Loop

11 stops6.8 km2 h 45 min

6.8 kmdistance2 h 45 minwith stops11stops+31 mgain
2.1 sights6.8 efficiency0.5 hills5.0 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 1 h 30 min+ up to 4 h 30 min insides+31 m climb along route
  1. Grace's Old Castle
  2. St. Kieran's Well
  3. Butler Gallery
  4. St John's Priory
  5. Church of Saint John the Evangelist, Kilkenny
  6. National Reptile Zoo
  7. Maudlin Castle
  8. Talbot Tower
  9. Black Abbey
  10. St Canice's Church
  11. Rothe House
40–60 m

Photo: ViewpointAndreas F. BorchertCC BY-SA 4.0

3.6/10
#8
Viewpoint

Hidden Gems of Kilkenny: Off-the-Beaten-Path Walk

Hidden gems

9 stops5.1 km2 h 5 min

5.1 kmdistance2 h 5 minwith stops9stops+12 mgain
1.4 sights7.1 efficiency0.2 hills5.4 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 1 h 10 min+ up to 1 h 25 min insides+12 m climb along route
  1. [https://www.stkieranscollege.ie St Kieran's College]
  2. Talbot Tower
  3. St. Kieran's Well
  4. St Canice's Church
  5. Green's Bridge
  6. St John's Priory
  7. Church of Saint John the Evangelist, Kilkenny
  8. Maudlin Castle
  9. National Reptile Zoo
40–61 m

Photo: ViewpointJohn Stephen ReidCC BY-SA 4.0

3.3/10
#9
Viewpoint

Gardens, Kilkenny: Walking Route

DistrictGardens

6 stops0.8 km35 min

0.8 kmdistance35 minwith stops6stops+0 mgain
2.6 sights6.4 efficiency0.0 hills2.2 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 10 min+ up to 1 h 45 min insides+0 m climb along route
  1. Rothe House
  2. Grace's Old Castle
  3. St. Kieran's Well
  4. Kyteler's Inn
  5. Shee Alms House
  6. St. Mary's Church, St. Mary's Lane, Kilkenny
46–53 m

Photo: ViewpointBerthold WernerCC BY-SA 4.0

3.2/10

Hills: higher = steeper along the walk. Stairs (when shown): metres of mapped stairways near the route — approximate, not a step countvisit times are estimates.

Kilkenny walking stats

From the 9 rated routes75 stops total20 unique places.

Most climbKilkenny Loop Walk from Grace's Old Castle+31 m along route
Most stops / kmGardens, Kilkenny: Walking Route7.6 stops per km
Least climbGardens, Kilkenny: Walking Route+0 m along route
Most stairsChurches & Cathedrals of Kilkenny Walk~38 m mapped stairways (approx., not step count)
Longest / shortest6.8 km0.8 kmKilkenny Loop Walk from Grace's Old Castle / Gardens, Kilkenny: Walking Route
Places on routes20unique stop ids
How we score. Same formula for every route: Sights 50% (how notable the stops are)Efficiency 25% (less backtracking between stops)Hills 10% (how steep the walk is)Length fit 15% (distance vs the kind of walk). Stairs stay a fact in metres, not a quality bar. Avg score in the hero is the mean across all ranked walks.

Kilkenny FAQ

Short answers from this city’s data.

Best first-visit walk?
Kilkenny Old Town Walking Tour (3.5 km, 2 h with stops) ranks #1 here.
Best months to walk Kilkenny?
Jun–Aug are usually the nicest months for walking.
Shortest walk?
Gardens, Kilkenny: Walking Route0.8 km, walking 10 min.
One hour in Kilkenny?
One Hour in Kilkenny: A Short Walk: walking 30 min, with stops 1 h, 6 stops.
One-day plan?
—
Stairs and hills?
Hills is 10% of the score (higher = steeper along the walk). Stairs are not scored — when shown, they are metres of mapped stairways near the route (approximate; not a step count). Example: stairways ≈ 0 m.
Can I change stops?
Yes — open in Maps, edit, then paste into Lineo for a cleaner order.