Modern interpretations of Norse mythology regard Valkyries as feminist symbols of power and strength. Portrayed as formidable female warriors who posses muscled bodies, strong wills and fierce independence, tales of the Valkyries in the Icelandic Sagas and other historic texts will inspire you to explore your inner Viking goddess.
At the Iceland Hiking with Viking Women Retreat, we do just that. Hiking mindfully through the Kerlingarfjöll Mountain Range of Iceland’s central highlands, you will revel in your daring for embarking on this Arctic adventure. Traversing a gentle trail across a treeless ridge of red-streaked volcanic rhyolite, each step you take makes a rhythmic “crunch” that encourages a steady pace.
About hiking in Iceland
Our daily hikes will vary in distance from 4 to 8 miles, with most of it on trails of various surfaces. This means we will be hiking--with breaks to take pictures, eat and drink-- for 2 to 5 hours a day. There is no running offered on this retreat, though you do have free time to run on your own. Some hikes will be easy (soft, packed dirt and pebble paths), while other areas will be challenging, including steep ascents and descents on trails that can become muddy when wet. For this reason, hiking shoes are mandatory (waterproof hiking boots are strongly recommended), as is a lightweight backpack that can carry at least 1 L of water, snacks and a lightweight, breathable jacket. Our highly trained Icelandic guides will keep us safe on the trails, monitor the weather and trail conditions on a day-by-day basis. The weather in Iceland is extremely variable, and we will hike as long the conditions are safe, though this may mean hiking in blowing wind and sometimes rain. We will provide you with a comprehensive packing list as part of your preparation. Good health and a moderate level of physical fitness is recommended.
Mindfulness + Viking lore
With tales of the Valkyries inspiring your travels through this landscape once conquered by Vikings, your retreat leader will offers ways to make your retreat more mindful, particularly as while hiking these breathtaking trails through soaring mountain ranges, glacier-carved valleys and plunging river canyons. This practice will help you be more present without the distractions of everyday life and responsibilities, and afford you the space and opportunity to find stillness of mind while your body remains in motion. Through this practice, you'll tap into kind of inner power and agency the Valkyries-- female Viking warriors--once embodied.
The Weather
The weather in Iceland can be summarized in one word: wet! Prepare for wet weather so if we’re treated to sunny, dry conditions (which does happen!), then it’s a bonus. Especially when we’re running along the southern coast, it can be cool and windy, and rain is highly likely. The average daytime temperatures are in the low- to mid-fifties, though it can reach the 60s on a sunny day. In the packing list we’ll supply for you, we highly recommend lightweight rain pants and a waterproof-breathable rain jacket. It won’t be raining the whole time, but for those times it is raining, you’ll be glad to have the right gear!
About
Gallery
About The Host
Dedicated Retreat Leader
Our highly trained retreat leaders provide the space and support for you to have a potentially transformational experience. As expert in mindful leadership, she provides valuable guidance on how to be mindful on and off the trail. She also leads the opening meeting on Day 1, explaining what you can expect, the general flow of each day, what's expected of you, how she'll support you, and all the other logistics you need. She works with our local staff, such as guides and drivers, to keep things safe, on schedule, and running smoothly, and facilitates sharing circles, creating a safe space for the group to reflect and share openly.
Itinerary
Day 1
DAY 1 | DUBLIN TO GLENDALOUGH
Location: Laragh, County Wicklow, IrelandOur retreat begins in Dublin City, where we'll pick you up at a central location at 1 p.m. and drive 75 minutes south to County Wicklow, where our retreat program begins. Upon arrival, we'll check into our rooms at a family-owned hotel nestled in the wooded valley of Glendalough. You'll have some time to change your clothes before we gather for our Official Retreat Opening Meet + Greet, after which we'll head outside for a relaxed, refreshing, short shake-out run. We will run past the famous round tower and the ruins of a 12th-century cathedral, then along the boardwalk leading to Upper Glendalough Lake. After our run, you’ll have some free time to freshen up before dinner.
Time on Trail: 90 minutes including stops and breaks
Day 2
DAY 2 | THE WICKLOW WAY
Location: Wicklow Mountains, Laragh West, County Wicklow, IrelandAfter breakfast, we'll drive about 25 minutes to the trail head at Crones, where we'll have our first Natural Running Form Clinic to warm up before starting our point-to-point run along a spectacular and scenic stretch of The Wicklow Way that contours around the lower slopes of Djouce Mountain. Starting on a wooded trail, we'll gradually ascend through fields of vibrant purple heather bushes to the high country, where we'll enjoy views of the Irish Sea and Lough Dan. We'll warm up with a hot traditional Irish carvery lunch, then have some free time before our first of three Wellness Workshops, followed by dinner at the renowned Wicklow Heather restaurant.
Time on Trail: 2 - 3 hours including stops and breaks
Day 3
DAY 3 | WILD ATLANTIC WAY
Location: Ennistymon, County Clare, IrelandAfter enjoying an breakfast, we’ll begin our morning run along the Spinc Trail ("spinc" being Irish for "pointed hill") which, after passing Poulnass waterfall, involves a long uphill in the early miles that rewards us with views over Upper Glendalough Lake. Today's trail features long stretches of boardwalk that save our feet from the shoe-sucking mud bogs prevalent in this area. Later in the run, we follow wooden bridges over creeks and stone paths laid my miners way back when mining was taking place here. We'll even see remnants of old stone buildings in which they lived. After a late checkout, we leave Wicklow and start working our way to the west coast, stopping at one of Ireland's most famous pubs for lunch. We arrive in Ennistymon this evening and stay at a historic inn (with spa) for a relaxing evening.
Time on trail: 2 - 3 hours including stops and breaks
Day 4
DAY 4 | THE CLIFFS OF MOHER
Location: Cliffs of Moher, Lislorkan North, County Clare, IrelandAfter breakfast, we'll check out of the hotel take a 20-minute drive to the starting point of today's run along the section of coast known as The Wild Atlantic Way. Today's run is relatively short, but packs a LOT in the way of spectacular scenery. This out-and-back run along a grassy and gravel coastal path that takes us to the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher, one of Ireland's most visited and iconic natural features. Weather permitting, today's run is an out-and-back along a section of trail leading to the Cliffs of Moher visitor's center and the nearby O'Brien's Tower. You'll have plenty of opportunity to take photos of this spectacular landscape before you resume running south. After run we'll stop in Lahinch for lunch, after which it's a 3.5-hour drive south to County Kerry, where we'll check into The Lake Hotel, where we'll stay for the next three nights.
Time on Trail: 1.5 - 2 hours including stops and breaks
Day 5
DAY 5 | BLACK VALLEY
Location: Gap of Dunloe, Dunloe Upper, County Kerry, IrelandAfter breakfast, we have a 25-minute drive to Kate Kearney's Cottage at the mouth of the Gap of Dunloe, a narrow mountain pass forged between the MacGillycuddy Reeks and Purple Mountain. Today's run is a relatively easy and relaxed run on an historic road that we'll share with hikers and horse-drawn carriages (colloquially called "jaunting cars"), through the Black Valley all the way to Lord Brandon's Cottage on a serene lake. From here, we leave the road behind and enter a magical trail thick with lush ferns and moss-covered trees. At the run's end, our driver meets us (with lunches packed) and we'll drive to a nearby scenic viewpoint for a picnic lunch. After lunch, it's a short drive back to our hotel, where you can enjoy some free time. Spend the afternoon exploring this historic village or having a spa treatment at the Muckross Spa (option add-on).
Time on trail: 3 - 4 hours including stops and breaks
Day 6
DAY 6 | KILLARNEY NATIONAL PARK
Location: Killarney National Park, County Kerry, IrelandAfter breakfast, we have a 40-minute drive to the trailhead at Galway's Bridge. Today's run leads us along a superb trail that meanders through the uplands of Killarney National Park to the beautiful Torc Waterfall. At the runs end, we return to the Lake Hotel, where we will say goodbye to our local guide. Enjoy the afternoon free to grab lunch (on your own) and explore Killarney or choose to take part in the optional Ross Castle tour. This evening, enjoy dinner at one of the best places to eat in Killarney.
Time on trail: 2.5 - 3 hours including stops and breaks
Day 7
DAY 7 | MUCKROSS RUN AND RETURN TO DUBLIN
Location : Muckross House, Dromyrourk, Killarney, County Kerry, IrelandThis morning, you’ll have the option to participate in an early pre-breakfast run from the hotel that takes you through the ominous stone ruins of Muckross Abbey. You'll return to the hotel in plenty of time to have a hearty breakfast, shower and pack up. We'll have our Official Retreat Closing Meeting and take a moment to reflect on the week's experiences. At 11:00 a.m., we'll check out of our rooms and board the bus one final time for the return trip to Dublin. We'll arrive in the city at around 4:30 p.m., where we say our final goodbyes before our final departures. We will drop you near downtown (one centralization location due to heavy traffic in the downtown core) or at the Dublin International Airport. (Please see "How to Plan your Travel" section for details about Covid testing).
Time on trail: 30 - 45 minutes including brief stops
TOUR OF ROSS CASTLE, MEDIEVAL TOWER HOUSE
Location: Ross Castle, Ross Road, Ross Island, Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland
One afternoon while in Killarney, you'll have the option to take a guided tour of Ross Castle, which sits on the edge of Lough Leane, Killarney’s lower lake, not far from the Lake Hotel. This medieval tower house was built by O’Donoghue Mór in the 15th century, and then later was occupied by the Brownes, who became the Earls of Kenmare and owned an extensive portion of the lands that are now part of Killarney National Park. On this tour, you'll get a fascinating peek into what life was like in Ireland at this time and the lengths that landowners had to go to protect their families from attackers. As you'll learn, while a tower house looks like a majestic architectural remnant looking out over the serene lake, life inside a Medieval tower house was anything but idyllic, especially for women.
Location
Things to keep in mind
FAQ
What is the average pace of the runs at these retreats?
Since our retreats take place on trails of varying types, we can characterize the runs by a specific pace-per-mile.
In general, we approach all the retreat runs with a very relaxed, social pace. We stop frequently to eat and drink and take photos (there are always lots of photo ops on our runs!). And depending on the terrain, there is times where we hike rather than run. Within every group there’s always a wide range in running pace, which is why we always have two or three guides with us.
One is at the front the group, one at the back and one floating around between the various pace groups. This way, everyone gets to go at their own pace and not feel rushed.
Is it OK if I come alone? Would I have to pay a "single supplement?"
YES you can come alone, and NO, it won’t cost you more!
The majority of our retreat participants come on their own. And while many travel companies require single travelers to pay a supplemental fee when there’s an odd number of travelers in a group, we do not. We absorb this cost so you don’t have to pay more simply because you’re traveling solo.
You may book a Shared Room retreat package, in which case we’ll match you with a roommate. All shared rooms have separate beds, one for each person (of course!).
On many trips, we offer Private Single Room options as well. While it does cost more to have a private room, you may select this option to be sure you have a room to yourself.
What is the group size on your trips?
We keep the group size as small as possible, usually between 8 to 16 women, depending on the destination. Please check individual retreat-specific information pages for the maximum group size.
What is included in the retreat package?
The itinerary varies, but generally includes ground transportation during the retreat, some airport transfers, professional trail running guides, run coaching, accommodations, most meals, activities, wellness workshops, custom souvenirs and support from your retreat leader. Excluded from the package are airfare, alcoholic drinks, purchases of a personal nature, guide gratuities, additional activities before or after the retreat.
Can I use my Garmin, phone or other GPS device to record the runs?
This retreat is a special opportunity to be present in a way that is hard to find in your regular routine. That’s why it’s call a retreat! By participating in this retreat, you are embarking on a journey of inner exploration as much as one of external exploration. You are embarking on a journey to a beautiful new destination, one that offers scenery and cultural experiences you can savor and enjoy. The inner exploration has to do with creating space to observe the feelings that arise throughout the retreat, noticing them and savoring them. With that in mind, we have introduced a Presence Policy that is designed to enhance your retreat experience so that you get the most from it. This policy asks that you:
- When on the trails, keep your phone in Airplane Mode. This way, you can use as much as you like to take photos (which we strongly encourage!), but aren’t distracted by incoming messages or phone calls.
- Turn off all audible sounds from your watch or GPS devices. If you have an electronic device that is making sounds, your retreat leader will ask you turn it off.
- Even better: leave your watch behind! There’s no need to log, map, measure or time your runs while on the retreat. You will have a richer retreat experience if you forego all forms of measurement and focus on the purpose of each day’s run: to practice mindful presence.
- Turn off your phone (or leave it in your hotel room) during the meetings, sharing circles and during group meals. There is plenty of time in the day, while traveling from place to place or free time, during which you can catch up with friends and family, post photos to social media, etc. We simply ask that you don’t do this during group time.
Are all your trips one-size-fits-all or do you have differing levels of challenge?
Our goal is to make our retreats accessible to runners of various ability and fitness levels. Having said that, some retreats are better suited to runners with more endurance and trail running experience than others.
What is the difference between a running camp and a running retreat?
Running camps generally focus on workouts and coaching for building fitness and improving run performance. Our focus is on building the foundation of health you need before you can safely and sustainably build fitness. That’s why our retreats are truly a retreat from your everyday routine and offer you a mental and physical break. That space allows you to slow down, tune in and rediscover what your body and heart are craving right now. Our retreats are enriching immersions that blend running, travel, adventure, education and community.