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seasonal · Tuesday 1 September 2026 · Various 
Sperrin Walking Festival
At Sperrin Mountains · Sperrin Mountains Region, Co. Tyrone
At Sperrin Mountains · Sperrin Mountains Region, Co. Tyrone
The Sperrin Walking Festival brings a week of guided hikes into one of Ireland’s least-visited upland landscapes - a plateau of blanket bog, ancient glens, and wind-shaped hillsides that stretches across Co. Tyrone from Omagh to Dungiven. Running from 1 to 6 September 2026, it is a proper outdoor event, built around the hills rather than around a marquee. If you have been meaning to get into the Sperrins but never quite planned the route, this is an easy way in: guides handle the navigation, the history, and the stories.
The programme is built around guided walks at different difficulty levels, so there is a place for a first-time hill-walker and for someone who wants a full-day challenge on open ground. Past editions run by outdoor specialist Far and Wild have included moderate valley walks and harder routes over ridgelines with sweeping views back towards Omagh and the Foyle basin.
Guides weave the landscape into the walking. The Sperrins sit on some of the oldest rocks in Ireland - Dalradian schists and quartzite laid down hundreds of millions of years before the Ice Age carved the glens. There are Gold Rush remnants in the upper Owenkillew valley, Neolithic passage tombs on the ridges, and planted forest giving way to open mountain as you climb. Talks, storytelling sessions, and craft demonstrations typically round out the evenings at the festival hub in Gortin village.
Expect real autumn mountain weather. Layers, waterproofs, and proper walking boots are essential. Dogs are generally not permitted on festival walks.
Omagh is the natural base, sitting roughly 20 minutes south of the main walking country via the B46 through Gortin. It is served by Translink Ulsterbus from Belfast Europa (roughly 2 hours) and from Derry/Londonderry (roughly 1 hour). Gortin village - a regular festival hub - is about 16km north of Omagh town. Driving is the most practical option for reaching trailheads; parking is available at Gortin Glen Forest Park and at several community centres used as walk start points. Previous festivals have laid on free shuttle transport to some remote sites, which is worth checking when you book.
Omagh town itself has the Ulster American Folk Park on its doorstep, a large open-air museum tracing the emigration of Ulster Scots to North America, well worth an afternoon. The town centre has a good range of cafes and independent shops along Market Street. There is more to see in Omagh and across Co. Tyrone.
Heading to Sperrin Mountains in Omagh? Tyrone has plenty more to see. Read the Omagh area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.