Walking holidays in England
A guide to the best walking holidays in England
It stands to reason that England (and the English) are mad about walking. The country originated in the dim and distant past, long before road, rail or – perish the thought – flight shrank all distances to nothing.
Back in the day you got around by horse if you were lucky, and by foot for everyone else. And it’s a habit we’ve not managed to shake off in the millennia since. You could say we’re a stubborn bunch.
A “walking holiday” in England is a quintessentially English pastime. You’ll find no wilderness here: You’re never more than a few miles from the closest village pub (or a motorway service station), there are no real mountains to conquer, no jungles to hack through, no bears to watch out for. Here we go walking, not hiking, and certainly not trekking!
For me, walking in England is a subtle pleasure. It’s a midsummer's morning in Sussex, in the fresh afterglow of a morning rain shower. A footpath leading to a Norman church tower. A friendly – if vaguely dated – bed & breakfast (B&B), and a solid day’s walking rewarded with a pint of ale and a hearty pie in the beer garden of an old pub.
Walking upon England’s pastures green may not always promise the thrills of more adventurous expeditions further afield, but it is still, in my opinion, one of the most interesting places to walk in the world.
From Hadrian’s Wall to the Cornish coast, little old England has some incredible landscapes, history, culture (and pubs).
In one trip you can walk from windswept moors to sandy seashores, passing prehistoric remains, Georgian cottages and a mediaeval castle where Turner once painted and Wordsworth penned poetry. I can’t think of many places with this concentration of things to see along the way.
One of the wonderful things about walking in England is our vast network of public footpaths, rights of way and permissive paths (more on the differences below). There are something like 160,000 miles (260,000km) of public rights of way – many of which are hundreds or even thousands of years old. Treading these ancient trails puts you in the footsteps – literally – of uncountable generations who’ve passed this way before you.
Ready to stride out for yourself? Here are a handful of my favourite walking holidays in England, plus some of my personal tips on what to look out for – and what pitfalls to avoid.
Where to go walking in England
Some popular – and lesser-known – picks
Do a search for England's best places to walk and no doubt you'll be confronted by all the obvious contenders: the Cotswolds, the Lake District, and so on. I won't deny these are glorious places to visit, but there are plenty of quieter and less touristy corners. Here are some lesser-known walking spots, as well as the more obvious honeypots:
The Southwest
Best for: scenic inn-to-inn walking holidays
Easily my favourite place in the UK to walk, although as it's my home patch I may be biased.
England’s southwestern peninsular of Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire has the mildest climate and a varied coastline, which explains why it’s the UK’s most popular holiday area.
Across the southwest walkers will find some serious wild moorland areas and a few cities, but generally the landscape comprises rolling farmland that’s never far from the sea.
Expect crowds at holiday times but the positive side of the area’s popularity is a huge choice of accommodation that means inn-to-inn walks are an easy option. Organised self-guided walks are commonplace, with several specialist operators to choose from.
Yorkshire Wolds
Best for: unpretentious & quiet walks
Yorkshire isn't known for its modesty, especially not when it comes to the well-known (and busy) Dales, Moors and Peak District. In comparison, the Yorkshire Wolds is a quiet and unpretentious stretch of gentle countryside and very quiet paths. The Yorkshire Wolds Way is the best long distance walk you've never heard of; expect homely inns, B&B’s and guesthouses, real ales and hearty traditional food.
Northumberland
Best for: remote hills and desolate castles
There’s a large area between the Tyne and the Scottish border that is little troubled by tourists but full of walking possibilities. It’s not a widely marketed destination for inn-to-inn walking holidays and luggage transfer services may be patchy.
In fact England’s least populated countryside includes no cites and few towns, so expect to have to plan inn-to-inn holiday routes carefully around limited accommodation and transport links. Much easier is a centre-based walking trip, either based on the coast or in the Cheviots.
The Yorkshire Dales
The Yorkshire Dales is a classic north-English landscape of rolling hills, stone villages and patchwork fields.
This is England from a bygone era; of dry stone walls and cosy pubs, sheep blocking country lanes, and the setting for All Creatures Great And Small (although the barns are now more likely to be holiday rentals than working farms.)
For long distance walks there's the Pennine Way snaking up towards the Lake District, the Dales Way, the Coast to Coast Path, plus various others. And for centre-based walking holidays there's stunning scenery around Swaledale and Wharfedale.
The Peak District
Best for: short and picturesque walking holidays
The Peak District is the UK's first national park, established in 1951 to carve out a protected space between the encroaching industrial cities of the midlands and northern England. The national park and the UK's 'right to roam' laws owe their existence to the struggles of ordinary working people who, in the 1932 Kinder Trespass, forced private landowners to grant public access to the nation's beautiful but previously restricted countryside.
Divided by a geological fault line between the gritstone 'Dark Peak' and the limestone 'White Peak', the landscape switches from open, even severe-looking, moorland to the north and secluded dales and quaint farming villages to the south.
Its proximity to motorways and several major cities means the Peak District gets busy in places, particularly around pleasant but popular honeytraps such as Dovedale, Castleton and Matlock. But with nearly 2,000 miles of public footpaths and rights of way, it's still very easy to find yourself alone and enjoying empty trails and wide open views. The Dark Peak is generally quieter, as is the far south on the border with Staffordshire.
East Anglia & Norfolk Broads
Best for: gentle and flat walking holidays
Hillwalkers look away now. This is Britain’s flattest region with pancake landscapes stretching to the hazy horizon in all directions. Walkers will be able to explore easy flat paths through gorgeous examples of rural lowland England, with frequent pastoral scenes looking like Constable paintings.
Expect a good transport network but plan accommodation ahead because in rural parts options can be limited whether you are travelling inn-to-inn or based in one spot.
The Southeast
Best for: accessible & easy-going walking holidays
You won’t find wilderness areas along the south coast between Kent’s ‘Garden of England’ and Poole Harbour. Instead walkers enjoy safe and generally easy, well-maintained paths with excellent infrastructure and access.
Expect a mix of coast and well-manicured countryside with long stretches of chalk downland between the two. Most walks include pretty river valleys and rolling farmland with a scattering of affluent villages and towns serving London commuters or escapees.
Accommodation and transport options are plentiful and varied, making the southeast suitable for most types of walking holidays.
The Isle of Wight
Best for: glorious coastal walking holidays
With a varied and fascinating coastline of 60 miles, the Isle of Wight is bigger than many outsiders expect. Safe, quiet and untroubled by mountains or wilderness areas, it has become one of England’s most popular walking destinations. There are no motorways or cities to avoid, instead expect peaceful, pretty landscapes, yachting harbours and wooded estuaries, old-fashioned seaside towns and rolling downland.
The Lake District
Best for: hill walking holidays
Perhaps the most famous walking region in the UK, the Lake District offers a chance to wander lonely as a cloud amid impressive landscapes of mountains and water.
The choices for walkers range from England’s most serious climbing routes to gentle lakeside circuits. The two main hazards to consider are that the main roads and towns get very busy with day trippers and tour buses in the summer months, while the fells include challenging terrain to be taken very seriously.
Across the Lakes the transport network can be a limiting factor. Roads are narrow and sometimes jammed. Nevertheless there is a huge range of places to stay, from farm B&Bs and hostels to luxury hotels and suiting either inn-to-inn or centre-based walking holidays.
The Cotswolds
Best for: classic English countryside walking holidays
For a glimpse of classic English limestone countryside with rolling hills, leafy vales, dry stone walls and pretty, if sometimes twee, villages, try some of the paths criss-crossing the Cotswold region. Footpaths are generally good quality, waymarked and well maintained, and the en-route facilities are good.
The region suits either point-to-point trails or centre-based walkers. Walkers may find the honey-pot villages too busy with day-trippers at peak times but the comprehensive network of footpaths makes it easy to escape the crowds that rarely go beyond the teashops and car parks. Avoid the tour-bus problem altogether by sticking to the picturesque fringes of the region, like Warwickshire and South Gloucestershire.
Expect accommodation generally on the pricey but exquisite side. Gentrified gastro-pubs are plentiful, but you’ll need to search hard for traditional ‘working village’ pubs.
featured walking holidays
Hadrian's Wall - 8 Days
Cross the neck of England
8 days From £660 pp
Cumbria Way Walking Holidays
Point-to-point and centre-based holidays
7 – 10 days £560 – £835 pp
The South West Coast Path (all sections)
Self-guided walking holidays on the SWCP
4 – 7 days £340 – £595 pp
The Dales Way
Hiking Through the Yorkshire Dales
8 days From £740 pp
Isle of Wight Coastal Walking
Circumnavigating the beautiful Isle of Wight
8 days From £690 ppThe best walking holidays in England
The expert's top picks
Choosing the 'best' walks is, of course, entirely subjective. What are you looking for – fierce peaks or gentle hills? Undulating fields or craggy coasts? Stone hamlets or fishing villages? For what it's worth, my personal favourite is the Southwest Coast Path, but all the following would make a rewarding walking holiday.
South West Coast Path
South West Coast Path
- Distance: 630 miles/1,014km
- Duration: 30 – 60 days, or shorter sections
- Start point: Minehead, Somerset
- End point: Poole, Dorset
- Difficulty: Moderate to hard, with repeated climbs and descents
- Suitable for: There’s a small scenic section for everyone but the whole route is for those with time and stamina.
Of all my favourite walks in the UK, this one easily tops the list.
The South West Coast Path is England’s longest trail but also one of its most famous and highly rated. In the Lonely Planet Guide to Great Britain it is the first attraction mentioned and often features in lists of the world’s best walking trails.
Very few walkers complete the path in one go; for most it’s a longer-term project that’s broken up into more easily-manageable sections. Exactly how you split it up depends on how much time you have for each stretch, and how challenging you want to make it.
Lake District
Wainwright's Coast to Coast Path
- Distance: 190.5 miles (306.5km)
- Duration: 14 days
- Start point: St Bees
- End point: Robin Hood’s Bay
- Difficulty: Moderate to hard – very hilly through the Lake District stages; poorly waymarked in places, particularly over the Pennines; expect rain and boggy ground at times
- Suitable for: Fit walkers with a sense of adventure
Considered by some to be the best long-distance walk in England, Wainwright’s Coast to Coast Path has many remarkable qualities, but it’s the walker camaraderie that is so often the stand-out take-home of this hugely popular cross-country hike. The scenery is at times stunning – looking at you, Lake District – but the sense of community you experience with fellow walkers is felt here on this walk perhaps more than on any other in Britain.
Northumberland
Hadrian's Wall
- Distance: 84 miles (135km)
- Duration: From Six to 10 days
- Start point: Wallsend, Newcastle
- End point: Bowness-on-Solway
- Difficulty: Moderate to easy – well-marked route; few steep gradients; some stiles to negotiate
- Suitable for: Any reasonably fit walker, including families.
This unique walking trail not only crosses the width of England, but also follows the course of Britain’s largest Roman monument – a 1,900-year-old, 73-mile long fortification that once marked the northern boundary of the Roman Empire.
Accommodation is plentiful along the route, and includes campsites, hostels and B&Bs. Where you break for the night depends not only on how far you’re able to walk each day, but also on how interested you are in the numerous Roman sights along the way. It can take a few hours to visit a museum or the ruins of a Roman fort, but not every walker visits them all, so factor this into your plan.
England
The Wye Valley Walk
- Distance: 136 miles/219 km
- Duration: Seven to 10 days, or in shorter sections
- Start point: Rhyd-y-benwch (Wales)
- End point: Chepstow (England)
- Difficulty: Easy to medium
- Suitable for: Leafy river walking & romantic landmarks
Not one that features in most "best of" roundups. Unshowy yet stunning and dramatic in places, the Wye Valley Walk is an underrated long-distance route from mid-Wales through quiet, leafy valleys, across austere moorland and through the bucolic farmland of Herefordshire to Chepstow. The Wye Valley itself is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and the trail calls at various historic landmarks and picturesque villages.
Do the full route in seven to 10 days, or in shorter segments at your leisure.
England
The Pennine Way
- Distance: 268 miles (431km)
- Duration: Three to four weeks, or shorter segments
- Start point: Edale, Derbyshire
- End point: Kirk Yetholm, Scottish Borders
- Difficulty: Moderate/strenuous – hilly, often remote upland, long stretches between accommodation
- Suitable for: Experienced walkers
This iconic trail follows the rugged ridge forming the backbone of northern England. Don’t be deceived by crowds of day walkers at popular spots, the full route is a tough, varied but memorable undertaking.
England
The Thames Path
- Distance: Approximately 184 miles (296 kilometres)
- Duration: Typically 12-14 days (or shorter segments)
- Start Point: Kemble, Gloucestershire, England
- End Point: Thames Barrier, London, England
- Difficulty: Mild
The Thames Path is a scenic long-distance walking route following the course of the River Thames in southern England. Beginning in the rural Cotswolds at Kemble, it extends to the Thames Barrier in London, covering approximately 184 miles of rural southern England landscapes. This path winds through tranquil meadows, historic cities like Oxford and Windsor, and eventually the urban sprawl of London. Along the route, you’ll encounter various iconic points of interest , including Oxford University, Hampton Court Palace, and the Tower Bridge. The journey can be completed in roughly two weeks, but walkers often opt for shorter, more manageable sections.
England
The Monarch’s Way
- Distance: 615 miles/990km
- Duration: 30 - 60 days, or shorter sections
- Start point: Worcester
- End point: Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex
- Difficulty: Easy to medium
- Suitable for: History fans and walkers who enjoy discovering little known patches of rural England
Here's another left-field suggestion you won't find in all the obvious contenders, but one I feel deserves inclusion for its historical interest as much as the walking.
The Monarch’s Way loops down from the West Midlands to the south coast of England, following the lengthy route taken by Charles II to evade capture following defeat by Cromwell at the Battle of Worcester in 1651.
The Monarch’s Way is so long that it is usually broken into three sections for convenience of description and mapping. It’s customary to start at Worcester, as Charles did. He escaped rapidly after watching the Royalist defeat in the final battle of the English Civil War from the cathedral tower, so the grand gothic church is a good place to begin.
South Downs
South Downs Way
- Distance: 99 miles (159km)
- Duration: Nine days
- Start point: Winchester
- End point: Eastbourne
- Difficulty: Moderate to easy – relatively short and very easy to navigate; few very steep climbs, though a lot of walking up and down small hills
- Suitable for: Any reasonably fit walker, including families; can also be cycled
You’ll walk through landscapes of rolling hills and breezy fields of corn, passing numerous pretty villages with thatched cottages, historic pubs and gardens bursting with blooms. And there’s a fitting final-day climax as you rollercoaster your way up and down the majestic chalk cliffs known as the Seven Sisters before reaching the beaches of Eastbourne for a celebratory ice cream.
Most of the gradients are reassuringly manageable along the pleasant chalk hills of the South Downs Way, and the weather down here is usually pretty favourable.
Devon
Southwest Coast Path
- Distance: 630 miles/1,014km
- Duration: 30 – 60 days, or shorter sections
- Start point: Minehead, Somerset
- End point: Poole, Dorset
- Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous, with repeated climbs and descents
- Suitable for: There’s a small scenic section for everyone but the whole route is for those with time and stamina.
This is without doubt my favourite long-distance walk in the UK.
This world-class 630-mile route skirts the shoreline from Minehead in Somerset to Poole in Dorset but there are hundreds of other routes, from the 600 miles of trails in Exmoor National Park to circular day-walks like the National Trust routes around Cheddar Gorge or Avebury. It’s well served by organised walking holiday companies, but do book ahead if you’re coming in summer.
The coastal path is generally well signed and maintained, there is a wide selection of places to eat and stay, and a huge selection of sights, attractions and viewpoints on every stretch. And for the less experienced walker there is another great attraction: it’s almost impossible to get lost on the South West Coast Path.
Next stop France: Land's End, Britain's furthest southerly point and the starting point of many an epic walk
Walking holidays in England
Everything you wish you'd known before you booked
Long distance vs centre based walking holidays
There are two broad categories of walking holidays in England: single location (‘centre based’) or long distance (‘inn-to-inn’) walks. When I've been walking with a big group or with kids in tow, it can work better being based in one location and heading out on day hikes as the group (and weather) sees fit. Places like the Lakes, the Yorkshire Dales and the Cotswolds are great locations for centre based walking holidays.
Long distance inn-to-inn walking holidays typically means undertaking some, or all, of an official waymarked path, of which there are many in England. You’ll spend each night in a new place, and you can usually arrange to have your baggage transferred by car from inn to inn, so it’s waiting for you when you arrive at each night’s stop. The most popular routes have walking holiday companies available to organise everything for you, and can tailor the itinerary to suit your pace.
Things to check before you book
If you're booking an organised inn-to-inn walking holiday, check the distance of each nights' accommodation from the footpath – some might arrange for you to stay several miles away from the path. That can be an unwelcome finish to a long day's hiking and not quite what you signed up for. So it can be worth asking if they can arrange a pick-up/drop-off for you.
On inn-to-inn walks, it’s also worth checking where they suggest eating each night – and whether places are open the evening you're there. Pub food hours are changeable – I've been caught out more than once in a village with no open pubs or a pub where ‘the kitchen is closed on Tuesdays’. A good walking holiday company will be on top of these details but it doesn't hurt to check.
And a final point that’s relevant to England’s frequently damp climate. Decent walker-oriented accommodation will have dedicated drying rooms for boots and gear. This is worth checking whatever the time of year. There can always be sudden showers and no one likes pulling on a pair of damp boots in the morning.
Walking in England: FAQs
Your questions, our expert answers
Question
When is the best time to go walking in England?
Answer
England has a temperate-maritime climate with wet winters and warm(er) summers, but the weather here is famously fickle. I’ve regretted being in shorts with a freezing wind biting my knees in midsummer in the Lake District, and have been left carrying surplus layers on a bright sunny winter’s day in Oxfordshire.
Although summer heatwaves are now becoming more frequent and severe, it remains the rule of thumb that summer is rarely too hot to walk, and is mostly dry. Those affected by pollen might want to watch out for hayfever season(s). Note that accommodations over the peak summer months are often booked out months in advance.
Winters in England are cold although, thanks to the Gulf Stream, not as cold as our northerly latitudes imply. But cold is compounded by the damp and the wind, which, along with short daylight hours, can make winter walking a bit of a chore. There are few things as glorious as a crisp winter’s morning, but they’re an infrequent pleasure and I wouldn’t plan an entire walking holiday around it.
My advice is to aim for the “shoulder seasons” of late spring and early autumn, which offer the best balance of fewer crowds, greater availability, and a decent chance of agreeable weather.
Question
Which is your favourite region for walking?
Answer
I’m easily bored, and much prefer rolling hills and dales of northern and western England to the flat landscapes of the east and southeast. We may have few mountains but we have lots of hills!
It’s hard to pick just one so here are a few: Parts of Northumberland could be a film set. The Yorkshire Wolds are criminally underrated, but I’d also vote for the (often overpopular) Cotswolds and Lake District.
But if I had to choose just one place to walk for the rest of my life it would be my native southwest; Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset. Maybe I’m biased but we’ve got the sunsets, favourable prevailing winds, pasties, cider and clotted cream. The southwest has the mildest climate and most varied coastline, which explains why it’s the UK’s most popular holiday area. Don’t panic – it’s easy to avoid the crowds, simply avoid the big resorts.
Question
What’s your favourite long distance (inn-to-inn) walk?
Answer
Without hesitation, the Southwest Coast Path. This world-class 630-mile route skirts the shoreline from Watchet in Somerset to Poole in Dorset but there are hundreds of other routes, from the 600 miles of trails in Exmoor National Park to circular day-walks like the National Trust routes around Cheddar Gorge or Avebury. It’s well served by organised walking holiday companies, but do book ahead if you’re coming in summer.
Other favourites include the White Horse Way, the Yorkshire Wolds Way and Striding Edge in the Lakes.
Question
Where in England would you recommend for a centre-based walking holiday?
Answer
Can I say the southwest again? Okay, I’d also recommend the Lake District, the Isle of Wight and the Scilly Isles; all of which have plenty of easy access day hikes, and lots to do for kids on non-walking days.
A pro-tip: our national parks and other protected areas are tiny in comparison to other countries, and you don’t need to base yourself within the park boundaries where availability may be limited and prices higher. Often there are excellent (and more affordable) places to stay nearby. For example you can save money by visiting the Cotswolds from north Wiltshire, south Warwickshire or west Oxfordshire, and you can make forays into the Lake District from places like St. Bees and Ulvaston.
Question
Can you recommend any quieter or less popular walks?
Answer
Ours is a compact and densely populated nation, but it’s surprisingly easy to find a quiet corner even in the most touristy honey-pots. Some of my favourite lesser-visited walking spots include the Blackdown Hills in Dorset, the Marlborough Downs in Wiltshire or the Wolds in Lincolnshire or Yorkshire. There are some brilliant little-known walks around Offa’s Dyke in Herefordshire, in the crazy up-and-down Shropshire hills and in the surprisingly craggy countryside of West Yorkshire.
OS, our national treasure of a mapping agency, produces a handy rundown of the country’s most popular walks. If it’s peace and quiet you’re after, just do anything but these!
Question
How do self-guided walking holidays work?
Answer
Walking holiday companies use “self-guided” as opposed to an escorted or guided tour. England is easy to get around, safe, and the locals are (usually) easy to understand. There’s no real wilderness and most long distance footpaths are well waymarked, meaning you don’t need much in the way of navigational skills. All of which makes self-guided a popular choice.
So what are you paying for? The cost of your walking holiday is primarily each night’s accommodation, plus baggage transfer (so you only need to carry a light day pack) and perhaps a connection to the start/end point. The big advantage of a self-guided trip, in addition to being much cheaper than a guided holiday, is that the company can tailor your itinerary and accommodation to suit your preferred pace.
Question
Can walks be tailored to different levels and abilities?
Answer
Yes – on a self-guided walking holiday. Most of the major long distance walks have fairly well established itineraries for different paces. For example you can do Hadrian’s Wall in anything from 8 to 12+ days, depending on how much distance you want to cover each day.
Beware of a walking holiday operator’s grading of walks. I usually find them geared to inexperienced walkers. I’m not an athlete but I’ve sometimes done a route in half the time they’ve specified.
My best tip in England would be to talk to locals along the way. They’ll often know – and love describing – some little magical detour that those who mapped your route might not have discovered.
Question
Can I book accommodation and baggage transfer myself or would you recommend using a walking holiday company?
Answer
You certainly can organise it all yourself, and lots of people do. Personally, I prefer making my own arrangements unless I’m too busy.
Baggage transfers are often simply the B&B owner running your bags to the next overnight stop in their car. Or booking a taxi to do it. It’s something you can do very easily yourself – and may lead to a conversation or discovery that may improve that day’s walk too.
I’d recommend using a walking holiday company if you can’t be bothered with the logistical headaches, or aren’t confident in your abilities and need advice. It can be pretty good to have someone at the end of the phone should anything go wrong.
Question
Where am I allowed to walk in England?
Answer
Land access in England is a smorgasbord of labels: we have public footpaths, permissive footpaths, bridleways, restrictive byways, open access land, all grouped together under the banner of “public rights of way”. All you really need to know is that walkers are allowed on all of the above, they’re all clearly marked on Ordnance Survey maps and, for most long distance footpaths, they’ll be clearly waymarked as well. For more information see this handy guide to public rights of way in Britain.
Question
Are all the long distance paths clearly waymarked, or are map reading skills required?
Answer
It’s a country without true wilderness. The national parks are well policed and monitored, and trails across farmland are often very long standing. Some trails follow paths that are thousands of years old.
This means English trails are usually easy to follow. There are plenty of major, well-maintained and signed routes. There will always be some missing posts, confusing directions and momentary aberrations but I generally find the biggest problem comes when there are too many good paths criss-crossing an area.
For example I worried about following the mish-mash of paths along the Malvern Hills before I realised it doesn’t really matter, they all roughly end up doing the same thing.
A bit of map reading competence is a useful safeguard of course, and in a varied landscape like England’s it can increase the pleasure to see there’s an ancient church in the next village or hidden valley just beyond the ridge.
What about a compass? I suppose that’s going to help in a white-out on Scafell Pike but I can’t recall ever using one on an English walk.
Another personal aside here: generally I try to banish fear of ‘getting lost’ on what are mostly harmless English routes. Maybe you don’t want to be clueless on a mountain after dark but for most English walks a bit of being “lost” can be the best bit of the day.
I took a daft detour from a normal route recently in the Cotswolds. I spontaneously turned off the path because it looked so pretty to the west and the view was amazing. I thought I would loop back to the main path but of course I was wrong and found myself in a run-down piggery, ankle deep in mud and had to clamber through barbed wire down onto a busy roadside verge to escape. Disaster or highlight? Well, here I am talking about it and it’s the only bit of that walk that I’ve ended up writing about.
Recommended Multi-Day Tours
Hadrian's Wall - 8 Days
Cross the neck of England
8 days From £660 per person By Walkers' Britain| Destinations | Cumbria, Lake District, Tyne & Wear, Northumberland, Hadrian's Wall |
|---|---|
| Activity | Active, Walking |
| Tour Type | Custom itinerary, Self-guided tour |
| Physical Level | Moderate |
Officially opened in May 2003 after many years of negotiations with landlords and farmers to finalise the exact route which stretches 83 statute miles/133 km across town and country, forest and moorland, World Heritage Site and National Park. It is a great walk, with a lot of scenic variety from the modern, busy cityscapes of Newcastle Upon Tyne to the red sandstone hues of medieval Carlisle, from industrial Tyneside to the quiescence of Bowness on Solway. From the barren blustery heights of Highshields Crags in the Northumberland National Park; to the lime green pastoral scenes of the Eden valley. Omnipotent along the route the Wall snakes its way. In sections interrupting a housing estate here, popping up under a road there. Then from being little more than a grassy bank it transforms into stone and rollercoasters over crag tops and down into impressive fort like structures such as at Birdoswald and Housesteads.
 |
Accommodation |
All nights in carefully chosen, walker-friendly B&Bs, hotels or guesthouses. Depending on the route a variety of accommodation standards may be available to suit different budgets - please get in touch for more information. |
|
Breakfast |
All cooked breakfasts included. |
|
Ground transfers |
Secure, reliable luggage transfer between overnight stops. |
|
Support |
Information pack including route notes & maps. 24 hour emergency telephone support. |
Recommended Multi-Day Tours
Cumbria Way Walking Holidays
Point-to-point and centre-based holidays
7 – 10 days £560 – £835 per person By Walkers' Britain| Destinations | Cumbria, Lake District |
|---|---|
| Activity | Family, Adventure, Hiking & Trekking, Active, Walking, Nature & Wildlife, National Parks |
| Tour Type | Custom itinerary, Self-guided tour |
| Physical Level | Moderate |
The walk is a complete south to north crossing of the Lake District National Park and much of the county of Cumbria. English Lakeland is England’s most mountainous area and walking is unquestionably the best way to see this celebrated landscape, hailed over the years by the likes of poets, authors and painters. Wordsworth, Tennyson, Arthur Ramson, Beatrix Potter and Wainwright, have all left their mark! The distances covered each day vary but for the first 5 or 6 days a least, there is ample time to pause and admire the unsurpassed scenery. The route is very much a classic although it largely avoids upland areas where navigation would become a problem in poor weather. On the penultimate walking day attention needs to be applied to the map in a couple of places where the route is hard to trace on the ground.
|
Accommodation |
All nights in carefully chosen, walker-friendly B&Bs, hotels or guesthouses. Depending on the route a variety of accommodation standards may be available to suit different budgets - please get in touch for more information. |
|
Breakfast |
All cooked breakfasts included. |
|
Ground transfers |
Secure, reliable luggage transfer between overnight stops. |
|
Support |
Information pack including route notes & maps. 24 hour emergency telephone support. |
Recommended Multi-Day Tours
The South West Coast Path (all sections)
Self-guided walking holidays on the SWCP
4 – 7 days £340 – £595 per person By Encounter Walking HolidaysCheck availability for this trip
This tour is operated by
Encounter Walking Holidays
| Destinations | South West Coast Path, Dorset, Cornwall, Somerset, Devon |
|---|---|
| Activity | Active, Walking, Nature & Wildlife, National Parks |
| Tour Type | Custom itinerary, Self-guided tour |
| Physical Level | Moderate |
Choose from any of nine segments—follow the link or contact Encounter Walking Holidays for more information.
From towering cliffs to hidden coves, ghostly tin mines to lush wooded creeks. One minute a dramatic rock theatre hewn out of the cliffs, the next a prehistoric fossilised forest. On the South West Coast Path you re-trace the footsteps, histories and lives of old tin miners, fisherman, smugglers, wreckers and of the customs men who chased them.
The full path snakes a staggering 630 miles, but is more commonly broken up into nine shorter sections. Encounter Walking Holidays will happily tailor a route to your preferences—get in touch now for more information.
|
Accommodation |
All nights in carefully selected B&Bs and small hotels. All accommodation is specifically chosen as walker-friendly, situated close to the paths, proprietors with local knowledge and happy to assist with local logistics. All accommodation can be adjusted to suit your budget. |
|
Ground transfers |
Door to Door luggage transfers and transfers to and from the trail if required. |
|
Breakfast |
Full English breakfast included at all accommodations. |
Recommended Multi-Day Tours
The Dales Way
Hiking Through the Yorkshire Dales
8 days From £740 per person By Walkers' Britain| Destinations | Yorkshire |
|---|---|
| Activity | Family, Adventure, Hiking & Trekking, Active, Walking, Nature & Wildlife, National Parks, Culture, Culinary |
| Tour Type | Custom itinerary, Self-guided tour |
| Physical Level | Moderate |
Welcome to the beautiful Yorkshire Dales, the purest form of English highland landscape, with traditions and views, which have remained virtually untouched for centuries. Soft rolling hills, limestone edges, green valleys, waterfalls, a Roman road, several interesting old churches, an abbey and some lovely Real Ale pubs all feature here as well as the villages proud of their heritage. This tour includes the whole 78 mile length of this much loved long distance path, established in 1969, which runs right across the Yorkshire Dales National Park to the Lake District.
Gradients and terrain are generally straight forward, but the going may be muddy underfoot in wet weather; there are some high moorland areas to cross. Much of the trail follows pretty river valleys especially The Wharfe, Dee, Rawthey, Lune and The Kent. All have beauty spots for shady picnics, small ravines and rapids and are patrolled by birds such as Berwick swans, kingfishers, dippers and wagtails. Brown trout lurk in their waters depths.
There are also a large number of “stiles” and “kissing gates” to negotiate as you stroll across fields, so good mobility is important. The itinerary follows Wharfedale (where there is time to admire the ruins of Bolton Abbey) and then via Hubberholme, gradually gaining height upstream to reach the Pennine watershed at Cam Fell (1700 feet). The way then runs down Dentdale to the market town of Sedbergh and across sheep pastures to Bowness on Windermere.
|
Accommodation |
All nights in carefully chosen, walker-friendly B&Bs, hotels or guesthouses. Depending on the route a variety of accommodation standards may be available to suit different budgets - please get in touch for more information. |
|
Breakfast |
All cooked breakfasts included. |
|
Ground transfers |
Secure, reliable luggage transfer between overnight stops. |
|
Support |
Information pack including route notes & maps. 24 hour emergency telephone support. |
Recommended Multi-Day Tours
Isle of Wight Coastal Walking
Circumnavigating the beautiful Isle of Wight
8 days From £690 per person By Walkers' Britain| Destinations | Isle of Wight |
|---|---|
| Activity | Family, Adventure, Hiking & Trekking, Active, Walking, Nature & Wildlife, National Parks, Culture, Culinary |
| Tour Type | Custom itinerary, Self-guided tour |
| Physical Level | Moderate |
Circumnavigating the island on The Isle of Wight Coastal Path is a fulfilling achievement for a week of walking. Almost half the island has been designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty.
The Coastal Footpath is a circular long-distance footpath of 67 miles (107 km) following public footpaths and minor lanes, with some sections along roads. It should be noted that the path does not follow the coastline all the way, but also diverts inland for long sections. There are lots of attractions to break down the actual walking days, including a visit to the holiday home of Queen Victoria, Osborne House.
Many other buildings from around this time still exist including Wippingham Church, the thatched church at Freshwater Bay, the famous seaside resorts such as Ventnor, Shanklin and Sandown and the great Palmerston fortresses, built at a time when French invasion was again feared.
You will see several such features every day. Beyond this are much older towns such as Yarmouth and Newtown, which have their own interesting histories. However, the island is much more than that, it is a place of great natural beauty with glittering sea-views across the Solent and English Channel, the white cliffs and sea-stacks around The Needles, Tennyson Down, and miles of beaches. The Isle of Wight is a popular holiday destination, but especially out of 'High Season' you can see very few other walkers.
|
Accommodation |
All nights in carefully chosen, walker-friendly B&Bs, hotels or guesthouses. Depending on the route a variety of accommodation standards may be available to suit different budgets - please get in touch for more information. |
|
Breakfast |
All cooked breakfasts included. |
|
Ground transfers |
Secure, reliable luggage transfer between overnight stops. |
|
Support |
Information pack including route notes & maps. 24 hour emergency telephone support. |
About the author
Simon Heptinstall
Simon is a TV writer turned travel journalist and photographer who specialises in walking and hiking holidays in the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond. He writes on walking holidays in England for the Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, The Daily Mail, among others.
