The United Kingdom
Four nations, one shared history
Where can you find four countries in one, each with its own defining characteristics, but with at least one big thing in common?
The United Kingdom is that rare beast. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are the four separate entities: Four capital cities, four unique histories, four national football teams, four ways (at least) of looking at the world… all rolled into one haphazard, at times strained, but unquestionably fascinating union.
With its self-contradictory national myths, the UK can be hard to pin down for locals and visitors alike. Brits are oddly proud of their reputation for mind-your-own-business reserve, while simultaneously fond of tipsy banter with strangers in friendly pubs. They cultivate the so-called “stiff upper lip” and a supposed penchant for good manners, while roaring for their local football team with a rowdy, delirious tribalism. The UK has global, culture-defining cities among its fair share of small-town parochialism. It celebrates its history, monuments and Monarchic rituals alongside an ever more diverse and progressive urban society which borrows (admittedly, often without asking) from cultures in every corner of the world.
It’s an onion of a national identity. All the visitor can do is keep peeling back the layers to see what lies beneath.
Where to go? What to do? It’s all a matter of taste. You’ll find towns and cities with world beating museums, music and cultural festivals; Edinburgh, Hay, Glastonbury, among a panoply of others. You’ll find a country that’s working hard to shake off its reputation for stodgy cuisine (yes, really!) You’ll find castles, estates and ruins that are older than many countries all set in timeless, rolling (and occasionally dramatic) countryside that is tailor-made for walking and hiking trips.
From country pubs to the Notting Hill Carnival; Sunday afternoons on village greens to the world’s largest Diwali festival outside India. The ball’s in your court. With four countries in one calling you, and countless good reasons persuading you, all you have to do is…go.
Cycling in Scotland
Best routes, regions and how to plan your trip
Ancient, often mist-wreathed and mysterious, Scotland has a pull for those seeking solace. From dark, craggy, mountain ridges to exquisite, empty, beaches this is a country as diverse as its myriad islands, dramatic Highlands and rolling Lowlands. Through it all runs a deep and vibrant culture and a richly welcoming, though guarded, people...read more
Explore The United Kingdom
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Scotland
Much more than kilts & bagpipes
There is a border between England and Scotland, but it’s easy to miss... -
The Highlands
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Great Glen Way
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Caithness
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John O'Groats
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Thurso
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Speyside
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Cairngorms National Park
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Loch Ness
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Caledonian Canal
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Inverness
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Fort William
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Sound of Arisaig
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Knoydart
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The Borders
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Dumfries and Galloway
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Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park
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Loch Linnhe
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Edinburgh
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Hebrides
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Isle of Mull
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Isle of Jura
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Isle of Islay
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Shuna Island
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Isle of Barra
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Isle of Lewis
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Isle of Skye
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St. Kilda
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Isle of Rùm
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Isle of Eigg
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Isle of Arran
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Oban
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Orkney Islands
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Isle of Arran
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Glasgow
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Aberdeen
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Balmoral
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Morvern Peninsula
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Kintyre Peninsula
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England
Rolling countryside and special cities
Get underneath the skin of eccentric England and you’ll discover a place of outstanding natural beauty, ancient history and modern metropolises... -
South West Coast Path
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Dorset
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Cornwall
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Dartmoor National Park
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Exmoor National Park
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Somerset
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Devon
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Cotswolds
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Isle of Wight
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South Downs
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Kent
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Chiltern Hills
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Norfolk
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Suffolk
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Cheshire
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Cumbria
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Easton
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Kirkby Stephen
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Grange over Sands
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Herefordshire
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Symonds Yat
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Hereford
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Lake District
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Windermere
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Keswick
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The Peak District
The UK's original national park
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... -
Yorkshire
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York
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North York Moors
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Yorkshire Dales National Park
Located between the Lake District and the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales National Park offers rolling hills as well as encompassing Pen-y-ghent, Ingleborough and Whernside peaks... -
Low Row
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Keld
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West Witton
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Hawes
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Aysgarth
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Middleham
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West Burton
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Askrigg
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Hardraw
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Wensleydale
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Malham
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Burnsall
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Linton
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Kettlewell
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Arkengarthdale
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Reeth
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Buckden
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Ravenstonedale
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Sedbergh
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Carlton
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Yorkshire Wolds
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Tyne & Wear
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Shropshire
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Northumberland
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Worcestershire
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Broadway
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Hadrian's Wall
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Wales
History, hills and Hiraeth
Wild Wales is the perfect place to get away from it all and explore nature... -
Cardigan Bay
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Brecon Beacons National Park
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Monmouthshire
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Pembrokeshire
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Powys
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Snowdonia National Park
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Anglesey
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Llyn Peninsula
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Northern Ireland
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Places to go in The United Kingdom
The United Kingdom Tours
Pembrokeshire Coastal Path South
Self-guided walking holiday
5 daysFrom £400| Pembrokeshire | |
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Custom itinerary, Self-guided tour |
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Active, Walking, Nature & Wildlife, National Parks |
Recommended Multi-Day Tours
Pembrokeshire Coastal Path South
Self-guided walking holiday
5 days From £400 per person By Encounter Walking Holidays| Destinations | Pembrokeshire |
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| Activity | Active, Walking, Nature & Wildlife, National Parks |
| Tour Type | Custom itinerary, Self-guided tour |
| Physical Level | Moderate |
Amroth to Milford Haven (or Pembroke). Approx. 67 miles.
The first section of The Pembrokeshire Coast Path offers perhaps the greatest variety of the whole trail. From the rounded hills, pastoral wooded bays and sheltered coastal resorts at Tenby and Saundersfoot through to the wild and remote Limestone Stacks, Caves and blow holes at Stackpole Head and Castlemartin.
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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. |
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Ground transfers |
Door to Door luggage transfers and transfers to and from the trail if required. |
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Breakfast |
Full English breakfast included at all accommodations. |
Pembrokeshire Coastal Path North
Self-guided walking holiday
4 daysFrom £320| Pembrokeshire | |
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Custom itinerary, Self-guided tour |
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Active, Walking, Nature & Wildlife, National Parks |
Recommended Multi-Day Tours
Pembrokeshire Coastal Path North
Self-guided walking holiday
4 days From £320 per person By Encounter Walking Holidays| Destinations | Pembrokeshire |
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| Activity | Active, Walking, Nature & Wildlife, National Parks |
| Tour Type | Custom itinerary, Self-guided tour |
| Physical Level | Moderate |
St Davids to St Dogmaels. Approx. 60 miles.
The crescendo at the end of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, this is wild, wild and wilder walking as you head north around a series of high volcanic headlands sitting above almost inaccessible coves and inlets. A run of tiny coastal hamlets clinging to this boulder strewn cliff run is broken up by the welcome facilities and shelter of two historically significant towns at Newport and Fishguard Then a final push around one of the most remote sections of the Wales Coast Path at Cemaes Head to emerge into the golden sands and shelter of the beautiful Teifi Estuary and a return to habitation at St Dogmaels and Cardigan.
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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. |
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Ground transfers |
Door to Door luggage transfers and transfers to and from the trail if required. |
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Breakfast |
Full English breakfast included at all accommodations. |
The South West Coast Path (all sections)
Self-guided walking holidays on the SWCP
4 daysFrom £340| South West Coast Path, Dorset, Cornwall, Somerset, Devon | |
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Custom itinerary, Self-guided tour |
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Active, Walking, Nature & Wildlife, National Parks |
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 Holidays| Destinations | South West Coast Path, Dorset, Cornwall, Somerset, Devon |
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| 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.
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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. |
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Ground transfers |
Door to Door luggage transfers and transfers to and from the trail if required. |
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Breakfast |
Full English breakfast included at all accommodations. |
Classic Cornwall Short Break
Self-guided walking holiday
2 daysFrom £170| South West Coast Path, Cornwall | |
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Custom itinerary, Self-guided tour |
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Active, Walking, Nature & Wildlife, National Parks |
Recommended Multi-Day Tours
Classic Cornwall Short Break
Self-guided walking holiday
2 – 3 days £170 – £255 per person By Encounter Walking Holidays| Destinations | South West Coast Path, Cornwall |
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| Activity | Active, Walking, Nature & Wildlife, National Parks |
| Tour Type | Custom itinerary, Self-guided tour |
| Physical Level | Moderate |
Not everyone has the time to walk a full week on the South West Coastal Path, you may want to fit in a short section of walking within a longer sightseeing holiday or if it’s your first time on a walking break you may want to play it safe and try a taster trip over two or three days.
Encounter Walking can provide this for you! We can operate a short section on any part of the South West Coast Path so if you are particularly interested in one area just contact us and tell us where you want to be and we will come up with the options.
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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. |
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Ground transfers |
Door to Door luggage transfers and transfers to and from the trail if required. |
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Breakfast |
Full English breakfast included at all accommodations. |
The Smugglers Way
Self-guided walking holiday
2 daysFrom £170| South West Coast Path, Cornwall | |
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Custom itinerary, Self-guided tour |
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Active, Walking, Nature & Wildlife, National Parks |
Recommended Multi-Day Tours
The Smugglers Way
Self-guided walking holiday
2 – 3 days £170 – £255 per person By Encounter Walking Holidays| Destinations | South West Coast Path, Cornwall |
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| Activity | Active, Walking, Nature & Wildlife, National Parks |
| Tour Type | Custom itinerary, Self-guided tour |
| Physical Level | Strenuous |
Created and developed by Cornishman Frank Squibb in the spring of 1994 this is Cornwall’s best and most challenging coast to coast walking route and for experienced walkers.
The Smugglers Way takes you down forgotten drove roads and ancient lanes mixed with testing sections of wild and open moorland walking. Either side of Bodmin Moor deserted, hidden river trails follow stunning and unspoilt forested valleys and pasture as you follow the waters gushing off the high ground and charging down to the sea.
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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. |
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Ground transfers |
Door to Door luggage transfers and transfers to and from the trail if required. |
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Breakfast |
Full English breakfast included at all accommodations. |
Pembrokeshire Coastal Path
Self-guided walking holiday
12 daysFrom £1,020| Pembrokeshire | |
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Custom itinerary, Self-guided tour |
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Active, Walking, Nature & Wildlife, National Parks |
Recommended Multi-Day Tours
Pembrokeshire Coastal Path
Self-guided walking holiday
12 – 18 days £1,020 – £1,530 per person By Encounter Walking Holidays| Destinations | Pembrokeshire |
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| Activity | Active, Walking, Nature & Wildlife, National Parks |
| Tour Type | Custom itinerary, Self-guided tour |
| Physical Level | Strenuous |
The full 186 mile path in 12 - 18 days
Duration and daily distances are suggestions only; all itineraries can be tailored to suit you.
Through the last two centuries of Welsh history, Pembrokeshire has been the Holy Land at the Western End of the Celtic world. A wonderful and mysterious extremity defiantly facing the full fury of the Atlantic Ocean that has given “The land of Magic” a revered status, for not only the Welsh, but also for the invaders and crusaders that tried to control and tame this isolated, unique and exposed western outpost of mainland Britain.
For the Walker today, the Pembrokeshire National Park is a place where you can leave behind the pressures of the modern world to unwind and relax in a remote haven on the very edge of where the land ends and the sea begins. Past no fewer than 58 stunning beaches and over 14 harbours. You will climb 35,000ft on the way, well over the height of Mount Everest, in a glorious run of short steep ascents and descents from the hidden coves to the towering cliffs, a huge twisting and relentless Celtic Coastal rollercoaster
At night expect to rest in hidden fishing villages nestled in deep green valleys, beneath towering Norman Coastal Castles in historic medieval towns or simply gazing over wide broad golden sands in perfect crescent shaped bays. A walkers odyssey, in two weeks of wandering, The Pembrokeshire Coast Path will lead you into pure air, clean seas and forgotten corners.
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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. |
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Breakfast |
Full English breakfast included at all accommodations. |
The United Kingdom Travel Companies
EasyWays
Specialists in Scotland walking holidays
| Scotland | |
| Custom itinerary, Self-guided tour | |
| Adventure, Hiking & Trekking, Active, Walking, Nature & Wildlife, National Parks |
Macs Adventure
Active adventures at home and abroad
| The United Kingdom | |
| Custom itinerary, Small group tour, Private guided tour | |
| Adventure, Hiking & Trekking, Active, Walking, Nature & Wildlife |
Encounter Walking Holidays
Self-guided walks in South West England & Wales
| The United Kingdom | |
| Custom itinerary, Self-guided tour | |
| Adventure, Hiking & Trekking, Active, Walking, Nature & Wildlife, National Parks |
South Downs Discovery
South Downs Way walking holidays
| South Downs | |
| Custom itinerary, Self-guided tour | |
| Adventure, Hiking & Trekking, Active, Walking, Nature & Wildlife, National Parks |
Open Road Open Skies
Cycling and walking adventures
| The United Kingdom | |
| Custom itinerary, Small group tour, Private guided tour | |
| Active, Walking, Biking |
Wandering Aengus
Walking holidays in the Lake District & beyond
| England | |
| Custom itinerary, Self-guided tour | |
| Adventure, Hiking & Trekking, Active, Walking, Nature & Wildlife |
Sherpa Expeditions
Self guided holidays & baggage transfer service
| The United Kingdom | |
| Custom itinerary, Self-guided tour | |
| Adventure, Hiking & Trekking, Active, Walking, Biking, Nature & Wildlife |
Scot Mountain Holidays
Self-guided & guided activity holidays in Scotland
| The Highlands | |
| Custom itinerary, Private guided tour, Self-guided tour | |
| Adventure, Hiking & Trekking, Winter Sports, Active, Walking, Camping, Biking, Horseback Riding, Nature & Wildlife |
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