12 Walking Holidays In The UK
COTSWOLDS
The Cotswold hills are a designated AONB and widely recognised as the walking capital of England where you’ll discover village after village of glowing gold limestone. Specialist local company Cotswold Journeys has a five-night itinerary walking tour, called The Heart of the Cotswolds, which starts and ends in Moreton in Marsh (handy as it has a train station), with accommodation on the nights in between in the villages of Lower Slaughter, Winchcombe and Broadway. Highlights include walking up to Broadway Tower, the 18th-century folly, and then on to Chipping Campden, the loveliest of all Cotswold villages. If you want to end your active days in total luxury, you’ll be able to stay in gorgeous hotels like Dormy House Hotel, Lords of the Manor, Lion Inn and Manor House Hotel. The company can also organise walking trips to your individual specification.
How long: 5 nights.
How hard: Moderate, 16-21km per day.
Type: Guided or self-guided.
Accommodation: Luxury boutique hotels, or you can opt for B&Bs and village inns.
Luggage transfer: Yes.
For details and to book: Visit Cotswold Journeys or call 01242 254353.
THAMES PATH
After two nights’ stay in Oxford, you’ll walk via Abingdon and Wallingford to the foodie town of Marlow along what is widely considered the prettiest and most culturally interesting part of the Thames Path (a National Trail that marks it 25th anniversary this year). In contrast to these towns, you’ll also go through peaceful water meadows and quintessentially English villages, staying two nights in both Goring and Henley-upon-Thames. You can vary the length of your daily walk by doing some of the journeys by bus, boat, or train.
How long: 6 nights.
How hard: Moderate, 4-16km per day.
Type: Self-guided.
Accommodation: Luxury boutique hotels, including the Old Bank Hotel in Oxford, The Miller of Mansfield in
Goring and the Hotel du Vin in Henley.
Luggage transfer: Yes.
For details and to book: Visit Inntravel or call 01653 617000.
LAKE DISTRICT
The Lake District National Park is one of the UK's most popular destinations for hiking through landscapes that have influenced some of our most famous literary geniuses like William Wordsworth, Samuel Coleridge and John Ruskin, as well as children's author Beatrix Potter. With Explore’s seven-day holiday, you’ll be based in a three-star hotel in the Borrowdale Valley from which you have easy access to the trails and scenery of the beautiful Northern Lake District, which includes some of the best walking in Wainwright country such as Scafell Pike, Haystacks and Cat Bells.
How long: 6 nights.
How hard: Moderate to challenging, up to 14km per day, with options for easier guided walks.
Type: Guided.
Accommodation: 3-star hotel.
For details and to book: Visit Explore! or call 01252 883412.
SOUTH DOWNS
The South Downs cover three counties in the south-east of England, a lush, green region with a long history where you’ll find traces of past civilizations hidden around every corner as you walk through some truly stunning landscapes. Base yourself in Abingworth Hall in the village of Thakeham at the foot of the downs and take your pick when it comes to your daily walks from the Seven Sisters, the Glorious Goodwood estate, the Devil’s Dyke and Chantonbury Ring, as well as Arundel and the National Trust property at Petworth.
How long: 3, 4, or 7 nights.
How hard: Leisurely to moderate, up to 19km per day.
Type: Guided of self-guided.
Accommodation: Comfortable country house.
For details and to book: Visit HF Holidays or call 020 3974 8865.
DEVON
Over the course of six days, you’ll walk from Exeter to Dartmouth, with the route taking you up the wooded Teign Gorge to Chagford, stopping en route to visit imposing Castle Drogo, then via windswept downs to the pretty village of Widecombe-in-the-Moor. You’ll then continue along the fringes of the moor to the upper reaches of the River Dart, where your journey back to the sea begins, passing through Buckfast Abbey, Dartington Hall and Totnes. Finally, you’ll wind down to the historic town of Dartmouth, from where the Pilgrim Fathers sailed in the Mayflower to colonise the New World. You will be able to shorten and ease the walking by steam train or a river steamer, if needed.
How long: 7 nights.
How hard: Moderate, 11-19km per day, averaging between 3-6 hours per day.
Type: Self-guided.
Accommodation: B&Bs with the option to upgrade in Exeter, Chagford, Dartington and Dartmouth.
Luggage transfer: Yes.
For details and to book: Visit On Foot Holidays or call 01722 322652.
CORNWALL
Discover some of the best walks in South Cornwall by following trails through creeks and coves, which will take you past old haunts of author Daphne du Maurier in the historic town of Fowey, to Charlestown Harbour where Poldark was filmed, the stunning Trelissick Gardens and St Mawes fortress, one of Henry VIII’s best preserved castles.
How long: 6 nights.
How hard: Moderate, between 9-15km per day.
Type: Self-guided.
Accommodation: Luxury boutique hotels.
Luggage transfer: Yes.
For details and to book: Visit Macs Adventures or call 0141 5307192.
NORTHUMBERLAND
Walk from Cresswell to the border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed along the Northumberland Coast Path which is famous for its wild, unspoilt beauty, sweeping beaches, historic castles, rolling dunes and picturesque old coastal villages hardly changed by time. You’ll pass through the fishing village of Amble; pretty Warkworth; Craster, which is famous for its kippers produced in the village smokehouse; the bustling town of Seahouses, which is the gateway to the Farne Islands where you’ll find the most famous bird sanctuary in the British Isles, home to puffins, guillemot and grey seals (if time allows, it’s worth spending an extra day in Seahoses to visit the islands).
How long: 5-7 nights.
How hard: Moderate, between 11-21km per day.
Type: Self-guided.
Accommodation: B&Bs.
Luggage transfer: Yes.
For details and to book: Visit Absolute Escapes or call 0131 6101210.
YORKSHIRE
With picturesque dales and moors, and stunning coastlines, walkers are spoilt for choice when searching for destinations within Yorkshire. We’ve picked a walk in Wharfedale, the valley of the upper parts of the River Wharfe, which will take you along a mixture of gentle riverside footpaths, woodland, classic Dales farmland and a few stretches on slightly more rugged moorland, as well as a couple of short sections on quiet country lanes. On the way, you will take in atmospheric Grass Wood, the fascinating Conistone Dib, a trip into peaceful Littondale, the villages of Kettlewell and Buckden, as well as stunning views up and down the valley. There is also plenty of time to stop and refuel in some of the many cosy pubs and cafés on the way.
How long: 6 nights.
How hard: Easy to moderate, between 10-14km per day.
Type: Self-guided.
Accommodation: B&Bs.
Luggage transfer: Yes.
For details and to book: Visit Muddy Boots or call 01969 663838
MARI LEIJO
SCOTLAND
The Cairngorms National Park
The Cairngorms are Britain’s most spectacular mountain range, with soaring peaks over 1,200m and deep valleys, yet it remains accessible thanks to a well-maintained network of paths. You’ll spend a week hiking to summits including Sgorr Gaoith, Meall a Buachaille and Cairngorm itself. The area’s high tundra and beautiful pinewood forests are havens for wildlife, and you might even spot iconic species of ptarmigan, capercaillie, red squirrels and osprey, and perhaps even Britain’s only herd of reindeer.
How long: 6 nights.
How hard: Moderate, with daily distances up to 16km, walking at a good pace for about 6-8 hours.
Type: Guided.
Accommodation: Private lodge in Glen Feshie.
Luggage transfer: Yes.
For details and to book: Visit Wilderness Scotland or call 01479 420020.
Isle of Skye
With its towering peaks, lush valleys, wave-ravaged peninsulas, lonely moors, Tolkien-esque rock formations and vibrant history, the Isle of Skye is a walker’s paradise. On leisurely daily hikes, you’ll take in the rich and varied scenery while listening to tales about the myths and legends which make this place so magical. Among the highlights you’ll see Neist Point, the most westerly point of Skye; the stark landscapes and unusual rock formations of the Quiraing; the magical Fairy Pools waterfalls in Glen Brittle. You’ll also take a boat trip to the edge of the wild Cuillin mountains for a hike around the dramatically located Loch Coruisk.
How long: 6 nights.
How hard: Easy, with daily distances about 8-10km, walking at a comfortable pace for about 5-6 hours.
Type: Guided.
Accommodation: Two hotels set in beautiful waterside locations.
Luggage transfer: Yes.
For details and to book: Visit Wilderness Scotland or call 01479 420020.
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WALES
Boasting 300km of some of Britain’s most spectacular coastline, the Pembrokeshire Coast Path National Trail crosses a varied marine landscape from towering clifftops and dramatic rock arches, to wide sandy beaches and picturesque coastal towns and villages. You’ll discover Neolithic standing stones, an Iron Age hill fort, medieval castles, climb the mountain where the blue stones of Stonehenge are reputed to have originated and walk down to the sea to explore the shoreline. You can also take a boat trip to spot seals, dolphins, puffins, flocks of seabirds and maybe even a whale. The Carter Company’s Celtic Caper is a luxe introduction to this area, as you’ll get to relax in style each night.
How long: 7 nights.
How hard: Easy to moderate, with under 16km per day of gentle walking.
Type: Self-guided, but a guide can be provided for part, or all, of the trip.
Accommodation: 4-and 5-star hotels, including boutique hotel Twr y Felin (an old windmill), Roch Castle (a luxe medieval castle with just 6 rooms) and country house hotel Penally Abbey.
Luggage transfer: Yes.
For details and to book: Visit The Carter Company or call 01296 631671
NORTHERN IRELAND
Hop over to Northern Ireland to walk along the wonderful Antrim Way which explores one of the most beautiful sections of Ireland’s rugged north coast. You’ll discover spectacular scenery, the fabulous Glens of Antrim, unspoiled beaches, windswept cliffs, castles and the Bushmills distillery, as well as the famous Carrick-a-Rede bridge which was used as a location in Game of Thrones. On your final day, you’ll also walk across the Giant’s Causeway where there are more than 40,000 basalt columns, formed 60 million years ago by volcanic eruptions.
How long: 4 nights.
How hard: Moderate, typically 4-6 hours a day.
Type: Self-guided with maps and detailed route notes.
Accommodation: 3-star hotels.
Luggage transfer: Yes.
For details and to book: Visit Headwater or call 01606 369407.
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