The UK's 10 Best Walking Holidays

174 WS HDR Uk's 10 Best Walking Holidays long distance hikes active vacation

Why take a normal holiday when you can have an epic vacation? We’ve put together a list of ten of the UK’s absolute best hiking holidays to choose for your next vacation! On these 4 – 24 day adventures, you walk from one charming and historic village to the next on historical old walking paths. When you arrive at your cozy inn, your bags will be waiting for you. After you clean up, you can explore the town and enjoy a fun and friendly meal surrounded by locals. It’s a fantastic way to explore the UK and enjoy an authentic holiday!!!

I love that you only need to carry a daypack because a company transports your luggage for you or even plan the entire holiday for you, like my affiliate One Foot Abroad, so all you have to do is train and then show up and walk! [Email me for an exclusive discount One Foot Abroad Promo Code]

None of these paths are technical so you don’t need any technical skills but just be reasonably fit and able to walk for much of the day, day after day.

Read on and listen to the podcast below for complete descriptions to get a better idea.

Walking holidays are challenging in that you have to walk a good chunk of the day, but I find them restful and restorative, even if my feet are tired at the end of the day. I feel a “good” kind of tired and sore (and frankly, proud of myself). I’m always excited to get up and hike the next morning!

How often do you have a chance to slow down and simply ponder???

Unlike traditional vacations, on a ‘walking holiday’ you are daily interacting with locals as they go about their day. Maybe you meet someone out walking their dog, and you walk along together. Once I chatted up some ranchers trying to corral an errant sheep, and we all had a good laugh.

I have made life long friends along these paths because you have time to CHAT and get to know each other!

What I like about a ‘Walking Holiday’ is that you get to meet people from around the world each day. PLUS, because it is slow travel, you have the time to actually savor the views, villages and people you meet.

It’s become my favorite way to travel (and it’s usually pretty easy on the wallet, too, since you are your own ‘guide’ – but if you go with One Foot Abroad, you’ll have them available if you ever need any assistance). Email me for a OFA discount promo code.

Absolute Best Ten Hiking Holidays in the UK : Affordable and Beautiful Walking Vacations

Many of these walks can be done year ’round, but the preferred time is listed.

ENGLAND:

Coast to Coast St. Bees to Robin’s Hood Bay

Average walk 15 days with moderate to strenuous difficulty rating. One of the world’s most popular hikes, walk east to west from St. Bees to Robin’s Hood Bay through rolling hills and mountains, quaint farmsteads and the brooding moors of North Yorkshire. Stay overnight in charming villages like the ever-popular Grasmere as you hike through the stunning English Lake District and Yorkshire Dales. At just under 200 miles (320 km), this exhilarating hike will challenge you and be worth every bead of sweat. March – September. We covered the first half of the Coast to Coast path on Episode 148. Check it out HERE.

Listen to my Coast to Coast adventure below and see pics here:

174 Coast to Coast path one of the UK's best walking holidays

Cotswold Way Chipping Camden to Bath

Average walk 9 days for about 100 miles (160km) with a moderate difficulty rating. Runs from delightful Chipping Camden to Bath. This path exemplifies what you think of when you imagine traditional British countryside with charming thatched roof cottages, country gardens, English pubs and picturesque landscape. Almost the entire trail is within the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It meanders through enchanting villages before ending in the UNESCO world heritage city of Bath. If this hike is too long for you, consider doing either the north or south sections (see below). April – October. I walked the Costwold Way and you can see my pics and listen to my two part podcast HERE.

One Foot Abroad Costwold Way Self-guided Tour details

Cotswold Way The North Section Chipping Camden to Painswick

Average walk 4 days with a moderate difficulty rating. Hike through quintessential English countryside on quiet lanes from Chipping Camden to Painswick through the delightful villages of Broadway, Stanton and Chipping Camden. You can end each invigorating day’s hike in a typical British pub. About 45 miles (70km) of ever dazzling sights of some of England’s best scenery. April – October.

Cotswold Way The South Section Painswick to Bath

Average walk 5 days with a moderate difficulty rating. Considered to be some of England’s finest landscape, this enchanting hike from Painswick finishes in the UNESCO world heritage city of Bath. Stop for tea in some of the picturesque villages along the way. About 55 miles (90km) of spectacular scenery. April – October.

One Foot Abroad Costwold Way Self-guided Tour details

Listen to Part I of my Cotswold Way adventure below and see pics here:

Listen to Part II of my Cotswold Way adventure below and see the pics here:

174 Cotswold Way one of the UK's best walking holidays

Thames Path from the Source to the Sea

Average walk 15 days for the roughly 185 mile (300 km) path from the source of the Thames River near Kemble through the stunning Cotswold area (see Cotswold Way above) all the way to the Thames Barrier in London. Starting in grasslands and woodlands, you reach the urban epicenter passing some of the UK’s most iconic landmarks, from Abingdon’s County Hall to Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey. Perhaps stay an extra day in Oxford or Dorchester. This path offers the spectrum from quaint country villages to historic London to get a full taste of Britain. Moderate with a few strenuous parts. If this walk is too long, consider doing one of the sections:

West Thames Path Section : Kemble to Pangbarne

Average walk 8 days for about 90 miles (140 km) through the Cotswold area. Pass through charming villages like Lechlade, Abingdon, Dorchester and Oxford as you watch the river slowly grow to navigable size. Moderate with a few strenuous parts. April – October

East Thames Path Section : Pangbarne to London (Thames Barrier)

Average walk 7 days for about 100 miles (160 km). You watch the scenery go from country grasslands and woodlands to more urban and industrial once you pass Windsor. After Teddington, you can explore the historic waterfront, switching your path between the North and South sides of the river, crossing as desired as you make your way to London. Moderate with a few strenuous parts. April – October

174 Hadrian's Wall one of UK's best walking holidays

Hadrian’s Wall Newcastle to Bowness-on-Solway

Average walk 9 days for about 85 miles (135km) with a moderate difficulty rating. Combine history with your hiking holiday on this famous route from Newcastle to Bowness-on-Solway alongside much of the remaining former Roman barrier, including Northern Europe’s largest surviving Roman monument (and a UNESCO world heritage site). You’ll see turrets and forts, and multiples of the milecastles (mini forts that were built about every mile along the barrier). Plenty of museums plus a fantastic Visitor’s Centers will quench your thirst for history. April – October.

One Foot Abroad Hadrian’s Wall Self-guided Tour

FREE UK's best walking holiday travel planner

South West Coast Path : Padstow to St. Ives

Average 5 days hiking with a moderate to strenuous difficulty rating. Walk south from irresistible Padstow along pristine sandy beaches or above furious ocean waves crashing to create caves against the cliffs on this Atlantic coast hike nestled between charming fishing villages and landscapes. Rest your tired feet during a break in a secluded cove en route to St. Ives, Cornwall’s most famous holiday town. Enjoy fresh caught fish nightly on this approximately 60 mile hike (100 km). March – October.

South West Coast Path : St. Ives to Penzance

Average 4 days hiking with a moderate to strenuous difficulty rating. Continue south on the South West Coast path along the sandy beaches and cliffs on this remote and rugged section of about 40 miles (65 km). Many opportunities to see wildlife, especially birds. Continue to Land’s End, Britain’s westernmost point. March – October.

174 Pennine Way UK's great walking holidays

Pennine Way : Edale to Kirk Yetholm on the Scottish border

Average 20 days hiking with a moderate to strenuous difficulty rating. Hike through stunning moors and through three national parks: the Peak District, the Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland on the UK’s first national trail. Gorgeous rivers and waterfalls, such as High Force await you, as do Roman ruins when in historic Roman Hadrien’s Wall country. The breathtaking hills, dales and moorlands coupled with history make this one of the UK’s most endeared long distance trails. April – September.

174 Section 2 Pennine Way one of the UK's best walking holidays

174 Pennine Way section III 3 One of the UK's best walking holidays

St. Cuthbert’s Way : Melrose to Lindisfarne

Average 5 days walking with an easy to moderate difficulty rating. Perfect for history – especially religious history – lovers. This classic pilgrimage path leads to Holy Island through Northumberland and the Borders of Scotland along many places associated with the medieval St. Cuthbert. Take a self-reflecting walk of approximately 60 miles (100 km) through dramatic woodland, farmland, and moorlands along the way, and then finish by crossing the tidal causeway to the medieval monastery on Holy Island. April – September.

Check out One Foor Abroad’s Ridge Way Self-guided Tour

Ridge Way : Britain’s Oldest Path

A ten day, 86 mile/138 kmday walk through history! Walk in the footsteps of a 4000 year path through ancient forests and beside medieval fort and barrow remnants. Enjoy the Oxfordshire countryside on this peaceful and contemplative walk. April – October

SCOTLAND

Great Glen Way

Average 6 days walking with an easy to moderate difficulty rating. Be on the lookout for the monster as you walk along the famous Loch Ness! This gentle path starts in engaging Fort William, base of Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis (worth a climb if the weather behaves!) and wanders along moody lakes and panoramic moors, canals and forests of the Scottish Highlands on its way to Inverness. About 80 miles (130km). April – October.

West Highland Way

Average 7 days hiking with a moderate difficulty rating. The West Highland Way isn’t Scotland’s most popular long distance trail without reason: gorgeous Loch Lomond, scenic rivers, peaceful pastures, remote Ranooch Moor, plus quaint villages ensure a satisfying hike through the Highlands. The trail starts in Milngavie and finishes in Fort William, Scotland’s Outdoor Capital (you can continue your hike on the Great Glen Way (above)). About 100 miles (155km). March – October. [Click for more details and to listen to the podcast on this path.]

One Foot Abroad West Highland Way Self-guided Tour details

Check out my own West Highland Way adventure below and see pics here:

Listen to another perspective here:

WALES

Pembrokeshire Coast Path

Full length average 13-14 days hiking with a strenuous difficulty rating. Experienced hikers can take on the entire path; the rest can pick a section to walk along the cliffs of the western peninsula of Wales. Be on the lookout for comical puffins and leisurely seals as you hug this rugged coastline. Visit sleepy fishing villages and enjoy the catch of the day each night. Enjoy quiet seclusion with just the crash of the waves below disturbing your thoughts. This hike can be broken out into three sections if you don’t want to do the whole thing.

South section from Amroth to Pembroke (about 6 days moderate to strenuous difficulty rating and the most popular section), the Central section from Pembroke to St. Davids (about 6 days and a moderate to strenuous difficulty rating. Note that this section goes through some industrial areas), and the most difficult and remote.

North section from St. Davids to Dogmaels (about 5 days with a strenuous difficulty rating). About 185 miles total (300 km) with a couple of 20+ mile (32 km+) days and all days over 11 miles (18 km). March – October.

One Foot Abroad’s Ridge Way Self-guided Tour details

I recommend booking your UK Walking Holiday with my affiliate, One Foot Abroad. Tell them what you want, and they will take care of all the logistics for you: booking you into quaint inns, moving your luggage daily, and providing maps and 24/7 assistance, if needed. EMAIL ME for an exclusive One Foot Abroad discount Promo Code.

*****Remember to allow a couple of days to get to/from walking start and end points, and for any rest days or special sightseeing days*****

One Foot Abroad

I recommend letting my affiliate, One Foot Abroad (OFA), make all your UK long distance walk arrangements for you, so all you have to do is train and walk!

They offer exciting active walking, hiking and cycling adventures all over Europe!

Be sure to EMAIL ME for your exclusive ATA One Foot Abroad discount Promo Code.

Here’s a great resource on some of the trails listed, ie, the one’s that are the UK’s National Trails.

PODCAST SUMMARY: Best Walking Holidays in the UK: Top Long Distance Trails

Listen to the podcast episode HERE

Looking for the best walking holidays in the UK? In this episode of Active Travel Adventures, Kit Parks shares her favorite long-distance walking trails across England, Scotland, and Wales—perfect for solo travelers, couples, and adventure seekers.

From the iconic West Highland Way to the charming Cotswold Way and the rugged Pembrokeshire Coast Path, these walks offer some of the most scenic and rewarding travel experiences in Europe.

🌍 Why Choose a Walking Holiday in the UK?

Walking holidays are one of the best ways to experience a destination:

Travel at a slower, more immersive pace
Meet locals and fellow walkers
Stay in charming villages and inns
Enjoy nature, history, and culture up close

The UK is especially ideal because:

Trails are well-marked (National Trail system)
No language barrier for English speakers
Wide range of difficulty levels
Easy logistics with self-guided tours

🧭 How Walking Holidays Work

Most travelers choose self-guided walking tours, which include:

Pre-planned itineraries
Accommodation bookings
Luggage transfers (carry only a daypack)
Maps + navigation apps
24/7 local support

👉 This makes walking holidays easy, affordable, and stress-free

🏴 Best Walking Holidays in England

Coast to Coast Walk

Distance: ~200 miles
Duration: ~15 days
Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous

Highlights:

Lake District
Yorkshire Dales
Traditional English countryside

Cotswold Way

Distance: ~100 miles
Duration: ~7–9 days
Difficulty: Moderate

Highlights:

Thatched cottages
Rolling hills
Charming villages and pubs

👉 One of the most picturesque walks in England

Thames Path

Distance: ~185 miles
Duration: ~14–15 days

Highlights:

Countryside to London journey
Oxford, Windsor, London landmarks

Hadrian’s Wall Path

Distance: ~85 miles
Duration: ~9 days

Highlights:

Roman history
UNESCO World Heritage sites
Forts and ancient ruins

South West Coast Path

Distance: up to 185 miles (sections recommended)
Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous

Highlights:

Dramatic coastal cliffs
Beaches and fishing villages
Wildlife and ocean views

Pennine Way

Duration: 16–20 days
Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous

Highlights:

Three national parks
Remote moorlands
Waterfalls and historic sites

St. Cuthbert’s Way

Distance: ~60 miles
Duration: ~5 days

Highlights:

Pilgrimage route
Holy Island destination
Scenic countryside

🏴 Best Walking Holidays in Scotland

West Highland Way

Distance: ~100 miles
Duration: ~7 days
Difficulty: Moderate

Highlights:

Loch Lomond
Scottish Highlands
Remote moorlands

👉 One of the most popular long-distance walks in the UK

Great Glen Way

Distance: ~80 miles
Duration: 4–6 days

Highlights:

Loch Ness
Fort William to Inverness
Easier terrain

🏴 Best Walking Holidays in Wales

Pembrokeshire Coast Path

Distance: ~186 miles (best done in sections)
Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous

Highlights:

Rugged coastline
Puffins and seals
Remote landscapes

🌄 Bonus: The Ridgeway (England)

Distance: ~85 miles
Duration: ~10 days
Difficulty: Easy to moderate

Highlights:

One of England’s oldest trails (4,000+ years)
Quiet, less crowded experience
Ancient sites and landscapes

💡 Best Time for Walking Holidays in the UK

Ideal months: May and September
Season: March–October
Expect:
- Cooler temps (even in summer)
- Occasional rain
- Fewer crowds in shoulder seasons

🎒 Tips for Planning a Walking Holiday

Train by walking multiple days in a row
Pack lightweight, quick-dry gear
Bring layers (weather changes quickly)
Consider luggage transfer services
Use a self-guided company for ease

❤️ Why Walking Holidays Are So Special

Walking holidays offer something unique:

Deep connection to place
Meaningful conversations with locals
Lifelong friendships with fellow travelers
A sense of accomplishment

It’s not just a trip—it’s an experience.

🎧 Resources & Links

Full travel planner on the website
Recommended self-guided tour company
Route breakdowns and itineraries

Full Podcast Transcript: Best Walking Holidays in the UK

This full transcript shares detailed insights, trail descriptions, and practical tips for planning walking holidays across England, Scotland, and Wales.

[00:00:00] In 2017, I wanted to go to my Scottish friend, Jamie’s 40th birthday party, but I could hardly justify flying to Scotland for a weekend. So what other fun thing could I do? Jamie lives in Glasgow and the party was a hiking party in Fort William, the adventure capital of Scotland. Poking around the web, I discovered a long distance trail, the West Highland Way, which goes from just outside Glasgow all the way to Fort William Bingo and of boot.

There was another path from downtown Glasgow that joined up with the West Highland Way, so I could literally walk from my Airbnb right to the birthday party around a hundred miles away, and this is how I discovered walking holidays. Throughout Europe, old trading paths remain and are open to the public.

And naturally a village would emerge about a day’s walk apart. The people would obviously choose the easiest route to get from one place to the next in order to trade their [00:01:00] goods and, and move their livestock. So the beauty of these long distance trails, as if they’re really not overly difficult, the main thing you’re gonna need to do is to get your feet used to walking long distances day after day.

And you can modify the distances depending on how much time that you have. We’ll get more into that later. There are vast networks of these trails throughout Europe and happily for the most scenic and stork ones companies have emerged to assist you on doing these long distance walks. They take care of all the logistics.

I recommend using my affiliate One Foot Abroad, and you could email me for promo code at kit@activetraveladventures.com. Poke around the one foot abroad website. You’ll get to see all these amazing walks and, and actual bike paths as well throughout Europe. They can book these charming ins for you. They arrange to have your luggage picked up each morning, and when you get to your inn, there’s your bag waiting for you.

So all you need to do is just carry your day pack. They give you a map and an app to help you find your way. And should you run into any [00:02:00] difficulties, they’re available 24 7. And since these walks are self-guided, the cost is really affordable, which makes it great for Europe. One of the reasons walking holidays become one of my favorite ways to travel is because it’s the epitome of slow travel.

You get to drink in the ambiance of the region. As you stroll, you meet the locals as just part of your day in theirs. I remember spending an hour just walking with a local guy out walking this dog. I cheered on some ranchers that were trying to catch an errant sheep, and we all had a nice chat and laugh once they were successful.

And because you’re not out walking the path alone, you’re gonna meet fellow walkers from around the world and have the time to chat and get to know them. I’ve made lifelong friends on these long distance walks, and when I meet up with them in the future, I’m often introducing them to other friends that I met, and then they become their new friends as well, and we form what I call a tangled slinky of friendships from all over the world.

It is so cool. These walks are great for solo walkers like myself, for couples [00:03:00] friends, and even families. If the young ones are old enough and mature enough. What a wonderful way to reconnect with loved ones and to see them in a completely different light. There are tons of walks throughout Europe, but today we’re gonna focus on the best ones in the United Kingdom.

In the uk, the hills aren’t very tall. They’re very rarely over 3000 feet or a thousand meters. They call them Monroe in Scotland, and they speak English. So it’s super easy to navigate and to engage with the locals. I personally walked the West Highland Way in Scotland, followed by the Cotswold Way, and then half of the coast to Coast Way in England.

I cannot more highly recommend you considering a walking holiday and cannot wait to share these incredible paths. So let’s get started.

Welcome to the Active Travel Adventures Podcast. I’m your host, kit Parks. Today’s episode is a modified version of one of my earliest shows. Back when I was such a nervous wreck [00:04:00] trying to record, I don’t think I took a breath. So in today’s version, I have gone back and edited and put some breathing space in there, so it’s a lot easier to listen to.

And I’ve added a couple of the changes too. So if you listen to it in the past, I encourage you to give it another listen today, and we’ve come a long ways in the last seven years. Thanks for listening. Let’s get on with the show.

Most of the trails I’ve included today are part of the UK’s National Trail System, which is created back in 1965 with the PanIN Way, which made our list today. These trails were of course chosen for their charm and natural beauty. And because you’re walking, you get to see ’em up close and personal in a way that you can’t do when you’re driving.

And if you don’t speak anything but English, you don’t have to worry. ’cause here that’s what they speak. So that takes one worry off the list. Also, it’s very budget friendly. It can even be a super cheap vacation if you backpack it, ’cause you can actually camp along most of the trails. [00:05:00] While that’s an option, another more popular option is to use a self-guided tour company.

What the self-guided tour companies do is they make, they plan the itinerary. You might give them how many days that you wanna do it. They usually offer a few different options. They make all the accommodation arrangements, which is helpful in case there’s some changes in the path, like what happened to me in Scotland where one of the main.

Places to stay was closed down for renovation and you’re in the middle of nowhere, and that was the only place to stay. So once I got there, they made arrangements to transport me about 10 miles away to this charming town I wanna go back to and explore one day and spend the night, and then pick me up in the morning and took me back to the trail.

If I’d been making my own arrangements, I’d have had to go through some incredible logistical hoops to do what they arranged for me. And because they had other travelers to combine us, it was much more economical for them to have a van come pick us up. I would’ve had to hire a private driver. And it was kinda remote.

I doubt there was cabs, so if I wasn’t driven, I’d have had to hike an extra 20 miles. So it [00:06:00] can come in handy because they do have the local on the ground knowledge. In addition, one super nice feature is they also transport your luggage. So all you need to carry is a day pack. So if you’re backpack it, of course you gotta bring all your gear.

And alternately, there are some companies that will just transport the luggage for you. I have found that when you add up those fees, it’s not that much more if you’re not camping, to go ahead and use the self-guided tour companies because it, it gets pretty close and they save you so much time and aggravation of trying to plan the adventure.

It’s also nice to have an on the ground contact 24 7 available to answer any questions or help you in case of an emergency of any kind. They also include some maps and some tips. So when I do this kind of thing, that’s the way that I, I do it nowadays. Unless I’m going into the back country, I will backpack.

But when the opportunity is there for me to have somebody else do all the planning and move my luggage, I’m taking that option. [00:07:00] The best time to go is gonna be between March and October. If you download the free travel planner for this episode, it’ll show you the exact months for each of the different hiking trails that we’re talking about today.

I think generally speaking, the best time to go is gonna be May and also early September. If you have that opportunity, you avoid the crowds. There’ll still be people out in the trails that you can meet and hang out with through throughout the day while you’re walking, but it won’t be as crowded. Also, you’ll avoid some bugs that may come out in the summertime.

Of course, you’re gonna have a greater risk of colder weather if the earlier and the later you go in the shoulder seasons. But I prepare for cold even in the summertime in the UK because when I was in Scotland, it was freezing on two of the days and I was very glad to have my thermals. And also I end up buying some waterproof gloves on that Scotland trip that I take with me.

Now everywhere I go where there’s any possibility of being cold, I, [00:08:00] you don’t need any special kind of technical skills for this, but you should be in decent enough shape that you can walk all day. This is something I’d say anybody from say, ages 12 and up mature, mature 12 and up can do. So. If you do decide to use a self-guided touring company, you obviously you don’t have a guide with you.

You are your own guide. They will make the arrangements, plan the itinerary, make the accommodations, do the luggage transfer, and give you some maps to help you get there. Safe and sound. And again, I recommend my affiliate one foot abroad. Put a link in the show notes. The trails themselves are very well marked on the national trails in England and Wales.

The emblem is an acorn symbol, so when you come to an intersection, you’ll see a little acorn carved usually into a post in Scotland. On the West Highland way. The symbol on their path was of a thistle. The paths are usually pretty clearly a path. The only time I can recall on the West Highland way [00:09:00] getting a little bit confused was I was busy chatting when I was still in town and therefore still on pavement, and I missed a a v in the road and I took the left fork when I should have gone to the right.

I realized it within a hundred feet. But if you do get a little confused at intersection, here’s some tips. So if I find that I’m not sure, what I do is I take some sticks and stones and I’ll make like a little arrow in the path indicating which way I entered the decision path that I chose. So if I decide that I’ve gone the wrong way and I backtrack back to that intersection, I know to go the other direction and I’ll know which way I, I came from.

So that’s a good little tip to make sure that you don’t get too lost. Another tip, particularly if you’re unsure about an intersection, is before you take the, the turn that you’re gonna take is turn around and look and see what the scenery looks like behind you, because you’d be shocked at how often it’s totally different than what you see when you’re looking forward.

So if you do end up backtracking, you’ll recognize that intersection and not walk past it. [00:10:00] Also, look for your little arrow in the path. Lemme describe a typical day if you’re using the self-guided tour companies. You wake up usually not too early if you’re gonna take advantage of the free breakfast. A lot of times that doesn’t start until seven or eight o’clock, so you have your free breakfast, you load up your stuff, pack up your suitcase, and you deposit it wherever they tell you that they’re gonna pick up the luggage.

Sometimes it’s in a little shed. Sometimes it’s just at the door, the b and b or wherever it is that you’re staying, and you, it has a little luggage tag on it and off you go and you walk and you stop whenever you want. And you have lunch where you want. If you’re heading into a remote area, you would grab something to eat, to take with you, so you’ll have something to nibble on along the way.

So you walk for several hours, take breaks whenever you want to, and mosey into whatever the village is. I usually would get there sometime in the midday, depending on how fast I was walking, how often I stopped. Then [00:11:00] you get cleaned up. Your luggage is there waiting for you, and then you enjoy the little town stroll around the town, check out the local hotspots, pubs, little museums, or whatever it is that you’d like to do.

Then the next day you wake up and you head off to the next village.

And you’re generally out in the countryside, not by roads, so it’s very quiet and peaceful and very scenic, obviously, or they wouldn’t have chosen these areas to be their national trails. Now that I’ve given you a brief overview of what to expect, now let’s look at the walking paths themselves. I’ve organized this list by breaking out between England, Scotland, and Wales, and within those areas, alphabetically for you.

And remember, you can get all the details with a free travel planner@activetraveladventures.com. Put walking holidays in the search bar, or you can get the printer friendly version. If you get the monthly newsletter, I [00:12:00] only do it once a month. Just click on the newsletter link and sign up if you haven’t already.

That will give you instant access and access, not just to this, but to every travel planner I’ve ever covered in the seven years I’ve been doing this so far.

So to begin in England, we’ll start with the Coast to Coast Trail. This is one of the world’s most popular hikes. You walk east to west from St. Be’s to Robins Hood Bay, through rolling hills and mountains, quaint farmsteads, and the brooding Moores of North Yorkshire. You stay overnight in charming little villages like the ever popular grass mirror as you hike through the stunning English Lake District and Yorkshire Dales.

At just under 200 miles, which is about 320 kilometers. This exhilarating hike will challenge you and be worth every beat of sweat. This is one of the more challenging ones on the list today. Say on average, it’ll take you about 15 days, and I would rate this a moderate to occasionally strenuous difficulty rating.[00:13:00]

If you don’t have the time or desire to do 200 miles, you could do like I did last year and I just did the front half, which is considered the prettier half going through the Lake District. And you can do this as a self-guided tour in two parts or all in one fell. Swoop up a link in the show notes.

Number two on our list for England is the Cotswold Way. This is another amazing walk that I did, and in fact, a funny story. So I met Simon from England on the West Highland way, the one in Scotland for the birthday party that introduced me to these walkin holidays. Simon and I became friends as we walked all day, et cetera.

You’ll hear about that in the West Highland Way episode if you listen to that. And in Simon’s British. So the following year when I’m doing the Cotswold Way. I connect again with Simon. He picks me up at the airport, spend the night at his place. The next night, I spend the night at his girlfriend’s house, who is in the Cotswold, and I’m able to go directly from there to start my hike, and then midway through my [00:14:00] hike, I have lunch at Simon’s parents’ house, which also happens to be on the Cotswold way.

So it’s going into that same tangled, slinky kind of a thing. Then Shar, who I met through this podcast also did the TWA way, introduced her to Simon and sent out their friends, and it’s just, it’s this really cool thing that you can experience when you have the time to get to know people on these long distance hikes.

So let’s talk about the twa. Truly a beautiful hike. If, if you can only pick one, this might be one to seriously consider.

This one can actually be broken into two sections. The north section goes from chipping Camden to painswick, or the south section goes from painswick to bath. So if you don’t have time to do the entire walk, which is about nine days, you can break it up roughly half and half. If you do the entire trail, it runs about a hundred miles, which is about 160 kilometers, and it’s only a moderate difficulty rating.[00:15:00]

It runs from the delightful chip in Camden. All the way to Bath this path exemplifies what you think of whenever you’re imagining traditional British countryside with a charming thatch roof cottages, the country gardens, the English pubs in the little pictures landscape. This is the Cotswold way. Almost the entire trail is within the Cotswold area of outstanding natural beauty.

It meanders through enchanting little villages before ending in the UNESCO world. Heritage City of Bath. If this hike is too long for you, like I said, you can break it up into two ways. The north or south sections, the north section takes you about four days, and again, it’s moderately difficult. You hike through just traditional English countryside on quite little lanes, from chipping Camden all the way to Painswick through delightful villages like Broadway, Stanton, and chipping Camden.

You can end each day in a typical British pub, and this trip is gonna be about [00:16:00] 45 miles or 70 kilometers. The south section will take about five days. Again, moderately difficult, and this section is considered to be some of Ink England’s finest landscape. You have an enchanting hike from Painswick that finishes in bath, and be sure to stop and take a tea break along the way.

This walk is about 55 miles, 90 kilometers of spectacular scenery. Path number three in England is the River Thames path from the source to the sea. The average walk takes about 14 or 15 days, and it’s roughly 185 miles, which is around 300 kilometers. You’re pretty much going from the source of the river Thames near Campbell to the stunning Cotswold area.

All the way down to the Thames barrier in London. So you’re gonna be going from the countryside all the way into [00:17:00] London. You’re gonna be starting in the grasslands and woodlands, and then you’re gonna reach the urban epicenter. You’re gonna be passing some of the UK’s iconic landmarks, such as Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey at the end.

Plan on staying an extra day, maybe in Oxford or Dorchester. This path offers the spectrum from quaint country villages to historic London, and it’ll give you a full taste of Britain on average. It’s gonna take you about 14 or 15 days to walk this path. However, there’s some great places that you may wanna consider taking an extra day as a layover and work that into your trip.

This path is moderate with a couple of strenuous parts, and if you think that this is too long of a walk for you, consider breaking into, they’re one of the two sections, the west or the east. You can do the West Thas path from Kimball to Pang Barn, or you can do the East Thames path from Pang Barn into London.[00:18:00]

The West Tims path is an average walk of about seven or eight days for about 90 miles, or which is 140 kilometers, and it goes through the Cotswold area. You pass through some charming villages such as Dorchester and Oxford. As you watch the river slowly grow to navigable size, it’s moderate with a couple of strenuous areas.

On the east section, the average walk is gonna be six or seven days for about a hundred miles, which is 160 kilometers. You’re gonna watch the scenery go from the country grasslands and get more urban industrial. As you get past Windsor, after teddington, you can explore the historic waterfront and you can switch your path between the north and the south sides of the river crossing whenever you desire at the different bridges along the way.

This would be a truly cool way to reenter London for your trip back home. Fourth on the [00:19:00] list for England is Hadrian’s Wall. This is an opportunity to combine history with your hiking holiday on this famous route. From Newcastle to bonus on Soay alongside much of the remaining former Roman barrier, including Northern Europe’s largest surviving Roman monument and a Unesca World heritage site.

Hadrian was a famous Roman emperor, and this wall was the outermost reach of the empire. On the other side were those dreaded Scots, I believe they called them the Caledonian at the time. So you walk along the path of the old wall, much of which is still intact. A lot of it was cannibalized to make houses and fortresses and stuff like that in the future, but it’s a really cool walk that’s very historic, and so it’s a great opportunity to combine your love of history with an active adventure.

They have an outstanding visitor center along the wall as well. The average walk is gonna be about nine days for about 85 miles, which is 135 kilometers. You’re gonna see turrets and forts and [00:20:00] multiples of the mile castles. These are little mini forts that were built about every mile along the barrier.

There’s plenty of museums and visitor centers to quench your thirst for history, so you get a great chance to get some exercise and learn a lot about the history. This is a superb choice for the history buff number five on our list is also a national trail, the southwest coast path. This is a more strenuous hike that’s moderate to strenuous difficulty rating, and can also be broken into two sections.

The first section is pads down to St. Ives and averages about five days. You walk south from the irresistible pad style along pristine sandy beaches or above furious ocean waves crashing to create caves against the cliffs on this Atlantic coast hike, nestled between charming fishing villages and landscapes.

You can rest your tired feet during a break in the secluded cove and route to St. Ives. Cornwalls most famous holiday town. [00:21:00] Enjoy fresh caught fish nightly on this approximately 60 mile hike, which is about a hundred kilometers. The second section is St. Ives to Penzance, which averages about four days of hiking.

Again, moderate to strenuous difficulty rating. You continue south on the southwest coast path along the sandy beaches and cliffs on this remote and rugged section of about 40 miles, which is 65 kilometers. You’ll have lots of opportunities to see wildlife, especially birds as you continue to land’s. End Britain’s westernmost.

Point next up at number six is PanIN way. This hike is 16 to 20 days depending on your pace and is a moderate to sternness difficulty rating. You walk this path from south to north normally and end up by the Scottish border. You’ll be crossing Hadrian’s Wall and the two Trails path form a cross formation.

If you’re [00:22:00] looking at a map and ending up in Northern England, you’re gonna be hiking through some stunning mos and through three national parks, the Peak District, the Yorkshire Dales, and North Umberland on the UK’s first national Trail.

There’s some gorgeous rivers and waterfalls, as well as some Roman ruins that you’ll see when you’re at the historic Roman Hadrian’s wall country that we talked about a little bit earlier. These breathtaking hills, Dales, and Moreland, coupled with history make this one of the UK’s most endeared long distance trails.

Before we move on to Scotland and Wales, we’ve got one more in England. St. Cuthbert’s Way from Melrose to Linda’s Farn. This is a shorter walk of about five days and it’s easy to moderate difficulty rating, and it’s perfect for history, especially religious history. Buffs. [00:23:00] This classic pilgrimage path leads to Holy Island through Northumberland and the borders of Scotland, along many places associated with the Medieval St.

Cubert for whom this path is named. So consider taking this self-reflecting walk of approximately 60 miles or a hundred kilometers through the dramatic woodland farmland and more lands along the way, and then finished by crossing the tidal causeway to the medieval monastery on Holy Island. Be sure to check the tide tables before you cross the causeway.

You don’t wanna get wet. Now let’s head up to Scotland where we’ve got two paths for you to consider. First up is the Trail Great Glen Way, which averages four to six days, depending on your pace, on a easy to moderately difficult trail. Be on the lookout for Nessie the Monster as you walk alongside the famous lochness.

This gentle path starts in engaging Fort William, which is the base of Britain’s highest mountain Ben [00:24:00] Neves, which in itself is worth a climb, and it wanders along the Moody Lakes and the panoramic mos, the canals of the forest of the Scottish Highlands on its way to Inverness. It’s about 80 miles or 130 kilometers.

This trail also ties in with the trail that I did the West Highland Way. So if you’re really motivated, you can do both in approximately two weeks. If you only have time to do one, do the West Highland Way. My friend Simon did both simultaneously. He did that right after I met him, and he enjoyed the West Highland way much more.

Number nine on our list, and number two in Scotland is the West Highland way. This path averages about seven days walking on it’s moderate to the couple of difficult areas that aren’t even that overly difficult. You’ve got one 14 mile day that has a lot of stepping up and down on rocks. That was a little bit more challenging than most of the days.

It was probably particularly challenging for me because I had hurt my [00:25:00] knee on that trip. And then also you’ve got the devil staircase, which is scarier more in sound than in actuality. It’s a steep hill that has a lot of carved out stepping stones. Out of rock. But some say that the name itself was named by the builders who had to carve out the steps.

I didn’t find it overly difficult, but it there is a, a steep hill. Some people actually bike much of the West Highland way. In fact, Simon reported that he saw somebody biking down the devil staircase on what was the worst weather day of our entire adventure.

Planning your adventure on the West Highland way. Pay special attention to the section between Tindra and King’s House. It’s about a 20 mile section that you have to decide if you’re gonna do 20 miles all in one day, or do you wanna do a really short day of about seven miles and then do the other 13 the next day because it’s very remote and once you start, there really is no, you’ve got to go.

And if the weather’s bad, you still have got [00:26:00] to go. I actually, if you listen to my episode on the West Highland Way, I was doing the 20 mile a day and I had to make a choice when I got to the seven miles. If I was gonna do that 13 miles across, absolutely nowhere in one of the worst weather days I’ve ever hiked in.

I did make the decision to take the bus from the Town Bridge of Orie to the King’s House area rather than go out in that weather because of my knee. And so just when you’re doing this trip, pay close attention to that section and your, and know your body before you plan to see whether or not you feel you can do 20 miles or not in a day.

Because over that rugged mow, there is nothing, not a shed, not a telephone pole. Zero cell service. There is nothing for 50 square miles. I hope to go back and do it one day and it’s not that the section is difficult, it’s just, it’s long and it is very remote. [00:27:00] One of the nice things about using the company I used to plan my West Highland Way trip was I did get backup plans in case I needed to do something like take the bus to skip a section for whatever reason.

The West Highland Way isn’t Scotland’s most popular long distance trail without reason. It has gorgeous La Laman that you’re walking along most of the time. Some scenic rivers, peaceful pastures, the remote Ock Moore, plus some quaint villages each night that ensure a really satisfying hike through the Highlands.

This trail starts in Mil Gavi. I know Jamie, I know you’re listening. I can never remember how to pronounce it. Sorry. But I keep screwing up. The Scottish broke and anyway, and it finishes in Fort William where you can pick up the great Glen way. We just talked about plan to spend an extra day in Fort William to climb Ben Nevis if you can.

Or also it’s a cute little town and it’s considered the outdoor capital of Scotland. I have such fond memories of my West Highland Way [00:28:00] hike, and I hope that you’ll truly consider it. I’ve made some lifelong friends along the path, and I think you’ll too. It’s a great, great walkin holiday.

And last certainly not least, we’re heading to Wales for number 10 on our list, and that is the Pembrokeshire Coast path. This is a long path and it’s a hard path, but it can be broken into three sections if you don’t want to do the whole thing. The full length will take you almost two weeks. And like I said, it’s pretty strenuous in certain sections.

Experienced hikers can do the entire path. The rest of us should probably just pick a section to walk along the cliffs of the Western peninsula of whales. You could be on the lookout in season for the comical puffins and the leisurely seals as you hug this rugged coast line. You’ll visit sleepy fishing villages and enjoy the catch of the day each night, and enjoy the quiet seclusion with just the crash of the waves below disturbing [00:29:00] your thoughts.

Like I said, this hike could be broken into three sections. Number one is the south section from Amro to Pembroke, and it’s about six days of moderate disc strenuous difficulty, and it’s the most popular section. Then you’ve got the central section from Pembroke to St. David’s, which is about six days, and also moderate to strenuous.

And note that this section in the middle goes through some industrial areas. And lastly, the most difficult and remote north section from St. David’s to dog miles. I know I mispronounced that and that’s about five days hiking of a strenuous difficulty rating. The entire trail is about 300 kilometers or 185 miles, and it’s got a couple of 20 plus mile days, which is 32 kilometers, and all of the days are over 11 miles or 18 kilometers.

So this is not a baby hike for somebody to be trying out for the first time. And if you do so, [00:30:00] just start with the south section and do that only on this first trip. And don’t do the north section until you know if you’re strong enough A hiker. But if you’re a strong hiker and you’re looking for some rugged remote coastline, this is the path for you.

Since this episode was first published and I became affiliated with one foot abroad, I noticed when I was doing research and editing this thing that they do a trip called the Ridgeway that was not on my original list. The Ridgeway is considered England’s oldest path at over 4,000 years. So if you are looking for something that’s very quiet and meditative, it’s not gonna be as.

Is over trafficked as as some like the, the West Highland way can get a little busy. You might wanna consider the Ridgeway. It runs about a 10 day hike. It’s roughly 85 miles, 138 kilometers, and you’re gonna go through ancient sceneries. Through isolated woodlands and valleys, you’ll see remnants of volt forts, ancient long [00:31:00] barrels, a barrel being one of the ancient burial mounds.

And you’ll go through some really cute villages, including some UNESCO World heritage sites. So I’ve added that to this year’s list. So now we’re at 11. Instead of the 10 that we originally had back seven years ago or whatever it was, this one is probably one of the easier of the trails. And because it’s not as popular, your accommodations may not be as nice be, it’s not heavily touristed.

So if you’re looking for something just to ha, get inside your head and just to have some peace and quiet, consider the Ridgeway again. You can find more details about all of these paths on the active travel adventures.com website, and the Travel Planner includes links to all of these. Don’t forget, if you would like to use my affiliate One Foot Abroad, email me at kit@activetraveladventures.com.

I can save you a little bit of money with an exclusive promo code. I’m no longer publishing the promo code, so you do need to email me. I don’t add you to the newsletter if you [00:32:00] email me unless you ask me to, so don’t worry about that. It’s just one way that as the promo codes change, I’m giving you the most current code.

Well, that rounds out the top of what I consider to be the best walkin holidays in the uk. We’ve gone north to south, east to west, and all over the most gorgeous scenery the United Kingdom has to offer. If you’ve never done an adventure trip before, one of these walk-in holidays is a great way to get your feet wet and a truly fun way to interact with the locals and get a real taste and flavor of a country.

Plus they’re speaking English, so listening to this, I know you must speak at least some English, so you won’t have the, the language barrier to deal with. You only have one currency to deal with the British pound, and it’s just the, the people are lovely, welcoming and it’s a great way to truly immerse yourself in a new culture.

And get some great exercise along the way. You’ll be tired at the end of the day, but a good, happy, tired, your feet will hurt, but they’ll be fine the next morning and you’ll be raring to go all over again. And I would [00:33:00] guarantee you if you do one of these trips as soon as you get home, you’ll be planning your next active adventure.

I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about these beautiful long distance walks in the uk. To learn more, check out active travel adventures.com and the one foot abroad website. And remember, as an Add A Listener, you get a discount. So be sure to email me for the current discount promo code at kit@activetraveladventures.com.

And be sure to share this episode with your family and adventurous friends. And consider making your next vacation, a bonding, walking holiday. Until next time, this is Kit Parks Adventure On.

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The UK’s 10 Best Walking Holidays

In our last episode, we went to Patagonia, which is a challenging adventure. Not all of you are up for that kind of adventure at this point. I thought what I do is call down the national trails in the United Kingdom to the ten very best walking holiday. It’s a different kind of adventure. You’re not ruggedly climbing mountains per se. You’re literally walking from one cute little village to the next through scenic countryside. It’s a very doable adventure for the entire family even. It’s great for soloists because you get to meet lots of people along the trail. It’s great for couples and friends that want to bond and reconnect. For the families themselves, it gets you a chance to get to know each other in a different light than you might see at home. Walking holidays is a wonderful way to share some time with the people that you love and to meet new friends from around the world. I’m going to share with you what I consider to be the ten best walking holidays in the United Kingdom. We’re going to go to England, Scotland and Wales.

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Pennine Way: Edale To Kirk Yetholm On The Scottish Border

I’m super excited to share with you these walking holidays. Most of the trails I’ve included are part of the UKâ€™s national trail system, which was created back in 1965 with the Pennine Way, which made our list. These trails were chosen for their charm and natural beauty. Because you’re walking, you get to see them up close and personal in a way that you can’t do when you’re driving. If you don’t speak anything but English, you don’t have to worry because that’s what they speak. That ticks one worry off the list. Also it’s very budget friendly. It could even be a super cheap vacation if you backpack it because you could actually camp along most of the trails. That’s an option.

Another more popular option is to use a self-guided tour company. What the self-guided tour companies do is they plan the itinerary. You might give them how many days that you want to do it. They usually offer a few different options. They make all the accommodation arrangements, which is helpful in case there are some changes in the path like what happened to me in Scotland where one of the main places to stay was closed down for renovation and you’re in the middle of nowhere. That was the only place to stay. Once I got there, they made arrangements to transport me about ten miles away to this charming town that I want to go back to and explore one day, and spend the night and then picked me up in the morning and took me back to the trail.

If I’d been making my own arrangements, I had to go through some incredible logistical hoops to do what they arranged for me. Because they had other travelers to combine us, it was much more economical for them to have a van come pick us up. I would have had to hire a private driver. It was remote. I doubt there were cabs. If I wasn’t driven, I’d have to hike an extra twenty miles. That can come in handy because they do have the local on the ground knowledge. In addition, one super nice feature is they also transport your luggage. All you need to carry is a day pack. If youâ€™re backpacking, of course you’ve got to bring all your gear. Alternately there are some companies that will transport the luggage for you. I have found that when you add up those fees, it’s not that much more if you’re not camping to go ahead and use the self-guided tour companies because it gets pretty close and they save you so much time and aggravation of trying to plan the adventure.

It’s also nice to have an on the ground contact 24/7 available to answer any questions or help you in case of an emergency of any kind. They also include some maps and some tips. Anyhow, when I do this kind of thing, that’s the way that I’d do it nowadays. Unless I’m going into the back country, I will backpack. When the opportunity is there for me to have someone else do all the planning and move my luggage, I’m taking that option. The best time to go is going to be between March and October. If you download the free travel planner for this episode, it will show you the exact months for each of the different hiking trails that we’re talking about. Generally speaking, the best time to go is going to be May and also early September. If you have that opportunity, you avoid the crowds. There will still be people out in the trails that you could meet and hang out with throughout the day while you’re walking, but it won’t be as crowded. Also, you’ll avoid some bugs that may come out in the summertime.

You’re going to have a greater risk of colder weather if the earlier and the later you go in the shoulder seasons. I prepare for cold even in the summertime in the UK because when I was in Scotland, it was freezing on two of the days. I was very glad to have my thermals. Also, I ended up buying some waterproof gloves on that Scotland trip that I take with me now everywhere I go where there’s any possibility of being cold. You don’t need any special kind of technical skills for this, but you should be in decent enough shape that you can walk all day. This is something I’d say anybody from ages twelve and up can do.

If you do decide to use a self-guided touring company, you don’t have a guide with you, you are your own guide. They will make the arrangements, plan the itinerary, make the accommodations, do the luggage transfer and give you some maps to help you get there safe and sound. The trails themselves are very well-marked. On the national trails in England and Wales, the emblem is an acorn symbol, so when you come to an intersection, you’ll see a little acorn carved usually into a post.

These exhilarating hikes will challenge you and be worth every bead of sweat. Share on X

In Scotland on the West Highland Way, the symbol on their path was of a thistle. The paths are usually pretty clearly a path. The only time I can recall on the West Highland Way getting a little bit confused as I was busy chatting when I was still in town and therefore still on pavement and I missed V in the road and I took the left fort when I should have gone to the right. I realized it within a hundred feet. If you do get a little confused at intersection, here are some tips. If I find that I’m not sure, what I do is I take some sticks and stones. Iâ€™ll make a little arrow in the path indicating which way I entered the decision path that I chose. If I decide that I’ve gone the wrong way and I backtrack back to that intersection, I know to go the other direction. I’ll know which way I came from. That’s a good little tip to make sure that you don’t get too lost. Another tip, particularly if you’re unsure about an intersection, is before you take the turn that you’re going to take is turn around and look and see what the scenery looks like behind you. You’d be shocked at how often it’s totally different than what you see when you’re looking forward. If you do end up backtracking, you’ll recognize that intersection and not walk past it. Also, look for your little arrow in the path.

Let me describe a typical day if you’re using the self-guided tour companies. You wake up usually not too early. If you’re going to take advantage of the free breakfast, lot of times that doesn’t start until 7:00 or 8:00. You have your free breakfast, you load up your stuff, pack up your suitcase and you deposit it wherever they tell you that they’re going to pick up the luggage. Sometimes it’s in a little shed, sometimes it’s just at the door of the BnB or wherever it is that you’re staying. It has a little luggage tag on it. Off you go and you walk and you stop whenever you want and you have lunch where you want. If you’re heading into a remote area, you would grab something to eat to take with you, so you’ll have something to nibble on along the way.

You walk for several hours, take breaks whenever you want to and mosey into whatever the village is. I usually would get there sometime in the mid-day depending on how fast I was walking, how often I stopped. Then you get cleaned up, your luggage is there waiting for you and then you enjoy the little town, stroll around the town, check out the local hotspots, pubs, little museums or whatever it is that you’d like to do. The next day you wake up and you head off to the next village. You’re generally out in the countryside not by roads, so itâ€™s very quiet and peaceful and very scenic obviously or they wouldn’t have chosen these areas to be their national trails.

Now that I’ve given you a brief overview of what to expect, now let’s look at the walking paths themselves. I’ve organized this list by breaking out between England, Scotland and Wales and within those areas alphabetically for you. Remember you can get all the details with the free travel planner at ActiveTravelAdventures.com.

Coast To Coast

To begin in England, we’ll start with the Coast to Coast trail. This is one of the world’s most popular hikes. You walk east to west from St. Bees to Robinson Bay through rolling hills and mountains, quaint farmsteads and the brooding moors in North Yorkshire. You stay overnight in charming little villages like the ever-popular Grasmere as you hike through the stunning English Lake District and Yorkshire Dales. At just under 200 miles, which is about 320 kilometers, this exhilarating hike will challenge you and be worth every bead of sweat. This is one of the more challenging ones on the list. On average, it will take you about fifteen days and I would rate this a moderate to occasionally strenuous difficulty rating.