Northumberland Coast Path
Explore the full Northumberland Coast Path on a self-guided walking holiday, with accommodation and luggage transfer.
Northumberland Coast Path
https://www.contours.co.uk/northumberland-coast-path
A self-guided walking holiday along the coast of Northumberland, visiting the Holy Island of Lindisfarne.
From £340 per person
The Northumberland Coast Path tours wild, unspoilt countryside, where castle ruins loom on the headands above long beaches of golden sand.
This gentle, low-level walk arcs inland once — to enjoy stunning views of the coast from St Cuthbert’s Cave — but otherwise clings to the Northumbrian shoreline. Castles adorn the rocky cliffs, and at low tide, you can make your way across a tidal causeway to Holy Island to explore the extensive ruins of Lindisfarne Priory. With plenty of beach walking between bustling seaside towns, this is a pretty, approachable and friendly section of the England Coast Path.
Dogs are welcome on select routes along this trail. Look for the pawprint icon when choosing your holiday.
From £650 per person
This holiday option explores the length of the Northumberland Coast Path along 72 miles of incredible terrain, from the town of Creswell up to Berwick-upon-Tweed near the Scottish border.
Walk along golden beaches beneath ruined castles towering on the headlands. The Northumberland Coast Path tours a wild, unspoilt region full of history, winding northwards and showcasing everything this lesser-known trail has to offer.
Code | Tour | Duration | Price per person | |
---|---|---|---|---|
NOCP1 | From Cresswell(T) to Berwick-upon-Tweed | 4 days walking | £650 | |
NOCP2 | From Cresswell(T) to Berwick-upon-Tweed | 5 days walking | £775 | |
NOCP3 | From Cresswell(T) to Berwick-upon-Tweed | 6 days walking | £900 | |
NOCP4 | From Cresswell(T) to Berwick-upon-Tweed | 7 days walking | £1025 | |
NOCP5 | From Cresswell(T) to Berwick-upon-Tweed | 9 days walking | £1275 | |
NOCP6 | From Cresswell(T) to Berwick-upon-Tweed | 10 days walking | £1405 |
NB: The causeway on to Holy Island can only be crossed during low tide. Before booking, please check the Holy Island Safe Crossing Times here.
Travel to Cresswell(T) where your first night's accommodation will be booked
Cresswell(T) to Alnmouth. 16.5 miles (26.5km) / 594 ft (181 m) ascent
Alnmouth to Bamburgh. 22 miles (35km) / 896 ft (273 m) ascent
Bamburgh to Holy Island. 20.5 miles (33km) / 1276 ft (389 m) ascent
Holy Island to Berwick-upon-Tweed. 14 miles (22.5km) / 315 ft (96 m) ascent
Depart from Berwick-upon-Tweed after breakfast
This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this tour. Sometimes there may be a shortage of available accommodation in a preferred location, in which case we will transfer you from the trail to your accommodation and back again at no extra charge. Overnight stops marked with a (T) will always require transfers as standard.
Overnight stops marked with an (L) have very limited accommodation, and therefore more often than not will also require a transfer, particularly on bank holidays and weekends. We will use non-transfer accommodation wherever possible.
The daily mileages quoted are average trail miles only and do not include the distance from the trail to your accommodation. We do not expect you to have to travel more than a mile from the trail to your accommodation in most cases; should your accommodation be further than this, transfers will be provided as standard if practical. A very limited number of stops will require you to travel on foot up to two miles off the trail, however these instances will be clearly communicated to you if applicable.
Further transfers may also be required due to some accommodations having a two-night minimum booking policy, especially at weekends.
Below are the additional costs that may apply depending on your requirements. Dog-friendly tours are subject to a Daily Dog Charge, which will be listed below if applicable. Our standard prices per person are based upon two people sharing a room; if you are on your own, or are part of a group but require a room of your own, then the Solo Traveller or Single Supplements apply respectively:
You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:
Discovering the turbulent history of Northumberland as you walk between the fortified towns of Berwick-upon-Tweed and Warkworth.
Experiencing the tranquillity of the Holy Island of Lindisfarne.
Walking along sandy beaches complemented with far-reaching and historic views.
You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:
Useful information and travel links that will assist you in your plans to travel to the start of the holiday and back from the end of it are sent to you with your full tour pack. A summary is given below:
The most convenient major cities and international airports are Newcastle and Edinburgh.
The nearest station to the start of the trail (Cresswell) *is at Widdrington (about 5 miles away). The nearest rail stations to Amble are at Acklington (about 5 miles away) and Alnmouth (about 6 miles away). The nearest rail station to Warkworth) is at Alnmouth (about 4 miles away). There is a rail station at the end of the trail (Berwick-upon-Tweed).
There is a direct bus from Widdrington to Cresswell Monday to Saturday only, so a taxi would be the best option on a Sunday, when two buses would be required. Buses run from Alnmouth to both Amble and Warkworth.
Trains run from London Kings Cross station to Widdrington, Alnmouth & Acklington. From there a bus/taxi will be required to Cresswell/wherever your accommodation has been booked.
The easiest way to return to the start of the trail, is to catch a train from Berwick-Upon-Tweed to Widdrington/Alnmouth/Acklington and then catch a bus/taxi from here to Cresswell/Amble/Warkworth/wherever your accommodation/car is located.
To find out more about the weather forecast for your chosen holiday's general location, please see the following websites:
“It was a wonderful holiday, amazing scenery, and even good weather! The walk was lovely, beautiful beaches, interesting villages, castles, wildlife….All the arrangements went smoothly and all the accommodation was of a high standard. Hope to do another one next year!”Prof Browning, UK
“Brilliant. Lovely walk. Very well organised. This was our third holiday with Contours and we have two more in the pipeline.”Prof Creighton, UK
“It was one of the best holidays we've ever had. Everything was perfect...thank you. From the original phone call to the itinerary, accommodation and route we couldn't have asked for anything better. We are looking now for our next dog friendly adventure next year.”Mr Dolman, UK
“The Northumberland Coast Path covers a very interesting and lovely area which was unknown to us previously. The mileage agreed was perfect allowing us time to explore the towns and villages.”Mrs Butcher, UK
“Historical and scenic.”Dr Hacking, Canada
“Good accommodation and a good walk.”Mr Hirst, UK
“Overall, we’ve loved the walk. It has really allowed us to de-stress and the views have been fantastic. Everyone we’ve interacted with has been really friendly and helpful.”Mr Fleetwood, UK
“My friend and I had a very enjoyable walking holiday. The weather was perfect, the accommodations ranged from satisfactory to excellent. The info folder was excellent. The taxi was on time. The luggage transfers were seamless. Would most certainly book another holiday with you. We like the way the walking holidays are organized very much.”Mr Cramer, Netherlands
“The route was excellent and the organisation throughout was faultless. The path was very well signposted, and with the map and supplementary directions, we didn't get lost at all! Spectacular, expansive, people free beaches combined with cliff top paths, some farmland and woodland, all made this a fantastic route. Add in several castles, friendly people, good food and drink, and the holiday was great. Already got some fellow ramblers looking! Efficient service and reasonable value.”Mr Tumelty, UK