Independent Trails: Fact File

Independent Trails: Fact File.DW3

Yorkshire Dales - Dales Way

Trail Facts
Total distance: 78 miles (125km)
Duration: 9 nights, 8 days walking
Minimum/maximum daily distances: 6 miles (9.5km)/13 miles (21km)
Waymarking: The trail is waymarked with Dales Way symbols and is very easy to follow.
Season: March to October
Starting point of holiday: Ilkley
End of holiday: Windermere
Code: DW3

Itinerary

Day 1: Travel to Ilkley, where your first nights accommodation has been booked.

Day 2: Ilkley to Howgill. 10 miles (16km)

Day 3: Howgill to Grassington. 6 miles (9.5km).

Day 4: Grassington to Buckden. 10 miles (16km).

Day 5: Buckden to Cam Houses. 8 miles (13km).

Day 6: Cam Houses to Dent. 12 miles (19km).

Day 7: Dent to Sedbergh. 7 miles (11km).

Day 8: Sedbergh to Grayrigg. 12 miles (19km).

Day 9: Grayrigg to Windermere. 13 miles (21km).

Day 10: Depart from Windermere after breakfast.

Extra nights/Rest days

Grassington is a very popular choice for a rest day. It is a delightful village, with ancient cottages, inns and shops surrounding a cobbled market square. From this centre, a number of alleyways or folds lead off invitingly, begging exploration. Don't miss the absorbing upper Wharfedale folk museum. If you prefer somewhere quieter consider Buckden; an attractive jumble of stone cottages, with a shop and a lovely old inn, perched on the hillside overlooking the River Wharfe Dent is worth considering for a rest day. It is another lovely village with narrow cobbled streets, stone cottages with brightly flowered widow-boxes, a few old inns, shops and a fine church. Many people have an extra day in Sedbergh, it is a very pleasant market town. Windermere at the end of the trail is a good choice for an extra night if you would like to explore the southern Lake District.

What's included

9 nights accommodation in en-suite rooms with private bathrooms (where available) in selected hotels, inns and guesthouses and farmhouse B&B's.
Full English breakfast.
Door to door luggage transfer along the trail.
A set of maps with the route marked on and a guidebook describing the trail.
An information pack containing an itinerary, detailed instructions on how to find your accommodation each night, town plans, information about facilities and places of interest along the trail and a kit list.
Detailed travel instructions on how to get to the start of your holiday and back from the end of it.
Emergency assistance

Travel Information

Detailed instructions on how to get to the start of the holiday and back from the end of it are sent to you on booking. A summary is given below.

Most convenient major city and International airports: Manchester. There is a regular train service from Manchester Airport to Ilkley (2 hours 20 minutes).

Outward journey from London to Ilkley: There is a fast and frequent service from London Kings Cross to Ilkley (3 ½ hours).

Return journey to London at the end of the holiday: Train from Windermere to London Kings Cross (5 ½ hours).