Hadrian's Wall Path

Hadrian's Wall Path

A walk between Wallsend and Bowness-on-Solway, following the impressive remains of Hadrian's Wall.

3 to 11 nights
27-84 miles
Easy / Moderate to Strenuous

From £340 per person

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About the trail

Hadrian's Wall Path is iconic. Through a rolling, castle-marked landscape shaped by the Roman occupation of Britain, this popular walking holiday strikes across the breadth of the country along the shoulder of Emperor Hadrian’s ancient wall.

Well-waymarked and featuring plenty of friendly villages eager to welcome walkers, Hadrian's Wall Path is the ideal trail for your first walking holiday. Yet it has plenty to offer veteran walkers, too, whether your interest is in the abundant wildlife, the varied remains of Roman milecastles, or the rolling Northumbrian hills themselves.

We offer multiple holiday options along this trail. If you wish to experience the entire trail, simply select the first option from the list below.

Choose your route

  • This route includes dog friendly tour options Hadrian's Wall Path
  • This route includes dog friendly tour options Best of Hadrian's Wall
  • This route includes dog friendly tour options Hadrian's Wall Highlights
  • This route includes dog friendly tour options Hadrian's Wall Short Break

Dog friendly tours available

Dogs are welcome on select routes along this trail. Look for the pawprint icon when choosing your holiday.

Reverse tours available

This route can be walked in either direction - just tick the 'Reverse Tours' box when choosing your tour to see options travelling in the non-standard direction.

About this route

4 to 7 nights
55 miles
Moderate to Demanding / Strenuous
2nd January to 24th December
Includes Dog-Friendly Tours

From £435 per person

Best of Hadrian's Wall

From Heddon-on-the-Wall to Carlisle, this shorter walking holiday explores only the best-preserved sections of the wall, omitting the urban sections of Hadrian’s Wall Path that pass through Newcastle and Carlisle.

The Best of Hadrian’s Wall Path walk visits several of the largest Roman forts found along the Wall, as well as Thirlwall Castle and Lanercost Priory, built with stone plundered from the wall itself. This is an ideal holiday choice for those keen to explore a large section of this iconic trail in a short space of time.

This route can also be travelled in the opposite direction if preferred. Select the ‘Reverse tours’ option when choosing your itinerary.

Available tours

Code Tour Duration Difficulty Price per person
BHWP1 From Heddon-on-the-Wall(L) to Carlisle 4 nights, 3 days walking Demanding / Strenuous £435
BHWP2 From Heddon-on-the-Wall(L) to Carlisle 5 nights, 4 days walking Demanding £540
BHWP3 From Heddon-on-the-Wall(L) to Carlisle 6 nights, 5 days walking Moderate £640
BHWP4 From Heddon-on-the-Wall(L) to Carlisle 7 nights, 6 days walking Moderate £740

Short breaks

Code Tour Duration Difficulty Price per person
HWPSB1 From Chollerford(L) to Lanercost(L) 3 nights, 2 days walking Moderate / Demanding £345
HWPSB2 From Chollerford(L) to Lanercost(L) 4 nights, 3 days walking Moderate £450

Best of Hadrian's Wall - East to West 4 nights, 3 days walking

£NNN per person
  • Itinerary
  • What's included?
  • Extra nights?
  • Tour facts
  • Route profile
  • Travel info
  • Weather
  • Holiday Highlights
Start

Travel to Heddon-on-the-Wall(L) where your first night's accommodation will be booked

Day 1

Heddon-on-the-Wall(L) to Chollerford(L). 15 miles (24km) / 1099 ft (335 m) ascent

Day 2

Chollerford(L) to Gilsland(L). 20 miles (32km) / 2228 ft (679 m) ascent

Day 3

Gilsland(L) to Carlisle. 19.5 miles (31km) / 928 ft (283 m) ascent

Finish

Depart from Carlisle after breakfast

Your Itinerary

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:

A note about transfers
Solo Traveller Supplement
£45.00 per person / per night
Single Supplement
£40.00 per person / per night


You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:

Extra night (Standard)
£65.00 per person / per night
Standard
Interactive
© Contours Walking Holidays Best of Hadrian's Wall  map
Heddon-on-the-Wall to Carlisle
55 miles (88 km)
2nd January to 24th December

Holiday highlights

Visiting historic sites full of tales of battle, including St Oswald’s Church, Thirlwall Castle, and Carlisle Castle.

Walking a route specifically focused on the very best examples of Roman history, including the forts in Chesters, Housesteads, Vindolanda and Birdsowald.

Rambling over the undulating hills between Sewingshields and Walltown Crags.

What's included?

  • 4 nights' accommodation in en-suite rooms (where available) in selected B&B’s, hotels, inns and guesthouses along the trail, or a short distance away via taxi provided at our expense.
  • Breakfast each day.
  • Door to door luggage transfer.
  • Maps with the route marked on and a guidebook or route notes describing the trail.
  • An information pack containing an itinerary, instructions on how to find your accommodation each night and a kit list.
  • Detailed travel instructions on how to get to the start of your holiday and back from the end of it.

Extra Nights & Rest Days

Consider an extra night at Chollerford if you would like to explore Chesters fort in depth. It is a wonderful fort with some outstanding remains including an ornate headquarters building, the commanding officers residence, barrack buildings and military bath-house. The site also has a unique museum that contains some of the finest Roman artefacts to be found anywhere in Britain.

Many people take an extra night in Carlisle and visit the award winning Tullie House Museum, the 12th century cathedral, the half-timbered guildhall that houses a local history museum and the vast medieval castle, with its ancient chambers, stairways and the dungeons that contain the infamous 'licking stones'. Here, parched Jacobite prisoners found enough moisture to stay alive, only to be brutally executed on Gallows Hill.

You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:

Extra night (Standard)
£65.00 per person / per night

Tour Facts

Total distance: 54.5 miles (87.5 km)
Duration: 4 nights, 3 days walking
Minimum daily distance: 15 miles (24 km)
Maximum daily distance: 20 miles (32 km)
Code: BHWP1 Grade: Demanding / Strenuous
Season: 2nd January - 24th December
Start of holiday: Heddon-on-the-Wall(L)
End of holiday: Carlisle

Route Profile

Best of Hadrian's Wall - East to West Route Profile

Travel Information

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:

By Air - The most convenient major city and international airports are Newcastle, Teesside, Leeds Bradford and Glasgow Prestwick.

By Rail - The nearest rail station to the start of the trail (Heddon-on-the-Wall) is at Wylam (about 3 miles away). There is a rail station at the end of the trail (Carlisle).

By Bus - Various bus services run to Heddon-on-the-Wall and from Carlisle. A bus service runs from Wylam to Heddon-on-the-Wall Monday to Saturday only, so you would need to take a taxi on a Sunday.

From London - Trains run from London Kings Cross station (and occasionally London St Pancras International) to Newcastle. From there a bus/taxi will be required to Heddon-on-the-Wall.

Return To The Start - The easiest way to return to the start of the trail is to take a Taxi. Alternatively, you can take the bus from Carlisle to Heddon-On-The-Wall Monday to Saturday only (on a Sunday, you would need to take a train to Hexham, followed by a bus to Heddon-on-the-Wall).

Weather Information

To find out more about the weather forecast for your chosen holiday's general location, please see the following websites:

  • MetCheck - This website allows you to look up detailed weather information for specific locations as far as six months in advance.
  • Met Office - This website shows regional area forecasts a few days in advance, with a general UK forecast description of up to 30 days in advance.
  • Mountain Forecast - This website shows what the forecast is like up on specific hills and fells, and offers forecasts a few days in advance.

Customer reviews from the Best of Hadrian's Wall

“Awesome experience and really well curated. Everything that Contour arranged and the guidance and packs were superb. Outstanding walk and arrangements - thank you especially for the lovely weather!”
Mr Gardner, UK
“This was a really excellent holiday. Everything worked very well and the choice of accommodation was very good. We were very satisfied with the service you provided and would be happy to receive the same level of service next time we travel with you.”
Mr Brownlee, UK
“Very well organised and good level of information.”
Dr Stevens, UK
“Thoroughly enjoyable and well organised.”
Mr Brindle, UK
“This is the third time we have booked a trip with Contours. Previously we have done two trails in Scotland and a trip in Wales. Contours is thorough and professional.”
Dr Rudolph, USA
“A wonderful holiday with amazing historical sights and lovely accommodations. If you like history and museums with beautiful scenery, you will love this holiday.”
Mr Kuhns, USA
“It was an interesting hike. The accommodations, directions, & baggage transfer were all very good. It was great. All of the B&B hosts were very nice, welcoming, & helpful. It was well organized.”
Mr Craft, USA
“Some stunning scenery along with a good dollop of history. Great walk and the accommodations were first class. This was our 4th with Contours. We continue to be pleased with the services you provide.”
Mr Litsky, USA
“17th annual walking holiday (1st in 2005) Accommodation good... No issues with luggage transfers or transfers to/from. Good way to enjoy the outdoors with friends. Hopefully we'll stay fit for a few more.”
Mr Jarvie, UK
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