Best of Hadrian's Wall

A walk between Heddon-on-the-Wall and Carlisle along the best preserved sections of Hadrian's Wall.

6 to 7 nights
55 miles
Moderate

From £480 per person

Discover the available tours

About this route

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 walked in the opposite direction if preferred. Select the ‘Reverse tours’ option when choosing your itinerary.

Dog friendly tours available

Dog friendly itineraries are available for this route. Look for the pawprint icon when choosing your itinerary. Please note that dog friendly walks may require more transfers than standard tours.

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.

Available tours

CodeTourDurationDifficultyPrice per person
BHWP1 From Heddon-on-the-Wall to Carlisle 6 nights, 5 days walking Moderate£480
BHWP2 From Heddon-on-the-Wall to Carlisle 7 nights, 6 days walking Moderate£560

Best of Hadrian's Wall - East to West 6 nights, 5 days walking

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

Travel to Heddon-on-the-Wall where your first night's accommodation has been booked

Day 1

Heddon-on-the-Wall to Chollerford. 15 miles (24km)

Day 2

Chollerford to Once Brewed. 12 miles (19km)

Day 3

Once Brewed to Gilsland. 8 miles (13km)

Day 4

Gilsland to Walton. 8 miles (13km)

Day 5

Walton to Carlisle. 11.5 miles (18.5km)

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.

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 walk more than a mile from the trail to your accommodation; should your accommodation be further than this, transfers will be provided as standard.

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 walking on your own, or are part of a group but require a room of your own, then the Solo Walker or Single Supplements apply respectively:

A note about transfers
Solo Walker Supplement
£32.00 per person / per night
Single Supplement
£25.00 per person / per night

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

Extra night (Standard)
£50.00 per person / per night
Extra night (Once Brewed)
£55.00 per person / per night

What's included?

  • 6 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 spending an extra night at Chollerford if you wish to explore Cilurnum (Chesters) Roman fort and study the Clayton Collection at Chesters Museum.

The hamlet of Once Brewed is a good choice for a rest day if you want to fully explore the Roman forts of Vindolanda and Housesteads and visit their fascinating museums.

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)
£50.00 per person / per night
Extra night (Once Brewed)
£55.00 per person / per night

Tour Facts

Total distance: 54.5 miles (87.5 km)
Duration: 6 nights, 5 days walking
Minimum daily distance: 8 miles (13 km)
Maximum daily distance: 15 miles (24 km)
Code: BHWP1 Grade: Moderate
Season: 2nd January - 24th December
Start of holiday: Heddon-on-the-Wall
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, Durham-Tees Valley, 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.

From London - Trains run from London Kings Cross station 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 bus from Carlisle 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.

Routes on this trail

Hadrian's Wall Path

5 to 11 nights
84 miles
Easy / Moderate+
Dog friendly
From £400 per person
A walking holiday alongside the whole of the world-famous Hadrian's Wall from coast to coast.Find Out More

Hadrian's Wall Highlights

5 to 6 nights
39 miles
Easy / Moderate+
Dog friendly
From £400 per person
A walk from Corbridge to Brampton along the most fascinating part of Hadrian's Wall.Find Out More

Hadrian's Wall Short Break

3 to 4 nights
27 miles
Moderate+
Dog friendly
From £240 per person
A short walking break between Chollerford and Lanercost taking in the finest parts of Hadrian's Wall.Find Out More
Explore more holidays on the Hadrian's Wall Path trail

You might also like

Offa's Dyke Path

13 to 17 nights
177 miles
Moderate / Demanding+
From £1,040 per person
A self-guided walking holiday from Chepstow to Prestatyn along the Welsh Border.Find Out More

Walking Hadrian's Wall Path with Contours Walking Holidays

Outdoor Journalist Damian Hall takes a walk from Wallsend in the east to Bowness-on-Solway in the west, traversing the breadth of the North of England along one of the most historical trails in the UK.
Watch Now

Customer reviews from the Best of Hadrian's Wall

“We have had a fantastic holiday - thank you. Was great, we had great accommodation and met some lovely people - Hadrian’s Wall was brilliant.”
Miss Hall, UK
“All the accommodation was first class… all the breakfasts superb and hospitality faultless throughout.”
Mr Harfield, UK
“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
“Great B&B's. Excellent food. Extremely helpful/friendly hosts.”
Mrs Van Muijlwijk-Zomerman, Canada
“Everything worked as promised; great scenery; good accommodation; interesting museums. This was our third trip with Contours.”
Mr Bregha, Canada
“The organisation, accommodation and information were excellent.”
Mr Katwala, UK
“Overall it was wonderful and I can't wait to do another one!”
Mrs Lasche, USA
“Great landscape, friendly people.”
Mr Westenfelder, Spain
“Well organised. Good accommodation, lots of information, all the pick-ups worked out well.”
Dr Nijhuis, Netherlands

Select a tour