Coast to Coast Walk

A world-famous walk from St. Bees to Robin Hood's Bay across the breadth of northern England.

13 to 19 nights
190 miles
Moderate to Demanding / Strenuous

From £950 per person

Discover the available tours

About this route

This holiday option traverses all 190 miles of Wainwright’s Coast to Coast Walk from St Bees to Robin Hoods Bay. This walk crosses the breadth of the North of England, passing through the mountainous Lake District, the rolling Yorkshire Dales and the heather-clad North York Moors along the way.

Though this trail is challenging in places, the sense of achievement you feel upon completing it will stay with you forever.

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
Coast to Coast Walk map
St Bees to Robin Hood's Bay
190 miles (304 km)
25th March to 31st October

Holiday Highlights

Walking through the magnificent scenery of the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors, and watching the landscapes change along the way.

Dipping your feet in the Irish Sea at St Bees at the start of the walk, and then in the North Sea at Robin Hood’s Bay at the end.

Visiting the array of charming villages and welcoming towns scattered along the route.

Available tours

CodeTourDurationDifficultyPrice per person
CCW1 From St Bees to Robin Hood's Bay 13 nights, 12 days walking Demanding / Strenuous£950
CCW2 From St Bees to Robin Hood's Bay 14 nights, 13 days walking Demanding / Strenuous£1025
CCW3 From St Bees to Robin Hood's Bay 15 nights, 14 days walking Demanding£1095
CCW4 From St Bees to Robin Hood's Bay 16 nights, 15 days walking Demanding£1170
CCW5 From St Bees to Robin Hood's Bay 17 nights, 16 days walking Moderate / Demanding£1245
CCW6 From St Bees to Robin Hood's Bay 18 nights, 17 days walking Moderate / Demanding£1315
CCW7 From St Bees to Robin Hood's Bay 19 nights, 18 days walking Moderate£1390

Coast to Coast Walk 13 nights, 12 days walking

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

Important information

Dog friendly accommodation in Grasmere is expensive; therefore, an additional upgrade supplement may be required for your accommodation in Grasmere if you choose to bring your canine companion.

Start

Travel to St Bees where your first night's accommodation has been booked

Day 1

St Bees to Ennerdale Bridge. 14 miles (22.5km)

Day 2

Ennerdale Bridge to Rosthwaite. 14.5 miles (23km)

Day 3

Rosthwaite to Patterdale. 17.5 miles (28km)

Day 4

Patterdale to Shap. 16 miles (25.5km)

Day 5

Shap to Kirkby Stephen. 20 miles (32km)

Day 6

Kirkby Stephen to Keld. 13 miles (21km)

Day 7

Keld to Reeth. 11 miles (17.5km)

Day 8

Reeth to Richmond. 11 miles (17.5km)

Day 9

Richmond to Ingleby Cross. 23 miles (37km)

Day 10

Ingleby Cross to Clay Bank Top(T). 12.5 miles (20km)

Day 11

Clay Bank Top(T) to Glaisdale. 18.5 miles (29.5km)

Day 12

Glaisdale to Robin Hood's Bay. 19 miles (30.5km)

Finish

Depart from Robin Hood's Bay 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
£35.00 per person / per night
Single Supplement
£30.00 per person / per night

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

Extra night (Standard)
£55.00 per person / per night

What's included?

  • 13 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

An extra night gives you the chance to explore some of the villages and old market towns along the trail, catch up with writing postcards or to simply relax and give those weary legs a rest.

Rosthwaite is a good choice for a rest day. There are many lovely walks in the hills around Borrowdale or you could catch a bus into the bustling little town of Keswick.

If you prefer somewhere quieter, we suggest taking a rest day in Patterdale. A terrific walk here starts by taking one of the iconic Ullswater Steamers across the lake and returning along the lakeshore path.

The old market town of Kirkby Stephen is also a good place to take an extra night. Don't miss the unusual 'Bound Devil', a figure of Satan chained and horned in the ancient church of St. Stephen.

In the Yorkshire Dales, Reeth offers many short walks from the centre of the village and the Swaledale folk museum is fascinating. Richmond, with its cobbled streets and market place, Norman castle, unusual church, Georgian theatre, museums and shops is also a popular stop.

Finally, on completing your walk, a popular location to celebrate your achievement and rest your weary legs is Robin Hood's Bay, which is within easy reach of Whitby, its abbey, the Captain Cook Museum and St Mary's church. The interior of this intriguing church was altered in 1612 to resemble the lower deck of a wooden sailing ship.

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

Extra night (Standard)
£55.00 per person / per night

Tour Facts

Total distance: 190 miles (304 km)
Duration: 13 nights, 12 days walking
Minimum daily distance: 11 miles (17.5 km)
Maximum daily distance: 23 miles (37 km)
Code: CCW1 Grade: Demanding / Strenuous
Season: 25th March - 31st October
Start of holiday: St Bees
End of holiday: Robin Hood's Bay

Route Profile

Coast to Coast Walk 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 Manchester, Glasgow and Leeds.

By Rail - There is a rail station at the start of the trail (St Bees). The nearest rail stations to Robin Hood's Bay are either Whitby (about 6 miles away) or Scarborough (about 20 miles away).

By Bus - Various buses run to St Bees and from Robin Hood's Bay.

From London - Trains run from London Euston to St Bees with changes at Carlisle/Lancaster.

Return To The Start - The easiest way to return to the start of the trail is to take a bus/taxi from Robin Hood's Bay to Scarborough rail station. From there trains run to St Bees.

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

Coast to Coast Walk - West Section

6 to 9 nights
82 miles
Moderate+
Dog friendly
From £470 per person
A walk from St. Bees to Kirkby Stephen via the beautiful Lake District National Park.Find Out More

Coast to Coast Short Break - West Section

3 nights
18 miles
Moderate
From £255 per person
A short self-guided walk along the western stretch of the Coast to Coast Walk from Rosthwaite to Patterdale.Find Out More

Coast to Coast Walk - East Section

8 to 11 nights
108 miles
Moderate+
Dog friendly
From £630 per person
A walking holiday from Kirkby Stephen to Robin Hood's Bay along the iconic Coast to Coast Walk.Find Out More

Coast to Coast Short Break - Central Section

3 nights
22 miles
Moderate
From £255 per person
A short walking holiday from Keld to Richmond along a central stretch of the Coast to Coast Walk.Find Out More
Explore more holidays on the Coast to Coast Walk trail

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Alternative Coast to Coast Walk

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Walking Wainwright's Coast to Coast with Contours Walking Holidays

Outdoor Journalist Damian Hall takes a walk from St. Bees in the east to Robin Hood's Bay in the west, traversing the width of the North of England through the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors.
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Customer reviews from the Coast to Coast Walk

“Great value for the money.”
Mr Eisner, USA
“A fantastic and surprisingly social experience! Very well planned and organised.”
Mr Brown, UK
“Overall a brilliant experience.”
Mr Anderson, UK
“Very well organised with no problems. Lovely scenery, lovely weather, good company.”
Mr Longley, UK
“I wanted to say THANK YOU – your entire staff – for making everything so smoothly, for always quickly responding, and ensuring that we had a great trip. With a group of our size, everything went so smoothly and everyone was so hospitable and helpful.”
Ms Goethals, USA
“Firstly thank you for a brilliant walk and experience. Thank You and would use you again, soon I hope.”
Mr Willis, UK
“Very enjoyable experience. My second long walk with Contours and both have been excellent.”
Mr Partridge, Ireland
“We enjoy walking and the Coast to Coast walk is a genuinely sociable experience because you meet so many other walkers. The accommodation was all good and some was excellent. All very efficiently organised by you in record time.”
Mrs Meiklejohn, Scotland
“Second time with Contours. All arrangements including information pack, map and guide book, luggage transfers and B&B standards excellent.”
Mr Matthewman, UK

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