Cumbria Way
Explore the Cumbria Way at your own pace on a self-guided walking holiday. Accommodation, luggage transfer and custom holiday pack included.
Cumbria Way
https://www.contours.co.uk/cumbria-way
A walk from the shores of Morecambe Bay to the Scottish Border through the Lake District.
From £380 per person
The Cumbria Way enjoys the Lake District’s mountain vistas with none of its strenuous mountain climbs. This low-level walk follows old packhorse tracks along valleys and over passes to provide breath-taking views without ascending to the summits.
Beneath towering peaks and thundering cascades, the route follows the shores of glittering tarns. It visits charming Lake District villages, and enjoys a finale of remote, rolling hills that descend through rich farmland to the historic border town of Carlisle.
Dogs are welcome on select routes along this trail. Look for the pawprint icon when choosing your holiday.
We also organise trail running holidays along this route. Find out more.
From £735 per person
The complete Cumbria Way explores the Lake District from Ulverston to Carlisle through 73 miles of impeccable scenery. This approachable trail winds its way through the imposingly beautiful landscapes for which the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Lake District National Park is known worldwide.
Whether you wish to gaze out from incredible mountain viewpoints, admire rushing waterfalls or visit quintessentially English villages, a walking holiday along the Cumbria Way is an enticing way to discover this stunning corner of the United Kingdom.
| Code | Tour | Duration | Price per person | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CUMW1 | From Ulverston to Carlisle | 5 days walking | £735 | |
| CUMW2 | From Ulverston to Carlisle | 6 days walking | £850 |
| Code | Tour | Duration | Price per person | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CUMWSB | From Great Langdale/Dungeon Ghyll to Keswick | 2 days walking | £380 |
Please note that due to the popularity of the Lake District as a holiday destination, accommodations in some towns have a two night minimum booking policy at weekends.
When planning your holiday dates we would advise to avoid arriving in Keswick, Coniston and Great Langdale/Dungeon Ghyll on a Friday or Saturday night if possible. If you are unable to avoid arriving on a Friday or Saturday night an additional supplement may be necessary, or alternatively, transfers to and from nearby accommodation may be provided. Any transfers required are included in the holiday cost. You will be contacted if an additional supplement should arise for your booking.
Travel to Ulverston where your first night's accommodation will be booked
Ulverston to Coniston. 15.5 miles (25km) / 1749 ft (533 m) ascent
Coniston to Great Langdale/Dungeon Ghyll. 12 miles (19km) / 1503 ft (458 m) ascent
Great Langdale/Dungeon Ghyll to Keswick. 16 miles (25.5km) / 2139 ft (652 m) ascent
Keswick to Caldbeck(L). 14.5 miles (23.5km) / 2756 ft (840 m) ascent
Caldbeck(L) to Carlisle. 15 miles (24km) / 561 ft (171 m) ascent
Depart from Carlisle 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:
Visiting iconic lakes, including Coniston Water and Elterwater.
Immersing yourself in the dramatic mountain ranges of Helvellyn, Skiddaw and the Langdale Pikes.
Arriving in Carlisle to explore Hadrian’s Wall, Carlisle Castle, and Carlisle Cathedral.
You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:
To find out more about the weather forecast for your chosen holiday's general location, please see the following websites:
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“A superb walk. We all wondered why we had done so my trips without the Lake District featuring before! The Lang Strat Valley was absolutely stunning, and worth the climb up Stake Pass to see it.”Mr Ogden, UK
“Beautiful landscapes, meeting nice people, good accommodations. We will definitely come back!”Mrs Petersen, Denmark
“Cumbria is a beautiful area and the holiday was organised spotless.”Mr Severens, Netherlands
“All in all, the four of us were very satisfied with the whole arrangement. We had a very nice holiday.”Ms Alming, UK
“Guidebook was great, suitcases arrived on time. Route was beautful, especially langdale pikes. Great way to walk through gorgeous countryside. Well organized and all logistics taken cade of. This was our third and we are about to start our fourth.”Mr Litsky, USA
“Wonderful area, Contour-package without failures and good support from our initial planning days, lots of nice and friendly people.”Mr Hove, Denmark
“Magical scenery and wondrously peaceful, except round Constion and Derwentwater of course and near car parks! Compensation - coffee and ice cream!! Thanks!”Mrs Douglas, UK
“My group and I had a wonderful experience hiking the Cumbria Way.”Mr Greisberger, USA
“The Cumbria Way offers a stunning variety of scenery to hold ones interest over a week of walking. We greatly appreciated the time and effort Contours staff put into planning our customized itinerary for the Cumbria Way to accommodate our 4-month-old baby. The personal attention made us feel so much more comfortable with undertaking a walking holiday with an infant.”Ms Ristau, USA
Dog friendly