Offa's Dyke Path - South Section
Walk the southern half of Offa's Dyke Path on our short self-guided walking holiday itineries. Accommodation, luggage transfer and custom holiday pack included.
Offa's Dyke Path - South Section
https://www.contours.co.uk/offas-dyke-path-south-section
Book your walking holiday along King Offa's Dyke, from Chepstow to Prestatyn.
From £355 per person
During the 8th century, King Offa of Mercia ordered a great dyke to be built to mark the western boundary of his kingdom with Wales. Offa's Dyke Path follows the course of this ancient earthwork from Chepstow to Prestatyn, passing through scenery of great beauty and variety along the way.
The trail visits a succession of historic border towns and attractive villages including Monmouth, Hay-on-Wye and Welshpool. There is also plenty of historic interest along the trail, including Chepstow Castle, the ruin of Tintern Abbey and the imposing stronghold of White Castle, to name just a few.
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 £680 per person
The Southern section of Offa's Dyke Path runs from Chepstow to the town of Knighton. The trail follows the 8th century dyke and takes in the Wye Valley section of this beautiful path.
There are beautiful views to be enjoyed of the Black Mountains in the Brecon Beacons National Park, as well as a smattering of charming villages, including Hay-on-Wye with its world famous bookshops.
The walk enjoys a variety of terrain, including quiet woodland and rolling hills, with plenty of interesting folklore to discover, such as the mysterious limestone pillar of the Devil's Pulpit.
| Code | Tour | Duration | Price per person | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ODPS1 | From Chepstow to Knighton | 5 days walking | £680 | |
| ODPS2 | From Chepstow to Knighton | 6 days walking | £790 | |
| ODPS3 | From Chepstow to Knighton | 7 days walking | £905 |
| Code | Tour | Duration | Price per person | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ODPSBS | From Hay-on-Wye to Knighton | 2 days walking | £355 |
Please note that there is a short section of the trail, approximately 1.5 miles in length, to the south of Chepstow. We recommend a there-and-back walk on the evening of your arrival if you wish to tackle this section; transfers are not provided to the top of Sedbury Cliffs as standard.
The villages of Longtown and Llanthony are located 1.5 miles off the Offa's Dyke Path trail. This distance is included in the day walks from/to Longtown or Llanthony, where this stop features on any of the below itineraries.
Travel to Chepstow where your first night's accommodation will be booked
Chepstow to Monmouth. 18 miles (28.5km) / 3025 ft (922 m) ascent
Monmouth to Pandy(L). 17 miles (27km) / 1949 ft (594 m) ascent
Pandy(L) to Hay-on-Wye. 17.5 miles (28km) / 2336 ft (712 m) ascent
Hay-on-Wye to Kington. 14.5 miles (23.5km) / 2234 ft (681 m) ascent
Kington to Knighton. 14 miles (22.5km) / 2415 ft (736 m) ascent
Depart from Knighton 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:
Stepping through history along King Offa's Dyke and enjoying the spectacular scenery of the Wye Valley.
Looking out over Tintern Abbey and the surrounding landscape from the limestone pillar of the Devil's Pulpit.
Exploring the wonderful villages of Monmouth, Pandy and Kington and discovering their unique pasts.
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:
“Very tough walking but great scenery and the weather was relatively kind! Walking was hard but fun. We were lucky with the weather. It scarcely rained at all the temperatures were good for walking. Arrangements were clear and Contours staff were extremely helpful in answering our questions.”Mr Hayter, Canada
“Firstly, I thought that the accommodations chosen and arranged for us by Contours were lovely. The proprietors were warm and friendly, the accommodations themselves ranging from perfectly acceptable (Chepstow) to quite professional (Monmouth). The luggage and taxi transport seemed first-rate. All of this gets grateful high marks from us!”Dr Sachs, USA
“Great holiday. Some superb walking, varied from day to day. Accommodations good overall. Fantastic weather helped.”Mr Coombs, UK
“Absolutely, very well planned; almost entirely excellent accommodation. Welcoming hosts, for us, good weather.”Mr Braddick, UK
“First time I have taken a walking holiday. Wonderful.”Ms Cole, USA
“All went smoothly- had a great time!”Miss Edwards, UK
“Everything went very well and even the weather remained great for walking, despite thunderstorms being predicted. Walking was great and reasonably varied and the 13 -14 mile distances were about right for me. Accommodation was all in the good to excellent category (especially the breakfasts!). No complaints. Am considering Offa\'s (north) or the Cotswold Way for next year.”Mr Thompson, UK
“Beautiful country, great hosts, well-marked path. Very, very enjoyable.”Mr Kirchner, USA
“It was an amazing experience walking, over 14 walking days in total, from Chepstow to Prestatyn. The accommodation - B&Bs, hotels, pubs - was varied but very good and well chosen, and the variety added to the experience. Would definitely book another holiday with Contours - the organisation, baggage transfer, accommodation and hosts were all very good.”Mr Rigden, UK
Dog friendly