Walking vacations in England Overview
England’s walking trails have inspired poets and writers, saints and scholars. You can follow in the footsteps of Wordsworth, who “wandered lonely as a cloud” throughout his native Lake District. The South Downs were home to Virginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury set, Shakespeare’s Way is 235km of literary loveliness, and it’s almost mandatory to carry a copy of a Du Maurier novel while hiking around Cornwall on the South West Coast Path. These vacations get you from one place to the next with your bags transported for you, so you can pack all the books you want. Read more in our England walking travel guide.
Our top Hiking vacations in England
Lake District hike on the Cumbria Way, England
From
£810 to £1116
10 days
ex flights
Hiking vacation in England's Lake District
Tailor made
Winchester to Canterbury Pilgrims way, England
From
£1569
15 days
ex flights
Walk the Pilgrims Way from Winchester to Canterbury
Tailor made
York to Fountains Abbey hiking vacation, England
From
£250
4 days
ex flights
The Prior Richards way self-guided 12th century hike
Tailor made
Map & highlights
Many vacations in England focus on cities and famous locations that get unpleasantly busy. But while iconic walking destinations such as the Lake District and Peak District have their honeypot sites, our responsible vacation partners will ensure you get off the beaten track. Walking in England is all about meandering along at your own pace, basking in scenery that has inspired painters, poets and writers for centuries. Whether you’re on historic routes such as the Pilgrims’ Way, or the Thames Path, South Downs Way or the spectacular South West Coast Path, enjoy simply taking your time.1.
Lake District
2. Peak District
3. Pilgrims Way
4. South West Coast Path
5. Sussex & the South Downs
6. Thames Path
2. Peak District
3. Pilgrims Way
4. South West Coast Path
5. Sussex & the South Downs
6. Thames Path
Lake District
1. Lake District
Tackling parts of the Cumbria Way will take you through some of the national park’s typical topography through remote farmland, rivers and fells between Ulverston and Carlisle, for example. Book a tailor made vacation for at least eight days to cover the whole thing, having bags transported for you, and amble through Lake District classics like Coniston Water, Borrowdale, Derwentwater and Keswick.
Peak District
2. Peak District
This is UK’s first national park with dramatic Derbyshire moorland, particularly around the Dark Peak, to the river valleys of the White Peak, where you can tailor make a vacation depending on how many days you are able to spoil yourself with. Spend three days walking around Dovedale, for example, where the likes of Tennyson and Byron gushed about the River Dove valley, wooded ravines, stepping stones and hidden caves.
Pilgrims Way
3. Pilgrims Way
This trail between Winchester and Canterbury follows in the footsteps of pilgrims between two magnificent cathedral cities. Walk on ancient tracks, across the chalk hills of North and Kent Downs, and through magnificent ancient woodland. With a great network of accommodation (and pubs, of course) along the way, self guided vacations are easy, with bags transported for you, and choosing as long a section as you like.
South West Coast Path
4. South West Coast Path
The mother of them all when it comes to marine magnificence. A 1,000km walking trail around England’s dramatically beautiful southwest through Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset, with about ten clear sections that are easily navigable for independent walking. Regional treats include Lands End, Lundy Island, Salcombe and Burgh Island. Or push the boat out and do the Scilly Isles, too.
Sussex & the South Downs
5. Sussex & the South Downs
A perfect escape, and just a short hop from London. The downs, their eponymous national park and Sussex coast boast some of the most eclectic walking escapes. From the Ouse Valley famous for its Bloomsbury Set, or estuarine landscapes around Chichester harbour to the heart of the South Downs, where you can take on part of the magnificent South Downs Way (161km), it’s a walker’s must.
Thames Path
6. Thames Path
Far from just a path through central London, this national trail stretches for nearly 300km from the Thames Barrier to the source of the river in Gloucestershire. Book a tailor made vacation and take on a section that tickles your Thames fancy, discovering historic cities such as Windsor and Oxford along the way. Relatively flat and accessible, wander through Cotswold prettiness to historic havens, with endless waterside pubs en route.
The Pilgrims’ Way
Pilgrims and avid walkers have followed the 200km route between Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire to Canterbury Cathedral in Kent for centuries. If you’re familiar with the satirical characters of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, this is the journey they’re on. Mostly flat, with a few uphill bits, the Pilgrims’ Way flaunts its literary connections, taking you past the former homes of Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. Expect stunning North Downs scenery and choice pubs to stop at for lunch, including the wittily named Dirty Habit in Hollingbourne. It’s a two-week jaunt, but like most long-distance walks can be easily broken into sections.
Thames Path
You probably didn’t know that there are beaches in central London. Small ones, but beaches nonetheless, and you can stop off for a paddle while walking the Thames Path. Beginning in Gloucestershire, it’s one of England’s most celebrated long-distance walks. You can walk in either direction, but our expert vacation partners suggest going west to east and finishing in London, so that you have the wind at your back. Across two weeks, follow footpaths from villages in the Cotswolds and Chilterns to historic towns such as Oxford and Windsor, and finally to the Big Smoke itself.
South West Coast Path
The decline of traditional industries such as tin mining and fishing has hit many Cornish coastal communities hard, as has a rise in second home ownership. Our responsible walking vacations on the South West Coast Path bring valuable out-of-season income to guest houses, pubs and restaurants along the route, as well as providing needed employment. And don’t be put off by the crowds around popular sites in Cornwall – there are many lesser-known but equally lovely locations along this long-distance route, such as Saunton Sands, Bideford and Croyde, that attract just a fraction of the visitors.
More vacation ideas
Dartmoor and Exmoor walking vacation, England
From
£269 to £639
3 days
ex flights
Self guided walking between the Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks.
Tailor made
South West Coastal Path walking vacation, England
From
£459 to £899
8 days
ex flights
The South West Coast Path and Isles of Scilly
Tailor made
Shakespeares Way & Thames Path walking vacation
From
£595 to £1180
8 days
ex flights
Two fantastic traditional English walks.
Tailor made
Thames Path walking vacation in England
From
£660 to £954
7 days
ex flights
Self guided walk along the River Thames Oxford to Windsor
Tailor made
Shakespeares Way walking vacation, Cotswolds to London
From
£595 to £1980
8 days
ex flights
From Stratford-upon-Avon to The Globe Theatre
Tailor made
Northumberland coast hike, England
From
£560 to £798
8 days
ex flights
Self Guided Walking Vacation in Northumberland Coast Path
Tailor made
More about Walking vacations in England
Lake District
One of England’s most beloved – and busiest – national parks, the Lake District was drawing crowds well before William Wordsworth wandered lonely as a cloud. But you needn’t be confined to crowded lakeshores and tearooms; our responsible walking vacations pair you up with local guides. This is the best way to get some breathing space on lesser-visited fells, as well as to gain a proper appreciation of the Lake District’s heritage. You’ll stay in locally owned guesthouses and skip the most eroded paths, contributing to more sustainable tourism – something that’s badly needed in the Lake District.
South Downs Way
The South Downs Way between Winchester and Eastbourne can be undertaken on a gruelling 24-hour, 161km marathon, but it’s best appreciated at a much more leisurely pace. Self guided walking vacations let you flit from village to village, making use of excellent public transport connections for much of the way, with daily distances of no more than 18km and generally easygoing gradients. Your luggage will be transported between locally owned B&Bs, benefitting small communities, so you can walk these undulating, idyllic landscapes with just a daypack. And naturally, our vacation organisers are full of recommendations on pubs, bakeries and restaurants en route.
Our top 10 walks
Call us biased if you must, but we think England is one of the best countries for walking in Europe. Our top 10 walks demonstrate the variety on offer across long-distance routes, from the Thames Path and historic Pilgrims’ Way, to the South Downs Way across England’s youngest national park. On the White Cliffs Country Trail, Two Moors Way and Cumbria Way, you’ll roam some of England’s most iconic and soul-stirring landscapes. And all of them lined with classic English pubs where you can celebrate your endeavours with a foaming beer. Cheers!
[The Pilgrims’ Way: Gareth Williams]
[Thames Path: Steve Daniels]
[South West Coast Path: Nilfanion]
[Lake District: Ian Cylkowski]
[South Downs Way: © Anne Katrin Purkiss]
[Our top 10 walks: Liam Richards]
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