Best of the Northumberland Coastal Path
- Escape to the Northumberland Coast for a refreshing short break
- Step back in history visiting the ancient castles of Warkworth, Dunstanburgh & Bamburgh
- Stay in welcoming fishing villages and seaside towns
- Enjoy views to Holy Island and walk along clifftop paths to Berwick-upon-Tweed
- Sample the local seafood speciality 'Craster Kippers'
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrival Alnmouth. Transfer to WarkworthBegin your adventure along the Northumberland Coast in the ancient village of Warkworth, right next to the seafront. A short taxi transfer from Alnmouth Train Station (15 min) will take you straight to your accommodation allowing you to have a relaxing start to your trip. Explore the streets that are filled with artisan shops, book stores and restaurants. Perhaps enjoy a refreshing, homemade ice cream in one of the cafes nearby. Famed for its rich history the well-preserved Warkworth Castle dominates the skyline wherever you turn.
This boutique bed and breakfast rooms opened in May 2017. All rooms have been decorated and furnished to a very high standard with Voyage Maison wall art and fabrics and Barker and Stonehouse furniture. You will enjoy a warm welcome along with a hearty breakfast which is served downstairs in the café.
A well presented modern B&B with well maintained gardens.
In the heart of the village of Warkworth, this 18th-century coaching inn offers comfortable accommodation with a range of rooms, each with a digital flat-screen TV and an en suite bathroom. Some also have luxurious toiletries.
Today’s walk is all about pretty Northumbrian fishing villages. Arrive first in the picturesque Alnmouth and another great spot for wildlife enthusiasts at the Aln Estuary. From here, head towards the old smuggling town of Boulmer. Enjoy taking in the delightful seaside smells - catch here includes crab, lobsters and sea salmon. Finally, you will arrive in Howick, just 2 miles before Craster, where you can quench your appetite and sample some of the delicious local cuisine, smoked herring or kippers.
This is a lovely B&B set in its own grounds surrounded by fields and woods near Craster. Rooms are comfortably furnished and have all the amenities you require for a great overnight stay. They have a seating area exclusively for guests and free Wi-Fi.
The Cottage Inn provides B&B accommodation just outside the pretty village of Craster. All bedrooms have been renovated to a comfortable standard, room are en-suite with flat screen TV’s, garden views, complimentary bathroom products, hairdryers and complementary beverage tray. During your stay you will be able to sample some of Northumberland’s best foods and ales, they are committed to using local produce where possible. They pride themselves on their cask conditioned ales and always have a good selection from the local micro-breweries.
Not long after leaving today, you will marvel at the ancient ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle which you can see from Craster. Following this, some delightful walking alongside the sandy bays of Beadnell and Embleton will bring you to Seahouses.
Seahouses is a bustling harbour town, most famous as the hopping off point for the fascinating Farne Islands. The Farne Islands are the most famous bird sanctuary in the British Isles and are home to an abundance of wildlife including puffins, guillemot, and grey seals. If you have time, it is definitely worth adding an extra day in Seahouses in order to visit the Islands.
You will continue along the coast until the historic village of Bamburgh. Bamburgh Castle is a magnificent sight, sitting high on an outcrop over the beach.
The Victoria Hotel is a welcoming AA 3 Star hotel that overlooks the village green in the heart of historic Bamburgh. The village is overlooked by magnificent Bamburgh Castle which has featured in many historical films. All of their bedrooms offer high quality furnishing and all modern conveniences including hairdryer, complimentary refreshment tray, and LCD TV. Opened in 2012, Baileys Bar & Restaurant offers high quality, locally sourced food, cooked free to Rosette standard.
Budle Hall is a family run B&B and is said to be one of Northumberland’s loveliest small country houses. They have 5 well-appointed en-suite rooms and they have all the amenities you require for a comfortable and relaxing overnight stay.
The Sunningdale is family owned and offers a warm welcome to all. It is their aim to offer excellent service and quality during your stay. They have 21 en-suite bedrooms, all of which are comfortably furnished and include colour televisions and complimentary tea and coffee making facilities and toiletries. Their restaurant offers a superb selection of delicious home made excellent value food. They use high quality delicious produce such as locally reared and butchered lamb and pork, Lakeland matured beef and a superb selection of daily fresh fish.
A short taxi transfer (15 min) will drop you off just outside of Fenwick. Your final day’s walking will take you past the causeway over to Holy Island before following clifftop paths with dramatic views to the historic Berwick-upon-Tweed. If you have time (and the safe crossing times permit) you may even wish to visit Holy Island. Safe crossing times can be checked here.
Berwick-upon-Tweed has a fascinating history, with hands changed between Scotland and England for centuries. Enjoy taking in some of the many interesting architectural features such as its old defence ramparts or ancient town walls. Berwick also has a wide variety of shops, restaurants and cafes making it the perfect place to celebrate the end of your walk.
You are assured a very warm welcome from Liz and Graham at the Tweed View House. The rooms have free WiFi, flat screen televisions, a fridge, tea/coffee making facilities, fresh milk, bathrobes, hairdryer, toiletries, information pack & much more.
The Queen's Head Hotel is set in the old historic market town Berwick-Upon-Tweed. The six bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms with matching fabrics, the beds are individually pocket sprung and have down duvets so you can enjoy a restful night's sleep. You will also find fresh fruit and jelly beans in each room along with complementary toiletries, plush cotton towels and hypo-allergenic pillows. The restaurant over looks Sandgate and is a lively yet elegant place for a leisurely meal. The flavour of the food reflects all that is good about local authentic fresh food.
Parade School Guest House offers a relaxed and friendly environment in the historic walled town of Berwick upon Tweed, in the heart of Northumberland. The house has been refurbished to a high standard and offers luxury guest house accommodation. All of the rooms have wall hung 32" flat screen televisions, with free view digital television channels and numerous radio stations for your entertainment, as well as complimentary secure Wi-Fi internet access.
After breakfast your walking holiday will come to an end. See the Travel Info section for some useful details for your onward travel.
This trip has a carbon score of 8kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our best trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 8kg is equivalent to 12 pints of local beer at the bar. Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information on how we've carbon counted our trips.
Other Information
Is it for me?This is an energising walk along the Northumberland Coastal Path through a landscape that has been recognised as a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Dive into the local history and visit some of the most unspoiled beaches in Europe. If you are looking for a short walking itinerary visiting the most beautiful stretches of the coastal path, this is the walk for you.
Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way, Tour Du Mont Blanc and the Passau to Vienna Danube Cycle Path, to name but a few!
Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&Bs, inns, and guesthouses.
Solo Travellers, Families with Teens
The minimum age for this tour is: 12 Years
This short break itinerary has been graded as easy to moderate and showcases the best of the Northumberland Coastal Path. You are right by the sea for most of the walk as we have taken out the inland detour between Belford and Holy Island on this itinerary. This is a low-level route with very few climbs, nothing that involves too much ascent/descent and perfect for the regular walker. Most of the walk you will be following well-waymarked footpaths and bridleways, and some sections include some beach walking which can slow down your progress along the route.
One of the highlights of this tour is the high standard of accommodation that we book in the seaside villages along the coast. We have been offering the Northumberland Coastal Path since 2011 and have since developed strong relationships with the local suppliers. You will stay in carefully selected 3 or 4-star B&B’s, guesthouses, country pubs and small hotels where a warm Northumbrian welcome always awaits. We secure en-suite rooms or rooms with private facilities, and a delicious breakfast is guaranteed to set you up for the day ahead.
Single Rooms
If you require single rooms within your party we will always try and accommodate you subject to availability.
The Northumberland Coastal Path is well waymarked throughout, maintained and easy to follow. You should have no problems following the route by following the instructions in your guidebook carefully. There are some opportunities for walking on the beach rather than on the way-marked path and these are noted clearly in your guidebook.
- Overnight stays in handpicked B&Bs, guest houses and small hotels in en-suite rooms wherever possible
- Breakfast each morning
- Door-to-door baggage transfers
- Taxi transfer from Alnmouth to Warkworth (Day 1)
- Taxi transfer from Bamburgh to Fenwick (Day 4)
- A detailed information pack and guidebook
- 24/7 Emergency telephone support from our office in the event of a problem
- Travel to Warkworth & From Berwick-upon-Tweed
- Lunch & Dinner, Snacks & Drinks
- Travel Insurance
- Personal Equipment
- Public transportation and/or taxi transfers not listed under inclusions
- Additional nights before, during or after your walk.
The Northumberland Coastal Path is available from April to September. Traditionally, April and May have been the most popular time of the year to walk the route, as the theory goes that the weather is better. However, in our opinion, anywhere between April and September should offer a wonderful experience. Please try to avoid staying in Warkworth over the weekend as some accommodations will not take a one night stay.
In 2021 an extended season into October is on offer. However due to luggage transfer restrictions solo walkers cannot travel on these tours at this time.
Getting to Alnmouth is easy with Newcastle and Edinburgh being the nearest airports. Alnmouth has its own railway station, as well as Berwick-upon-Tweed and Morpeth. Alnmouth can be reached from London Kings Cross in 3,5 hours (direct train) or it is possible to change over in York or Newcastle. Please see National Rail UK for more information, timetables and tickets.
Upon arrival in Alnmouth, an included taxi transfer will bring you to your accommodation in Warkworth.
Your trip along the Northumberland Coast ends in Berwick-upon-Tweed. This seaside town is connected to the East Coast mainline and regular trains whisk you back to London (4h), Newcastle (45m), Manchester (3h30m) or Edinburgh (45m). For more information, tickets and timetables please visit National Rail UK.
Enjoy the ease of having your luggage transferred each day allowing you to walk with just a light backpack. This is included in the standard cost of this trip. We ask you to limit your luggage to one piece of luggage of up to 20kg per person.
You will need good walking shoes (ideally waterproof), comfortable walking clothes, waterproof jacket and trousers, a daypack as well as sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses. This route involves a few climbs where you may find it useful to have your walking poles. As this route primarily follows the coast, we recommend bringing windproof clothing to make it easier to progress.
It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity and emergency evacuation and hospital care.
The Northumberland Coastal Path is available from April to September. Traditionally, April and May have been the most popular time of the year to walk the route, as the theory goes that the weather is better. However, in our opinion, anywhere between April and September should offer a wonderful experience. Please try to avoid staying in Warkworth over the weekend as some accommodations will not take a one night stay.
Depending on the chosen itinerary the grade of this trip is either easy to moderate (8 days & 7 nights + 5 days & 4 nights) or moderate (7 days & 6 nights). The path follows the rugged coastline and apart from a small inland detour between Belford and the Holy Island, you are right by the sea for most of your walk. This is a low-level route with very few climbs, nothing that involves too much ascent/descent and perfect for the regular walker. Most of the walk you will be following footpaths and bridleways, but some sections cross beaches or minor roads.
We suggest you book as soon as your plans are finalised as the Northumberland Coastal Path is extremely popular especially in the summer months. You will find up to date availability on our website and we will always try our best to accommodate your plans.
Enjoy the ease of having your luggage transferred daily, allowing you to walk with just a light daypack and your packed lunch. Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved on to your next overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg per person.
You will need good walking shoes (ideally waterproof), comfortable walking clothes, waterproof jacket and trousers, a daypack as well as sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses. This route involves a few climbs where you may find it useful to have your walking poles. As this route primarily follows the coast, we recommend bringing windproof clothing to make it easier to progress.
If you do plan to visit Holy Island, we recommend you check the tidal chart for the day you pass the causeway over to Holy Island. If you plan to stay overnight, you should also check when it is safe to cross the following day. Check out the safe tide crossings here.
Unfortunately we are unable to accommodate walkers with dogs as many of the accommodation providers we use do not accept pets.
You can use public transport or local taxis to continue to your next overnight stop.
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