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The Herriot Way

6 Days & 5 Nights 4.5 Read 4 reviews
  • Walk through James Herriot's Yorkshire, of "All Creatures Great and Small" fame
  • The lush green rolling valleys of Wensleydale and Swaledale
  • Hawes, a pretty market town and home of Wensleydale Cheese
  • Take in views across Yorkshire from the summit of Great Shunner Fell
  • Enjoy a pint of real ale and a Yorkshire roast dinner in a cosy Dales pub
A circular walk through James Herriot's Yorkshire, a land of rolling dales and heather-clad moorland, immortalised in the well-known books and TV series "All Creatures Great and Small". Leading you through classic Dales landscapes, the route heads from one pretty Yorkshire village to the next, starting and finishing in the attractive town of Aysgarth, with its famous triple waterfalls. Discover Hawes, the home of Wensleydale Cheese, and climb to the top of Great Shunner Fell for amazing views over the Yorkshire countryside. This delightful walk captures the essence of "Gods Own Country" wonderfully.
This is the perfect trip for you if you are looking to experience classic Yorkshire and a great introduction to a multi-day walking tour. The daily walks are between 12 and 14 miles, with up to 850m of ascent on the toughest day (the others involve around 200 and 600m ascent) on varied terrain. You will overnight in small B&B's, guesthouses or small hotels in traditional Dales villages.

Tour Type:

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!

Activity:

Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&B’s, inns, and guesthouses.

This trip is suitable for:

Solo Travellers

As a guide, we would suggest that the minimum age of traveler this tour would be suitable for is: 12 Years

Ideal if you have an interest in:

  • Long-Distance Trails
  • Off the Beaten Track

Activity Level & Terrain

This tour is graded as moderate overall. Daily walks are between 11 and 14 miles and involve ascents of between 120m and 728m (on Day 3 when you walk up Great Shunner Fell). You will cross a variety of terrain including well-defined paths and tracks through meadows, open fells and heather moorlands. There are some sections which can become wet and boggy during bad weather.

Navigation

Whilst the Herriot Way is not a waymarked path, it overlaps with a couple of other signposted trails including the Pennine Way and the Coast to Coast. We also provide comprehensive route notes, maps and GPS tracks through our smartphone app, so you shouldn’t have any problem finding your way.

Accommodations

You will stay in a mixture of carefully chosen B&B’s, guest houses or small hotels.

Single Rooms & Solo Walkers

If you require single rooms we would be happy to accommodate you although there is a single room supplement payable.

We welcome solo walkers on this trip although you should, of course, take extra care in the outdoors when walking solo.

Included
  • 5 Nights in B&B's, guesthouses or small hotels
  • 5 Breakfasts
  • Daily baggage transfers
  • Transfer from Garsdale Train Station to Aysgarth
  • Access to maps, GPX tracks and daily route information with the Macs Adventure smartphone navigation app
  • All your trip documents provided digitally through your online Macs “My Account”
  • 24/7 Emergency telephone support from our UK office
Excluded
  • Travel to/from Garsdale
  • Dinners and lunches
  • Drinks and snacks
  • Personal equipment
  • Travel insurance
Extras
  • Additional nights before or after the holiday

When To Go

You can start this tour on any day of the week from April through to September. It is also possible to travel in March and October if you wish but there will be a small additional charge for luggage transfers during these months. 

The best months for walking are in the spring, summer and autumn when the weather is fairer. Spring is great as the wild flowers will be in bloom. The hay meadows around Swaledale are in full bloom in June and this is when you will see them at their most colourful. September is when the heather is in full bloom on the moors and the autumn months also tend to be a bit quieter. By October the Yorkshire Dales are covered in lovely orange hues as the leaves start to fall. 

Getting to the Start

By Rail - The nearest train station to Aysgarth is Garsdale. Trains run from London to Garsdale (via Leeds) and take approx 4.5hrs or it is also possible to travel from Manchester (3.5h). From Garsdale it is a 15 minute taxi journey to Aysgarth which is included in the cost of your tour.

By Car - It is a 4hr drive from London to Aysgarth or 1.5h from Manchester. Please let us know if you do plan to drive as we will need to let your accommodation know you plan to leave your car there. 

By Air - The closest airports are Leeds Bradford or Manchester. From either of these airports, you can take the train via Leeds to Garsdale.

For more information on train times and schedules please visit the Traveline or National Rail websites.

Luggage Transfer

Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg per person.

General Information

The distances and ascent/descents are approximations of the recommended routes.

Equipment

Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and pants), sun hat, sunscreen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack.

Travel Insurance

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.

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Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive in Aysgarth Day 2 Aysgarth to Hawes 12 miles / 19 km Day 3 Hawes to Keld 12.5 miles / 20 km Day 4 Keld to Reeth 11 miles / 18 km Day 5 Reeth to Aysgarth 14 miles / 23 km Day 6 Onward Travel

The Macs Way

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