Hadrian's Wall Path - West to East - 8 Days & 7 Nights

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.

Activity Level & Terrain

This tour is graded anywhere between easy to moderate and strenuous, depending on which itinerary you choose. It is most suited for those walkers with previous long distance experience. The route is a mixture of paths, tracks and minor roads. Some of the paths can become very muddy and boggy and negotiating this terrain can be slow-going at times. Please read the Hadrian's Wall Code of Respect in your guidebook, which gives guidelines as to how to care for the natural environment for this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Navigation

The Hadrian's Wall is well-waymarked and easy to follow. Navigation is straightforward as you can use the Macs Adventure Smartphone App which has maps, GPS tracks and daily route information. Simply download the GPS tracks for offline use and follow the route on your phone with the assurance that navigation on this tour will be made simple and you cannot get lost. You will find more information on downloading the app in your Macs Adventure Account.

• Overnights in B&B’s, small hotels and guesthouses
• Breakfasts
• Luggage transfers
• 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”
• Hadrian’s Wall Passport (for those travelling between May and October)
• 24/7 Emergency telephone support from our UK office

• Travel insurance (required)
• Travel to Bowness-on-Solway
• Travel from Newcastle
• Lunches & Dinners
• Drinks and snacks
• Personal equipment

• Extra night(s)

When To Go

You can begin this long-distance walk anytime between March and October. Between these dates, the weather can be vastly different, from rain to wind to glorious days of sunshine. Please come prepared for walking in rain or shine.

Please note there are various events on throughout the year that may make availability difficult in the city of Newcastle (large concert events and the Great North Run). During these periods we recommend booking our "Best of" or Short Break Itineraries.  Your adventure specialist will advise you of any difficulty in booking on particular dates.

Weather and Climate

By nature, the North of England is prone to varying types of weather throughout the year. Always be prepared for changeable conditions when walking in England. Waterproofs are essential. We recommend visiting https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/ (the UK’s official source for weather warnings) before setting off each day. Do not attempt to walk any sections if any serious weather warnings are in place.

Getting to the Start

Make your way to Carlisle, which is easily accessible from Newcastle and all major cities across both Scotland (Glasgow and Edinburgh) and the south of England (London). 

The Stagecoach Bus Service 93 then connects Carlile to Bowness-on-Solway. Please ensure you check the bus timetables in advance as it is a limited service that runs around three times a day - also, no buses run between Bowness-on-Solway and Carlisle on Sundays/bank holidays (so please keep this in mind when booking). Local taxi services are the only other option (we provide numbers in your information pack).

Getting from the End

Newcastle is a major transport hub in the northeast of England and has excellent rail, road and air links from both Scotland and the South of England. It also has an airport which serves many carriers. You can take flights to and from London, and there is also a direct flight (at the time of writing this) from New York City on United Airlines. There is also a train station. For more information on public transportation please visit the Traveline website.

By Rail

Newcastle is on the main East Coast rail line. A direct train from London takes approx 3 hours, or from Edinburgh takes around 1h 30m. 

By Air

From outside the UK, you can fly to Newcastle with several airlines including Easyjet, KLM and Airfrance.

Luggage Transfer

Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight accommodation. 

At Macs Adventure, we work in partnership with many luggage transfer providers who set a limit on how many bags/suitcases they will transfer per person, and also the weight of the bag/suitcase.  Your booking includes transfer of 1 bag per person.  It is very important that you read the luggage information specific to your tour before departure. If you do not adhere to these limits, there is a great possibility that you will be charged locally both for extra bags or if they are too heavy. This limitation can be a challenge, especially as airlines generally have limits that are higher. However, our luggage providers have reasons for these limits (usually due to the Health and Safety of their employees), which we must respect.

General Information

The distances listed are an approximation of daily walk lengths.

You may also notice that the total overall distance varies on our different itineraries - this is due to where you overnight along the way. Some examples of this - on our shortest (full) Hadrian's Wall Path itinerary (7 Day) you will remain on the Hadrian's Wall path for large sections meaning you will not detour off to overnight in places such as Once Brewed (which means you don't add in the extra mileages of coming off and back onto the Hadrian's Wall Path). Or on our longest (full) Hadrian's Wall Path itinerary (10-day), there is a 3-mile (out and back) detour to overnight in Corbridge that you would otherwise skip on our other itineraries. 

Diversions on the Hadrian’s Wall Path

No matter what year you are due to walk Hadrian’s Wall Path you are likely to find some minor diversions in place along the way – this can be for a mixture of reasons, from forestry work, path resurfacing, damage after a storm or just general trail maintenance. Normally this will be a logical path that skirts around the effected section, and you should be back on the official trail path in no time at all. If there are any major diversions in place, the Macs Adventure team will reach out to you to let you know. Please always respect any diversion in place and ensure you follow them for your own safety.

Equipment

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

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.