Small Group Tour along the Wainwright Walking trail
Part of the small group tour of the British isles series, this walking tour goes west to east across England. The tour leader takes you into the national park of the UNESCO World heritage site in the Lake district and the North Yorkshire moors. This trip concludes in York. It is designed for senior walkers seeking authentic experiences.
From $19,052NZD
Highlights
- 1. Spend 5 days exploring and walking through the Lake District.
- 2. Explore and learn about the Georgian towns in the North of England such as Reeth.
- 3. Walk through James Heriot country, Yorkshire Dales national Park
- 4. Finish the tour exploring York, settled by the Romans and the Vikings and part of the industrial revolution.
Departure Dates
Departure Date | Price |
---|---|
30 May 2025 Ends 25 June 2025 • 27 days $20,004 Twin $23,383 Single Available | Selected |
31 May 2025 Ends 26 June 2025 • 27 days $20,004 Twin $23,383 Single Available | |
27 August 2025 Ends 22 September 2025 • 27 days $20,004 Twin $23,383 Single Available | |
26 August 2026 Ends 21 September 2026 • 27 days $20,004 Twin $23,383 Single Available |
Wainwright Walking Trail | Small Group Hike for Seniors
The Wainwright Walking Trail small group program for the active senior has been especially designed for those with the stamina to follow the Wainwright walking trail. This is the best of all England walking tours, the historic coast to coast walk covers some 300 kilometres of often rugged terrain. Your guided trip begins and ends in seaside villages, from St Bees on the west coast of England to Robin Hood's Bay on the east coast. This small group tour walking tour for mature and senior travellers along Wainwright Walking trail also allows, however, for those men or women whether joining as a couple or a solo traveller interested in walking some of the trail, but are unsure of their ability to cover the whole distance, to walk as much or as little as suits their individual interests and ability.
Although we begin our adventure in Carlisle and finish in York, the majority of our time will be spent crossing the country from the west coast to the east coast along a path devised by Alfred Wainwright, early 20th century English fell-walker, guide book writer, illustrator and cartographer.
The landscapes along this trail are spectacular and includes numerous ascents and descents with views across lakes, valleys, moors, rolling hills, the quaint villages, the occasional country house as well as mountain peaks and passes. Your walking experience starts and finishes in beautiful coastal landscapes as we walk from west to east, with the wind typically at our backs. On our walk, which deviates a little from Wainwright's original trail and takes us through three national parks, the Lake District National Park, the Yorkshire Dales National Park, the North York Moors National Park and the Cleveland way.
England walking tours are numerous this though is quintessentially English walk dominated by the three national parks. English history is ever present and makes for a truly fascinating and memorable walk as the local guide shares their knowledge of local flora and fauna, the ancient forests that blanket the rolling hills adjacent to rivers and disused historic sites or a local country house and their stories with the group. As this walking tour for seniors walks over a 27 day period from coast to coast we average between 8 to 14kms/day of walking.
This is not a designated national walking path and the actual route taken may vary with individuals' interests and ability. Finding your way without a local guide can be difficult at times, so our walking tour for seniors includes the services of a local guide.
This program uses four main centres along the path. We stay for up to six nights in each of these centres before moving with all our luggage on to our next destination. Our coach will transport us with our luggage for the day each morning to the point we left off walking in the previous afternoon, and collect us at the end of the day's walk. Those preferring to opt out of that day's walk and rest their feet will be able to explore the local area on their own, or possibly join other non-walkers on an alternative activity such as country house visits of a stroll though the historic Georgian towns or the country lanes that lead into quaint villages such as Reeth, giving you the opportunity to discover hidden gems as you stroll through this part of Northern England. A number of rest days will be built into the program, even for those who intend to walk the whole distance.
This is a guided trip and includes the services of a local guide with expert knowledge of the trail, as well as that of the Odyssey Program Leader. As the weather can be variable, we will rely on the knowledge and planning skills of the local guide for decisions about the desirability of walking on some days. Consequently the exact program and distances walked in each district may vary according to local conditions and the guide's assessment of individual ability.
The local guide's decision on the day's itinerary will be final. The activity level is level 3, moderate to challenging. This link takes you to the activity level guide for Odyssey walking tours for seniors including our England walking tours.
This article published by Odyssey Traveller about the Wainwright Walking trail, which is considered by many commentators as one of the best walking tours in England, may also assist you in preparing yourself for this walk.
Highlights of the Wainwright Walking Trail Tour
- Walk through stunning scenery in three of England’s National Parks.
- Take time out to visit Castle Barnard and the Bowes Museum
- Travel by Victorian steam gondola across Coniston Waters to visit Brantwood, home of John Ruskin.
- Paddle in both the Irish Sea and the North Sea.
- Enjoy the service of a knowledgeable local guide.
- Stay each night in comfortable accommodation.
Articles published by Odyssey Traveller for Walking and Hiking tours for seniors
To help you prepare for any walking program, whether with Odyssey or another company, this list of articles is intended to help you prepare for your holiday.
- articles on Selecting walking shoes for women
- article on footwear and walking shoes
- article on what to pack when travelling.
- article on maintaining muscle fitness in senior and mature age travellers
- article on selecting socks for walking
- article detailing six great short walks in Britain
- article on preparing for a walking holiday
- article on Pilgrim walks in Europe
- article on walking in the Lake District
- article on being an older traveller
Articles about Great Britain published by Odyssey Traveller
The following is a list of articles published by Odyssey Traveller for mature aged and senior travellers to maximise their knowledge and enjoyment of Great Britain when visiting;
- Roman roads in Britain
- Understanding British Churches
- Medieval British life
- Icons of British villages
- Studying Gargoyles and grotesques
- New discoveries about Britain's stone circles
- Victorian Country life
- Britain's neolithic past
- Lumps and bumps, how to read the British landscape
- The Lake district poets
- English village history
- Britain's National trust
See all the articles published on Britain by Odyssey Traveller. We also have more information about England you could research.
External articles to assist you on your walk in Britain
- National trust; Britain's best walks with Julia Bradbury
- National Parks of Britain.
- Ten books about Walking in Britain from the Guardian
- UNESCO World Heritage sites of Britain
Walk with Odyssey Traveller
The Wainwright Walking Trail is only one of many walking tours offered by Odyssey Traveller. These active tours are designed for the mature traveller to enjoy in a small group holiday and learning environment.
For more details, click the ‘Top 5’ or ‘Itinerary’ buttons above! If you’re keen to experience this tour, please call or send an email. Or, to book, simply fill in the form on the right hand side of this page.
Gallery
Itinerary
27 days
Day 1: Carlisle
Accommodation: Carlisle TBA
Day 2: Carlisle - St Bees
Accommodation: St Bees TBA
Day 3: St Bees
Accommodation: St Bees TBA
Day 4: St Bees
Accommodation: St Bees TBA
Day 5: Grasmere
Accommodation: Grasmere or Ambleside, TBA
Day 6: Grasmere
Accommodation: Grasmere or Ambleside, TBA.
Day 7: Grasmere
Accommodation: Grasmere or Ambleside, TBA.
Day 8: Grasmere - Lake District
Accommodation: Grasmere or Ambleside, TBA.
Day 9: Grasmere
Accommodation: Grasmere or Ambleside, TBA.
Day 10: Grasmere
Accommodation: Grasmere or Ambleside, TBA.
Day 11: Kirkby Stephen
Accommodation: Kirkby Stephen, TBA
Day 12: Kirkby Stephen
Accommodation: Kirkby Stephen, TBA
Day 13: Kirkby Stephen
Accommodation: Kirkby Stephen, TBA
Day 14 : Kirkby Stephen
Accommodation: Kirkby Stephen TBA
Day 15: Richmond
Accommodation: Richmond TBA
Day 16: Richmond
Accommodation: Richmond TBA
Day 17: Richmond
Accommodation: Richmond TBA
Day 19: Richmond
Accommodation: Richmond TBA
Day 20: Richmond
Accommodation: Richmond TBA
Day 21: Grosmont
Accommodation: Grosmont/Egton Bridge area,TBA
Day 22: Grosmont
Accommodation: Grosmont/Egton Bridge area,TBA
Day 23: Grosmont
Accommodation: Grosmont/Egton Bridge area,TBA
Day 24: Grosmont
Accommodation: Grosmont/Egton Bridge area,TBA
Day 25: Grosmont
Accommodation: Grosmont/Egton Bridge area,TBA
Day 26: York
Accommodation: York, TBA
Day 27: York
Our small group tour along Wainwright walking trail concludes this morning after breakfast in York.
Tour Notes
- Group size is limited to a maximum of 12 walkers and their non walking partners.
Includes / Excludes
What’s included in our Tour
- 26 nights of accommodation in England, Wales, and Scotland.
- 26 breakfasts and 10 dinners.
- Touring by comfortable and modern mini-coach.
- All entry fees and services of local guides.
- Services of Tour Leader for the duration of tour.
- Detailed preparatory information.
What’s not included in our Tour
- Comprehensive travel insurance.
- Return international airfare and departure taxes.
- Airport transfers.
- Items of a personal nature, such as telephone calls and laundry.
Participants must be in excellent health, extremely mobile and live an active lifestyle. Program activities may include up to 6 hours of continuous strenuous, moderate-to-fast paced activities per day on varied terrain.
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Make it a private tour
Easing your journey
Crossing international borders with restrictions
The list of requirements to travel internationally has changed and will continue to change for several years. Odyssey is here to assist you in managing your way through these requirements:
For more information see our Crossing international borders with restrictions page.
Book With Confidence
If less than 30 days before your tour starts you are unable to travel as a result of Government travel restrictions, Odyssey Traveller will assist you with a date change, provide you with a credit or process a refund for your booking less any non-recoverable costs.
See Terms and conditions for details.
Peace of Mind Travel
The safety of our travellers, tour leader, local guide and support staff has always been our top priority and with the new guidelines for public health and safety for keeping safe for destinations around the world, we’ve developed our plan to give you peace of mind when travelling with us.
See Peace of Mind Travel for details.
Small Group Tour along the Wainwright Walking trail