Walking Offa's Dyke Path (North to South)

18 Days from

0 Days from

CAD 5,145

Incl. taxes Excl. flights

Walking & Trekking

Ways to Travel :

Self-Guided Holidays

Activity :

Walking & Trekking

Activity Levels :

3 out of 7 - Moderate

Group Size :

1 - 6

Ages :

12+

Trip Code :

W17OF

The Offa's Dyke National Trail runs for 177 miles from the North Wales coast at Prestatyn to Chepstow on the Severn Estuary, following the hand-dug bank and ditch built in the 8th century by command of King Offa, the ancient Anglo-Saxon King of Mercia to protect his kingdom. The full trail passes through eight counties and criss-crosses the Welsh-English border no fewer than 20 times.

Walking southwards enjoy the changing landscape from the dramatic heather clad uplands of the Clwydian Range and Black Mountains, to the peaceful rolling hills of Shropshire and Powys and the riverside meadows of the Wye and Severn valleys as you walk through three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Along the way you'll pass through areas of Site of Special Scientific Interest and discover a rich history from Iron Age forts, to Norman castles and to more recent areas of industrial heritage.

Highlights

Walk the full length of Offa's Dyke National Trail
Discover Norman castles, medieval abbeys and Iron Age hillforts
Pass through eight counties and cross the border between England and Wales over 20 times
Three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Clwydian Range, the Shropshire Hills and the Wye Valley

Key Information

17 nights hotel-to-hotel accommodation in a mix of hotels, B&B's and inns
Breakfasts and 4 evening meals
Management by your local Headwater-appointed agent
GPS route directions and maps - Headwater navigation app
Luggage transfers between hotels

Countries visited: United Kingdom

What's Included

17 nights hotel-to-hotel accommodation in a mix of hotels, inns and B&B's
All breakfasts and 4 evening meals
Management by your local Headwater-appointed agent
GPS route directions and maps - Headwater navigation app
Luggage transfers between hotels
Walking transfers

What's Not Included

Travel insurance
Single accommodation (available on request - compulsory supplement)
Solo traveller supplement (where only one person is travelling on a departure date)

15 Days of Walking & Trekking

Day 2

20 km / 12.4 miles

Day 3

24 km / 14.9 miles

Day 4

23 km / 14.3 miles

Day 5

20 km / 12.4 miles

Day 6

24 km / 14.9 miles

Day 7

16 km / 9.9 miles

Day 8

23 km / 14.3 miles

Day 9

25 km / 15.5 miles

Day 11

22 km / 13.7 miles

Day 12

24 km / 14.9 miles

Day 13

22 km / 13.7 miles

Day 14

14 km / 8.7 miles

Day 15

23 km / 14.3 miles

Day 16

18 km / 11.2 miles

Day 17

15 km / 9.3 miles

Responsible Travel

At Exodus we believe in the power of Responsible Travel.

Every time we travel, we are part of a global movement that creates jobs, builds more sustainable societies, encourages cultural understanding and safeguards common natural and cultural heritage. To learn more about what Responsible Travel means to Exodus click here…

On this trip in North Wales, the accommodation we use provides vital jobs to locals and uses locally sourced ingredients where possible to minimise the carbon footprint. Also the Manorhaus hotels in Ruthin and Llangollen keep single use plastics to a minimum in their hotels, plus all toiletries within the rooms are handmade locally from natural ingredients and provided in refillable containers. The West Arms pride themselves on working with very local food producers, so the meals in their excellent restaurant have a very low carbon footprint and are often organic.

Our local agent works with a carbon offset project (Forest Carbon) to create new native woodland within the UK, so all of their trips have some form of carbon offset (whilst recognising it's not a solution, they believe it's a positive step while they work on carbon reduction).

Itinerary

Arrive in the small village of Rhuallt, near the start of the trailhead at Prestatyn.

Meals Included: Dinner

After a short transfer to Prestatyn start your journey along the trail. From the beach head into the first of three AONB's you'll discover; the Clwydian Range. The stone stiles you'll go over today are unique to this section of the trail. There are spectacular views across to Snowdonia as you head toward Bodfari where you will be collected for a transfer to Rhuallt.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

The day starts with a transfer back to the route at Bodfari. You'll walk the Clwydian peaks and discover a series of Iron and Bronze Age hillforts at Foel Fenlli, Moel Arthur and Penycloddiau. The tallest summit in the range is Moel Famau at 554m and is crowned with the remains of the Jubilee Tower. Leave the trail to arrive in Llanarmon-yn-Ial.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Today your walk takes you through Llandegla Forest and over heather-clad moorland. You'll then pass through World's End to reach the dramatic limestone crags of the Eglwysegs above Llangollen.

Meals Included: Breakfast

From Llangollen walk up to the remains of the medieval Castell Dinas Bran before reaching the Pontcysllte Aqueduct. Built in 1805 and now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site it is the world's highest navigable aqueduct. Continue on through rolling farmland to Llwynmawr, perhaps taking a small detour to visit Chirk Castle.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Walk across open farmland to reach Oswestry Old Racecourse, used for horse races in the 18th Century. Ascend Moelydd to enjoy stunning views, with a toposcope provided to show the hills in the area. Discover some of the industrial heritage of the area at Nantmawr and the limestone quarry of Llanymynech.

Meals Included: Breakfast

A more gentle day today as you enter the Welsh Marches and walk along stretches of the Montgomeryshire Canal and the River Severn.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Today is another relatively flat stage, allowing time for a detour to Montgomery town to get refreshments and visit the ruined castle above the town. The Trail and the Dyke itself closely follow the true national boundary here.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Often thought of as one of the toughest sections of the Trail you reach the Shropshire Hills AONB and can view some of the best preserved sections of Offa's Dyke on Llanfair Hill.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Enjoy a day off walking and spend time in Knighton, home to the Offa's Dyke Centre.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Today you'll get stunning views from Hawthorn Hill, including the site of Owain Glyndwr's Battle of Pilleth. The trail passes through Granner Wood, a Woodland Trust site which is being restored to broadleaf woodland. Then, on to Brandor Hill, home to Kington Golf Club, the highest golf club in England before reaching the market town of Kington.

Meals Included: Breakfast

The day starts with a climb to where the Trail rises to 400m at Hergest Ridge. On a clear day you'll have 360 degree views to Pen y Fan to the south, the Malverns to the east and the hills of Shropshire to the north. Hergest Ridge has an old racecourse, and was also inspiration for Arthur Conan Doyle's Hound of the Baskervilles. Heading back down to the valley you'll follow the River Wye towards Hay-on-Wye. This quaint town was founded by the Normans after the Conquest and is nowadays famous for its numerous book shops. There is a choice of pubs and restaurants in which to spend the evening.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Start your journey through the Black Mountains of the Brecon Beacons National Park with views to the Vale of Eywas before reaching Longtown with its 12th century Norman motte-and-bailey fortification.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Continue through the Brecon Beacons National Park and along Hatterrall Ridge - enjoy stunning views to Sugar Loaf. Much of the ridge is a designated SSSI area.

Meals Included: Breakfast

The dyke is not visible along here but the area is rich with medieval history with White Castle worth a visit. The Rivers Wye, Monnow and Trothy converge at Monmouth and the trail passes below Monnow Bridge, the only remaining medieval fortified bridge in Great Britain.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Over the next two days you'll walk through the third and final Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty of this holiday, the Wye Valley. Enjoy views from The Kymin, an 18th Century Round House and Naval Temple. At Redbrook the trail crosses the border out of Wales for the final time.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

A short detour off the route at the start of the day takes you to the ruins of Tintern Abbey, then follow a tree lined escarpment to Devil's Pulpit for a spectacular view back to the Abbey. As you near Chepstow, you'll have views of the Castle, the oldest surviving post Roman fortification in Britain. Arrive at Sedbury cliff at the Severn estuary, a Maritime Natural Area which has the second highest tidal range in the world thanks to its shape and the 5 rivers that feed into it. A transfer will meet you for the short ride to Chepstow for your last night.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Depart Chepstow after breakfast.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Essential Info

Visa

United Kingdom

Travellers from the US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter the United Kingdom. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

Vaccination

United Kingdom

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for polio, tetanus and rabies (bat lyssavirus). Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Eating and Drinking

All Breakfasts and 4 evening meals are included.

Try out traditional local country pubs for lunch or enjoy a picnic in the countryside.
Sample local cuisine such as cawl, Welsh rarebit, laverbread, Welsh cakes, bara birth and the Glamorgan sausage. These dishes are regarded as symbols of Welsh food.

Weather

Summers in Wales tend to be slightly cooler than you might expect and winters can be milder, especially on the coast, while higher, upland areas have more chance of harsher (and colder) weather conditions. The warmest months to visit are from June through to August, although temperatures start to warm up around April and remain pleasant until October time. We advise you take waterproofs as rain / showers can occur at any time of year.

Is this trip for you?

Walking Conditions

Classification: Self-Guided
Activity Level: 3 (Moderate)
Average daily distance: 21km (13miles)
No. of days walking: 15
Terrain and route: Walks on this holiday are mainly on well-marked, gently undulating paths and tracks. The toughest sections of walking are in the Shropshire Hills (day 9) and the Brecon Beacons (days 12-14).
Vehicle Support: This is a self-guided trip for those who prefer to walk independently, but with our assistance to take out the stress of the logistics and planning. We arrange your accommodation, provide you with route directions so that you can walk at your own pace, while your bags are transported from one hotel to the next.

Transfers will be used to get you to the start of some walks.

It is important that you are happy following route directions, we make these as accurate as possible and they are regularly checked.

As this is a self-guided holiday there is no group and no leader. There may be others on the same departure date as you, but you will not be organised together. The routes directions contain a 24-hour emergency assistance telephone number should you need it and in emergencies, the local agent is normally able to dispatch a taxi or pick you up themselves. They may wish to charge for this service.

We have suggested that 8yrs is the minimum age for this trip, but as it is self-guided and you will be leading your own family we will ultimately leave this decision up to you.

For those wanting to travel on their own there is a single supplement for the accommodation and where there is only one "solo" traveller on a particular departure there is also a solo traveller supplement.

Covid-19 refund commitment

You will get a refund if you have to cancel your trip due to COVID-19.

Availability

This trip is available on request. Please proceed with your booking online or contact our Sales Team for assistance.

Walking Offa's Dyke Path (North to South)

15 Days of Walking & Trekking

Responsible Travel

Itinerary

Essential Info

Visa

United Kingdom

Vaccination

United Kingdom

Eating and Drinking

Weather

Is this trip for you?

Hotels

Would you like to include flights with your booking?

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The Adventure Begins Here

Walking Offa's Dyke Path (North to South)