The Dales Way Price per person: £525 for 8 nights.
The Dales Way
Meandering through the heart of
the Yorkshire Dales, this popular
trail follows the riverside paths of
the Wharfe, Dee, Lune and Kent,
with superb scenery all the way
to Windermere in the Lake
District.
Highlights
Market towns and quaint
cobbled street villages
Limestone pavements, windswept
moors and rolling valleys
Impressive monuments, including
Bolton Priory and Dent Head
viaduct
Visit the town of Bowness-on-Windermere
Eat out and enjoy fine English food at traditional country pubs and restaurants
Day 1: arrive at your friendly accommodation in Ilkley.
Day 2: start with a leisurely walk following the River Wharfe from Ilkley to the village of Burnsall, passing Bolton Priory and Barden Tower. (13 miles, 500ft of ascent)
Day 3: stroll through the cobbled streets of Grassington before crossing the limestone pavement of Conistone on your way to the delightful village of Kettlewell. (10 miles, 800ft of ascent)
Day 4: keeping close to the valley floor, follow the meandering River Wharfe before ending your day with a short ascent to the hamlet of Oughtershaw. (10 miles, 750ft of ascent)
Day 5: a harder walk today as you cross the highest point of the trail. You climb to join the Cam High Road, originally built by the Romans, and then descend to Gearstones, before finishing at the Dent Head railway viaduct. (9¼ miles, 1,150ft of ascent)
Day 6: enjoy a gentle walk beside the River Dee to Millthrop as it meanders through Dentdale, passing a number of small hamlets and the village of Dent. (11½ miles, 575ft of ascent)
Day 7: continue towards Kendal through beautiful Cumbrian countryside which undulates through pastoral fields. The route briefly joins the River Lune, before crossing the west coast railway line and onto Shaw End. (12½ miles, 1,150ft of ascent)
Day 8: your final day's walking follows the River Kent into the Lake District. The fantastic views of the surrounding fells are a spectacular end to your holiday at Bowness-on-Windermere. (12¼ miles, 1,300ft of ascent)
Day 9: depart after breakfast or stay an extra night in Bowness-on-Windermere to relax and explore the area.
Price per person sharing a twin or double room: £525
Single room supplement: request quote
Extra nights: request quote
We have designed our holidays to be completely flexible so that you have the freedom to decide when to go, where to go and for how long. The sooner you book your holiday however, the easier it will be to match your preferred holiday dates. If you wish to travel around bank holidays or during the peak summer season we recommend that you book as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
This is not included in the price of your holiday.
By road: Ilkley is 30mins from Leeds.
Parking
It is usually possible to park your car at one of the guesthouses at the start or the end of your trail, and we can check this for you once your booking has been confirmed. We provide you with details of how to make your way to the start of the trail, or to get back to your car at the end of your stay. The cost of this transfer is not included in the price of the holiday, but is usually quite inexpensive when travelling by local public transport. Direct taxi journeys can also be arranged. Parking is at guests' own risk. In places of very limited parking guesthouses and hotels may charge a small parking fee (approximately £3 per night).
By train: to Ilkley station, then walk or taxi.
The following websites should help you to plan your journey:
You stay in small, friendly guesthouses, family-run hotels, farmhouse bed and breakfasts and country inns all offering you the warmth of traditional British hospitality.
We offer en-suite rooms wherever possible, although in more remote regions where accommodation is limited they may not be available. You may stay for one night or spend several nights at one guesthouse and where this is the case we will provide a pick up and drop off service for your day's walk. You will receive a complete list of your accommodation with contact details in your personal information pack.
All accommodation is booked on a bed and breakfast basis, allowing you the freedom to choose where and when you would like to eat your lunch and evening meals. In many cases the guesthouses where you stay offer excellent evening meals or your personal information pack provides details of recommended restaurants and traditional British pubs.
Information about which of the guesthouses provide a packed lunch, and how much this costs is provided in our local information booklet included in your personal information pack. If the guesthouses en route are unable to offer this service we provide information about where you can buy food in local shops nearby. Alternatively, you may like to stop for lunch and sample the local cuisine at traditional pubs and cafes as you choose.
HF Holidays, Catalyst House, 720 Centennial Court, Centennial Park, Elstree, Hertfordshire, WD6 3SY
E-mail: selfguided@hfholidays.co.uk Tel : 0845 470 8558 or outside the UK +44 (0) 20 8732 1270
The air holidays and flights are ATOL Protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is 710. ATOL Protection extends primarily to customers who book and pay in the United Kingdom. Click on the ATOL logo if you want to know more