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Self-Guided Walking: Dales Way

England
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Walk & Trek
Self-Guided
LEISURELY LEISURELY

Walk from the Yorkshire Dales to the Lake District on this fantastic self-guided long-distance walking holiday

Trip Code: MDW9
Holiday Grades

Our Holiday Grades Explained

To show the relative difficulty of our holidays, each trip is graded on a scale of 1 to 12, with 12 being the most challenging. Although we have tried to make our grading system as clear as possible, it cannot take into account your personal interests, abilities or experience. If you have any questions about the nature of a particular trip or its suitability for you, please read the 'Is this holiday for you?' section or contact us.

1 - 3 LEISURELY
1 - 3 LEISURELY

Suitable for most people in good health, holidays at this grade include only limited amounts of activity.

View leisurely holidays
4 - 6 MODERATE
4 - 6 MODERATE

Suitable for reasonably fit individuals, such as weekend walkers and cyclists. There can be the occasional more difficult day.

View moderate holidays
7 - 9 CHALLENGING
7 - 9 CHALLENGING

Physically challenging holidays, where you need to be prepared before you go.

View challenging holidays
10 - 12 TOUGH
10 - 12 TOUGH

Our toughest holidays, involving many long days, often in isolated areas. A high level of fitness and previous wilderness and mountain experience is essential.

View Tough holidays

Self-Guided Walking: Dales Way

Highlights
  • One of England’s classic long-distance trails, the Dales Way stretches 81 miles from Ilkley to Bowness on Windermere
  • Savour the iconic scenery of two National Parks, the Yorkshire Dales and the English Lake District on this self-guided walking holiday
  • Linger over Bolton Abbey and the honey-pot villages of Wharfedale, and see the infamous Strid, on this gentler paced itinerary
  • Extensive route notes, recommendations for local meals, daily luggage transfers and B&B in local guesthouses included in the holiday price
At a Glance
  • Self-guided
  • 8 days walking
  • Average of 16 km per day walking
  • Packed lunches available on request
  • Recommendations for excellent local meals
  • Join In Ilkley / Ends in Bowness on Windermere
Accommodation & Meals
  • 9 Breakfasts
  • 9 nights Guesthouse
Overview

Follow the delightful Dales Way through Wharfedale and Dentdale to the shores of Bowness on Windermere. This 130km route runs primarily on riversides linking bustling market towns and historic hamlets nestled in the National Parks of the Yorkshire Dales and English Lake District. 


As ever with our self-guided trails, each day you’ll find outstanding scenery mixed with historic heritage – on your first day you will reach Bolton Abbey estate, with it beautiful riverside setting and iconic ruins of a 12th century Augustine Priory. There’s extensive limestone pavement to cross on the way to the Dales town of Grassington and the honey pot villages of Wharfedale await further upstream with gentle walking along the river between Starbotton and Buckden. Next comes the wilder moors of Cam Fell at 450m for spectacular views of the three peaks before dropping down to gentler Dentdale and the River Dee via the famous Ribblehead Viaduct. Finally you ‘ll skirt under the Howgills and along the River Lune as you cross into Cumbria and the mountains of the Lake District will rise steadily before you. 
The trip includes all accommodation, breakfast and full luggage support meaning you can travel light and concentrate on the lovely scenery and historic sites.  


This is the longest of our Dales Way holidays, taking 8 days to walk the whole Dales Way. We have 4 different itineraries available depending on how much you like to walk each day. Please ask for details.

Is this holiday for you?

The route, which is generally waymarked over its entire length, is relatively straightforward. The paths usually follow valley systems but rises up to 450 metres at its highest point. A good route for regular walkers.

Terrain: The route generally follows rivers and valley bottoms. Crossing from Wharfedale to Dentdale (after Buckden & Hubberholme) the route rise …

The route, which is generally waymarked over its entire length, is relatively straightforward. The paths usually follow valley systems but rises up to 450 metres at its highest point. A good route for regular walkers.

Terrain: The route generally follows rivers and valley bottoms. Crossing from Wharfedale to Dentdale (after Buckden & Hubberholme) the route rises over the moorland, up to a height of 450m.

What’s it like underfoot? On the whole the paths are well defined and maintained, but at times it can be rough underfoot with some muddy paths, so good footwear is essential.

How much up & down? Most days are rolling with gentle ascent and descents. The climb from Buckden to the high point on the route is the biggest at about 150m.

Signposting: Generally good, but use your map and guidebook as well.

Navigation: Pretty straightforward. You may encounter hill fog on the highest day, but route is pretty well defined.

Weather: You may be lucky enough to encounter warm, dry weather over the whole route and enjoy dry paths and tremendous views, but you must be prepared because the weather can change quickly. Good clothing and waterproofs essential!

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Why KE?

We operate this trip in collaboration with our sister company Mickledore Travel, which is also based in Keswick in the Lake District. Mickledore have a long tradition of operating self-guided walking holidays along some of the finest trails in England, Scotland and Wales. Route notes, maps, luggage transfers and bed & breakfast accommodation in the best B&Bs, guesthouses and inns along the way are all included. Recommendations are also made for the best places to find delicious local meals at each night stop. 

Mickledore have a near perfect customer satisfaction score (99%), and we have no doubt that you will find their knowledgeable and friendly team able to answer even the most detailed of questions.

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Itinerary

Download Trip Notes

Arrive at your first nights' accommodation in Ilkley.

Accommodation

Guesthouse
Hide Details

The route starts at Ilkley, an old market town marking the eastern edge of the Dales and heads upstream along the banks of the River Wharfe passing Addingham and onto Bolton Abbey, an impressive 12th century ruin set in the parkland of the Duke of Devonshire's estate.

Accommodation

Guesthouse

Meals

B

Ascent

125 M

Distance

10 KM
Hide Details

More riverside walking leads to Appletreewick, the first in a string of delightful limestone villages, and on to Burnsall which is idyllically situated on a large meander in the river. From Burnsall the route carries on along the Wharfedale valley and enters the small market town of Grassington, the last town before Sedbergh, on the eastern fringes of the National Park.

Accommodation

Guesthouse

Meals

B

Ascent

342 M

Distance

16 KM
Hide Details

After Grassington the route leaves the valley for a few miles and climbs up to a plateau of limestone pavement. Here, millions of years of rainwater have dissolved deep crevices in the limestone, splitting the surface spectacularly. The Wharfe is rejoined at Kettlewell, one of the honey pot villages of the Dales and the path follows the river gently upstream past the villages of Starbotton and Buckden onto Hubberholme.

Accommodation

Guesthouse

Meals

B

Ascent

303 M

Distance

19 KM
Hide Details

This is where Wharfedale officially finishes and the route continues along the beck side up the narrow vale to Beckermonds. The character of the route changes markedly here as the path climbs out of the cosy confines of Wharfedale over the wild moorland of Cam Fell. An altitude of 450m is reached at Cam Houses giving dramatic views of the Yorkshire Three Peaks, before the route descends towards Ribblehead and its famous viaduct.

Accommodation

Guesthouse

Meals

B

Ascent

438 M

Distance

19 KM
Hide Details

Moor fell sides soon lead to the gentler countryside of the River Dee and Dentdale. Riverside paths meander downstream to the village of Dent, with its narrow cobbled streets.

Accommodation

Guesthouse

Meals

B

Ascent

216 M

Distance

16 KM
Hide Details

Although Dent was part of Yorkshire until 1974, and remains in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, lying west of the Pennines, you're now very much in Cumbria. Beyond Dent is Sedbergh, a small market town nestling under the steep Howgill fells.

Accommodation

Guesthouse

Meals

B

Ascent

237 M

Distance

16 KM
Hide Details

The riversides of the Dales are left behind, as the route passes through the rolling countryside separating the National Parks of the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District. Views of distant Lakeland mountains become more impressive as Windermere is approached.

Accommodation

Guesthouse

Meals

B

Ascent

371 M

Distance

21 KM
Hide Details

The final stretch of the Dales Way provides magnificent views back to the rolling Howgills whilst ahead of you are the sharper outlines of the Lakeland Crags. Both the Lakeland skyline and the rough pastures seem a world away from the gentle and luscious green Dales at the start of the week.

Accommodation

Guesthouse

Meals

B

Ascent

326 M

Distance

16 KM
Hide Details

Depart from Bowness on Windermere after breakfast.

Meals

B
Hide Details
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The Route
Point Point
Direction Direction
Trek

Essential Information

We've compiled some of our Frequently Asked Questions to help you learn more about this amazing trip.

  • All accommodation as described
  • Meals as described in the Meal Plan
  • Self-guided information pack containing your map and route notes
  • Luggage Transport

  • Travel Insurance
  • Evening meals
  • Packed lunches (can be booked at an additional cost)
  • Off road parking (available at most locations on request)
  • Transport to the start and away from the finish
  • Personal equipment
  • Any additional activities/excursions indicated as optional

This holiday is operated by our sister company, Mickledore Travel. KE is not acting as an agent, but is marketing the holiday on Mickledore’s behalf. All bookings and payments will be processed by Mickledore, and you will enter into an agreement directly with them under the terms of their booking conditions.

You will be posted your self-guided holiday pack once we have received the balance (normally around 8 weeks before the start of your holiday).  We supply one holiday pack per booking and this will be posted to the person that made the booking. Extra packs can be purchased at £30 per pack. Please contact us a minimum of 6 weeks in advance if you require an extra pack. 

Your holiday pack comprises of:

  • Your itinerary with details of each night’s accommodation; information on your evening meals, as well as luggage transport and transfers, (where applicable).
  • Directions and detailed maps to each accommodation
  • A guidebook that describes the route in detail, and covers the whole route with a series of maps, as well as providing a wealth of background information.
  • Map(s) which cover the entire route(s).
  • Luggage Tags (if luggage transport booked) which the luggage courier will use to identify your bags.
  • Information on local facilities, such as cafes and other recommended places to eat, cash points, taxi companies, etc.

As part of the standard charge we will issue the following:

  • 1 guidebook and map for up to 4 people
  • 2 guidebooks and maps for 5-7 people
  • 3 guidebooks and maps for 8 people or more

You may purchase extra copies from us at a discounted price.

This holidays starts at your accommodation in Ilkley. All of our self-guided holidays are sold on a land only basis allowing you the flexibility to choose the travel method which best suits you.

Detailed instructions on getting to your first night's and returning from your last night's accommodation by car, or on foot from the nearest train or bus station, will also be included in the holiday pack on individual accommodation maps.

This holiday is on a B&B basis. Packed lunches are available on request, and we have many recommendations for excellent local meals.

Water from the taps is perfectly drinkable on this holiday - please use this to fill your personal bottles for your daily activities. We do not encourage the purchase of single-use plastic bottles.

Your evening meal isn’t included in the package, but we include full details and recommendations for each evening meal in your itinerary. You will normally be within walking distance of a pub and/or restaurant, or where there is good food available at the accommodation, we’ll book that for you. Allow about £20 per person per night. 

Pack lunches can be provided on this holiday for an additional cost from £59 per person. We recommend this as there will not always be a handy shop or cafe on the route.

In selecting the accommodation we look for helpful, friendly hosts with good quality, characterful accommodation close to the trail. We always try to arrange en suite accommodation, i.e. rooms with their own bathrooms for each night of your stay. However, in some of the more remote locations accommodation is limited and occasionally we may have to book rooms with shared bathrooms for one or two nights of your holiday, (especially if the booking is made at short notice), but we will always let you know if this is likely to be the case.

Single Rooms We are happy to book single rooms on this walk but cannot normally book more than 2 for any one group. Single room bookings include a supplement.

For each holiday there is a minimum number of participants required to enable it to go ahead. Once the minimum number is reached, the trip status will change from 'Available' to 'Guaranteed to run'. You can check the trip status for each departure in the ‘Dates and Prices’ table. Other than in exceptional circumstances, we will not cancel a trip once it has achieved this guaranteed to run status so you are free to proceed with your international flight booking and other travel arrangements.

The information that we provide is for UK passport holders. A passport with 6 months remaining validity at the end of your stay is generally required, and you should have at least 2 blank pages for each country that you visit.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the correct travel documents and visas for your holiday. Please ensure that you check for the latest advice before travel. For the most up to date information on entry requirements, please visit the UK Government website.

If you have a severe allergy please inform the KE office before you travel. We will do all we can to help, but we cannot guarantee an allergy free environment on KE trips. You will need to carry your own treatment for the allergy with you, as 'adrenaline auto-injectors' are not carried as standard by KE leaders and staff. You should inform your leader on arrival of your allergy, and let them know where you keep your adrenaline pen.

Severe Allergies

Please inform our KE Sales and support team of any severe allergies you may have before travel. We will always do our best to help but we are unable to guarantee an allergy free environment on our KE trips. We advise that you always carry your own treatment for the allergy with you such as 'adrenaline auto-injectors' if required.  We also recommend that you discuss this with your accommodation on arrival so that they can better assist you.

As a reputable tour operator, KE supports the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's ‘Travel Aware’ campaign to enable British citizens to prepare for their journeys overseas. The 'Travel Aware' website provides a single, authoritative source of advice for all kinds of travellers and we recommend that before travel, all KE clients visit the official UK Government website at travelaware.campaign.gov.uk and read the FCDO Travel Advice for their chosen destination. North Americans can also check out the U.S. Department of State website: www.travel.state.gov for essential travel advice and tips.

KE treat the safety and security of all clients as the most important aspect of any trip we organise. We would not run any trip that we did not consider reasonably safe.  Should the FCDO advise against travel for any reason, we will contact everyone booked to travel to discuss the situation.  We receive regular updates directly from the FCDO and are in constant touch with our contacts on the ground.  If you have any questions about government travel advice, please call our office.

KE do not encourage the use of single use plastic items. We are ensuring that our agents all over the world are working together to reduce the problem and educate those around them. We are leading by example in our KE office by reducing our plastic use.

It is an essential condition of joining a holiday with KE Adventure Travel that you have a valid travel insurance policy to cover the cost of medical treatment and to protect the value of your holiday in the event of cancellation.  When taking out insurance please ensure the policy you choose covers you for the activities and altitude included in your itinerary.

For appropriate insurance cover we recommend Campbell Irvine Direct.  Please go to our Travel Insurance page for further information and to get a quote.

Where luggage transport is included in the price, this will be a standard of 1 piece of luggage per person, usually up to 20kg in weight. On some routes the weight limit may be less, but we will advise you if this is the case. If you leave your luggage at your accommodation in the morning, it will be waiting for you on arrival at the B&B that evening. Any extra bags can be transported (at an additional charge) as long as they are pre-booked.

On certain holidays we also offer a storage service for extra luggage not needing to be transported for the holiday. Please contact us for for information on which holidays and a quotation.

All you need to carry is a small day sack to hold your waterproofs, personal items, packed lunch, map, guidebook and camera. You should be prepared for all weathers, at all times of year.

YOU SHOULD BRING THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:

  • Walking boots – need to be comfortable and well broken in
  • Several pairs of thick walking socks
  • Mittens/gloves
  • Warm hat and/or sun hat
  • Raincoat: (waterproof and windproof with a hood)
  • Waterproof trousers
  • Thermal long-johns & thermal top
  • Jacket
  • Fleece tops
  • Fleece or polypropylene trousers (no denim or cotton)
  • Spare clothing for the evening
  • Shorts and t-shirt (ideally made from synthetic fibres)
  • Map case
  • Compass
  • Torch: with spare batteries
  • First aid kit: insect repellent, sunscreen, blister kits, pain relief and assorted bandages
  • Water bottle
  • Walking poles (if you already use these)
  • Small day sack (20-30L) for carrying your personal items
  • Day sack liner / black bin bag / day sack waterproof cover
  • Camera and memory card
  • Phone and charger
  • Binoculars
  • Sunglasses
  • Whistle
  • GPS (if you already use one)

Many of the equipment items listed above are available from Cotswold Outdoor - our 'Official Recommended Outdoor Retailer'. When you book a holiday with KE you will receive a 12.5% discount with Cotswold Outdoor, Snow+Rock and Runners Need. The discount code can be downloaded from your MyKE account and you can use this code at the checkout, either in store or online.

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