Isle of Wight Coastal Path

Isle of Wight Coastal Path

A circular walking holiday circumnavigating the spectacular Isle of Wight.

3 to 8 nights
33-71 miles
Moderate to Demanding / Strenuous

From £365 per person

Find your holiday

About the trail

We offer full-route and short break walking options along the Isle of Wight Coastal Path. The variety of coastal scenery on this stunning walking holiday spans towering white cliffs, the spectacular chalk stacks of ‘The Needles', the multi-coloured sands of Alum Bay and many more sights of natural beauty. There are plenty of wonderful settlements to explore, including thatched villages, lively seaside resorts and bustling harbours.

Other features of interest include a fossil forest, Yarmouth Castle, Palmerston-era forts and Osbourne House, among many others. By circumnavigating the entire island, the Isle of Wight Coastal Path successfully showcases everything this fabulous region has to offer. It's a stunning section of the England Coast Path.

We offer multiple holiday options along this trail. If you wish to experience the entire trail, simply select the first option from the list below.

Choose your route

  • Isle of Wight Coastal Path
  • Isle of Wight Short Break

About this route

5 to 8 nights
71 miles
Moderate to Demanding / Strenuous
2nd January to 24th December

From £625 per person

Isle of Wight Coastal Path

The Isle of Wight Coastal Path walking holiday covers 71 miles as it circumnavigates the Isle of Wight. There are plenty of interesting sites to discover along the trail, including both natural wonders and historic landmarks. The Isle of Wight also boasts plenty of thriving settlements, all of which guarantee a warm welcome to walkers.

Available tours

Code Tour Duration Difficulty Price per person
IOW1 A circular trail beginning at Cowes 5 nights, 4 days walking Demanding / Strenuous £625
IOW2 A circular trail beginning at Cowes 6 nights, 5 days walking Demanding £745
IOW3 A circular trail beginning at Cowes 7 nights, 6 days walking Moderate / Demanding £855
IOW4 A circular trail beginning at Cowes 8 nights, 7 days walking Moderate £970

Short breaks

Code Tour Duration Difficulty Price per person
IOWSB1 From Yarmouth(L) to Shanklin 3 nights, 2 days walking Demanding £365
IOWSB2 From Yarmouth(L) to Shanklin 4 nights, 3 days walking Moderate £485
"Coastal Erosion on Bembridge B" by Diane Moss (2024) "Coastal Erosion on Bembridge B" by Diane Moss (2024)
"Leaving Freshwater Bay" by Diane Moss (2024) "Leaving Freshwater Bay" by Diane Moss (2024)
"Wooden Sculpture in Fort Victoria Country Park" by Diane Moss (2024) "Wooden Sculpture in Fort Victoria Country Park" by Diane Moss (2024)
"Looking back to Tennyson Down from the Chines" by Diane Moss (2024) "Looking back to Tennyson Down from the Chines" by Diane Moss (2024)
"Which Way Next?" by Diane Moss (2024) "Which Way Next?" by Diane Moss (2024)
"Cooling our Feet" by John and Maalfrid Grimstvedt (2022) "Cooling our Feet" by John and Maalfrid Grimstvedt (2022)
"Heading down to the Beach in Colwell Bay" by John and Maalfrid Grimstvedt (2022) "Heading down to the Beach in Colwell Bay" by John and Maalfrid Grimstvedt (2022)
"I Met a Man" by John and Maalfrid Grimstvedt (2022) "I Met a Man" by John and Maalfrid Grimstvedt (2022)
"On the Path along Hamstead Heritage Coast" by John and Maalfrid Grimstvedt (2022) "On the Path along Hamstead Heritage Coast" by John and Maalfrid Grimstvedt (2022)
"Enjoying Breakfast" by John and Maalfrid Grimstvedt (2022) "Enjoying Breakfast" by John and Maalfrid Grimstvedt (2022)
"Yarmouth Pier" by Karen Freeman (2022) "Yarmouth Pier" by Karen Freeman (2022)
"The Mermaid and the Stag, Freshwater Bay" by Tracey Horton (2022) "The Mermaid and the Stag, Freshwater Bay" by Tracey Horton (2022)
"Tennyson Monument" by Tracey Horton (2022) "Tennyson Monument" by Tracey Horton (2022)
"The First Climb of the Day after Sandown" by David Keogh (2021) "The First Climb of the Day after Sandown" by David Keogh (2021)
"Gate Art after Freshwater Bay" by David Keogh (2021) "Gate Art after Freshwater Bay" by David Keogh (2021)
"Atherfield Bay" by Paul Copsey (2021) "Atherfield Bay" by Paul Copsey (2021)
"Freshwater Bay" by David Law (2019) "Freshwater Bay" by David Law (2019)
"Whitecliff Bay" by Bob Parkinson (2018) "Whitecliff Bay" by Bob Parkinson (2018)
"Walking on Tennyson Down" by Bob Parkinson (2018) "Walking on Tennyson Down" by Bob Parkinson (2018)
"The Needles" by Bob Parkinson (2018) "The Needles" by Bob Parkinson (2018)
"Bembridge Harbour" by Bob Parkinson (2018) "Bembridge Harbour" by Bob Parkinson (2018)
"Descending near Woody Point" by Bob Parkinson (2018) "Descending near Woody Point" by Bob Parkinson (2018)
"Eroded Cliffs beyond Barnes High" by Bob Parkinson (2018) "Eroded Cliffs beyond Barnes High" by Bob Parkinson (2018)
"Red Sandstone Cliffs" by Lucy Coward (2018) "Red Sandstone Cliffs" by Lucy Coward (2018)
"Brightstone Bay" by Lucy Coward (2018) "Brightstone Bay" by Lucy Coward (2018)
"Old Battery and the Needles" by Christopher Talbot-Ponsonby (2017) "Old Battery and the Needles" by Christopher Talbot-Ponsonby (2017)
"St. Catherines Lighthouse" by Christopher Talbot-Ponsonby (2017) "St. Catherines Lighthouse" by Christopher Talbot-Ponsonby (2017)
"Ventnor Sea Wall" by Christopher Talbot-Ponsonby (2017) "Ventnor Sea Wall" by Christopher Talbot-Ponsonby (2017)
"Looking back to Freshwater Bay" by David Conway (2017) "Looking back to Freshwater Bay" by David Conway (2017)
"Always Use the Gate" by David Conway (2017) "Always Use the Gate" by David Conway (2017)
"Freshwater Bay" by David Conway (2017) "Freshwater Bay" by David Conway (2017)
"Leaving Sandown" by David Conway (2017) "Leaving Sandown" by David Conway (2017)
"Deckchairs at Shanklin" by Pauline Ellington (2017) "Deckchairs at Shanklin" by Pauline Ellington (2017)
"Hamstead Point" by Pauline Ellington (2017) "Hamstead Point" by Pauline Ellington (2017)
"Heading Towards Brightstone Bay" by Pauline Ellington (2017) "Heading Towards Brightstone Bay" by Pauline Ellington (2017)
"Beach Huts at Ventnor" by Pauline Ellington (2017) "Beach Huts at Ventnor" by Pauline Ellington (2017)
"St. Catherines Head Lighthouse" by Royston Skucek (2017) "St. Catherines Head Lighthouse" by Royston Skucek (2017)
"Bembridge" by Laurence Levine (2017) "Bembridge" by Laurence Levine (2017)
"Alum Bay" by Laurence Levine (2017) "Alum Bay" by Laurence Levine (2017)
"Freshwater Bay" by Laurence Levine (2017) "Freshwater Bay" by Laurence Levine (2017)

Customer reviews from the Isle of Wight Coastal Path

“Everything worked seamlessly for us, all the hotels, transfers were brilliant. Each hotel had its own charms and the island was really magical. We were especially pleased with the final booking at the Lakeside. Such a beautiful location and the spa was much needed after 5 days of walking. The itinerary worked really well, and as I mentioned above, we had no problems at all with any of the bookings made for us. The taxi company around Freshwater Bay were especially helpful. Well organised, beautiful scenery. I would also encourage people to stop off at Quarr Abbey outside of Ryde. It was a complete delight and totally unexpected, a really lovely place.”
Mrs Brain, UK
“Good walk, especially for getting back to walking after last years’ covid restrictions. Lovely scenery, good weather. People we met on the island were very friendly. Luggage transfers very efficiently managed.”
Mrs Stagg, UK
“An enjoyable week of walking and B&B. Facilities were generally very good. We enjoyed out holiday. The accommodation provided was generally good and some were excellent. The holiday pack was really useful as was the information booklet.”
Mrs Bedwell, UK
“It was a wonderful walk that combined gorgeous and rugged landscape with some gentler sections. Enjoyable historic and cultural features including Osborne House. Well organised, all went according to plan.”
Mr Hill, UK
“We were blessed with fantastic weather, so we really saw the Isle of Wight at its best. All our transitions went smoothly and without a hitch. Thank you! Our information pack is always very informative and has every piece of information we need. The B&Bs are expecting us, our bags are there on arrival, and we always feel welcome and recognised as part of Contours.”
Mrs Ellington, UK
“Great holiday. We were impressed with the overall experience of booking with Contours. We would book with you again, in fact friends are already intending to do so.”
Mr Jefferys, UK
“Well organised thank you.”
Mrs Ingram, UK
“Good directions and accommodations (weather was great as well).”
Mr Connors, USA
“The logistics were organised well.”
Mr Cramer, Netherlands
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