Pennine Way

Pennine Way

An iconic walking trail through the Peak District, Pennines, Yorkshire and Northumberland.

3 to 22 nights
21-265 miles
Moderate to Strenuous

From £385 per person

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About the trail

The Pennine Way was Britain’s first ever National Trail, and it remains one of the best-known and arguably the most challenging of the lot. We offer holidays along its full 265-mile length, as well as some shorter options to make this monster of a trail fit busier schedules.

Through the wild landscapes of the Peaks, Pennines, Yorkshire Dales and the Cheviot Hills, the Pennine Way walking holiday straddles the spine of England as it stretches from Edale to Kirk Yetholm, taking in a wide variety of scenery from mountains to moorland. If you embark on the Pennine Way, expect to encounter inclement weather, phenomenal climbs and the binding comradery of walkers on a truly epic adventure.

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

  • Pennine Way
  • Pennine Way - Central Section
  • Pennine Way - South Section
  • Pennine Way - North Section
  • Pennine Way Short Break - North Section

Trail running tours available

We also organise trail running holidays along this route. Find out more.

About this route

15 to 22 nights
265 miles
Moderate / Demanding to Strenuous
1st April to 20th October

From £1750 per person

Pennine Way

Our walking holidays along the Pennine Way will bring you storming along the backbone of England, over gritstone moors, limestone pavement, peaty bogs and glaciated chasms. These wild landscapes mark the Pennine Way as one of the country’s most demanding long distance walks – and one of the most satisfying to complete.

The rising, falling route has its gentle moments, too. Through Swaledale, the Pennine Way tours farmland, crisscrossed by drystone walls. On a long stretch beside the River Tees, it sweeps through wildflower meadows. From even the highest summits, the trail finds its way into warmly welcoming villages.

It’s no surprise that the Pennine Way National Trail features on the bucket lists of many avid walkers. For its extensive history, unusual difficulty and stunning scenery, it’s an exceptionally popular and satisfying adventure for confident hikers. A self-guided walking holiday is the ideal way to tackle it at your own pace.

Available tours

Code Tour Duration Difficulty Price per person
PEN2 From Edale to Kirk Yetholm 15 nights, 14 days walking Strenuous £1750
PEN3 From Edale to Kirk Yetholm 16 nights, 15 days walking Strenuous £1860
PEN4 From Edale to Kirk Yetholm 17 nights, 16 days walking Demanding / Strenuous £1980
PEN5 From Edale to Kirk Yetholm 18 nights, 17 days walking Demanding / Strenuous £2090
PEN6 From Edale to Kirk Yetholm 19 nights, 18 days walking Demanding £2210
PEN7 From Edale to Kirk Yetholm 20 nights, 19 days walking Demanding £2305
PEN8 From Edale to Kirk Yetholm 21 nights, 20 days walking Moderate / Demanding £2420
PEN9 From Edale to Kirk Yetholm 22 nights, 21 days walking Moderate / Demanding £2520

Short breaks

Code Tour Duration Difficulty Price per person
PENSBN From Middleton-in-Teesdale to Dufton(T) 3 nights, 2 days walking Moderate £385
"Stile on New Laithe Road" by Raymond Riggs (2024) "Stile on New Laithe Road" by Raymond Riggs (2024)
"Sign on the Alternative Route to Kirk Yetholm" by Raymond Riggs (2024) "Sign on the Alternative Route to Kirk Yetholm" by Raymond Riggs (2024)
"Halsteads, North of Dufton" by Raymond Riggs (2024) "Halsteads, North of Dufton" by Raymond Riggs (2024)
"Burnstones Viaduct" by Raymond Riggs (2024) "Burnstones Viaduct" by Raymond Riggs (2024)
"Looking West along Hadrian's Wall from Winshield Crags" by Raymond Riggs (2024) "Looking West along Hadrian's Wall from Winshield Crags" by Raymond Riggs (2024)
"Stoodley Pike Monument" by Raymond Riggs (2024) "Stoodley Pike Monument" by Raymond Riggs (2024)
"Pen-y-Ghent as seen from Horton-in-Ribblesdale" by Duncan Thomas (2024) "Pen-y-Ghent as seen from Horton-in-Ribblesdale" by Duncan Thomas (2024)
"Foggy Morning in Stanbury" by Duncan Thomas (2024) "Foggy Morning in Stanbury" by Duncan Thomas (2024)
"Coffee Shop Sign in Middleton-in-Teesdale" by Duncan Thomas (2024) "Coffee Shop Sign in Middleton-in-Teesdale" by Duncan Thomas (2024)
"View from Keld Lodge" by Duncan Thomas (2024) "View from Keld Lodge" by Duncan Thomas (2024)
"Kissing Gate with Doggy Door" by Duncan Thomas (2024) "Kissing Gate with Doggy Door" by Duncan Thomas (2024)
"Old Halterburnhead" by Cathy and Bob Lloyd (2024) "Old Halterburnhead" by Cathy and Bob Lloyd (2024)
"The Rochdale Canal at Hebden Bridge" by Cathy and Bob Lloyd (2024) "The Rochdale Canal at Hebden Bridge" by Cathy and Bob Lloyd (2024)
"Greg's Hut, Cross Fell" by Cathy and Bob Lloyd (2024) "Greg's Hut, Cross Fell" by Cathy and Bob Lloyd (2024)
"Approaching Pen-y-Ghent" by Cathy and Bob Lloyd (2024) "Approaching Pen-y-Ghent" by Cathy and Bob Lloyd (2024)
"High Force Waterfall" by Cathy and Bob Lloyd (2024) "High Force Waterfall" by Cathy and Bob Lloyd (2024)
"At Dean Clough, Wessenden Head Moor" by Cathy and Bob Lloyd (2024) "At Dean Clough, Wessenden Head Moor" by Cathy and Bob Lloyd (2024)
"A Fabulous Cheviots Day" by Robert Johnson (2023) "A Fabulous Cheviots Day" by Robert Johnson (2023)
"Perfect Day on Windy Gyle" by Robert Johnson (2023) "Perfect Day on Windy Gyle" by Robert Johnson (2023)
"Cheviots at their Best" by Robert Johnson (2023) "Cheviots at their Best" by Robert Johnson (2023)
"Atop Windy Gyle" by Robert Johnson (2023) "Atop Windy Gyle" by Robert Johnson (2023)
"Clear Path towards Great Dun Fell" by Maalfrid Grimstvedt (2023) "Clear Path towards Great Dun Fell" by Maalfrid Grimstvedt (2023)
"Cows in Cumbria" by Maalfrid Grimstvedt (2023) "Cows in Cumbria" by Maalfrid Grimstvedt (2023)
"A Meadow in Twaithe" by Maalfrid Grimstvedt (2023) "A Meadow in Twaithe" by Maalfrid Grimstvedt (2023)
"Bridge over Maize Beck" by Maalfrid Grimstvedt (2023) "Bridge over Maize Beck" by Maalfrid Grimstvedt (2023)
"Walking towards Twaithe" by Maalfrid Grimstvedt (2023) "Walking towards Twaithe" by Maalfrid Grimstvedt (2023)
"Low Force Waterfall" by Dagmara Ginter (2023) "Low Force Waterfall" by Dagmara Ginter (2023)
"Bowes Village Track" by Dagmara Ginter (2023) "Bowes Village Track" by Dagmara Ginter (2023)
"Upper Teesdale Sheep" by Dagmara Ginter (2023) "Upper Teesdale Sheep" by Dagmara Ginter (2023)
"Black Moor Signpost" by Dagmara Ginter (2023) "Black Moor Signpost" by Dagmara Ginter (2023)
"Keld Waterfall" by Dagmara Ginter (2023) "Keld Waterfall" by Dagmara Ginter (2023)
"Hawes Pastures View" by Dagmara Ginter (2023) "Hawes Pastures View" by Dagmara Ginter (2023)
"River Ribble Bridge" by Dagmara Ginter (2023) "River Ribble Bridge" by Dagmara Ginter (2023)
"Swaledale View" by Dagmara Ginter (2023) "Swaledale View" by Dagmara Ginter (2023)
"Towards Blakeley Reservoir" by Dagmara Ginter" (2023) "Towards Blakeley Reservoir" by Dagmara Ginter" (2023)
"Signpost on Bronte Country" by Dagmara Ginter" (2023) "Signpost on Bronte Country" by Dagmara Ginter" (2023)
"Black Hill View" by Dagmara Ginter" (2023) "Black Hill View" by Dagmara Ginter" (2023)
"Towards Stoodley Pike" by Dagmara Ginter" (2023) "Towards Stoodley Pike" by Dagmara Ginter" (2023)
"Torside Path" by Dagmara Ginter" (2023) "Torside Path" by Dagmara Ginter" (2023)
"We were here on the Cheviot" by Robert Johnson (2022) "We were here on the Cheviot" by Robert Johnson (2022)
"Fun Times on Hadrian's Wall" by Robert Johnson (2022) "Fun Times on Hadrian's Wall" by Robert Johnson (2022)
"Stoodley Pike" by Robert Johnson (2022) "Stoodley Pike" by Robert Johnson (2022)
"View of College Valley" by David Kershaw (2017) "View of College Valley" by David Kershaw (2017)
"View of Eildon Hills" by David Kershaw (2017) "View of Eildon Hills" by David Kershaw (2017)
A wildlife hide on the Pennine Way. - A wildlife hide on the Pennine Way.
A wildlife hide on the Pennine Way. A wildlife hide on the Pennine Way.
Waiting for the boss on the slopes of Kisdon - Aureen Harthorn - Waiting for the boss on the slopes of Kisdon - Aureen Harthorn
Waiting for the boss on the slopes of Kisdon - Aureen Harthorn Waiting for the boss on the slopes of Kisdon - Aureen Harthorn

Customer reviews from the Pennine Way

“Overall, very enjoyable. Recommend to people who have done major walks previously.”
Ms Holland, UK
“It was excellent, good weather, friendly accommodation and the other walkers we met were pleasant and interesting - and we were lucky to get superb, clear views! Thoroughly enjoyed it, a good, hard walk (though we chose the length of the three weeks over three years we did it in!)”
Mr Lonergan, UK
“Excellent, all accommodation friendly and helpful.”
Mr Lonergan, UK
“A fantastic adventure with wonderful walking and scenery. Accommodation and Bagage transfer were perfect as were most of the Taxi Pickup/drop-offs. This was the 3rd walk we have done with contours and all have been very well arranged so I'm sure we'll be back!”
Mr Macdonald, UK
“Brilliant experience, even though we have done it before! Would recommend this holiday without hesitation.”
Mr Johnson, UK
“Very well organized, big thank you”
Ms Rudnicki, Switzerland
“The service we received from Contours was exceptional. The quality of the accommodations was varying but superb on every single night. The welcoming we received from every host was heartwarming and we were surprised at the quality of the food that they made available to us. The bags were collected every morning on time and moved on to our next stopover without a single issue. The cabs were efficient and on time. All this made the task of completing the Pennine Way so much more enjoyable than if we’d taken other options that others used.”
Mr Harle, UK
“The PW is certainly a demanding hike, and we enjoyed the challenge even though in the end we couldn’t quite finish due to a knee problem acting up. The route passes through some very beautiful areas.”
Mr Stallings, USA
“It was great and we all enjoyed every bit. Great itinerary with clear instructions. I would definitely recommend Contours. I have already today sent you a request to quote for the second half of the walk next year.”
Mr Horobin, UK
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