Offa’s Dyke Path walking holidays
A long-distance walk that’s on a very human scale: on our walking holidays on the Offa’s Dyke Path you’ll be contributing to local communities every step of the way.
There’s a fantastic point on the Offa’s Dyke Path where you reach the summit of Hay Bluff, a 677m-high hill that lies at one end of a long ridge, standing sentinel over the Wye Valley, and the town of Hay on Wye.
“It’s just a stunning place to be on a beautiful day,” says Claire Copeman, from our partner, Adventure Tours UK, who arrange our holidays on the path. “High up on the ridge with ponies grazing the rough ground and paragliders flying above, it's magical.”
I remember the first time I came over this way and looked down. The landscape rolls away from you, all fields and hedgerows and woods. You’re not too high, so you can see the pastoral world below in great detail, as though it’s part of a model railway. It’s a view from which the viewer does not feel so distant, and one of my favourite sights on Earth.
Whilst the Offa’s Dyke Path takes you across quiet landscapes, this is the UK; people are never far away. Our holidays here are fuelled by picnics bought in small village shops and meals out in local pubs. In this part of the world there’s barely a chain store in sight, a great opportunity for walkers to patronise local borderland establishments.
There’s a fantastic point on the Offa’s Dyke Path where you reach the summit of Hay Bluff, a 677m-high hill that lies at one end of a long ridge, standing sentinel over the Wye Valley, and the town of Hay on Wye.
“It’s just a stunning place to be on a beautiful day,” says Claire Copeman, from our partner, Adventure Tours UK, who arrange our holidays on the path. “High up on the ridge with ponies grazing the rough ground and paragliders flying above, it's magical.”
I remember the first time I came over this way and looked down. The landscape rolls away from you, all fields and hedgerows and woods. You’re not too high, so you can see the pastoral world below in great detail, as though it’s part of a model railway. It’s a view from which the viewer does not feel so distant, and one of my favourite sights on Earth.
Whilst the Offa’s Dyke Path takes you across quiet landscapes, this is the UK; people are never far away. Our holidays here are fuelled by picnics bought in small village shops and meals out in local pubs. In this part of the world there’s barely a chain store in sight, a great opportunity for walkers to patronise local borderland establishments.
Southern section of Offa's Dyke Path walking holiday
Hike the southern section of Offa’s Dyke Path
From
£795 to £995
7 days
ex flights
Offa’s Dyke path small group walking tour
66 miles of the central section south from Chirk to Kington
From
£1459
8 days
ex flights
Offa’s Dyke walking holiday in Wales & England
Some of the finest scenery in both countries for 177 miles
From
£970
8 days
ex flights
Offa's Dyke Path North walking holiday, Wales
Hike the northern section of Offa's Dyke Path
From
£795 to £995
7 days
ex flights
Hay-on-Wye to Welshpool Offa's Dyke walk
Self guided walk from Hay-on-Wye to Welshpool
From
£745 to £995
7 days
ex flights
Offa's Dyke path walking holiday
Walk the southern 70 miles from Kington to Chepstow.
From
£1139 to £1379
8 days
ex flights
Contact Us
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Map of the Offa’s Dyke Path
I like this part of the world so much that I had my honeymoon here. And I’ve come back to the area every year since.![]()
The Offa’s Dyke Path might be a long-distance route, but it feels as though built on a profoundly human scale. For parts of its route it follows a massive earthwork, which was entirely built by hand in the 8th century and was thought to have been constructed by order of King Offa, king of Mercia (situated in the Midlands in England). Offa’s Dyke runs along two thirds of the England-Wales border, in places almost 2.5m high and 20m wide.
The path that follows it, covering the length of the dyke and more, is 285km long. Our Offa’s Dyke Path walking holidays cover its different sections rather than the entire route: we have holidays walking the south section of the route, holidays walking the north section of the route, and holidays walking the middle of the route.
This is one of 16 National Trails in the UK, and it passes through a variety of scenery. You start at Sedbury Cliffs, overlooking the muddy sands of the Severn estuary, and end with wonderful views over North Wales and Snowdonia as you descend to the seaside town of Prestatyn, on the Irish Sea.
The highest point on the route, Hatterall Hill (703m) is just along from Hay Bluff and a fair few hundred metres short of being a mountain. This isn’t to say that the route is without its climbs, and several days have some serious undulations. But most of the hike isn’t on upland, but through farmed land – my favourite.
This is the particularly pastoral prettiness for which the UK is known: small fields, thick hedgerows, and vivid greens of an intensity unmatched anywhere else in the world. Days of walking end in quiet towns and very small villages, where streets are lined with the historic half-timbered houses that are so common in the area. In these friendly landscapes, you’ll speak to the people that you pass, and get chatting to other walkers at trig points.
The many gentle blogs written by people who’ve walked the Offa’s Dyke Path favour understatement and self-deprecation. There are tales of donning unflattering Gore-Tex, slipping on the mud, getting lost, counting kissing gates, and sinking warm pints. In all their mundane glory they’re immensely comforting and relatable.
I like this part of the world so much that I spent my honeymoon here. And I’ve come back to the area every year since.
The path that follows it, covering the length of the dyke and more, is 285km long. Our Offa’s Dyke Path walking holidays cover its different sections rather than the entire route: we have holidays walking the south section of the route, holidays walking the north section of the route, and holidays walking the middle of the route.
This is one of 16 National Trails in the UK, and it passes through a variety of scenery. You start at Sedbury Cliffs, overlooking the muddy sands of the Severn estuary, and end with wonderful views over North Wales and Snowdonia as you descend to the seaside town of Prestatyn, on the Irish Sea.
The highest point on the route, Hatterall Hill (703m) is just along from Hay Bluff and a fair few hundred metres short of being a mountain. This isn’t to say that the route is without its climbs, and several days have some serious undulations. But most of the hike isn’t on upland, but through farmed land – my favourite.
This is the particularly pastoral prettiness for which the UK is known: small fields, thick hedgerows, and vivid greens of an intensity unmatched anywhere else in the world. Days of walking end in quiet towns and very small villages, where streets are lined with the historic half-timbered houses that are so common in the area. In these friendly landscapes, you’ll speak to the people that you pass, and get chatting to other walkers at trig points.
The many gentle blogs written by people who’ve walked the Offa’s Dyke Path favour understatement and self-deprecation. There are tales of donning unflattering Gore-Tex, slipping on the mud, getting lost, counting kissing gates, and sinking warm pints. In all their mundane glory they’re immensely comforting and relatable.
I like this part of the world so much that I spent my honeymoon here. And I’ve come back to the area every year since.
Benefitting communities on the path
We feel proud to be able to go back into those places and say, 'yes, we brought your guests and we can bring economic benefits to your rural area’.![]()
Whilst I only live across the Severn estuary, in nearby Bristol, I’ve always felt an interloper when I’ve come to this part of the world. But this path is as much English as it is Welsh, crossing between nations 26 times on its route.
The border towns on the route must have identity crises – Hay-on-Wye’s postcode is in England, but the town is in Wales. The Welsh-English border goes right down the middle of the high street at Llanymynech. That’s a lot of pubs claiming to be ‘the last pub before England’. The Offa’s Dyke signs – bearing an image of the National Trail acorn– are in Welsh and English. Gates say Welcome to England on one side and Croeso i Gymru on the other.
These border towns are often quiet, and despite their walking trails, many of them are not well-connected by road or rail. Areas like Hay-on-Wye might be touristy and expensive, but towns just a few miles away are failing to thrive.
“For our tours in North Wales – we literally bring people along Offa's Dyke past our house and people stay at our local pub,” says Claire. “We feel proud to be able to go back into those places and say, 'yes, we brought your guests and we can bring economic benefits to your rural area.'”
It’s needed. "Before the pandemic, Visit Britain found that of 38 million inbound visitors to the UK just two percent went to Wales,” says Claire. “And it’s dropped to one percent since Covid. It’s a phenomenal stat, and one we're determined to turn around. Wales is an incredible emerging destination that is now ready for its moment in the spotlight.”
King Offa would be pleased that all is quiet on his western front – no invading marauders. But there are very few walkers either. This pretty path deserves more.
The border towns on the route must have identity crises – Hay-on-Wye’s postcode is in England, but the town is in Wales. The Welsh-English border goes right down the middle of the high street at Llanymynech. That’s a lot of pubs claiming to be ‘the last pub before England’. The Offa’s Dyke signs – bearing an image of the National Trail acorn– are in Welsh and English. Gates say Welcome to England on one side and Croeso i Gymru on the other.
These border towns are often quiet, and despite their walking trails, many of them are not well-connected by road or rail. Areas like Hay-on-Wye might be touristy and expensive, but towns just a few miles away are failing to thrive.
“For our tours in North Wales – we literally bring people along Offa's Dyke past our house and people stay at our local pub,” says Claire. “We feel proud to be able to go back into those places and say, 'yes, we brought your guests and we can bring economic benefits to your rural area.'”
It’s needed. "Before the pandemic, Visit Britain found that of 38 million inbound visitors to the UK just two percent went to Wales,” says Claire. “And it’s dropped to one percent since Covid. It’s a phenomenal stat, and one we're determined to turn around. Wales is an incredible emerging destination that is now ready for its moment in the spotlight.”
King Offa would be pleased that all is quiet on his western front – no invading marauders. But there are very few walkers either. This pretty path deserves more.
Offa's Dyke Path highlights
Tintern Abbey
Not on the path, but this massive, ruined abbey in the Wye Valley is viewable across the Wye River from the Devil’s Pulpit. From this rocky outcrop on the path, the Devil himself was said to have preached in order to tempt the Abbey monks into sin.
Hilltop forts and castles
There are forts here dating back to the Iron Age – without much left to show for their might, except their commanding hilltop views. Castell Dinas Bran is one of the most striking. In order to preserve many of the hill forts, the official path tends to skirt around them.
Brecon Beacons National Park
The Offa’s Dyke Path goes along Hatterall Hill in Brecon Beacons National Park, past Black Hill. From here you get fantastic views over the hills – so long as the weather holds.
Hay-on-Wye
‘The World’s First Book Town’ is known for its heaps and heaps of bookshops (there are shelves of books tucked behind walls, bookshelves on the pavements) and its literature festival. There are plenty of other independent shops in this pretty market town, and there’s also a castle.
Knighton
A self-proclaimed ‘centre of walking’, Knighton is spiritual home of the path, and contains the Offa’s Dyke Centre, an unassuming information centre. The town marks the beginning of the hardest part of the trail, the section between Knighton and Cwm.
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct & Canal World Heritage Site
This massive aqueduct, built by the famous engineer Thomas Telford from 1795, is still navigable by brave canoeists and canal boats (stand up paddleboarders can’t go, as they might fall off). It’s the highest canal aqueduct in the world.
Eglwyseg Crags
Walk along the scree-covered slopes of an impressive limestone escarpment, Eglwyseg Crags. The crags have the enigmatically named World’s End at one end of them, and the bathetically named town of Trevor at the other. “We've taken trail runners along this section,” says Claire, “they said it was the best running route they've ever done, anywhere in the world! “
FAQs about the Offa's Dyke Path
Which direction should I walk the Offa’s Dyke Path?
The Offa’s Dyke Path is marked so that it can be followed in either direction. Most people favour walking south to north, as you get the sun, and the prevailing wind on your back. But walking north to south means you end the route with the prettiest scenery, around the Wye Valley.What section of the Offa’s Dyke Path should I walk?
Walking the whole route takes around two weeks, but most organised trips will arrange for you to walk a week-long section. You could do the southern section. This starts at Sedbury Cliffs and runs the 90km north to the market town of Hay on Wye.
Alternatively, you could walk the southern section north to south, starting in Kington, and ending 113km later at Chepstow city gates.
Holidays on the central section of the Offa’s Dyke Path include a day on what is considered the most challenging section of the entire walk – a very up and down day, from Knighton to Cwm.
You could tackle the northern section of the walk, walking 116km from Welshpool in mid-Wales to Prestatyn, the seaside town on the north coast of Wales that sits on the Irish Sea. Allow five days of walking, with an average daily distance of 23km.
Alternatively, you could walk the southern section north to south, starting in Kington, and ending 113km later at Chepstow city gates.
Holidays on the central section of the Offa’s Dyke Path include a day on what is considered the most challenging section of the entire walk – a very up and down day, from Knighton to Cwm.
You could tackle the northern section of the walk, walking 116km from Welshpool in mid-Wales to Prestatyn, the seaside town on the north coast of Wales that sits on the Irish Sea. Allow five days of walking, with an average daily distance of 23km.
Best time to walk the Offa’s Dyke Path
The best time to walk the Offa’s Dyke Path is from April to October. The path suffers from erosion, especially in winter when the soil’s saturation from rain makes it especially vulnerable. So, in your best interests, and the dyke’s, it’s best to walk outside of the wettest months of the year. Expect anemones and bluebells in spring, gorse in early summer, and heather and bilberries later on.
Self guided or small group?
Self guided walking means you’ll have GPX routes provided, a mobile app to follow, and 24/7 telephone support.
But if you fancy a bit of camaraderie, go on a small group trip with a leader who can give you additional nature and cultural information as you go – whether that’s helping you find edible berries in the hedgerows, or identifying that large bird of prey overhead. And when we say small group, we mean small group: so you can still get some good seats at the little pubs en route.
By yourself or side-by-side, whichever way you choose, your hotels, guest houses and, most importantly, breakfast are all sorted on our holidays. Crucially, you’ll also get luggage transfer, so you only need to carry a day pack.
But if you fancy a bit of camaraderie, go on a small group trip with a leader who can give you additional nature and cultural information as you go – whether that’s helping you find edible berries in the hedgerows, or identifying that large bird of prey overhead. And when we say small group, we mean small group: so you can still get some good seats at the little pubs en route.
By yourself or side-by-side, whichever way you choose, your hotels, guest houses and, most importantly, breakfast are all sorted on our holidays. Crucially, you’ll also get luggage transfer, so you only need to carry a day pack.
Where do I stay along the route?
In the quiet borderlands, lodgings range from the very old 14th century, to the ‘comparatively modern’ (but still 19th century). There are stretches of the route with very limited accommodation indeed – sometimes, there’s just a solitary pub with rooms. It’s essential to book your accommodation in advance. Better yet, get someone to do it all for you, and plan your route to boot, with our tailor made Offa’s Dyke walking holidays.
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