Your walk up
the spine of
England

The Pennine Way is the most demanding of the English National Trails. On the classic 18-day Hiker itinerary you'll average 23 km a day with significant ascent — you should be very comfortable walking full days with a daypack across rough moorland, and have some hill-walking experience. The Explorer pace at 22 days makes the daily distances more manageable and gives you rest around the harder sections. The Cheviot crossing at the end is exposed and remote regardless of pace.

May to September is the walking window. June and September are our favourites — long days, drier ground on the peat sections, and settled weather more likely than in high summer. April and October work if you're flexible on the weather; the higher stages (Cross Fell, the Cheviots) can hold snow into April and get their first dusting in October. Winter is technically open but the peat, navigation and short daylight make it a proper mountain trip.

Yes, on every stage where a carrier operates — most of the route. Your bag moves between accommodation each day with a 20 kg allowance; you walk with a daypack containing water, lunch, layers, waterproofs and a small first-aid kit. The two Cheviot stages from Byrness are the exception — there's no vehicle access along the ridge, so you carry an overnight pack for that section and we set the logistics out clearly in your plan.

A mix of family-run B&Bs, walker-friendly inns and the occasional hostel or bunkhouse where that's the only option (Byrness, Langdon Beck, Ridley Common). All en-suite where the village allows, with breakfast, drying space for wet kit and packed lunches on request. The remote sections around Alston, Byrness and the Cheviots book up early — we always try to get you the strongest option on each night.

Edale is on the Manchester–Sheffield railway line — a direct train from either city gets you to the village. Kirk Yetholm at the finish is rural: a short taxi to Kelso or Berwick-upon-Tweed connects you to the East Coast Mainline. If you're flying, Manchester at the start and Newcastle or Edinburgh at the finish are the most convenient. We'll help piece the connections together when we book.

The 18-day Hiker package starts at £624 per person — that covers accommodation with breakfast, daily luggage transfer, planning, route notes and our support line while you walk. On top, budget £15–20 a day for lunches and £25–35 for a pub dinner. Most walkers spend an additional £600–900 across the trip on food, drinks and the occasional taxi transfer around the remoter stages.