Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Hadrian's Wall and the Lake District: a guided walking week
7 days from Newcastle to Penrith: two days walking the central crags of Hadrian's Wall with Housesteads and Vindolanda, Birdoswald and Lanercost, then three nights in Keswick for Catbells, Derwentwater and Grasmere.
7 days · Newcastle upon Tyne to Penrith · up to 12 guests
Hadrian's Wall at Planetrees, near Hexham Photo: Mertbiol, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hadrians_Wall_at_Planetrees,_Brunton_Bank,_Hexham,_Northumberland_2.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 7 days, 6 nights
- Start and end
- Newcastle upon Tyne to Penrith
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Four walking days of 3 to 5 hours on foot, 6 to 10 km each, on grass, stone steps and rocky fell paths, with steep short climbs on the Whin Sill crags and about 350 m of ascent on Catbells. The other three days are town walks and short site visits. Every walking day has an easier option, and the minibus can meet you partway on the Wall.
- Meals included
- 6 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 640 (estimated price)
- Season
- May to September
Highlights
Why this trip
- Housesteads Roman Fort at opening, then the Wall west along the crags past Crag Lough and Sycamore Gap
- Vindolanda's excavations and museum in the morning, then Winshields Crags, the highest point of the Wall
- The join between broad and narrow Wall at Planetrees on the first morning
- Birdoswald Roman Fort and the walk down to the Roman bridge at Willowford, then Lanercost Priory
- The first launch across Derwentwater and a climb of Catbells, with lunch back in Keswick
- Loughrigg Terrace, Rydal Cave and the coffin route back to Grasmere
- Three nights in one Keswick hotel and our own minibus moving the bags every day
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 640 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Newcastle
Newcastle Airport or Central station to your hotel, then the Quayside on foot
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Newcastle upon Tyne
Afternoon
Arrive in Newcastle upon Tyne by early afternoon: trains from London King's Cross take about three hours, and we collect you from Newcastle Airport or Central station within a set window (confirmed with your final itinerary). Your See Sight Tours guide meets the group at the hotel in the afternoon for a walk through the city that grew up where the Roman frontier began. We start at Grey's Monument and walk down Grey Street, one of the finest Georgian streets in England, to the Castle Keep and Black Gate, built on the site of the Roman fort of Pons Aelius; the 'new castle' of 1080 gave the city its name. From the roof of the Keep you look over the river and the bridges. Then we go down to the Quayside, under the Tyne Bridge, and across the tilting Gateshead Millennium Bridge.
Evening
In the evening we sit down together to a welcome dinner and a briefing on the walks ahead.
Included
- Transfer from Newcastle Airport (NCL) or Newcastle Central station within the arrival window
- Guided walk of central Newcastle: Grey Street, the Quayside, the Tyne Bridge and the Gateshead Millennium Bridge
- Newcastle Castle: the Keep and the Black Gate
- Welcome dinner and walk briefing
Optional experiences
- Segedunum Roman Fort at Wallsend, the eastern end of Hadrian's Wall, if you arrive the day before
Free time: Free until the afternoon meeting. Arriving early? Leave bags at the hotel and walk the Quayside or visit the Laing Art Gallery; if the meeting runs late, the guide does the Castle first, as the last entry is 4 pm and the Black Gate closes at 4:30 pm
Activity: About 2 hours on foot on city pavements, with steps down to the Quayside and stairs inside the Keep.
Housesteads and the crags to Steel Rigg
Newcastle to Planetrees and Housesteads, on foot to Steel Rigg, then Hexham
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Hexham
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
We leave Newcastle after breakfast and drive west into Northumberland, stopping at Planetrees, where a short length of Wall in a field shows the join between the original broad foundation and the narrower wall the Romans actually built on it. By the 10 am opening we are at Housesteads Roman Fort, high on the ridge: the barracks, granaries, commander's house and the famous communal latrine, with the museum explaining who lived here. Then we walk west along the Wall itself, the most dramatic stretch of the whole frontier, as it rides the Whin Sill crags: Cuddy's Crags, Hotbank, the cliff above Crag Lough and down into Sycamore Gap, where the famous tree stood until it was felled in 2023.
Afternoon
A last steep climb over Peel Crags brings us to Steel Rigg after about three hours, and a sit-down pub lunch near Once Brewed.
Evening
The van takes us to Hexham, where the evening is free.
Included
- Stop at the Wall at Planetrees
- Housesteads Roman Fort and Museum at opening
- Guided walk along the Wall from Housesteads to Steel Rigg via Crag Lough and Sycamore Gap
- Sit-down pub lunch near Once Brewed
- Bags taken to the Hexham hotel by minibus
Easier option: Walk from Housesteads to the top of Hotbank Crags and back, about 3 km and an hour and a half, then meet the group for lunch by van.
More active option: Start the walk at Sewingshields Crags, east of Housesteads, adding about 4 km and an hour along the open ridge.
Free time: Evening free in Hexham
Activity: About 6 km and 3 hours on foot, on grass and stone steps with several short, steep climbs and descents between the crags. Exposed to wind; bring a warm layer.
Vindolanda and Winshields Crags
Hexham to Vindolanda, on foot from Steel Rigg to Cawfields, then back to Hexham
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Hexham
- Drive about 1.5 h
Vindolanda opens at 10 am and we are there for it. The fort and its civilian town sat on the Stanegate, the Roman road that marked the frontier before the Wall was built, and excavations still run here most summers. The site is famous for the Vindolanda writing tablets, thin wooden letters from soldiers and their families, and the museum holds shoes, combs and other everyday things preserved in the waterlogged ground.
Afternoon
After two hours on site and a sit-down lunch nearby, the van takes us the short way to Steel Rigg. This afternoon the Wall climbs to Winshields Crags, at about 345 m the highest point on its line, with views north to the Cheviots and south over the Tyne valley, then dips and rises over Cawfield Crags past the remains of milecastles and turrets to the old quarry pond at Cawfields.
Evening
The van brings us back to Hexham for a free evening.
Included
- Vindolanda Roman fort, excavations and museum at opening
- Sit-down lunch at or near Vindolanda
- Guided walk along the Wall from Steel Rigg over Winshields Crags to Cawfields
Optional experiences
- Hexham Abbey, with its 7th-century crypt, if we are back before it closes in the late afternoon (free entry, donations welcome); otherwise a stroll in the Sele park or along the Tyne at Hexham in the free evening
Easier option: Walk from Steel Rigg to the summit of Winshields Crags and back, about 2.5 km and an hour, then rest in Hexham.
More active option: Carry on past Cawfields to Walltown Crags, adding about 5 km and an hour and a half; the van meets you at Walltown.
Free time: Evening free in Hexham
Activity: About 2 hours on foot at Vindolanda, then about 7 km and 3 hours on the Wall, with steep steps up and down the crags.
Birdoswald, Lanercost and over to Keswick
Hexham to Birdoswald, on foot to Gilsland, then Lanercost Priory and Keswick
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Keswick
- Drive about 2.5 h
A shorter walking day as we cross from Northumberland into Cumbria. Birdoswald Roman Fort stands on a spur above a bend of the River Irthing, with its walls and gateways traced on the ground, and the stretch of Wall running east from it is one of the longest unbroken lengths left. We walk with it past the milecastle at Harrow's Scar, down to a footbridge over the river and up past the Roman bridge abutment at Willowford to Gilsland, about 3 km. The van takes us a few minutes west to Lanercost Priory, founded for Augustinian canons in 1169 and built largely of stone taken from the Wall; the nave is still a parish church and the ruined east end and cloister stand beside it.
Afternoon
After a sit-down lunch nearby we drive about an hour and a quarter to Keswick (two and a half hours of driving across the whole day), arriving mid-afternoon. A ten-minute walk takes you to Friars' Crag and your first view down Derwentwater.
Included
- Birdoswald Roman Fort
- Guided walk along the Wall from Birdoswald via Harrow's Scar and Willowford to Gilsland
- Lanercost Priory
- Sit-down lunch at Lanercost or Brampton
- Drive to Keswick, with bags
Easier option: Stay at Birdoswald and walk the Wall to Harrow's Scar and back, about 1.5 km, then rejoin the group by van.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Keswick
Activity: About 3 km and an hour and a half on foot from Birdoswald, with a steep path down to the river and back up. Lanercost Priory is a seasonal English Heritage site and we confirm its opening days for your dates; if the ruins are closed, we visit the nave, which is the parish church and usually open, and take lunch in Brampton.
Catbells and Derwentwater
Keswick by launch to Hawse End, on foot over Catbells to the lakeshore, then back by launch
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Keswick
- By boat
We walk down from the hotel to the Keswick landing for the first launch that calls at Hawse End, usually about 9:45 to 10 am across Derwentwater to Hawse End. From the jetty the path climbs straight onto the north ridge of Catbells, with two short rocky steps near the top that need hands as well as feet. The summit, at 451 m, looks down the full length of the lake to Borrowdale, across to Skiddaw and Blencathra, and west over the Newlands valley.
Afternoon
Starting on the first boat puts us on the ridge before the midday crowd. We drop to Hause Gate and down through the woods to the lakeshore path, then walk the shore to the next landing for the launch back to Keswick, about four hours in all. Lunch is a sit-down meal in the town, and the afternoon is free: the Pencil Museum, the Theatre by the Lake programme, or a walk to Friars' Crag.
Included
- Derwentwater launch from Keswick to Hawse End and back from the lakeshore
- Guided walk over Catbells (451 m) and down to the Derwentwater shore
- Sit-down lunch in Keswick
Easier option: Skip the summit and walk the flat lakeshore path from Hawse End through the woods to the next landing, about 4 km, then the launch back.
More active option: Carry on along the ridge from Hause Gate over Maiden Moor to High Spy and down to Grange, about 11 km and 5 to 6 hours, with a later lunch.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Keswick
Activity: About 6 km and 3.5 to 4 hours, with about 350 m of ascent on a steep, rocky path and two short scrambly steps near the top.
Grasmere, Loughrigg Terrace and Rydal Water
Keswick to Grasmere, on foot round Rydal Water and back by the coffin route
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Keswick
- Drive about 1 h
A half-hour drive south past Thirlmere brings us to Grasmere, the village Wordsworth called home. We walk out along the lake to Loughrigg Terrace, a broad path high above the water with one of the best-known views in the Lakes, looking back over Grasmere water to the fells. From the end of the terrace we contour round to Rydal Cave, a great hollow left by old slate quarrying where you can step inside over stepping stones, then down to the shore of Rydal Water. The return is by the old coffin route, the track along which the dead of Rydal were once carried to be buried at Grasmere, past White Moss and back into the village. It is about 9 km and four hours.
Afternoon
After a sit-down lunch in Grasmere you can visit St Oswald's churchyard, where Wordsworth is buried, before the drive back.
Evening
Tonight we share a farewell dinner in Keswick.
Included
- Guided walk: Loughrigg Terrace, Rydal Cave, Rydal Water and the coffin route
- Sit-down lunch in Grasmere
- St Oswald's churchyard and Wordsworth's grave
- Farewell dinner in Keswick
Optional experiences
- Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth Museum in Grasmere (extra, price shown at booking)
Easier option: Take the van to White Moss and walk the flat path along Rydal Water and back, about 3 km, then meet the group in Grasmere for lunch.
More active option: Climb from the terrace to the summit of Loughrigg Fell (335 m) for the view over Windermere, adding about an hour. In the evening, walk up Latrigg above Keswick for the sunset over Derwentwater.
Free time: Late afternoon free before the farewell dinner
Activity: About 9 km and 4 hours on good paths and tracks, with a steady climb of about 150 m to the terrace and some rough steps near Rydal Cave.
Castlerigg and on to Penrith
Keswick to Castlerigg Stone Circle, then Penrith station
- Breakfast
- Drive about 30 min
Morning
After a last breakfast in Keswick the van takes the bags and the group a couple of kilometres up the hill to Castlerigg Stone Circle, a ring of 38 standing stones raised about 4,500 years ago on a plateau with fells on every side: Skiddaw and Blencathra to the north, Helvellyn to the east. We go early, while it is quiet and the light is low. From there it is about half an hour east on the A66 to Penrith, where we arrive at the station by about 11 am. Penrith is on the West Coast Main Line, with direct trains south to London Euston in about three and a half hours, north to Glasgow and Edinburgh, and to Manchester Airport in about two hours. Your guide sees you onto your train before saying goodbye. If you fly home today, book a flight from Manchester leaving after about 4 pm.
Included
- Castlerigg Stone Circle with your guide
- Drop-off at Penrith station by about 11 am
Activity: Book onward trains from Penrith after about 11:30 am, and flights from Manchester Airport after about 4 pm.
- Newcastle upon Tyne1 night
- Hexham2 nights
- Keswick3 nights
- Penrithend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: May and June bring the longest days and fewer midges; July and August are busiest in Keswick and on Catbells; September is quieter with the heather out. Rain is possible on any day, so the walks can be swapped.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Walkers who want Hadrian's Wall with a guide and without the logistics of buses, taxis and luggage services
- Roman history on foot: Housesteads, Vindolanda and Birdoswald in one week
- A mix of the Wall and the Lake District fells in seven days
- Solo travellers who want company on the trail
Not for you if you want
- Walking the whole 135 km Hadrian's Wall Path end to end
- Travellers who cannot manage steep, uneven steps on most days
- High-mountain days such as Helvellyn or Scafell Pike
- Those who want a different hotel every night
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
6 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Newcastle upon Tyne1 night
- Hexham2 nights
- Keswick3 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 6 nights: 1 in Newcastle upon Tyne, 2 in Hexham and 3 in Keswick
- Central hotels or inns of a 3-star-plus standard with private bathrooms, walkable to each town centre; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Arrival transfer from Newcastle Airport (NCL) or Newcastle Central station on day 1
- A private minibus and professional driver for the group from day 1 to Penrith station on day 7, dropping and collecting you at every trailhead
- Your bags moved between hotels by the minibus
- Derwentwater launch from Keswick to Hawse End and back
- Drop-off at Penrith station on day 7
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip, leading every walk and visit
- Site staff and local guides where a site provides them
Activities
- Guided walk of central Newcastle and the Quayside
- Newcastle Castle: the Keep and the Black Gate
- Hadrian's Wall at Planetrees
- Housesteads Roman Fort and Museum
- Guided walk Housesteads to Steel Rigg via Sycamore Gap
- Vindolanda Roman fort and museum
- Guided walk Steel Rigg to Cawfields over Winshields Crags
- Birdoswald Roman Fort and the walk to Willowford and Gilsland
- Lanercost Priory
- Guided walk over Catbells to the Derwentwater shore
- Guided walk from Grasmere: Loughrigg Terrace, Rydal Cave, Rydal Water and the coffin route
- Castlerigg Stone Circle
Meals
- 6 breakfasts
- 5 lunches: near Once Brewed (day 2), at Vindolanda (day 3), Lanercost or Brampton (day 4), Keswick (day 5) and Grasmere (day 6)
- 2 dinners: a welcome dinner in Newcastle and a farewell dinner in Keswick
Not included
- Flights or trains to Newcastle and from Penrith
- UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) fee
- Travel insurance, which should cover walking
- Dinners not listed (4)
- Drinks
- Tips
- Optional activities, such as Dove Cottage
- Walking boots, waterproofs and poles
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 640 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Six nights in central hotels, 6 breakfasts, 5 sit-down lunches, a welcome and a farewell dinner, your See Sight Tours guide on every walk, our own minibus to every trailhead with your bags moved between hotels, the arrival transfer in Newcastle, the Derwentwater launch, and entry to Housesteads, Vindolanda, Birdoswald, Lanercost Priory and Newcastle Castle.
Do we walk the whole of Hadrian's Wall?
No. The Hadrian's Wall Path runs about 135 km coast to coast, much of it through farmland where little Wall survives. We walk the central section over two days, Housesteads to Steel Rigg and Steel Rigg to Cawfields, plus Birdoswald to Gilsland, where the Wall is highest and most complete, and use the van in between.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderately fit. Four days have 3 to 5 hours of walking, 6 to 10 km, with short steep climbs on the crags and about 350 m of ascent on Catbells. You should be comfortable on uneven stone steps and wet grass. Each walking day has an easier option, and the van can meet you partway on the Wall.
How big is the group and who leads it?
The small group runs with 7 to 12 guests. A See Sight Tours guide is with you for the whole trip and leads every walk, and a separate driver handles the minibus and your luggage, so the guide is never off moving cars.
Do I have to carry my luggage?
No. Our minibus moves your bags between Newcastle, Hexham and Keswick, so on walking days you carry only a day pack with water, a waterproof and a warm layer. The van also carries spare water and snacks.
I am travelling solo. What does a single room cost?
A room of your own is from CAD 640 on top of the shared price, shown before you book with no surprises later. Solo travellers are welcome on every departure, and walking groups are an easy way to travel alone with company on the trail.
When is the best time to go?
May to September. The forts keep their longest opening hours, the launch runs a full timetable and paths are driest. May and June have the longest days; July and August are busiest in Keswick; September is quieter. Rain is possible in any month, so we pack for it and can swap walks.
Can I still see Sycamore Gap?
Yes. The sycamore that stood in the dip was felled in September 2023, but the Gap itself, the Wall and the crags either side are as they were, and the walk on day 2 passes straight through it on the way from Housesteads to Steel Rigg.
Do I need a visa for the UK?
Canadian and US visitors do not need a visa for a short tourist stay, but do need a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), applied for online before you travel. Other passports may need a visa; check before you book and we will help.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, from CAD 6,830 per person. If you would rather walk independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the hotels, luggage moves and transfers for you.
How does booking work?
The small group starts from CAD 3,795 per person sharing, taxes included. Pick your start date and send a request to book; we confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until then. We name each hotel when we confirm your dates.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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