England doesn't do subtle. It does dry-stone walls threading across open moorland, coastal paths that drop sheer to the sea, and valleys so green you'll want to stop mid-stride just to look. Whether you're after a gentle week in the Cotswolds or a long-distance challenge like the Coast to Coast, there's a walking route here that fits. 

This guide covers some of the best hiking routes in England - organised by region, with a mix of distances, difficulties, and landscapes. If you want to explore them without the faff of planning it all yourself, Macs Adventure handles the accommodation, luggage transfers, and route guidance. You just walk. 

The Lake District 

The Lake District is the kind of place that earns its reputation. Fells that shift colour with the weather, lakes that sit mirror-still on calm mornings, and enough history and literary connection to keep you thinking between summits. Here are three ways to walk it. 

Heart of the Lake District 

Distance: 28.5 miles | Difficulty: Easy | Duration: 7 days, 6 nights 

A gentle introduction to the Lakes, with carefully designed routes around Windermere and Grasmere. You'll pass through some of the most picturesque villages in England, with cosy tearooms and well-chosen accommodation at the end of each day. If you want the scenery without the serious gradients, this is the one. 

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The Lake District Trail 

Distance: 50 miles | Difficulty: Moderate | Duration: 5 or 7 days 

This is the classic Lake District walking holiday - mountain passes, panoramic views of Ullswater and Helvellyn, and routes that Wordsworth himself would have recognised. There's real challenge here, but the kind that rewards properly at the end of each day. 

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Coast to Coast Walk 

Distance: 190 miles (shorter sections available) | Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous | Duration: Multiple options 

Wainwright's great crossing: St Bees on the Irish Sea to Robin Hood's Bay on the North Sea, passing through three national parks - the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales, and the North York Moors. One of the finest long-distance walks in the country, and one we know inside out. 

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See our 18-day Coast to Coast itinerary > 

Cornwall 

Cornwall's coastline is one of England's genuinely dramatic ones - cliffs that fall straight into the Atlantic, hidden coves, fishing villages that still feel like fishing villages. The South West Coast Path runs through all of it, and we offer several ways to walk it. 

Highlights of Cornwall in Comfort 

Distance: 24 miles | Difficulty: Easy to Moderate | Duration: 8 days 

This route takes in the best of Cornwall without asking too much of your legs. Start in Padstow, walk sections of the South West Coast Path including Land's End, and finish at St Michael's Mount. Waterfront accommodation throughout, and yes - we'll point you in the direction of a decent cream tea. (Jam first, if you were wondering.) 

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South West Coast Path: Padstow to St Ives (Stage 3) 

Distance: 61 miles | Difficulty: Easy to Moderate | Duration: Multiple options 

The North Cornwall coast at its best - rugged cliffs, golden beaches, and the kind of sea views that have you taking big gulps of sea air. The route runs from the harbour at Padstow to the artists' town of St Ives. 

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Cornwall In Style 

Distance: 58 miles | Difficulty: Moderate | Duration: 8 days 

All of Cornwall's drama, with superior accommodation and gourmet dining at each stop. If you want the cliff paths and the coastal views but you'd also like a top-notch dinner waiting for you, this is it. 

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The Cotswolds 

Honey-coloured stone cottages, rolling countryside, and market towns that genuinely look like they've been there forever - because they have. The Cotswolds reward slow walking. This is a region where you want to linger over lunch and take the long way round. 

The Cotswolds in Comfort 

Distance: 51 miles | Difficulty: Easy to Moderate | Duration: 8 days, 7 nights 

Our Cotswold Trail route takes you through Chipping Campden, past Broadway Tower, and into the picture-perfect village of Bourton-on-the-Water. Comfy, well-chosen accommodation throughout - ideal if you want to enjoy the countryside without rushing any of it. 

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The Southern Cotswolds: Oxford to Bath 

Distance: 79 miles | Difficulty: Moderate | Duration: 10 days 

A quieter alternative to the Cotswold Way, running from the dreaming spires of Oxford to the Georgian streets of Bath. Along the way: Blenheim Palace, the honey-stone cottages of Burford, and some of the most underrated walking country in England. 

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The Cotswold Way 

Distance: 102 miles | Difficulty: Moderate | Duration: Multiple options 

The full length of the Cotswold Way, from Chipping Campden down to Bath - rolling hills, ancient woodland paths, and village after village that look utterly charming. A proper long-distance walk, and one of our most popular routes in England. 

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Yorkshire 

Yorkshire does variety well. The wild open moorland of the Dales and North York Moors, medieval market towns, Whitby's Gothic atmosphere, and the cobbled streets of York. Walking here rarely feels like a single thing. 

The Herriot Way 

Distance: 50 miles | Difficulty: Moderate | Duration: 6 days, 5 nights 

A loop through the Yorkshire Dales, inspired by the iconic vet, James Herriot's stories of the area. Rolling hills, riverside paths, Aysgarth Falls, and the market town of Hawes. It's a manageable, rewarding walk - and the landscapes live up to everything Herriot described. 

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The Cleveland Way: North York Moors & Coast 

Distance: 110 miles | Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous | Duration: Multiple options 

Helmsley to Filey: moorland first, then the coast. You'll pass the ruins of Rievaulx Abbey, the iconic clifftops above Whitby, and a string of fishing villages along the North Sea shore. A brilliant first National Trail - and a cracking one for veterans, too. 

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The Dales Way: Yorkshire Dales to the Lake District 

Distance: 80 miles | Difficulty: Moderate | Duration: 8 days, 7 nights 

One of the most peaceful long-distance routes in England - riverside paths, quiet valleys, and a gradual transition from the Yorkshire Dales into the Lake District. Ends with the first proper views of Windermere. Worth every step. 

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Northumberland 

Northumberland is England's quietest corner, and all the better for it. Enormous skies, empty beaches, Roman history at every turn, and a coastline that genuinely feels undiscovered. It's the sort of place that surprises people who haven't been. 

Hadrian's Wall Path 

Distance: 89 miles | Difficulty: Moderate | Duration: Multiple options 

A UNESCO World Heritage Site that follows the line of Rome's northern frontier from coast to coast. Housesteads Roman Fort, and the rolling Northumberland landscape - this isn't just a great walk, it's a proper piece of history beneath your boots. 

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Best of the Northumberland Coastal Path 

Distance: 39 miles | Difficulty: Easy to Moderate | Duration: 5 days, 4 nights 

Golden beaches, Bamburgh Castle, the tidal island of Lindisfarne, and the small fishing village of Craster. This stretch of the England Coast Path is one of the most underrated walks in the country - and one of our favourites. Shorter daily distances make it accessible without feeling too easy. 

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South Downs and Near London 

If you're based in or near London, you don't have to go far for a proper walk. 

South Downs Way 

Distance: 100 miles | Difficulty: Moderate | Duration: Multiple options 

Rolling chalk downland, views to the English Channel, Iron Age hill forts, and the white cliffs near Eastbourne. The route runs from Eastbourne to Winchester - a classic south-of-England walk that's accessible from London but feels miles away from it. 

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Thames Path 

Distance: 179 miles (shorter sections available) | Difficulty: Easy to Moderate | Duration: Multiple options 

Follow the Thames from the Cotswolds to the capital - riverside pubs, Windsor Castle, Hampton Court Palace, and the long views of Oxford at the western end. Easy underfoot, endlessly varied, and ideal for walkers at any level. 

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The Channel Islands

The Channel Islands sit in a strange, pleasing in-between: technically British, culturally French, historically unlike anywhere else in the British Isles. During WWII these were the only parts of British soil to be occupied - and that history is woven into every island. Add golden beaches, cliff paths, hidden valleys, and the car-free island of Sark, and you've got a walking destination that tends to surprise people who've written it off as a tax haven with nice weather.

The Channel Islands: Jersey, Guernsey & Sark

Distance: 31 miles | Difficulty: Easy to Moderate | Duration: 8 days, 7 nights

The island-hopping version: you start in St Helier on Jersey, walk past Gorey Castle and the oyster farms at La Rocque, visit the Jersey War Tunnels (a genuinely gripping WWII museum), then ferry across to Guernsey and its cobbled capital St Peter Port, before a day trip out to car-free Sark. Each island has its own character - and the mix of coastal paths, shaded lanes, and cliff-top walking means no two days feel the same.

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The Channel Islands in Comfort

Distance: 31 miles | Difficulty: Easy to Moderate | Duration: 8 days, 7 nights

The same island-hopping route, with the dial turned up on accommodation and pace. You'll still walk Jersey, Guernsey, and Sark - still get the cliff paths and the WWII history and the local seafood - but with hand-picked, higher-comfort hotels and a more relaxed approach to each day. Good for those who want the adventure without the asceticism.

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Jersey Coastal Path

Distance: Approx. 48 miles | Difficulty: Easy to Moderate | Duration: 7 days, 6 nights

If Jersey alone is your focus, this route gives you the full picture. The coastal path circles the whole island - north-coast cliffs that drop sharply to the sea, the wide sandy sweep of St Ouen's Bay on the west, quiet southern bays, and the medieval harbour at Gorey in the east. Jersey is smaller than you'd think but packs in serious variety. A proper point-to-point walk that rewards anyone who takes their time.

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If You've Already Done the Big Ones 

Walked the Coast to Coast? Already ticked off the Cotswold Way? Here are a few alternatives worth considering: 

• Instead of the Coast to Coast: Try the Pennine Way for something wilder, or the Dales Way for a more peaceful alternative. The Cleveland Way and the Lake District Round are both excellent options, too. 
• Instead of the South West Coast Path: The Highlights of Cornwall in Comfort and Cornwall In Style offer shorter, more indulgent takes on the same coastline. For a completely different feel, the Northumberland Coastal Path is just as dramatic in a very different way. 
• Instead of the Cotswold Way: The Southern Cotswolds route from Oxford to Bath covers equally lovely country with fewer crowds. The Lake District Trail makes a fine alternative for those who want more elevation. 
• Instead of Hadrian's Wall: The Herriot Way and the Cleveland Way both offer similarly satisfying long-distance walking - just without the Roman forts. 

Why Walk with Macs Adventure? 

We've been arranging self-guided walking holidays since 2003, and we know England's trails well - because we've walked them. Every route we offer has been hand-picked and tested by our own team. Here's what that means for you: 

• No guesswork on logistics. Accommodation, luggage transfers, and detailed route notes are sorted before you set off. 
• Walk at your own pace. No group, no guide, no fixed schedule - just you and the trail. 
• Support when you need it. Our team is available 24/7 if anything comes up.