Find Your Next Holiday

leave blank to search all

Coast to Coast and Back

There are no available dates at this moment, please check back soon.

A fantastic tour of the north of England - our 'Coast to Coast and Back' starts in Whitehaven on the west coast and rides to Tynemouth via Hadrian's Wall, before turning south and returning via Durham, North Yorkshire and the Lake District. A feast of countryside, history and a bike friendly route makes this an experience not to be missed! Stay in historic and beautiful locations including Hexham, Tynemouth, Durham and Windermere. 8 nights' accommodation in comfortable hotels with breakfast, 4 dinners included. Tour highlights include:

Hadrian's Wall
Beautiful Hexham
Tynemouth Abbey
Durham Cathedral
North Yorshire Moors
Lake District
Convenient transport - leave your car at start
Wide open spaces and quiet cycling routes
Buttertubs and Whinlatter Pass to test your legs

Your Next Adventure Awaits

What you need to know...

Start Location
Whitehaven, Cumbria

Finish Location
Whitehaven, Cumbria

Country/Region
United Kingdom

Grading
Difficult

Shortest Day
33 miles

Longest Day
65 miles

Total Days
7 days cycling

Total Miles
343 miles

Departure Dates & Prices

There are no available dates at this moment.
Please choose an alternative Tour or check back soon.

Itinerary

Day 1

Arrive in Whitehaven and after preparing your bike and our pre-ride briefing, settle down for a nice meal and good night's sleep. (Meals included: Dinner).

Day 2

After the obligatory photo shoot at the end of the harbour wall we set off firstly along the coast and then inland towards Carlisle. This is lovely farming countryside, with quiet lanes wending their way through the gently undulating landscape of hedges and fields broken up with pretty villages. 54 miles. (Meals included: Breakfast).

Day 3

From Carlisle we are soon into open countryside again and it is not long before we start to see traces of Hadrian's Wall. A picturesque coffee stop is followed by a lunch stop at Haltwhistle and then an opportunity to photograph 'Robin Hood's Tree' at Sycamore Gap - perhaps the most famous, or at least the most photogenic - tree in England, standing as it does in a gap in the outcrop with the Wall at its feet. Then it's more Roman remains and a finish in the lovely town of Hexham, with its wonderful abbey and old houses. 46 miles. (Meals included: Breakfast, dinner).

Day 4

Leaving Hexham we head north east so that we can join the Reivers coast to coast route and thus avoid much of the Newcastle conurbation - it is therefore countryside much of the way to North Shields from where it is busier (albeit on cycle paths) to Tynemouth for the night, where a visit to the beach and the famous abbey is surely in order to prove you reached the coast! 45 miles. (Meals included: Breakfast, dinner).

Day 5

It is busier today as we ride firstly south along the coast (having started with a ferry ride across the Tyne) before taking a succession of hard packed former railways to head into Durham, a city famous for its wonderful hilltop cathedral and old town. A shorter day, allowing you plenty of time to wander these lovely streets and enjoy your surroundings. 33 miles. (Meals included: Breakfast).

Day 6

Our route from Durham goes via the charming small town of Barnard Castle (eye tests by appointment only please) before heading into the northern part of the Yorkshire Dales - a supremely pretty area unchanged for centuries with stone walls, rivers and quaint villages the order of the day. You will get the opportunity to take on the Buttertubs climb as used in the 2014 Tour de France and then enjoy the descent into Hawes for the night. 55 miles. (Meals included: Breakfast, dinner).

Day 7

Starting on a B road with wide open spaces and an expansive view, you turn off after a few miles toward Dent along a truly delightful road, made all the more delightful in that it is predominantly very gently downhill, making for an easy ride. After the old-world village of Dent you will soon turn off onto a tiny road which links with another fantastically pretty route to the M5 crossing with the Lake District fells coming into view - at which point you will know that you only have one day left on this scenic journey. Skirting Kendal you avoid the main road to Windermere for the overnight stop. 45 miles. (Meals included: Breakfast, picnic lunch).

Day 8

It's a lovely road to the lakeside coffee stop with the mighty Helvellyn on your right, and then on to Keswick for an early lunch, fuelling up for the last big climb of the trip up Whinlatter Pass. After this it is plain sailing all of the way to Whitehaven and back to the end of the harbour wall for photograph no 2 at this location. A week may separate them but you will be left with a lifetime of memories of your achievement in cycling the coast to coast not once but twice! 65 miles. (Meals included: Breakfast).

Day 9

Depart after breakast (included).

Some Tour Photos...

A typical fell view in the Lake District

Beautiful Yorkshire scenery

Hadrian's Wall

Lakeside coffee break in the Lake District

Near Hexham

Northumberland coastline

Quiet roads approaching the Lake District

The famous Sycamore Gap

The Lake District

Typical Northumberland view

Ullswater

Yorkshire

Travel Information

Whitehaven rail station connects with Carlisle and Lancaster, both on the mainline. Those driving can easily collect their car at the finish as this is a circular tour.

Click here for our Travel Information page.