Yorkshire is full of wild landscapes waiting to be explored. 🌿
And the best way to uncover it? Take it slow and enjoy its beauty step by step.
Here are some of the best multi-day hikes in Yorkshire to dive into with full excitement. 🥾 🥾
Call me biased (because I spent almost ten of the best years of my life there), but there’s something about Yorkshire’s scenery that genuinely excites you. 🌄
Perhaps it’s the county’s diverse landscapes, from rugged coastlines, long empty beaches, rolling green hills, dramatic moorlands, to breathtaking valleys. Whatever scenery you’re into, Yorkshire delivers.
From the wild and windswept north eastern coastline to the pretty hills of the Yorkshire Dales, there are endless opportunities to explore this magnificent landscape on foot. 🥾
Let’s dive deeper into the best multi-day hikes in “God’s own country,” also known as… Yorkshire. 🥾
- Length: 24 miles / 38 km 🥾
- Duration: 2–3 days 🥾
- Difficulty: Moderately challenging 🥾
- Type: Circular 🥾
- Postcode BD23 6AF
Although typically considered a “challenge” and completed within just 12 hours, the Yorkshire Three Peaks, a 24-mile route covering the three highest peaks in Yorkshire: Pen-y-ghent, Whernside, and Ingleborough, can also be taken at a slower pace, often over three days or a weekend. 🏞️
The walk starts and finishes in the small village of Horton-in-Ribblesdale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, which has a train station served by services from Leeds, Bradford, and other nearby cities.
It’s a very well-marked route and offers stunning views, including the iconic arches of the Ribblehead Viaduct. 🌄
Overall, the Yorkshire Three Peaks hiking route involves a total ascent of approximately 1,585 meters (5,200 feet), with the ascent and descent of each peak varying in difficulty.
Pen-y-ghent is the shortest peak but the steepest, Whernside is the longest but the most gradual, and Ingleborough has a mix of steep and gentle sections. The route involves crossing rugged rocky paths and exposed terrain, so hikers need to be properly prepared with suitable clothing, footwear, and equipment. 🥾
Although rushing the walk is an adrenaline-filled adventure, we recommend taking it a bit slower to enjoy the sweeping views from the area’s highest points.
- Length: 109 miles / 175 km 🥾
- Duration: 7–10 days 🥾
- Difficulty: Moderately challenging 🥾
- Type: Thru-hike (one way) 🥾
- Postcode: TS9 6QH
The Cleveland Way is a 109-mile National Trail that takes hikers to explore some of North Yorkshire’s most beautiful scenery, typically walked over 7–10 days (averaging 10–15 miles per day). 🥾
The trail starts in the gorgeous town of Helmsley and is usually followed in a clockwise direction.
Skirting the wild moorland of the North York Moors National Park, the trail then follows the stunning coastline, passing seaside resorts like Whitby, Robin Hood’s Bay, and Scarborough, before finishing in the charming beach town of Filey. 🌊
The trail was first opened in 1969, making it one of the earliest long-distance hiking trails in the UK. It’s well-marked and maintained, with plenty of accommodation options and amenities for hikers along the way, ideal for those who need navigational help or are new to multi-day hiking.
Along the way, hikers can see ancient castles like Scarborough Castle, historic abbeys such as the ruins of Rievaulx Abbey, and breathtaking sea views. 🏰
There are also shorter sections of the Cleveland Way you can do over a weekend, such as walking from Scarborough to Whitby, often spending a night at the rather charmingly named YHA Boggle Hole.
- Length: 84 miles / 135 km 🥾
- Duration: 5–7 days 🥾
- Difficulty: Easy to moderate 🥾
- Type: Thru-hike (one way) 🥾
Postcode: BD23 5LB
The Dales Way is an 84-mile footpath that takes hikers from Ilkley in West Yorkshire through the heart of the stunning Yorkshire Dales National Park to Bowness-on-Windermere in Cumbria, the Lake District. 🥾 🥾
The trail follows the River Wharfe for much of its length and passes through a variety of landscapes, including picturesque villages, green pastures, rivers, and rugged fells. There are also notable historic landmarks along the way, such as Bolton Abbey and the Roman fort at Watercrook. 🏰
The Dales Way is typically completed over 5–7 days, with hikers walking around 12–15 miles per day. It’s known as one of the easiest long-distance hikes in the UK, as the terrain is relatively gentle, mostly low rolling hills, with only a few moderate ascents and descents.
You can also arrange daily bag transfers with pick-ups and drop-offs to your accommodation, making the Dales Way a perfect multi-day hike for beginners.
- Length: 268 miles / 429 km 🥾
- Duration: 16–19 days 🥾
- Difficulty: Challenging 🥾
- Type: Thru-hike (one way) 🥾
Postcode: BD23 6AJ
Established in 1965, the Pennine Way is one of the most famous long-distance hikes in the UK, as it was the first national trail to be formed in England. It’s also considered one of the most difficult. 🥾 🥾
The Pennine Way stretches for 268 miles, from Edale in Derbyshire’s Peak District to Kirk Yetholm in Scotland. 🥾
A large section of the route passes through the stunning landscape of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, taking in impressive landmarks like Malham Cove, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty such as the U-shaped valley of High Cup Nick in the Northern Pennines, and continuing through to the Northumberland National Park. 🌄
This multi-day hike in Yorkshire is not easy, often taking 16–19 days to complete in full, with around 15 miles of walking per day through rugged and challenging terrain. 🥾
Despite its challenges, the Pennine Way offers a unique opportunity to experience the stunning natural beauty of the Pennines and the Scottish Borders, and is a must-do for experienced hikers and lovers of Yorkshire’s great outdoors. 🥾
- Length: 192 miles / 309 km
- Duration: 14–15 days
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Type: Thru-hike (one way) 🥾
- Postcode: CA17 4QJ
The Coast to Coast walk (sometimes known as C2C) is a 192-mile route that takes hikers across the width of England, from the Irish Sea at St Bees on the west coast to Robin Hood’s Bay on the east coast of North Yorkshire 🥾 🥾
You can also walk it in reverse, but going from west to east helps hikers build their fitness gradually and adapt to the terrain before tackling the tougher sections toward the end 💪
The Coast to Coast trail was created by Alfred Wainwright in 1973, a famous guidebook author and hiking enthusiast. The route showcases some of the most stunning landscapes in the north, including the Lake District National Park, Yorkshire Dales National Park, and North York Moors National Park 🌄
Although it’s one of the best and most popular walks in the North York Moors, the trail isn’t an official national trail and isn’t waymarked, so you need to bring a map and know the route in advance. Still, you’re never more than an hour away from civilization 🌿
Depending on how much time you want to spend, expect to walk around 12–20 miles a day on the Coast to Coast trail 🥾
Yorkshire is a hiker’s paradise, offering a wide range of multi-day hikes suitable for all levels 🌄
Whether you’re looking for a challenging trail or a relaxed walk over a long weekend, there’s something for everyone in this stunning region 🥾
So why not put on your hiking boots, pack your bag, and set off to explore the breathtaking beauty of Yorkshire on foot? 🌿 🥾
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