Additional Tour Options Per Person: Discount rail tickets to Chepstow and from Prestatyn. REMEMBER this Explore Britain Walking tour is an independent self-guided tour where we are happy to alter the number of nights to fit your schedule. Please contact Explore Britain. This Walk across Wales Offas Dyke Path South to North holiday vacation can be booked by individuals but is very suitable for family groups or friends wanting to share a new experience together. TOUR DETAILS:
A nineteen centre inn-to-inn, self-guided walking tour coast to coast on the Offas Dyke Trail from Chepstow to Prestatyn following the border of England and Wales. 19 nights bed and breakfast accommodation, 18 days walking, luggage transfer, guide book and maps.
Built in the late 8th century by Offa, that most powerful of Mercian kings, this remarkable earthwork "Offas Dyke" was intended to mark the boundary and to keep the marauding Welsh in the mountains to the west. It now gives grand views over the surrounding varied and tranquil countryside. This Offas Dyke Path Tour starts at Chepstow on the Bristol Channel at the south Wales coast. You start by peering over Sedbury Cliffs to England and make for the border town of Chepstow. You now follow the River Wye to Monmouth and then travel through a countryside full of tongue-twisting welsh villages. You now rise up to cross the open hill country of the Black Mountains before descending to Hay on Wye. You reach the centre of the trail at the market town of Knighton before climbing to nearly 1,500 feet at Welshpool. On from Oswestry you pass Chirk Castle and follow the canal through Llangollen and the isolated Castell Dinas Bran. Offas Dyke now crosses hills crowned with ancient forts in the Vale of Clwyd to finish at the seaside resort of Prestatyn on the North Wales coast.
You stop in farmhouses, country hotels, inns or guesthouses along the way, where accommodation is available in twin, double or single rooms, most but not all with private facilities. B&B and luggage transfer between the overnight stays is inclusive. You will need to obtain some of your dinners at midday, as a few overnight places are not near a pub or inn.
This tour is operated by Explore Britain Walking based in County Durham in England.
Bookmark Explore Britain Tours: DAILY and OVERNIGHT SCHEDULE of the 19 Nights Walk across Wales Offas Dyke Path South to North tour: These are the usual booked overnight stays, walks or rides, we occasionally may have to make a late change, if so, you will be advised ahead of time or at your first guesthouse. The guided tours may be adjusted at the leaders discretion, due to weather and groups ability.
START: Chepstow is on the South Wales coast near Bristol. Relax and spend a few days prior to your walk at a hotel in a nearby city. FINISH: Prestatyn is on the North Wales coast.
DAY ONE: Arrival at Chepstow. You may arrive anytime after 3pm. If requiring dinner this is usually between 7pm - 9pm both in hotels (booked in advance) and pubs. Overnight at Chepstow, Monmouthshire.
DAY TWO: Walk from Sedbury Cliffs, Chepstow to Bigsweir. 10.4 miles (16.7km). From the Bristol Channel cliffs you pass Tintern Abbey as you follow the River Wye through Chepstow. Dinner can be taken at the hotel (not included in tour price). Overnight at Bigsweir, Monmouthshire.
DAY THREE: Walk from Bigsweir to Monmouth. 7.1 miles (11.4km). You climb up onto the ridge which consistently looks down at the silvery River Wye. From this grand vantage point you descend down to the river for the night in the ancient town of Monmouth. Dinner can be taken at the hotel or a nearby pub (not included in tour price). Overnight at Monmouth, Monmouthshire.
DAY FOUR: Walk from Monmouth to Llanvetherine. 11.3 miles (18.2km). A pleasant day working your way through the countryside and villages with welsh sounding names. Dinner can be taken at a nearby inn (not included in tour price). Overnight at Llanvetherine, Monmouthshire.
DAY FIVE: Walk from Llanvetherine to Longtown. 11 miles (17.1km). You rise up onto the Black Mountains before dropping down onto the English side for your accommodation. If you require it you will need to book (in advance) dinner for tonight as the guesthouse is remote (not included in tour price). Overnight at Longtown, Herefordshire.
DAY SIX: Walk from Longtown to Hay on Wye. 13 miles (20.8km). You climb (steeply!) back onto the Black Mountain Ridge. On the top you can stride out easily along the Offas Dyke Path, following the Anglo-Welsh border with terrific views in all directions, finishing with a dramatic descent to the town of Hay on Wye, famous for its many bookshops. Dinner can be taken at the accommodation or at one of the many inns or restaurants in the town (not included in tour price). Overnight at Hay on Wye, Herefordshire.
DAY SEVEN: Walk from Hay to Gladestry. 10.2 miles (16.5km). A pleasant day alongside the River Wye and gentle hills surrounding the isolated hamlet of Gladestry. Dinner can be taken at the farmhouse (booked in advance or at Gladestry, a long walk to and from, (not included in tour price). Overnight at Gladestry, Powys.
DAY EIGHT: Walk from Gladestry to Discoed. 12.4 miles (19.9km). Today has a fair amount of uphill. You go over Hergest Ridge to the town of Kington and on to a remote hamlet of Discoed. If you require it you will need to book (in advance) dinner for tonight as the guesthouse is remote (not included in tour price). Overnight at Discoed, Powys.
DAY NINE: Walk from Discoed to Knighton. 5.6 miles (9km). With not too much ascent, this is the shortest day, and the going is easy underfoot. A chance to look around Knighton. Dinner can be taken at one of the many pubs and restaurants in town (not included in tour price). Overnight at Knighton, Powys.
DAY TEN: Walk from Knighton to Newcastle on Clun. 10 miles (16km). A fairly short day but with a fair amount of climbing. Today has the best section of Offas Dyke along the whole route. You climb up from Knighton and follow good remains of the Dyke until you reach Newcastle on Clun. Dinner can be taken at the pub in the village (not included in tour price). Overnight at Newcastle-on-Clun, Powys.
DAY ELEVEN: Walk from Newcastle on Clun to Little Brompton. 10 miles (16km). This is one of the harder days involving some steep ups and downs through remote sheep farming land. Dinner can be taken at the guesthouse, booked in advance (not included in tour price). Overnight at Montgomery, Powys.
DAY TWELVE: Walk from Little Brompton, Montgomery to Welshpool. 12 miles (19km). A longish but fairly easy day with only one steep ascent. You rejoin Offas Dyke on the ridge first through woodland and then parkland and farmland. You could easily divert to visit the historic town of Montgomery. Dinner can be taken at one of the many pubs and restaurants in town (not included in tour price). Overnight at Welshpool, Powys.
DAY THIRTEEN: Walk from Welshpool to Llansantffraid. 13 miles (21km). A long but easy and flat day where you meet up with the River Severn and walk along the Shropshire Union Canal to finish at the nights accommodation. Dinner can be taken at any of the pubs in the town (not included in tour price). Overnight at Llansantffraid, Powys.
DAY FOURTEEN: Walk from Llansantffraid to Rhydycroesau. 14 miles (22km). Quite a pleasant day which after making back up to the ridge is not too hilly though long in distance. You work your way through small Welsh villages. Dinner can be taken at the hotel, booked in advance, (not included in tour price). Overnight at Oswestry, Powys.
DAY FIFTEEN: Walk from Rhydycroesau to Garth. 10 miles (16km). A moderate days walking with just two steep climbs. You start by crossing the famous Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and walk along the canal tow path. Past Chirk Castle you see more of the Offas Dyke climbing to Selattyn Hill. Dinner can be taken at the guesthouse, booked in advance or walk back into Llangollen, (not included in tour price). Overnight at Llangollen, Powys.
DAY SIXTEEN: Walk from Garth to Llandegla. 6 miles (10km). From the Vale of Llangollen you walk to the remote Worlds End. Dinner can be taken at the pubs in the village (not included in tour price). Overnight at Llandegla, Powys.
DAY SEVENTEEN: Walk from Llandegla to Clwyd Gate. 7 miles (12km). You leave the Clwydian Range behind and descend to the River Alyn at Llandegla. Dinner can be taken at the motel (not included in tour price). Overnight at Clwyd Gate, Clwyd.
DAY EIGHTEEN: Walk from Clwyd Gate to Sodom. 23 miles (36km). This is an undulating walk, which follows the first part of the long, narrow line of the Clwydian Range. You will walk over the Iron Age hill-fort of Penycloddiau and the 1,500 foot Moel Arthur. You continue along Offas Dyke Path on the ridge top, walking through Moel Famau Country Park, crowned with the Jubilee Tower. Dinner can be taken at the farmhouse, booked in advance, (not included in tour price). Overnight at Sodom, Clwyd.
DAY NINETEEN: Walk from Sodom to Prestatyn. You are soon out of the village and the fringes of the Clwyd hills, with splendid views along the coast. Eventually dropping down to the coast at Prestatyn. You finish by "dipping" your feet in the sea. Dinner can be taken at the hotel or at a nearby pub (not included in tour price). Overnight at Prestatyn, Clwyd.
USEFUL TRAVEL INFORMATION: TRAVEL BY TRAIN FROM EUROPE: There is a fast frequent Eurostar rail service to the new Eurostar Terminal at London St Pancras (next to Kings Cross and Euston) from Paris, Bruxelles and Lille. These stations are linked with the rest of mainland europe (France, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Italy). Check Eurostar and TGV across Europe Tickets times and fares by the fast convenient Eurostar. Book your ticket in advance, turn up at the rail station and go! In the time you are waiting at an airport you can be at your destination with much less stress - travel by train. You could even bring your car with you.
RAIL TRAVEL from LONDON to CHEPSTOW (NOT included in tour price): The nearest rail station is Chepstow served by frequent trains from London (Paddington). Presently the 10am train arrives 12:40pm (change at Newport). The next is at 12:00 which arrives 14:40pm (change Newport).
RAIL TRAVEL from PRESTATYN to LONDON (NOT included in tour price): The nearest rail station is Prestatyn served by frequent direct trains to London (Euston). Presently the 09:59am arrives 13:37pm (change Crewe). The next is at 10:35am which arrives 13:48pm (direct).
ARRIVING and DEPARTING by EUROLINES or NATIONAL EXPRESS COACH: This is by far the cheapest option for long-dstance travel in England, Scotland, and Wales. There are very convenient buses from each major airport. National Express carries over 16 million passengers to 1000 different places in the UK every year, and thousands more from destinations across Europe and Ireland. You can purchase an e-Ticket where you print your travel ticket online in a matter of minutes OR you can obtain an m-Ticket and have your travel ticket sent to your mobile phone - no paper ticket required. You then present this to the driver on arrival.
GRADE and CLOTHING INFORMATION: This Walk across Wales Offas Dyke Path South to North is Grade C. You can check the tour grade is suitable for you by viewing our Tour Grade page.
GRADE C: Between 9 - 12 miles (14 - 19 kms) a day. Waterproof walking boots are desirable. You will start walking about 9:30am and finish at approx. 4pm. These grades are for guidance only. For any grade, depending on weather conditions, it may at times be damp underfoot, so waterproof boots are preferable.
INSURANCE (MEDICAL and TRAVEL): We think it is essential for clients to take out their own personal accident and travel insurance before they arrive. This can be booked on-line using the links from our pages or contact your own local insurance broker.
GENERAL ENQUIRIES For additional information about this walking, cycling or biking tour contact .
BOOK A PLACE ON THIS Walk across Wales Offas Dyke Path South to North tour 19 Nights
If you wish to make a provisional booking please read the Terms & Conditions regarding booking and cancelling this holiday and then complete and send the form below. We will then contact you by email. Most tours start in the evening (you start walking, biking or cycling the next day) and finish after breakfast on the final morning (check the DAILY and OVERNIGHT SCHEDULE above for this tours details). Items in bold must be completed. We do not store any credit card information sent to us on our computers. We manually process the transactions required and then shred all personal details.
PAYMENT : We will require a deposit of 50% of the quoted tour price. The balance will be due two months before your tour starts. We will send you a receipt for the deposit (and final payment when due).
You can pay for your Explore Britain walking or cycling vacation by using your credit card. We can quote, and accept payment, in Pound Sterling, American Dollar, Australian Dollar, Euro, New Zealand Dollar, Swiss France, Norwegian Krone, Swedish Krona, Danish Krone, Polish Zloty, Hungarian Forint, Czech Koruna, Singapore Dollar, Japanese Yen and Hong Kong Dollar.
Payment can also be made by personal cheque, , made payable to "Explore Britain", or by direct transfer to our Explore Britain Clients Trust Account (ask for details). Payment should be mailed to 6 George Street, FERRYHILL, County Durham, DL17 0DT, England. The balance must reach us 2 months before the start of the holiday; otherwise we cannot guarantee to hold your booking. Where bookings are made less than 2 months before the start day of the tour, the full amount is payable at the time of booking. No booking has been made, without us making a quotation and receiving a deposit. Please contact us by telephone +44 1740 650900 if you do not hear back from us within 2 days.
Upon receipt of your confirmation and deposit, I will confirm with the accommodation immediately and normally have a trip fully booked within a week. This will include a Trip Information Sheet specific to your tour; with overnight names, addresses and telephone numbers (similar to the draft trip information sheet on the website). You would need to take out Travel Insurance within 14 days to be fully covered.
Upon receipt of final payment, which is due 2 months before the tour starts, I will air mail you the maps, notes and a further copy of your trip information sheet. If we do not receive the final payment we will presume you have decided NOT to go-ahead with the tour, and we will therefore cancel the booking. On some tours the tour package will be available on arrival at your first night's accommodation.
SUGGESTED READING BOOKS and MAPS:
The following books and maps will help you enjoy your Walk across Wales Offas Dyke Path South to North.
TOUR DETAILS:
DAILY and OVERNIGHT SCHEDULE of the 19 Nights Walk across Wales Offas Dyke Path South to North tour:
TRAVEL BY TRAIN FROM EUROPE: There is a fast frequent Eurostar rail service to the new Eurostar Terminal at London St Pancras (next to Kings Cross and Euston) from Paris, Bruxelles and Lille. These stations are linked with the rest of mainland europe (France, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Italy). Check 
GRADE and CLOTHING INFORMATION:
INSURANCE (MEDICAL and TRAVEL):
GENERAL ENQUIRIES
BOOK A PLACE ON THIS Walk across Wales Offas Dyke Path South to North tour 19 Nights 
SUGGESTED READING BOOKS and MAPS:
Contact Us