Dates
We do offer private and bespoke group trips on all our treks and walking holidays. These can start on any date of your choosing, with a minimum of 4 people.
Please contact us with your preferred dates and accommodation, along with your group size.
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View Package PricesSaturday8 May 2027Saturday15 May 2027
Overview
Join us as we cross sweeping sandy beaches and journey along the historic coastline of the Northumberland Coast Path, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This stunning route is a haven for wildlife, especially nesting seabirds, and is rich with medieval castles, making it a trek packed with interest.
Unlike more rugged coastal routes such as the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, the Northumberland Coast Path offers fairly gentle walking with fewer steep ascents and descents. We will enjoy this breathtaking trek over six days, allowing plenty of time to take it all in.
Highlights of the Northumberland Coast Path
- Walk along wide sandy beaches such as Druridge Bay.
- The coastline's numerous castles such as the ruins of Dunstanburgh and the prominent Bamburgh.
- A boat trip to see the wildlife of the Farne Islands.
- The chance to spot seals and variety of a seabirds.
Itinerary
Each day, you will be guided along the Northumberland Coast path by your qualified and friendly walking guide, and all the logistics of your trek will be managed by your trek manager, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable experience.
We will be with you from the moment you set off in the morning to the moment you arrive at your accommodation in the evening. You will only need to carry your day bag, with essentials to keep you warm, dry, fed, and hydrated for the day. Your main luggage will be transported to your next accommodation for you.
Everything will be taken care of so that you can just enjoy the walking!
Today is the day we will all make our way to Northumberland to begin our Northumberland Coast Path adventure.
In the evening, you will get a chance to meet the rest of your group, as well as your guides, for a welcome evening and briefing. This will be in a local pub/restaurant where you will have the option of an evening meal. We will travel to Cresswell the following morning to begin our trek.
Accommodation in Alnmouth/Amble.
Our first day will be spent traversing the stunning 8-mile-long Druridge Bay beach. We will walk on the sand wherever possible, and at times walk in the dunes. There are a handful of small nature reserves along this section so it’s worth keeping binoculars to hand. At the end of the bay we reach the bustling village of Amble taking in the jetty and harbour on arrival.
Distance: 9 miles (14.5km)
Total ascent: 80m
Time: 5-5.5 hours
Accommodation in Alnmouth/Amble
We will begin our second day by heading to Warkworth and its medieval castle. After passing through this small village, contained by a bend in the River Coquet, we then return to the coast.
We will have the choice of beach or dune walking before heading inland to access Alnmouth via the bridge over the Aln. Although our accommodation is in Alnmouth, we will continue northwards to Boulmer, following a route overlooking a rockier section coastline.
Distance: 11.5 miles (18.5km)
Total ascent: 150m
Time: 6-6.5 hours
Accommodation in Alnmouth
Our third day on the trail will take us from Boulmer to Newton Links.
Today’s castle is Dunstanburgh, a striking ruin perched atop the exposed coastline. We begin by navigating around rockier headlands before reaching the tiny fishing village of Craster. Beyond here, we approach Dunstanburgh Castle across broad grassy fields, eventually arriving at the beautiful Embleton Bay.
Some beach and dune walking will take us as far as Low Newton-by-the-Sea, and a final mile will bring us to our endpoint at the Newton Links car park.
Distance: 9.5 miles (15km)
Total ascent: 160m
Time: 5-5.5 hours
Accommodation in Bamburgh.
From our finish point yesterday we set out for Bamburgh, a coastal village dominated by another impressive castle. On this shorter day, we will also schedule a wildlife boat trip to the Farne Islands National Nature Reserve.
The walk begins across Beadnell Bay towards Seahouses, where Arctic Terns nest in the dunes under the watchful eyes of dedicated conservationists. From Seahouses, we return to the beach, walking along the expansive Bamburgh Sands, with the castle overlooking our route. We will end the day in the village of Bamburgh, where we can walk straight into our accommodation.
Distance: 8.5 miles (14 km)
Total ascent: 80m
Time: 4.5-5 hours
Accommodation in Bamburgh.
North of Bamburgh, there is more coastline to cover, but this time from above the shore as we head around and into Budle Bay. This tidal estuary is a popular feeding ground for wading birds and the route an excellent vantage point from which to view the coastline stretching northwards.
From here we head inland to Belford before joining St Cuthbert’s Way. The route leads us through woodland and over farmland, and eventually to Fenwick. This is the most strenuous day of the trek without being overly taxing.
Distance: 12.5 miles (20.5 km)
Total ascent: 340m
Time: 7-7.5 hours
Accommodation in Lowick/Berwick-upon-Tweed
The final leg takes us first down to the causeway to Holy Island before heading north-west past the incredible sandbank of the Goswick Sands.
The coastline becomes rockier once more as we reach Cocklawburn Dunes Nature Reserve. We will arrive in Berwick above Spittal Beach and head into town on the south side of the Tweed before crossing the river via the Berwick Bridge to complete our trek.
Distance: 12 miles (19.5 km)
Total ascent: 100m
Time: 6-6.5 hours
Accommodation in Berwick-upon-Tweed.
On your final morning, we will say our farewells before travelling homewards or onwards.
Berwick is well served by the East Coast Mainline trains. If you need to return to Alnmouth/Amble for your car we can help you with arrangements for this.
What's Included?
The cost includes
- Accommodation for 7 nights (breakfast included)
- 6 days guided walking
- Ticket for a boat trip around the Farne Islands
- Qualified UK Mountain Leader as your guide
- Luggage transfers
- Support vehicle
- Full Information Pack
- Training advice
- Maximum group size of 12
Not included in our packages
- Lunches, snacks and dinners
- Arrival and departure transport
Accommodation Options
Bed & Breakfast
The Bed and Breakfast option provides good standard accommodation, with cooked or continental breakfast included in the price of the holiday.
The B&Bs we use are located in small towns or villages, giving you access to local shops and a choice of pubs, ensuring plenty of opportunities for an evening meal. In areas where no B&Bs are available or where facilities such as shops and pubs are lacking, we will drive you to a nearby village to ensure a better overall experience.
FAQs
This trek is graded 1/5 on our trekking scale.
The easiest of our long-distance treks and can be enjoyed by all walkers. The walking will mostly be on well-defined low-level paths. Treks of this grade will have relatively low daily mileage and elevation, in comparison to our other treks.
This is a coastal trail and although the daily distances are low, we will spend time on the sand which can be surprisingly tiring. The quality of paths can vary with the ever-changing coastal landscape. This is an achievable trek for someone new to long-distance walking. But, as with all long-distance treks you will require a reasonable level of fitness and we always advise putting in some preparatory training so that you can make the most of your holiday.
To help you decide if this trip is right for you, please also refer to the itinerary, which includes daily distances, ascent, and detailed descriptions of the terrain.
You can read more about our grading system in our Trip Difficulty Guide.
Please note: all long-distance walking is challenging, particularly if you are not used to walking/exercising on consecutive days. What makes a trek challenging is personal and depends on your fitness, strengths, and preferences.
You can expect wide open views, with white sand beaches stretching out in front of you. You can expect to see lots of birdlife, for example terns, plovers, and guillemots. You can expect to find castles both standing and in ruins.
You can expect a variety of underfoot terrain on this trek from sandy beaches and dunes, to firm path. Although some sections are a little rougher underfoot and walking on sand can be tiring, the daily mileage is lower than most of our treks so we will be able to take things at a relaxed pace.
The Northumberland Coast Path is our least challenging long-distance trek, and therefore suitable to all people of reasonable walking fitness. You don’t need to have previous experience of long-distance trails to enjoy the walking, although experience of walking consecutive days will still help.
Whether you’re a first timer or a seasoned thru-hiker, if you are looking for a gentler trek with wonderful views, with nature and history in abundance, then this will fit the bill perfectly.
We will use the villages of Amble, Alnwick, Bamburgh and Lowick for accommodation, along with the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed.
We will stay 2 or 3 nights in some places so this gives you the advantage of not having to repack every day while still getting to experience the different villages on the trail.
Amble/Alnmouth – both are good sized seaside villages with cafes, pubs, restaurants and shops.
Bamburgh – a small but busy tourist village with ample places to eat.
Lowick – a hamlet with a village shop and two pubs.
Berwick-upon-Tweed – a town with all the facilities you would associated with such.
You will be provided with a full kit list, but as a guide the basics you will need are:
A small rucksack (around 25 litres), walking boots, waterproof trousers, waterproof jacket, hat, gloves, a spare warm layer and walking trousers (not jeans or denim), a water bottle, sun and midge protection.
With Thistle Trekking you get a personal service. We are happy to answer any questions and queries and help where we can with all aspects of your trip.
Your point of contact will be the same person from the first enquiry to the final communication before your Northumberland Coast Path trek.
Our guides are all qualified, experienced, and fun companions on the trail.
A wonderful holiday. Harry and David looked after us from start to finish during our trip. I felt privileged to walk on this particular trek as it was a first for Thistle Trekking. I would highly recommend it.
The scenery was stunning and the beaches were incredible. As usual the accommodation was to a high standard and all the organisation that was done on getting us to the start of the walk each day, transport at the end of each walk, a reservation for dinner if required and the faultless transfer of our luggage made this a wonderful, stress free break.
Harry and David were first class.
Eileen H
As with the 3 previous Treks that I have been on with your company I have nothing but praise for the whole package. Both Harry and yourself were excellent in encouraging and guiding us along this journey. You allowed us the freedom to walk at our own pace and happy for the likes of me, who energise internally, to have time and space on my own when needed.
I valued greatly the magnificent varied scenery that this trek provided – Northumbria truly is a secret treasure. I also thoroughly enjoyed the boat trip to the Farne Islands – an unique and valuable addition to the trek.
I do hope that this will become a regular fixture on your schedule.
Joan A
What can I say – I found the whole walk, along with both yourself David, & Harry an absolute delight. I thought the places we stayed & ate were all excellent. I think you have the grading of the walk right as it could be done by anyone with a reasonable level of fitness.
Geraldine F
Dates
We do offer private and bespoke group trips on all our treks and walking holidays. These can start on any date of your choosing, with a minimum of 4 people.
Please contact us with your preferred dates and accommodation, along with your group size.
-
View Package PricesSaturday8 May 2027Saturday15 May 2027
