Discover the Dales Way, one of Britain's gentlest long-distance walks, a picturesque 128km (79-mile) trail from Ilkley through the Yorkshire Dales National Park to Bowness-on-Windermere in the Lake District. This beginner-friendly route follows riverside paths through Wharfedale, Dentdale and Lakeland fringes, passing Bolton Abbey, Grassington, Hawes, Sedbergh and classic Dales scenery over 6 stages (11-31km), perfect for a 6-8 day introduction to multi-day hiking.

This expertly written Cicerone guidebook provides everything you need to plan and complete the Dales Way with confidence. Authored by experienced long-distance walker Terry Marsh, it combines clear route descriptions, reliable mapping, practical planning tools, and background insights that bring the landscapes and communities of northern England to life.

• All 6 stages are supported by detailed route descriptions alongside elevation profiles, allowing you to anticipate ascents, descents, and terrain before setting out each day
• A separate OS 1:25,000 map booklet is included, showing the full route with a clear route line to provide reliable, easy-to-follow navigation throughout the Dales Way
• The guidebook includes a Watershed alternative, offering an optional higher-level route of rewarding views that utilises the Pennine Bridleway for walkers looking to add variety or challenge to their journey
• A comprehensive trek planner details accommodation, refreshment stops, and facilities at key centres along the route, including Ilkley, Grassington, Hawes, Dent, and Sedbergh, helping you plan each stage with confidence
• Additional historical and cultural background brings the route to life, with highlights such as the dramatic gorge of Strid Wood, the historic church at Hubberholme, and other landmarks along the way

Designed to support walkers from start to finish, this guidebook allows you to enjoy the gentle rhythm of the Dales Way, from riverside paths and limestone villages to the dramatic views of Lake Windermere on the approach to Bowness. Walk with confidence, knowing each stage has been carefully described, while taking time to appreciate the scenery, history, and character that make the Dales Way such a rewarding long-distance route.

Dales Way – Quick Facts

Trail name: Walking the Dales Way 
Location: Yorkshire Dales & Lake District, Northern England, UK
Total distance: ~128 km / ~79 miles (Ilkley to Bowness‑on‑Windermere) 
Typical duration: ~6–8 days end‑to‑end (week‑long walk) 
Start: Ilkley (West Yorkshire)
Finish: Bowness‑on‑Windermere (Cumbria)
Route type: Long‑distance waymarked walking route in stages (6 stages of 11–31 km / 7–19 mi) 
Difficulty: Easy to moderate; ideal introduction to multi‑day hiking 
Terrain: Riverside paths, pastoral valleys, dales villages and gentle upland country
Navigation: Guidebook includes step‑by‑step route descriptions with 1:100 000 maps, separate 1:25 000 map booklet, trek planner and accommodation info 
Best season: Scenic spring and autumn (April–June, September–October), but walkable year‑round 

Author Top Tip

“With so much of interest concentrated in so (comparatively) short a walk, for a full enjoyment of the process it is vital to allow time to explore and potter about, to paddle in the streams and rivers, to visit churches (and pubs), to get something of a feel for the lifestyle that permeates the course of the Way and of the history that has fashioned the land it traverses.”

- Terry Marsh, author of Walking the Dales Way

Map key
Overview map
Route summary table
The Dales Way Trek Planner
Preface

Introduction
About the Dales Way
Planning the walk
Suggested itineraries
When to go
Getting there… and back
Public transport
First and last nights
Accommodation
Facilities en route
Pack-carrying services (baggage transfer)
Cash management
Equipment
Dogs
Planning day-by-day
Using this guide
Maps
Weather
Waymarking and paths
Health, safety and emergencies
Phones and Wi-Fi
All about the region
Geography
Geology
Plants and wildlife
History and culture

The Dales Way: Ilkley to Bowness

Wharfedale
Stage 1 Ilkley to Burnsall
Stage 2 Burnsall to Buckden

Langstrothdale and Dentdale
Stage 3 Buckden to Cowgill (Lea Yeat)
Stage 3A The Watershed Alternative
Stage 4 Cowgill (Lea Yeat) to Millthrop (Sedbergh)

Lonsdale and the Lakeland Fringe
Stage 5 Millthrop (Sedbergh) to Staveley

Into Lakeland
Stage 6 Staveley to Bowness-on-Windermere

Appendix A Useful contacts
Appendix B Accommodation along the route
Appendix C Further reading

Seasons

The walk is scenically at its best in Spring and Autumn (April-June and September-October), but is an all-year round walk for suitably equipped walkers.

Centres

Ilkley, Grassington, Hawes, Sedbergh, Bowness-on-Windermere

Difficulty

This is an ideal route for anyone wanting to attempt multi-day walking for the first time. There are no significant physical difficulties beyond the basic need to walk a certain distance each day.

Must See

Historic buildings, roads, bridges, etc. Landscape, flowers and wildlife. Bolton Abbey, Dent, Dales villages. The scenery is outstanding throughout, and a string of communities line the route but without detracting from the sense of freedom.

August 2023

Trek planner and Route summary table

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