Welcome to Newcastle, a vibrant city that blends Roman history with modern energy. After checking into your accommodation, take time to explore the Quayside, admire the Tyne Bridge, and perhaps visit the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art. If history calls, head to the Great North Museum, home to artifacts from Hadrian’s Wall. In the evening, enjoy a meal at one of Newcastle’s renowned restaurants and prepare for your adventure ahead.
Distance: 48 kms (30 miles) / Elevation Gain: 350 m (1148 feet) / Saddle Time: 2.5-4.5 hours
After breakfast, transfer west to Bowness-on-Solway, the western end of Hadrian’s Wall. Begin your ride along quiet country lanes with stunning views over the Solway Firth, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The route takes you through Carlisle, where you can visit Carlisle Castle and the Tullie House Museum. Leaving the city, the landscape becomes more rural, with rolling farmland leading to Lanercost Priory, a beautifully preserved medieval ruin. A final push brings you to Brampton, a historic market town with charming streets and cozy cafés.
Distance: 60 kms (37 miles) / Elevation Gain: 759 m (2490 feet) / Saddle Time: 3-5 hours
Today, you enter the heart of Hadrian’s Wall Country. The terrain becomes more challenging, with rolling hills and dramatic scenery. First, visit Birdoswald Roman Fort, where you can walk along some of the best-preserved sections of the Wall. Continue towards Walltown Crags and Steel Rigg, where breathtaking views reward your climbs. A must-visit stop is Vindolanda, a world-class archaeological site with fascinating Roman artifacts, including the famous Vindolanda Tablets. Descending towards Hexham, enjoy a more relaxed ride as you arrive in this historic market town, known for Hexham Abbey and its bustling town square.
Distance: 60 kms (37 miles) / Elevation Gain: 299 m (981 feet) / Saddle Time: 3-5 hours
The final ride follows the River Tyne, transitioning from countryside to urban landscapes. Stop in Corbridge, once a key Roman town, and visit Chesters Roman Fort, home to one of the best-preserved Roman bathhouses in Britain. As you enter Newcastle, pass Segedunum Roman Fort, the easternmost fort on Hadrian’s Wall. From here, follow traffic-free cycle paths along the River Tyne to Tynemouth, a beautiful coastal town with golden beaches and a historic priory. Celebrate the end of your journey with a walk along the seafront and a well-earned fish and chips by the sea!
Spend your final morning exploring Tynemouth’s rich history and scenic coastline. Visit the Tynemouth Priory & Castle, perched dramatically on the cliffs, or wander through the lively Tynemouth Market, held in the Victorian train station. If you have time, take a coastal walk to Cullercoats Bay or relax at King Edward’s Bay, a sheltered sandy beach. Reflect on your journey along Hadrian’s Wall before departing with incredible memories of your Roman cycling adventure. Well done on completing an epic coast-to-coast ride!
All our accommodation selections are in-house reviewed. We partner with family-owned, charming guesthouses and hotels where you can relax and recharge. Below are some sample accommodations on our Hadrian’s Wall tours. Depending on availability, the accommodation you stay at may vary but will always be of a similar standard.
This Hotel Du Vin is situated in central Newcastle, with breathtaking views over the quayside and the River Tyne. It offers luxurious accommodation a few minutes’ walk from Manors Rail Station. Each room has fine Egyptian cotton linen, a deep bath and a power shower. Guests can also enjoy a plasma TV, air conditioning and facilities for making tea and coffee. The hotel was once home to the Tyne Tees Steam Shipping Company. It has been converted to offer a magnificent bistro restaurant, Laroche wine tasting.
Situated in the quaint Cumbrian market town of Brampton, the Howard Arms is a family run pub with a balance of traditional touches and contemporary twists. There are eight bedrooms at The Howard Arms, compromising seven super king rooms/twins and one single room. We are a family run pub that provides guests with a home-from-home feel in our individually designed rooms all with an en-suite, tea and coffee making facilities, flat screen TVs and free WiFi.
Sandsides Guest House is a beautiful Victorian building that offers you a home from home bed and breakfast accommodation. It’s traditional English character and ideal location, situated on the main route from the seafront to the town centre, facing onto a new lottery-funded family park.
In addition to offering lovely sea views, the B&B is directly opposite a brand-new children’s play park. A pleasant two-minute stroll takes you to the Park View area, where you’ll find many delightful little cafés and bistros. Just a five-minute walk, and you’ll find yourself in the centre of town.
This tour is in our Moderate difficulty grading. Consisting of a blend of cycle lanes, quiet country roads and riverside trails. You’ll spend most of the ride navigating through rolling countryside & undulating hills. Comfort on shared roads is a must for this tour. The mid tour cycle days are the toughest, allowing for a gentle warm up and nice cool down.
We offer E-MTBs, Hardtail Mountain bikes & Gravel bikes for this tour. If you are having doubts about your fitness levels, we recommend selecting an electric bike during booking.
This Hadrian’s Wall tour puts history and discovery above all else. If you appreciate exploring times long past in beautiful country surroundings, this is the tour for you. There is time during the riding to wander the landmarks along route and settle in for lunch at a traditional British pub as a reward.
It is a perfect route for friends to catch up on old times, as well as solo riders on their own path of exploration. The route attracts large amounts of cyclists and hikers from all over the world, giving the perfect opportunity to connect with fellow adventurers too.
You have a choice of bringing your own bike or renting your tour bike through us during booking. For Hadrian’s Wall, the bikes available are quality electric & manual mountain bikes or gravel bikes. If an electric bike is chosen, it will bring the daily saddle time down by approximately 1 hour.
We only partner with the best bike suppliers for all our destinations so you’ll be guaranteed well maintained, premium brand bikes such as Cube, Trek or KTM.
All bike rentals come with helmet, lock and repair kit. A network of mechanics are on call in case of any mechanical issues faced while on tour.
We offer tours on Hadrian’s Wall from April – September. At the start of the tour season, the average temperatures in Newcastle are approximately 10 °C (50 °F). This is the quietest times of the season to miss queues at landmarks. Temperatures peak at 19 °C (66 °F) in July & August. Temperatures as high as 26 °C (79 °F) have been recorded, but these are quite rare. Please see image below for reference.
The western Lake District and Cumbria are historically some of the wettest regions in the UK, but the latter half of the ride in the east is much drier. It is recommended to have emergency wet gear packed at all times while riding. Precipitation in this region is typically lighter and consistent in nature.
We include detailed navigation instructions and GPX files for your ride. Our navigation app is easy to use and we give a detailed instructional video on how to use it. If you are having any difficulty, we are on call at all times to assist you.
You largely follow National Cycle Route 72 and there is frequent marked signage on the routes to keep you on course, as well as many fellow cyclists on the trails to steer you in the right direction.
Included in your tour, is 24/7 message and video support. If you have an issue with navigation, bike breakdown, accommodation, medical, etc, we are at the touch of a button away at all times.
We have an extensive network of suppliers along the route, who will resolve the problem as swiftly as possible.
If you haven’t found the answer you’re looking for above, visit our general FAQ page for more information or simply reach out to us with the “Ask A Question” button on the side.
3* or 4* Accommodation Throughout
Breakfast Each Morning
Transfers While On Tour
Luggage Transfer
Itinerary & Navigation Documentation
Tips & Local Insights
24-Hour Support