What is this 9-day itinerary?
Nine days is the slowest way to walk the Dales Way, with short days and time to stop. It follows the 8-day through Wharfedale and over Cam Fell, then adds a night at Staveley before the lake. The last two days are both short, so you reach the Dales Way Bench with time to spare and energy for the view.
Read the Dales Way guide for the whole trail.
Will this 9-day split work for you?
- Walkers who want the slowest pace anyone sells: no day over 12 miles (19 km).
- Anyone who wants every afternoon free, for tea rooms, villages and a late start.
- Walkers who would rather reach Windermere fresh, with two short days at the end.
Fitness & effort
Days run from 4.9 mi (7.8 km) to 11.6 mi (18.6 km), and four of the nine are under 8 miles. The walking is easy for most of it, on riverside paths with many stiles and gates. Cam Fell is the only remote day, boggy and bleak in bad weather. If you can walk 10 miles and enjoy it, you can walk this.
Your 9-day route on the map
Toward Bowness
Ilkley to Bowness-on-Windermere in 9 days
Ilkley to Bowness-on-Windermere, the way every guide runs, up the Wharfe and over to the lake.
| Day | Stage | Distance | Overnight / destination |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Ilkley → Appletreewick | 11.3 mi (18.1 km) | New Inn Appletreewick (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 2 | Appletreewick → Grassington | 4.9 mi (7.8 km) | Kelvin House Grassington (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 3 | Grassington → Buckden | 10.4 mi (16.8 km) | The Buck Inn (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 4 | Buckden → Oughtershaw | 5.9 mi (9.6 km) | Nethergill Farm (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 5 | Oughtershaw → Cowgill | 10.7 mi (17.2 km) | The Sportsman's Inn (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 6 | Cowgill → Sedbergh | 9.9 mi (15.9 km) | The Dalesman Country Inn (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 7 Longest | Sedbergh → Patton Bridge | 11.6 mi (18.6 km) | Shaw End Mansion (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 8 | Patton Bridge → Staveley | 7.5 mi (12.0 km) | The Eagle & Child Inn (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 9 | Staveley → Bowness-on-Windermere | 6.1 mi (9.8 km) | Dales Way Finish |
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Day 1
Ilkley to Appletreewick
11.3 mi (18.1 km) ↑ 240 m (800 ft) ↓ 190 m (600 ft)
An easy first day up the Wharfe on grassy paths, with short bits of road. Strid Wood is a lovely, easy stretch through oak trees, and the café at Barden Tower suits a long break. Appletreewick has two pubs, but the New Inn serves food only on some days, so check your dinner before you set off.
Example stay New Inn Appletreewick (opens in a new tab)
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Day 2
Appletreewick to Grassington
4.9 mi (7.8 km) ↑ 100 m (350 ft) ↓ 40 m (150 ft)
A half day to Grassington, and the best morning for a lie-in. Burnsall and Appletreewick are pretty stone-built villages close together on the river. Grassington is the place to explore, with its shops, cafés and the National Park Centre. There is time to sit by the river before dinner.
Example stay Kelvin House Grassington (opens in a new tab)
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Day 3
Grassington to Buckden
10.4 mi (16.8 km) ↑ 230 m (750 ft) ↓ 210 m (700 ft)
The climb onto the limestone starts straight from Grassington. Conistone Pie, a rocky outcrop on the edge, gives sweeping views down the dale. Kettlewell suits lunch. The afternoon is flat by the river, past the Fox & Hounds at Starbotton, to Buckden and the Buck Inn for the night.
Example stay The Buck Inn (opens in a new tab)
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Day 4
Buckden to Oughtershaw
5.9 mi (9.6 km) ↑ 160 m (500 ft) ↓ 40 m (150 ft)
A short walk into the quiet top of the dale. Beyond Hubberholme, the path passes Yockenthwaite and Beckermonds as Langstrothdale narrows. The last miles climb slowly, partly on lanes, through sheep fields to Oughtershaw. It is high and remote, with a phone box by the Ruskin Hostel and no reliable signal.
Example stay Nethergill Farm (opens in a new tab)
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Day 5
Oughtershaw to Cowgill
10.7 mi (17.2 km) ↑ 350 m (1,150 ft) ↓ 450 m (1,500 ft)
The day on the moor. Above Nethergill Farm, where shorthorn cattle graze, the path climbs past the source of the Wharfe onto Cam Fell. Streams and bog slow the going, and shooting parties sometimes hold walkers up near Cam Houses. Nothing is open on the way, so carry food. A steep descent drops you into Dentdale.
Example stay The Sportsman's Inn (opens in a new tab)
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Day 6
Cowgill to Sedbergh
9.9 mi (15.9 km) ↑ 130 m (450 ft) ↓ 250 m (800 ft)
An easy valley walk after the moor. The River Dee runs through hay meadows and past field barns to Dent, where the cafés and the village shop are the last before Sedbergh. Sedbergh, a market town under the Howgill Fells, has a supermarket and a post office, and you reach it up a final uphill road.
Example stay The Dalesman Country Inn (opens in a new tab)
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Day 7 Longest
Sedbergh to Patton Bridge
11.6 mi (18.6 km) ↑ 380 m (1,250 ft) ↓ 360 m (1,200 ft)
The longest day, with the fewest places to stop. Walls give way to hedges as you leave the Dales, and some of the path runs close to the M6 before crossing it, so the noise is part of the day. Carry lunch from Sedbergh. Shaw End Mansion, near Patton Bridge, is one of few beds on this stretch.
Example stay Shaw End Mansion (opens in a new tab)
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Day 8
Patton Bridge to Staveley
7.5 mi (12.0 km) ↑ 160 m (500 ft) ↓ 190 m (600 ft)
A short morning across fields to Burneside, an old mill town on the River Kent, with a bakery and a chip shop. The river path leads on to Staveley. You arrive by lunchtime, and Wilf's Café is a good place to spend the rest of the day. The last walk tomorrow is just over 6 miles, so there is no need for an early night.
Example stay The Eagle & Child Inn (opens in a new tab)
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Day 9
Staveley to Bowness-on-Windermere
6.1 mi (9.8 km) ↑ 270 m (900 ft) ↓ 330 m (1,100 ft)
A short final walk over low hills. From Staveley, lanes and paths climb onto craggy fells with thorny gorse, the first ground that feels like the Lake District. Windermere opens below you, and a gentle descent leads to the Dales Way Bench above Bowness. Windermere station is about 1.5 miles away, or you can take the 599 bus.
Finish Dales Way Finish
Cross-check: Dales Way Association FAQ . The Association gives 80 miles (128 km) and about 5 to 7 days. Distances on the cards are measured along the trail. A walk off the path to a bed is extra.
Toward Ilkley
Bowness-on-Windermere to Ilkley in 9 days
The same nights, starting at Windermere. The Cam Fell crossing climbs out of Dentdale, and the last days follow the Wharfe down to Ilkley.
| Day | Stage | Distance | Overnight / destination |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Bowness-on-Windermere → Staveley | 6.1 mi (9.8 km) | The Eagle & Child Inn (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 2 | Staveley → Patton Bridge | 7.5 mi (12.0 km) | Shaw End Mansion (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 3 Longest | Patton Bridge → Sedbergh | 11.6 mi (18.6 km) | The Dalesman Country Inn (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 4 | Sedbergh → Cowgill | 9.9 mi (15.9 km) | The Sportsman's Inn (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 5 | Cowgill → Oughtershaw | 10.7 mi (17.2 km) | Nethergill Farm (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 6 | Oughtershaw → Buckden | 5.9 mi (9.6 km) | The Buck Inn (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 7 | Buckden → Grassington | 10.4 mi (16.8 km) | Kelvin House Grassington (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 8 | Grassington → Appletreewick | 4.9 mi (7.8 km) | New Inn Appletreewick (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 9 | Appletreewick → Ilkley | 11.3 mi (18.1 km) | Ilkley |
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Day 1
Bowness-on-Windermere to Staveley
6.1 mi (9.8 km) ↑ 330 m (1,100 ft) ↓ 270 m (900 ft)
Start at the Dales Way Bench above Bowness, about 1.5 miles from Windermere station. Look back at the lake from the first hill, then follow the paths over low, craggy fells down to Staveley.
Example stay The Eagle & Child Inn (opens in a new tab)
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Day 2
Staveley to Patton Bridge
7.5 mi (12.0 km) ↑ 190 m (600 ft) ↓ 160 m (500 ft)
An easy few miles down the Kent to Burneside, where you should buy lunch for tomorrow. Then quiet fields to Patton Bridge. Rest your legs, because the next day to Sedbergh has almost nowhere to stop.
Example stay Shaw End Mansion (opens in a new tab)
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Day 3 Longest
Patton Bridge to Sedbergh
11.6 mi (18.6 km) ↑ 360 m (1,200 ft) ↓ 380 m (1,250 ft)
Farmland first, quiet apart from the motorway you cross halfway. The Lune brings rockier ground and its spectacular old viaduct. Then the Howgills rise ahead over Sedbergh, with its pubs and shops.
Example stay The Dalesman Country Inn (opens in a new tab)
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Day 4
Sedbergh to Cowgill
9.9 mi (15.9 km) ↑ 250 m (800 ft) ↓ 130 m (450 ft)
Down the road out of Sedbergh, then the quiet valley of Dentdale opens ahead. Hay meadows and field barns line the Dee to Dent for lunch, and the river leads on to a quiet night at Cowgill.
Example stay The Sportsman's Inn (opens in a new tab)
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Day 5
Cowgill to Oughtershaw
10.7 mi (17.2 km) ↑ 450 m (1,500 ft) ↓ 350 m (1,150 ft)
The climb out of Dentdale is short and steep. On top, the Cam High Road gives wide views to Pen-y-ghent and Ingleborough. Beyond the watershed, boggy moor and small streams lead down to the head of Langstrothdale.
Example stay Nethergill Farm (opens in a new tab)
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Day 6
Oughtershaw to Buckden
5.9 mi (9.6 km) ↑ 40 m (150 ft) ↓ 160 m (500 ft)
An easy few miles down Langstrothdale, with the river at your side. You reach Buckden early, and its shop, café and the Buck Inn are the first shop and café since Dentdale.
Example stay The Buck Inn (opens in a new tab)
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Day 7
Buckden to Grassington
10.4 mi (16.8 km) ↑ 210 m (700 ft) ↓ 230 m (750 ft)
Easy going by the river to Kettlewell, then up onto the limestone. Going down-dale, the view opens ahead of you all the way along the edge, and the path drops off it into Grassington for the night.
Example stay Kelvin House Grassington (opens in a new tab)
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Day 8
Grassington to Appletreewick
4.9 mi (7.8 km) ↑ 40 m (150 ft) ↓ 100 m (350 ft)
A short morning down the Wharfe, out of the limestone at Loup Scar and back into pretty stone-built villages. Burnsall's tea room makes a slow coffee stop on the way to Appletreewick.
Example stay New Inn Appletreewick (opens in a new tab)
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Day 9
Appletreewick to Ilkley
11.3 mi (18.1 km) ↑ 190 m (600 ft) ↓ 240 m (800 ft)
Barden Bridge and the oaks of Strid Wood make the morning. The Bolton Abbey tea rooms are the place for a long lunch by the priory ruins, and the afternoon is flat, easy riverside to the train at Ilkley.
Finish Ilkley
9-day itinerary FAQ
Who should walk the Dales Way in 9 days?
Anyone who wants short days. Nine is the longest pace sold for the whole walk. No day is over 11.6 mi (18.6 km), with a half day to Grassington and two short days at the end.
Is a night at Staveley worth it?
It splits the last 13.5 miles (21.8 km) into two short days, so you finish fresh. Staveley has a café, a shop and an inn, and the walk from there to the bench above Bowness is just over 6 miles.
Can I download a GPX for the 9-day Dales Way?
Yes. Open this itinerary in the planner (free, no account). Download a full-route GPX or per-day files for Garmin, Komoot, or your phone. You can export the preset unchanged or edit overnight stops first.
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This 9-day itinerary is ready as it stands. Open it in the planner to keep these stops, or change where you sleep, then download the GPX for your watch or phone.
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