11-day Offa's Dyke Path itinerary

1. Day 1

   Chepstow to Monmouth

   9–10 h 19.4 mi (31.2 km) ↑ 940 m (3,100 ft) ↓ 960 m (3,150 ft)

   Out from the estuary cliffs at Sedbury, where the dyke starts, and up into the woods along the Wye. It is long and enclosed, and the view opens at the Devil's Pulpit over Tintern Abbey. Fill your bottles in Chepstow, since the Wye is no place to drink from. The path crosses the border at Redbrook and climbs the Kymin before Monmouth.

   Example stay Premier Inn Monmouth hotel (opens in a new tab)

2. Day 2

   Monmouth to Pandy

   7–8 h 16.2 mi (26.0 km) ↑ 590 m (1,950 ft) ↓ 490 m (1,600 ft)

   Low, green farm country, field after field of sheep and orchard, wet underfoot after rain. White Castle is the one big sight. No dyke today, but the Skirrid and Hatterrall Ridge are in view for tomorrow. The Rivers Edge at Pandy is a short walk from the path; book the evening meal.

   Example stay The Rivers Edge (opens in a new tab)

3. Day 3

   Pandy to Hay-on-Wye

   7–8 h 16.1 mi (25.9 km) ↑ 690 m (2,250 ft) ↓ 700 m (2,300 ft)

   Up from Pandy to the highest point on the trail, about 700 m, then a long ridge walk north on the border with the Black Mountains all around. The path is firm and easy to follow in good weather. In mist or cold rain there are few landmarks and no shelter, so allow extra time and carry everything you need for the day.

   Example stay The Swan At Hay Hotel (opens in a new tab)

4. Day 4

   Hay-on-Wye to Kington

   7–8 h 15.1 mi (24.3 km) ↑ 690 m (2,250 ft) ↓ 630 m (2,050 ft)

   A milder day across the border hills, though the many small climbs feel bigger after the ridge. Gladestry's Royal Oak welcomes walkers at lunchtime. Hergest Ridge, with an old racecourse exactly a mile round on its top, is the last rise before Kington and its pubs.

   Example stay Castle Hill House Bed and Breakfast Kington

5. Day 5

   Kington to Knighton

   6–7 h 13.5 mi (21.7 km) ↑ 760 m (2,500 ft) ↓ 740 m (2,450 ft)

   Hill after hill beside the dyke, short climbs that never quite stop, so pace yourself from the start. There is almost nothing to buy on the way, which makes lunch from Kington a must. Knighton is near the halfway point, and its Offa's Dyke Centre is worth a visit if you arrive in time.

   Example stay The Plough Hotel

6. Day 6

   Knighton to Cwm

   7–8 h 14.1 mi (22.6 km) ↑ 1,140 m (3,750 ft) ↓ 1,130 m (3,700 ft)

   The day the trail body calls the toughest. The switchbacks of the Shropshire Hills are steep and grassy, one after another, with very few villages, so carry food and water. The path follows well-preserved dyke on Llanfair Hill and passes the trail's midpoint. After the Kerry Ridgeway it is mostly downhill to Cwm.

   Example stay Offa's Dyke Cottage Bed and Breakfast (opens in a new tab)

7. Day 7

   Cwm to Buttington

   6–7 h 13.2 mi (21.2 km) ↑ 420 m (1,400 ft) ↓ 540 m (1,750 ft)

   Flatter going along the border, sometimes with one foot in each country. Montgomery, a short detour off the path, has a ruined castle and somewhere to eat. Beacon Ring is the last climb. Moors Farm, the night's bed, is about a kilometre from the Severn at Buttington.

   Example stay Moors Farm (opens in a new tab)

8. Day 8

   Buttington to Trefonen

   7–8 h 16.6 mi (26.8 km) ↑ 420 m (1,400 ft) ↓ 290 m (950 ft)

   A long day in two halves. The morning is flat towpath by the Severn and the canal, which can flood in very wet weather. Then the path climbs to the old quarry on Llanymynech Hill, and Moelydd's toposcope looks out over the border country before the walk on to Trefonen.

   Example stay Lynstead Lodge

9. Day 9

   Trefonen to Llangollen

   7–8 h 16.0 mi (25.8 km) ↑ 840 m (2,750 ft) ↓ 790 m (2,600 ft)

   Long and fiddly through working farmland, Candy Woods and the old racecourse above Oswestry, so keep the map close. The second half is easier, following the canal past Chirk Mill to the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. Panorama Cottages, near Llangollen, is the night's bed.

   Example stay Panorama Cottages (opens in a new tab)

10. Day 10

    Llangollen to Clwyd Gate

    6–7 h 13.4 mi (21.5 km) ↑ 710 m (2,350 ft) ↓ 610 m (2,000 ft)

    Under the Eglwyseg crags to World's End, then onto the moor and through Llandegla Forest. The limestone underfoot can be rough or muddy, so take it steadily with the long last day still to come. The bed is up on the pass at Clwyd Gate, ready for an early start over the hills.

    Example stay Clwyd Gate Manor (opens in a new tab)

11. Day 11 Longest

    Clwyd Gate to Prestatyn

    12–13 h 24.7 mi (39.8 km) ↑ 1,390 m (4,550 ft) ↓ 1,720 m (5,650 ft)

    The longest day of the walk. The heather ridge of the Clwydian Range runs over Moel Famau and its hillforts, exposed and slow in cloud, with nothing to buy until Bodfari. After lunch there the smaller hills and Marian Cwm's stone stiles lead to Prestatyn Hillside, and the path ends on the beach.

    Finish Offa's Dyke Path Finish

Cross-check: Offa's Dyke Path trail information on National Trails . The trail body gives about two weeks for the 177 miles (285 km). Distances on the cards are measured along the trail. A walk off the path to a bed is extra.

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