What is this 5-day itinerary?
Five days suits fit walkers used to long days, and takes the Yorkshire Wolds Way at a strong pace. The chalk is kind underfoot and there is no high ground. What makes it hard is distance: one long day early on, two at the end, and steep little dale sides in between.
Read the Yorkshire Wolds Way guide for the whole trail.
Will this 5-day split work for you?
- Fit walkers. Three days over 16 miles, and one over 19.
- Not a first long walk. Try the 6-day or 7-day instead.
- Book early. Millington and Thixendale fill first.
Fitness & effort
Choose it if you have walked 18 miles in a day and enjoyed it. Four of the five days are over 12 miles, and the second is long enough that its last climb comes on tired legs. Days four and five run back to back at 16 and 17.6 miles, with little to buy on either. Six days is the usual pace and the kinder choice.
The 5-day route on the map
Toward Filey
Hessle to Filey in 5 days
Hessle to Filey, from under the Humber Bridge across the chalk dales of the Wolds to the sea at Filey Brigg.
| Day | Stage | Distance | Overnight / destination |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Hessle → South Cave | 12.5 mi (20.2 km) | Cave Castle Hotel (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 2 Longest | South Cave → Millington | 19.3 mi (31.1 km) | Laburnum Cottage Bed And Breakfast |
| Day 3 | Millington → Thixendale | 11.7 mi (18.8 km) | The Cross Keys Inn Thixendale (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 4 | Thixendale → East Heslerton | 16.1 mi (26.0 km) | Manor Farm House Bed & Breakfast (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 5 | East Heslerton → Filey | 17.6 mi (28.2 km) | Yorkshire Wolds Way Finish |
-
Day 1
Hessle to South Cave
12.5 mi (20.2 km) ↑ 370 m (1,200 ft) ↓ 330 m (1,100 ft)
A steady opener before the long day: stones and shingle along the Humber, slower than they look. North Ferriby's shore is where Bronze Age plank boats were found in the mud. Inland, the path passes an old chalk quarry that is now a country park. The climb onto Ellerker North Wold is the first real effort.
Example stay Cave Castle Hotel (opens in a new tab)
-
Day 2 Longest
South Cave to Millington
19.3 mi (31.1 km) ↑ 640 m (2,100 ft) ↓ 500 m (1,650 ft)
The longest day of the walk, 19 miles of lanes and field edges with hours between villages. You may meet nobody between South Cave and Goodmanham. Make an early start and treat Goodmanham's pub, past halfway, as the place to rest. The climb above Warren Dale into Millington comes in the last hour.
Example stay Laburnum Cottage Bed And Breakfast
-
Day 3
Millington to Thixendale
11.7 mi (18.8 km) ↑ 420 m (1,400 ft) ↓ 480 m (1,550 ft)
A shorter day after the long one, though the dales keep the legs busy. Huggate, about a kilometre off, once drew its water from a well over 100 m deep. Fridaythorpe has a shop at the petrol station, so buy tomorrow's lunch there. The Time and Flow spiral, cut into the turf, is near Thixendale.
Example stay The Cross Keys Inn Thixendale (opens in a new tab)
-
Day 4
Thixendale to East Heslerton
16.1 mi (26.0 km) ↑ 550 m (1,800 ft) ↓ 520 m (1,700 ft)
Day four of a hard week, and the one with nothing for sale. The open top above Thixendale and the woods by Settrington Beacon look out over the Vale of Pickering to the North York Moors. Some bridleways here hold mud long after rain, and rabbit holes catch tired feet. Every bite and drink comes from your pack.
Example stay Manor Farm House Bed & Breakfast (opens in a new tab)
-
Day 5
East Heslerton to Filey
17.6 mi (28.2 km) ↑ 490 m (1,600 ft) ↓ 610 m (2,000 ft)
Old ground on the last day: tumuli and Iron Age earthworks line the way back over the Wolds. Some fields were cleared long ago for Bridlington Priory's sheep. Stock up at Sherburn or Ganton in the first hours. After the last dry valleys, the path drops to the sea at Filey Brigg.
Finish Yorkshire Wolds Way Finish
Cross-check: Yorkshire Wolds Way route description . The National Trail route page gives six sections, Hessle to Filey, with a fork at Spring Dale to Market Weighton or Goodmanham. These plans follow the Goodmanham branch. Card distances are measured along the trail between the towns. A walk off the path to a bed is extra.
Toward Hessle
Filey to Hessle in 5 days
The same beds, starting by the sea at Filey Brigg. The long days come first, and the walk ends on the Humber shore under the bridge.
| Day | Stage | Distance | Overnight / destination |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Filey → East Heslerton | 17.6 mi (28.2 km) | Manor Farm House Bed & Breakfast (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 2 | East Heslerton → Thixendale | 16.1 mi (26.0 km) | The Cross Keys Inn Thixendale (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 3 | Thixendale → Millington | 11.7 mi (18.8 km) | Laburnum Cottage Bed And Breakfast |
| Day 4 Longest | Millington → South Cave | 19.3 mi (31.1 km) | Cave Castle Hotel (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 5 | South Cave → Hessle | 12.5 mi (20.2 km) | Hessle |
-
Day 1
Filey to East Heslerton
17.6 mi (28.2 km) ↑ 610 m (2,000 ft) ↓ 490 m (1,600 ft)
From Filey Brigg the path turns its back on the sea and heads inland across fields to Muston. The climb onto the Wolds is long but gentle. Ganton's pub and Sherburn's shop come near the end of a long first day.
Example stay Manor Farm House Bed & Breakfast (opens in a new tab)
-
Day 2
East Heslerton to Thixendale
16.1 mi (26.0 km) ↑ 520 m (1,700 ft) ↓ 550 m (1,800 ft)
The escarpment lifts you above the Vale of Pickering, and Wharram Percy's church comes late in the day. A short, sharp climb out of Deep Dale leads over to Thixendale. Bring lunch, as there is none on the way.
Example stay The Cross Keys Inn Thixendale (opens in a new tab)
-
Day 3
Thixendale to Millington
11.7 mi (18.8 km) ↑ 480 m (1,550 ft) ↓ 420 m (1,400 ft)
The dales come in the same rhythm this way, down one grassy side and up the next. Fridaythorpe is the place to eat, because Huggate is a detour. Millington lies at the bottom of the last dale.
Example stay Laburnum Cottage Bed And Breakfast
-
Day 4 Longest
Millington to South Cave
19.3 mi (31.1 km) ↑ 500 m (1,650 ft) ↓ 640 m (2,100 ft)
Walked this way, the long day comes straight after the dales, on tired legs. Londesborough Park is easy going, and Goodmanham's pub is the break. The steep descent into South Cave is the last thing your knees meet.
Example stay Cave Castle Hotel (opens in a new tab)
-
Day 5
South Cave to Hessle
12.5 mi (20.2 km) ↑ 330 m (1,100 ft) ↓ 370 m (1,200 ft)
Ellerker North Wold is the last high ground of the walk, and the wooded drop to Welton's pub comes at lunchtime. The afternoon is flat but slow, on stones and shingle along the estuary to the bridge.
Finish Hessle
5-day itinerary FAQ
Can I walk the Yorkshire Wolds Way in 5 days?
Yes, if you are fit and have walked long days before. Four days are over 12 miles and one is 19.3 mi (31.1 km). Six days is the usual pace and the better first choice.
Where do I sleep on the 5-day?
South Cave, Millington, Thixendale and East Heslerton, then Filey at the finish. Book Millington and Thixendale first.
What is the hardest day of the 5-day?
South Cave to Millington, 19.3 mi (31.1 km), with only Goodmanham's pub on the way and the climb into Millington at the end.
Is there food on every day of the 5-day?
Not on day four, Thixendale to East Heslerton, which has nothing for sale on the path. Day two has only Goodmanham, and day five has Sherburn and Ganton early on.
Can I download a GPX for the 5-day Yorkshire Wolds 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.
Personalise this itinerary
This 5-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.
Open in planner Back to the comparison
Full-trip and per-day GPX files. Free, no account.
Explore
