Explore England’s Coast to Coast with the local experts
Walk, run or cycle across Alfred Wainwright’s iconic Coast to Coast trail for the adventure holiday of a lifetime.
Dedicated to crafting memorable journeys across Britain’s Coast to Coast trail.
Trusted by travellers worldwide, with 200+ five star TripAdvisor & Google reviews.
The UK’s only travel company specialising in Alfred Wainwright’s Coast to Coast route.
Discover the
Coast to Coast
Coast to Coast Packhorse are the only UK travel company who specialise exclusively on Alfred Wainwright’s famous C2C trail. We have helped walkers, runners and cyclists to plan Coast to Coast holidays for nearly 30 years from our on-route headquarters in Kirkby Stephen. The 192 mile (309km) long-distance route, between the seaside towns of St Bees and Robin Hood’s Bay, covers three beautiful national parks: The Lake District National Park, North York Moors and the Yorkshire Dales.
The Coast to Coast way route is around 192 miles (309km) and crosses three of the UK’s national parks: the Lake District National Park, the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and the North York Moors National Park.
Travellers can explore scenic wonders, starting from the Irish Sea at St Bees on the Cumbrian west coast. The walking route also takes you through the Lake District Fells and picturesque villages, Pennines, Dales, North York Moors and Cleveland Hills. The trail ends after reaching the lovely old fishing port of Robin Hood’s Bay on Yorkshire’s East Coast.
En route, explorers will discover some unspoilt villages and hamlets, enjoy the hospitality of a great variety of Bed and Breakfast establishments, sample very good ales in the local Inns and exchange tales with the many fellow Coast to Coast Walkers you will meet.
Our Coast to Coast season runs from 30th March to 18th October.
You can start your trip on any date within the season (except for guided holidays, which have set departure dates).
There are three types of holiday we offer along the C2C route; walking, running or cycling. Furthermore, holidaymakers can choose from ‘guided’ or ‘self-guided’ tours.
Guided Tours
Our experienced, qualified and friendly guides will show you the route and help bring the whole scene and living history of your surroundings to life.
Self-Guided Tours
After booking your bespoke trip, we will provide you a comprehensive information pack, maps and gpx files for the route. Our team are on hand for you anytime throughout your trip – and we’ll even meet you in St Kirkby to buy you a drink!
Passenger and Baggage Transfers
During your walk, trail run or cycle, we ‘magically’ move your bags to your next accommodation. If you are unfortunately injured or ill we can transport you between destinations. We can also securely look after your car, take you to the start and back from the finish and be available for any queries or assistance you may need.
Nothing is Outsourced
Nothing is outsourced – we handle everything in-house. As you may expect, we have in-depth knowledge and relationships with all the best accommodations. We hand-craft your trip so you fully enjoy experience on a schedule that is right for you.
Located on the Route and Always Available
We’re available before and throughout your trip. We can answer any questions you might have and deal with any issues, anytime. If you take a guided package, your guide will be an expert on leading groups across the Coast to Coast and will have spoken with you beforehand. The team is proud to be based on the route and welcome you into our home town with a complimentary drink in one of the lovely pubs and bars here.
Friendly and Knowledgeable Staff
We established our business 30 years ago to help people do the beautiful, inspiring Coast to Coast trail. Our team are passionate about encouraging everyone to have this life-enhancing trip. We share your love of being active outdoors and sense of adventure. Seeing and hearing the adventures and stories from travellers is a constant delight. Our knowledge, experience, dedication to the route, contacts and seamless consistent daily operation allows us to provide a level of service our competition cannot match – and we invite you to see that for yourself!
It’s All Designed Around You
We can provide as much or as little support as required. We will develop a tailored schedule to fit your needs and our team can cover all the logistical assistance you may need. We can support you anywhere, from the Irish Sea, through the Pennines, to St Bees or Robin Hood’s Bay… we are there all the way.
EXCELLENT
Based on 226 reviews
Posted on Tripadvisor
RDav1Excellent and well organised C2C A very well organised trip, Hayley and the team were very responsive and the accommodations chosen were all good, some excellent. The bag pick up and drop went very efficiently and overall I had a great time and would highly recommend Packhorse.Posted on Tripadvisor
MarenjanLifetime experience. In August 2025 we did the C2C. Just wonderful: great walk, Packhorse/Hayley very professional, service minded and personal. All in all highly recommended! We thoroughly enjoyed this lifetime experience. Thanks Hayley, Packhorse team and all others involved.Posted on Tripadvisor
979kawMemorable Walking Holiday in an Extremely Beautiful Area This was a spectacular experience to celebrate our retirements. It was our first walking holiday but hopefully not the last. All the accommodations were really lovely with excellent breakfasts, the scenery was stunning, the people from around the world were so interesting and friendly, and Coast to Coast Packhorse did an outstanding job of providing support, especially during Storm Floris. I’m glad we booked with the local experts. Our bags were always waiting for us once we arrived at our lodging. Hayley was very helpful answering questions and setting us up with the gpx files. John, who shuttled us over to St. Bee's from Kirby Stephen, was a great driver and easy to talk to. Thank you to everyone for making this such a special vacation.Posted on Tripadvisor
Robert HA brilliant experience with excellent support from C2C Packhorse that made everything manageable. We undertook this challenge as a 'Daddy-Daughter' adventure. We were joined by two other members of the family for 2 days/ 3 nights. We had an amazing time with great highs, some difficulties and a range of weathers but never had a cross word and we are so much closer as a result and both have a huge sense of achievement. The people, scenery, food and drink were wonderful and each part of the country has its own distinctive character.We would not have been able to do it without C2C Packhorse: they took the pressure off booking accommodation that was appropriate and actually had more 'nice touches' and little luxuries than I was expecting - we were really impressed. We met others walking who were unsupported and our days and journey distances were all in our control which was really important on the longer, tougher days: not everyone had this luxury. Transporting bags was really easy - as was pick up - a huge plus for us. More than this, on the days we were moving very slowly we had phone calls and welfare checks to make sure that all was ok and that we arrived safely. Support pre-booking and over the event was prompt and much appreciated. Huge thanks to Hayley and Kate for this and for working around our specific requirements: with my busy job I could not have put this trip together without them: the personal visit in Kirkby Stephen was a nice touch too. A highly recommended challenge made possible by a company with the right values.Posted on Tripadvisor
Mark AWell organised adventure Just completed my Coast to Coast adventure. Originally, I approached Packhorse to just organise my baggage transfers and I was going to organise my own accommodation. I had tried with several companies but they wanted, what I considered, a ridiculous amount of money for a single supplement for a sole traveller. When I explained this to the Packhorse team they said their single supplement was no where near what I had been quoted by others. Packhorse quoted and I accepted. Accommodation, baggage transfers, maps and notes provided. The entire experience was fantastic from start to finish. A faultless display from Hayley and the Packhorse team. 10/10Posted on Tripadvisor
Ian DA Beautifully Organised and Truly Memorable Coast to Coast Walk We had an absolutely fantastic experience walking the Coast to Coast, and we’re so grateful to Coast to Coast Packhorse for the excellent planning and support throughout.Walking across three stunning national parks on foot was a unique and unforgettable experience. Every day offered something new — beautiful landscapes, varied walking terrain, and welcoming places to stay.The accommodation was especially well chosen: a lovely mix of pubs, inns, lodges, and the occasional B&B — all either directly on the route or very close by. Arriving at a pub in the afternoon, settling in, and becoming part of village life, even just for a short while, was one of the highlights.We were constantly met with kindness, helpfulness, and genuine interest from hosts and locals — both where we stayed and on the trail itself.It’s also clear that the route is well maintained and appreciated. We walked 320 km and climbed around 9,000 metres, so a decent level of fitness is definitely helpful — but we enjoyed every step.Huge thanks to the team at Packhorse for organising such a smooth and memorable journey. Highly recommendedPosted on Tripadvisor
Steve TExcellent Excellent service, great accomodation booked. Bags delivered as promised. Hayley was very friendly and helpful. I recommend Packhorse unreservedly.Posted on Tripadvisor
Steve HackmanThird Time with Packhorse and Highly Recommend! This is the third time I have walked the Wainwright Coast to Coast and have used Packhorse every time. The entire staff have always done so well for us both in communication and execution. On my most recent trip this month I had left a t-shirt behind at our hotel in Reeth that had some sentimental value. A quick message to Hayley in the Packhorse office and it was found and delivered to my next day's stay. Brilliant! All of the accommodation Packhorse booked for use were excellent and made for a wonderful end to a long day's hike. Oh and my son LOVED the C2C bandana! Highly recommend!!!!!Posted on Tripadvisor
NancycollPackhorse is on top of everything Five stars all the way for Packhorse and the support they gave my group of five on the Coast to Coast in May/June. Hayley somehow managed to keep track of our custom itinerary, 19 days, 15 different b&bs, one of us only walking half the route, some of us sharing rooms and some not, etc etc. Lots of detail to track and I fully expected some minor bumps along the way, but she was 100% and so upbeat and positive. We even had to be booked into a couple different b&bs last minute and that was no problem. The luggage gentleman (Ian) was on top of it. Because my husband was driving the route, I occasionally didn't leave my bag with the others to be picked up in the a.m. - my bad on that, because it throws off the count, of course. But Ian would always follow up with the inn owner to figure it out and make sure he wasn't leaving something behind. The price was incredibly reasonable, given all the service they provide. They did a nice job of mixing in some very nice places along with the more moderate. I believe all provided bag lunches for a small fee, which made it very easy, as there weren't many places to stop on the routes we took. Hayley even visited the B&B in Kirkby Stephen to say hello, and brought her son along, as they were planning to hike a part of the route that day. Lovely surprise. We didn't use the map book or online maps they provided, as we had worked out our routes well before we went (as everyone should - there are many options). We loved the Packhorse buffs they gifted us, though. Would absolutely use them again. As for the Coast to Coast itself, it's a forever memory now. Among the most meaningful adventures of my life. The Lake District is certainly one of the most beautiful places on earth, although my favorite for pure serenity would be the windswept North York Moors. Here were my faves among the B&Bs, in case that's helpful.Glaramara Hotel, SeatollerOld Water View, PenrithKeld Lodge, KeldWillance Guest House, RichmondAshfield House, Danby WiskeLion Inn, Blakey RidgeLee-Side, Robin Hoods BayVerified by TrustindexTrustindex verified badge is the Universal Symbol of Trust. Only the greatest companies can get the verified badge who has a review score above 4.5, based on customer reviews over the past 12 months. Read more
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EXCELLENTTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. My second Coast to Coast trip with Packhorse. I was very impressed with the pre trip updates and info from Hayley, the standard of accommodation was excellent and the drivers who ferried me from Kirby Stephen to St Bees at the start and Robin Hoods Bay to Kirby Stephen at the end were great, my bag was always at my accommodation when I arrived and all I had to do was concentrate on walking, I was very happy with the whole experiencePosted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Communication with Packhorse through Hayley made this whole trip exceptional. It was an absolute delight to meet her in person. Nothing was too much trouble and everything went so smoothly. We cannot recommend them highly enough.Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. At 69 years of age, I had apprehensions about this adventure. But it all went well. It was a wonderful adventure all the way from St. Bees to Robin Hood’s Bay. We enjoyed every part of it, the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales, the Moors, all of it was fantastic. Our accommodations varied from very good to excellent. Packhorse is a great company! Hayley was always available to answer our questions and give us some advice.Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Walked the coast to coast trail individually in September 2025 and booked everything through this company. Everything with Packhorse went smoothly from beginning to end. All accommodations were up to speck, route descriptions were clear, including alternative options, and all luggage transfers went 100% fine. Not a single issue!Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. The team at Packhorse were excellent, especially when we experienced issues with our cycling route. The accommodation, meals and luggage handling was also excellent. They were very easy to deal with and and they replied to our enquires in a timely and comprehensive manner.Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. In August 2025 we did the C2C. Just wonderful: great walk, Packhorse/Hayley very professional, service minded and personal. All in all highly recommended! We thoroughly enjoyed this lifetime experience. Thanks Hayley, Packhorse team and all others involved.Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. C2C Packhorse delivered an excellent service from the first moment when I contacted them to ask about the trip, through the planning, booking and trip itself. Hayley was my point of contact and she was excellent in every way. I can highly recommend C2C Packhorse and from talking to other people doing the Coast to Coast walk C2C Packhorse seemed to offer the best service and at the best price.Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We had never done a hike/trip like this and we had a fantastic time. Coast to Coast Packhorse was really great - training advice beforehand, fascinating range of accommodations with good food and everyone friendly, advice on the trails, quick response to any emails, and when there was a fire on the moor near Robin Hood's Bay we were advised of an optional route. And: when we couldn't start our trip at St. Bees due to flight complications, they picked up some sea water and pebbles for us, and delivered them to Grasmere! They are much more that a bags delivery service. We highly recommend them.Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Hayley was unbelievably helpful and went out of her way to smooth any issues. We didn’t do enough research and found the cycle ride too challenging. So although the C2C wasn’t a success for us Hayley did everything she could to help us out.Verified by TrustindexTrustindex verified badge is the Universal Symbol of Trust. Only the greatest companies can get the verified badge who has a review score above 4.5, based on customer reviews over the past 12 months. Read more
Read the Explorers Blog
Read our Coast to Coast Explorers Blog. Here we share all of our company news and local information direct from our team on the route in Kirkby Stephen. We also share tonnes of useful guides to mountains around the UK and valuable ‘before you travel’ articles about Alfred Wainwright’s famous route.
