7 Day South West Coast Path Walk England
7-Day South West Coast Path Walk, England – A Pack Free Guided Adventure
Embark on a captivating 7-day guided walking tour along the South West Coast Path, where the dramatic landscapes of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, and the iconic Jurassic Coast await. This journey takes you along the most breathtaking sections of Britain’s longest national trail, offering an unforgettable experience of rugged cliffs, charming villages, and the rich tapestry of English and Celtic history.
While the entire South West Coast Path stretches 630 miles (1,013 km) from Minehead in Somerset to Poole Harbour in Dorset, our carefully crafted 7-day Pack Free walking holiday highlights the most stunning segments, ensuring you see the best the trail has to offer. Experience sweeping coastal views, traverse ancient footpaths, and uncover stories of smugglers, fishermen, and long-forgotten kingdoms, all while taking in the area’s unique natural beauty.
The tour balances adventure with comfort, featuring handpicked accommodations in remarkable locations that provide a perfect blend of luxury and local character. Stay in upmarket lodgings with spectacular views, where you can unwind each evening and enjoy fine dining that showcases regional ingredients and exceptional wines. Each day’s walk is pack free, with daily luggage transfers so you can walk unburdened and focus on the experience.
Along the way, you’ll explore the renowned Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its fossil-studded cliffs and millions of years of geological history. Take in the iconic landmarks such as Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove, and soak up the scenery of Cornwall’s dramatic coastline, where steep cliffs meet golden beaches. Discover quaint fishing villages with their whitewashed cottages and enjoy a taste of the region’s famous cream teas, pasties, and local seafood.
This 7-day South West Coast Path walk is more than just a hiking holiday—it’s a journey through time, nature, and culture, providing a truly immersive experience. Perfect for those seeking to tick off a bucket-list adventure in comfort and style, it promises a rewarding blend of natural beauty and historical intrigue.
A Pack Free Walk
Carry as little as your water, camera and lunch
One of the biggest drawcards of this walk is that our guests won’t be asked to carry their clothes or overnight bags for the entire walk. This is a big advantage in you’ll avoid carrying an additional 8kg or more on your back every day. With Life’s An Adventure, carry as little as your water, camera and lunch.
Bishops Cottage, Lulworth Cove
1 night stay
The end of our first day sees us walking into pretty Lulworth Cove. Our accommodation Bishops Cottage is a 4 star B&B dating back to the 1650s on the edge of the cove. After you refresh in your room, stroll around the small village shops, swim in the accommodation’s pool or in the sparkling waters of the cove or simply relax in these stylish surrounds. Our guests will enjoy stylish bedrooms with ensuites, each room with their own character and decor. Evening meals are enjoyed at a local restaurant, offering local produce sourced from the Dorset region and seafood from the local fisherman.
Mills End Hotel, Dartmoor National Park
1 night stay
Enroute from Dorset to Cornwall we stay at the charming Mill End Hotel in Devon. Set on the banks of the River Teign, this charming country house is situated in tranquil Dartmoor National Park.
Originally a 15th century flour mill this recently restored accommodation features cosy lounge areas with fireplaces with an old world elegance. Our guests will enjoy well-appointed King Rooms with ensuites.
In the evening we dine in their award-winning restaurant featuring creative modern cuisine and superb wines.
The Schoolhouse, Port Isaac
1 night stay
With a magnificent clifftop location in the village of Port Isaac lies our superb accommodation at The Old School Hotel. Offering stunning views over the Port and a cosy restaurant and bar your stay here will be truly memorable. Guests will stay in King size rooms with ensuite each named after the school room it once housed such as the Latin Room, the Mathematics Rooms, the Biology Room. Enjoy the quirky decor and charm of this little gem of a hotel. This village has been used in a number of tv shows and movies including Doc Martin. In the evening we enjoy dinner down near the waterfront at a local restaurant run by reknown chef Chef Nathan Law. Dinner includes superb wines.
Headland Hotel, Newquay
1 night stay
Perched atop an iconic clifftop overlooking Fistral Beach, the Headland Hotel & Spa is a unique and stylish five-star luxury hotel in Newquay, Cornwall. It’s ideally located just a 10-minute stroll from Newquay’s center. Offering the perfect blend of discreet English ambience and decadent hospitality, the hotel takes pride in its individually designed luxury hotel rooms and suites, each offering a cosy seating area, a work desk and a modern bathroom. This hotel also features an Aqua Club, complete with six pools, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant, and a sun terrace overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
St Ives Harbour & Spa
2 night stay
Guests will stay in either St Ives Harbour & Spa hotel where you will enjoy this special area of the seaside village of St Ives.
Flexible and Personalised Tours
We have designed our walks to be flexible as we understand each person is different. Guests have the choice of longer or shorter walking days and also the freedom to opt-out of any day’s walking and enjoy free time to explore the towns we visit en-route. All tours are small and intimate with a maximum group size of 12 people. However, if you have a bigger group please contact us for details.
Superb Guides
Guides are essential in delivering the ultimate walking experience. Our tours are accompanied by two guides. You’ll be accompanied by a local guide who has a passion and enthusiasm for the area and a second host guide who will meet you in London and accompany you for the entire trip delivering a world-class walk.
Fabulous meals featuring local produce
Our walks feature fabulous meals each evening accompanied with sensational wines. During our stay in Port Issac enjoy dinner at the waterfront at the well-renowned Outlaw’s Kitchen with a menu featuring the finest sustainable seafood caught off the Cornish coast by small boats.
To find out more click on any of the below links:
Why Choose Us
Tour Itinerary
When you walk with Life’s An Adventure you can be sure that our aim is to deliver a tour beyond your expectations. When comparing other tours in this region be sure you check that you don’t you have to carry your own gear, you don’t have to camp and that your accommodation is not a long distance from where you are walking. We believe our tours deliver exceptional value for money, with all the creature comforts you are after.
Your 7 day walking holiday includes:
- Pack Free fully supported walk with no heavy packs to carry
- 1 night accommodation at stunning Bishops Cottage, Lulworth Cove
- 1 night accommodation at Mills End Hotel, Dartmoor National Park
- 1 night accommodation at The Schoolhouse, Port Isaac
- 1 night accommodation at Headland Hotel, Newquay (note some departures spend 2 nights at Port Isaac)
- 2 nights accommodation at St Ives Harbour Hotel & Spa
- 7 delicious lunches (including one lunch at a traditional English Pub)
- Kynance Cove afternoon tea
- Restaurant dinners every evening featuring local produce
- Complimentary wines with evening meals
- 6 x Hot and cold breakfasts
- Professional and passionate guides
- Celebratory Lunch at the Tinners Arms on the last day
- Transfers from London to start your walk
Guests will be required to fly into London the day prior to the tour.
Meet your guides in the foyer of the Petersham Hotel, this hotel is ideally located in the vibrant suburban town of Richmond in South-West London, 14kms from London’s CBD. This town has great restaurants and cafes, a magnificent park and a short train ride away to central London.
This morning we drive to the Dorset region of South West England, approximately 2.5 hours drive. We start our walk at quaint Osmington Mills and follow a quiet rural path leading to high undulating cliffs. From here we explore the Jurassic Coast, England’s first natural World Heritage Site, putting it on a par with the Great Barrier Reef and the Grand Canyon. This striking shoreline encompassing 185 million years of the Earth’s history. It means you can walk, in just a few hours, many millions of years in geological time. En route, we take in spectacular views of the spectacular limestone arch of Durdle Door, surrounded by striking azure seas, reminiscent of the Mediterranean. Take in magnificent views of the high cliffs of White Nothe, Weymouth Bay and Portland beyond. We walk into our accommodation perfectly located overlooking pretty Lulworth Cove. Bishops Cottage is a 4 star boutique B&B featuring comfortable rooms, a swimming pool, and views of the sea. Enjoy time to wander the quaint shops of the Cove, take a swim in the pool or cove before joining the group for dinner at a local restaurant featuring a seasonal menu of locally sourced dishes served with wine.
Walk Terrain notes: Walk begins through a rural area with undulating hills. Walking becomes progressively harder as we move along the impressive cliffs of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. There are some particularly steep ascents and descents on the way to Lulworth Cove, but our efforts are certainly rewarded. Easier option available: 7.9km to Durdle Door
After breakfast, we drive to Fleet to walk the next section of the South West Coast Path to Abbotsbury. This section of the Jurassic Coast is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the views of Chesil Beach and the Fleet are truly unique. Stories of a past of smuggling and wrecking add another level to the rich history of the area. We make our way to the historic village of Abbotsbury with its thatched-roof stone houses. After our walk, we transfer to Dartmoor National Park to our accommodation (1.5 hours drive). This hotel is ideally located allowing us a shorter transfer time tomorrow as we make our way to the Cornish coast. Our accommodation tonight is at the charming Mill End Hotel, a country house on the River Teign in Dartmoor National Park, Devon. Tonight dine in the restaurant encompassing a classic English menu with quality local produce from Devon and Cornwall.
Enjoy a hearty breakfast, before transferring to the Cornish Coast (60 min drive). Today’s walk along the South Coast Path takes us from Boscastle to Tintagel which has links to the legend of King Arthur and on to the fishing village of charming Port Isaac of TV series ‘Doc Martin’ fame.
Today we will discover extraordinary rock formations, as we climb through valleys and across spectacular cliffs with the Atlantic below. This section of Coast Path is very rewarding if you enjoy bird watching and you may also spot the herds of goats whose grazing helps to encourage the growth of spectacular wildflowers. There has reputedly been more imported post Roman pottery excavated from the headland of Tintagel than in the rest of Britain put together and this fact, along with the heroic and mysterious literary legends of King Arthur which surround the area, should highlight how historically significant this stretch of Cornish coastland really is.
Afterwards we transfer to the charming seaside village of Port Isaac is a real reward at the end of this strenuous walk, with its beautiful alleyways, many listed buildings and harbourside cafes and pubs. You may well recognise Port Isaac from the TV series Doc Martin, as it is the village he lives in (renamed as Portwenn in the series). Tonight we stay in The Old School Hotel. Located on the dramatic edge of the cliff, this charming renovated hotel has stunning views over Port Isaac. Tonight we dinner completed with fine wines. (note some departures spend 2 nights at Port Issac)
After breakfast, we transfer to the start of our walk at Porthcothan (40 mins). This stretch of coast, with its vicious rocks and wild seas, was once particularly hazardous for ships and responsible for many wrecks before the lighthouse was built at Trevose Head. We follow the coastal path in and out of little coves and headlands. Some of this stretch is quite populated, especially as we approach the busy holiday resort of Newquay, however, you can also feel a sense of escape when looking out to sea from one of the many headlands, such as the windswept Park Head which also offers fantastic views of the famous Bedruthan Steps. Local legend, fed to the Victorian tourists who loved this area, told of the Cornish giant Bedruthan who used the stacks as stepping-stones to cross the bay. If you feel like a picnic break and the tide is out, you may be tempted to take the long flight of steps down to explore the stacks as well as the many pools and caves on the beach.
In the afternoon we walk directly into our accommodation in Newquay at The Watergate Hotel. Tonight enjoy a delicious dinner served with wine.
Walk Terrain: The Coast Path leads you in and out of little coves and headlands with generally fairly easy walking, with some steep steps to climb in places.
Enjoy breakfast before we transfer from Newquay to Cadgwith ( 1 hr). Today’s walk takes us from the seaside village of Cadgwith to spectacular Kynance Cove. The fishing village of Cadgwith dates back to medieval times and is a small village set on the side on a hill with cute thatched roof houses and colourful fishing boats. From here we follow the coastal trail on a walk through an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, as we set off towards the most southerly point of Great Britain, Lizard Point. Here we stop for lunch at the Lizard Point Café. We will see some extraordinary geology along this stretch as the Path crosses serpentine, granite and schist. Serpentine is a dark green rock veined with red and white which is easily carved and can be polished to a really beautiful sheen. It was very popular in the 19th century when it was used for shop fronts and fireplaces. It is no surprise that the white sand and turquoise sea of Kynance Cove has been recognised as being part of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and the seas are particularly dramatic at high tide. Here we relax for an afternoon Cornish Cream tea overlooking the cove. Afterwards, we head to our hotel in St Ives. Along the way we stop and see fantastic views of St. Michael’s Mount where the remains of a Benedictine Priory sits on a tiny island just offshore. From here we head to Tregenna Castle or St Ives Harbour Hotel & Spa. Tonight enjoy a delicious dinner with wine.
Walk Terrain notes: There are some strenuous climbs as we leave Cadgwith and later a few relatively short steep ascents and descents as we reach Lizard Point.
This morning after a delightful breakfast overlooking the bay we transfer to the start of our walk to Sennen (1 hr). Today our walk takes us on the South Coast Path towards the remote, gleaming lighthouse at Pendeen Watch along the rugged paths of the Granite Coast from the beautiful sweep of golden sand at Sennen Cove. Taking in part of Cornwall’s oldest mining district (featured in the TV series Poldark) and leading around Cape Cornwall where the Atlantic currents split, the path is a mixture of easy-open walking along the high cliff tops and short, rough ascents and descents. You may spot seals, as well as a variety of seabirds, as you walk beside the banks of seasonal pink thrift and carpets of purple heather and look out to the Atlantic crashing on the rocks below. We return to Tregenna Castle or St Ives Harbour Hotel & Spa for dinner.
Walk Terrain: Moderate, apart from a short section near Aire Point where you have to clamber over a rock outcrop.
After breakfast at the hotel we head out for our last walk on the South Coast Path. We enjoy the views as our walk journeys out of St Ives to Clodgy Point. From here the path plunges down towering cliffs into beautiful coves and back up again. There is a real feeling of remoteness here, unlike any other part of the Coast Path. The landscape is beautifully wild and rugged and the area around the parish of Zennor is designated both an Environmentally Sensitive Area and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Today we will have our final celebratory lunch at the fabulous Tinner Arms at Zennor, a typical English pub. From here we transfer to the city of Newquay where our tour concludes. Flights can be booked from here to London or Manchester or to Spain or Portugal to join our Camino walks.
Walk Terrain: Gentle walk out of St Ives to Clodgy Point. Followed by a strenuous journey of roller coaster climbs as the Coast Path plunges down towering cliffs into beautiful coves. This is one of the toughest sections of the entire Path, due to the rocky and sometimes boggy ground, and so progress is slower than other sections – but the views make up for it!
For those wanting an easier option walk from Carbis Bay to St Ives, with free time for shopping or a visit to the spectacular regional Tate Gallery, before joining the rest of the group for lunch at the Tinner’s Arm.
Tour Availability
PRIVATE GROUP TOUR ONLY:
This tour is only available for private groups only of 6 or more.
Contact us for a price based on your group number. Subject to availability.
Please contact us for more details on (02) 9975 4553 or email: walks@lifesanadventure.com.au
INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS
Please note your tour price does not include flights to / from the countries visited. We are offering our clients a service to book their international flights and any other travel plans during their holiday. If you would like our Flights Specialist to organise these requirements please email us at flights@lifesanadventure.com.au with your requirements.
PRIVATE GROUPS:
Departure date of your choice is subjective to availability. A minimum group size of 8 required. Prices are equal to Past Travellers’ discounted rates. Based on twin share – see details about Single Supplement and upgrade extras.
Please contact us for more details on (02) 9975 4553 or email: walks@lifesanadventure.com.au
________________________________________
SOLO TRAVELLERS & EXTRAS:
The following extras can be purchased with your tour:</strong>
If you are a solo traveller willing to share a room, we will attempt to match you with another solo traveller of the same gender. If we can’t find you a match of the same gender by around 12 weeks prior to the tour, you will be charged the single supplement cost.
For those wanting to guarantee their own room, a single supplement cost will be charged at the time of booking.
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $2041
________________________________________
BOOKING TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Before you book please read our Booking Terms and Conditions. Click here.
SALE TICKET CONDITIONS:
* Super Earlybird, Earlybird and Spot Special Sale Tickets: Must be paid in full at time of booking. Refunds or cancellations are not permitted for Sale Tickets however, transfers to another date are permitted 12 weeks or more prior to departure. We advise taking out travel insurance in case unexpected circumstances prior to the trip, prevent you from joining this tour. Early bird or Spot Special discounts cannot be used in conjunction with another offer. We have partnered with Cover-More to provide travel insurance to our guests. To get a quote or purchase travel insurance directly with them Click here. To receive these special discounts, full payment must be made at the time of initial booking. Flexiwalk Add-On option not available on these tickets.
* Those who have travelled with Life’s An Adventure previously, receive a past passenger discount of $100. This discount will automatically be deducted from future bookings when you book online using the same email address used for past bookings.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
* Prices are per person in Australian dollars and include GST.
* A deposit of $500 per person is required to secure your booking. (unless taking advantage of Earlybird or Spot Specials in which full payment is required at time of booking).
* Note: If you are booking within 120 days of your departure date – we will require full payment at the time of booking
* Prices are based on twin share of rooms. If you are travelling solo you may be required to share with someone of the same gender. If this is not suitable you can request to pay a single supplement, however, limited single rooms are available per trip so are on a request basis.
* Credit Card fees apply or contact us for bank transfer payment options. The following fees apply. Australian Credit Cards including Visa and Mastercard 1% +$0.20 per transaction, International Credit Cards including Visa and Mastercard 3.4% + $0.30 per transaction (payments in AUD).
* Payments must be made online via our NAB (National Australia Bank) secure payment page via credit card (Visa or Mastercard) or over the phone.
* We advise taking our Travel Insurance to cover items such as cancellation of tour due to minimum numbers not met, or adverse weather conditions, injury, evacuation, delayed flights, illness, etc. Click here
* Credit for cancelled activities. If a tour activity has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances a credit for this missed activity can be applied to any future bookings. Click here.
* FlexiWalk Option – Cancel for any Reason Click here for full conditions on our FlexiWalk Option.
