Description
The Norfolk Coast Path
Grade 
Explore a magical land of history, heathland, sand dunes, salt marshes and nature reserves with beautiful seaside towns and villages and tidal marshes teeming with wildlife.
Price: £1145
– Single supplement £250
Duration:
7 nights
Next departure:
– June 12th 2027
On this holiday we walk the best of the Norfolk Coast Path from Old Hunstanton to Cromer and discover the many different landscapes of this area, from Victorian resorts to striped cliffs descending into the sea which peter out into wild, and wildlife rich, salt marshes and sparkling wide sandy beaches, all the time with rare birds swooping overhead. Regularly the scenery gives way to delightful flint-built villages, medieval ports and farmland dotted with de-sailed windmills. The diversity of the scenery on this coastline is truly remarkable. This, coupled with two lovely hotels in very different centres, Old Hunstanton and Cromer, along with the rich maritime history of the area for this is Nelson country makes for a fine and satisfying holiday.
Holiday highlights
- Feel the satisfaction of walking a complete section of the Norfolk Coast Path from Hunstanton to Cromer.
- Spot flora and fauna in the many sand dunes, salt marshes and nature reserves that we pass through on our journey.
- Explore the flint built pretty coastal towns of the north Norfolk coast and soak up stunning panoramas out over the North Sea.
- Stay in stylish rooms in the Lodge Hotel, Old Hunstanton and the Cliftonville in Cromer with sea views.
Accommodation
We use two centres for this holiday along the route of the Norfolk Coast Path to reduce travel times to the start and finish of our walks. We spend the first 4 nights in The Lodge Hotel in the quiet and lovely village of Old Hunstanton, just 3 minutes from the beach and a mile from Hunstanton itself. We spend the second half of the week in the beautiful Cliftonville Hotel in Cromer with its atmospheric stain-glassed windows, original features and a sea view from every room!
The Lodge Hotel, Old Hunstanton
Situated in the quiet village of Old Hunstanton, The Lodge Hotel is just a 3-minute walk from the beach. Rooms are en-suite, stylish, comfortable and have tea and coffee making facilities.
Breakfast and evening meals are taken in the hotel’s stylish restaurant with its emphasis on locally sourced food and fresh fish dishes.
Upgrades to feature rooms (with a free-standing copper bath) and suites are available. Please enquire about price and availability.
The Cliftonville Hotel, Cromer
With its beautiful stained-glass windows and original features, the Cliftonville feels welcoming from the moment you walk through its doors and offers a spot of luxury on the north Norfolk coast. Perched on the top of Cromer’s spectacular coastline each of its en-suite, beautiful rooms offers a sea view out over the north Norfolk coast.
Breakfast is taken in the hotel’s dining room and, whilst dinner is not included, I will book a table either in the hotel or a local restaurant for us to eat together each evening. Obviously joining is optional.
Upgrades to a larger room or suite are available. Please enquire about price and availability.
Sole ocupancy of a double room
Single occupancy supplement: £250
Included
- Half board ensuite accommodation.
- Guided walking on 5 days, with a further day free for you to explore the local area and transfer between hotels.
- All transport to and from walks.
- Baggage transport between centres.
- 4 evening meals taken in The Lodge Hotel. Evening meals at the Cliftonville are not included. However, I will book a table each night either in the hotel or in a local restaurant for us to eat together.
Not included
- Lunches
- 3 evening meals.
- Incidental expenses such as bar bill etc.
- Transfer between the two centres -though I am happy to give a lift to anyone who needs one.
Day-to-Day Itinerary
The following is the proposed itinerary. Please bear in mind that in the event of local conditions changing, for example due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances, it may be necessary to change the itinerary.
Day 1: Arrive in Old Hunstanton
Day 1: Arrive in Old HunstantonArrive at Old Hall Hotel and check into your room. Meet at 7pm in the lounge for a short briefing about the week ahead before our three-course dinner is served in the hotel’s restaurant.
Meal included: dinner
Day 2: Hunstanton to Brancaster
Day 2: Hunstanton to BrancasterWe start our walk in bustling Hunstanton, but quickly leave it behind to walk below the famous striped cliffs and the pretty beach houses of Old Hunstanton. This scenery gives way to the expansive sand dunes and silt banks of the Dunes Nature Reserve. This is where the Wash meets the North Sea and is an area renowned for rare birds and dune flowers. At Thornham we head inland for a short stretch before heading north and rejoining the coast at Brancaster, a popular sailing centre and home to the remains of an old Roman Fort. We finish the day here with time to explore the town before catching the bus back to our hotel in Old Hunstanton.
16 km, (10 miles) negligible ascent and descent
Meals included: breakfast and dinner
Day 3: Brancaster to Holkham Gap
Returning to Brancaster, our route once again regains the coast and leads us through the pretty villages of Brancaster Staithe and Burnham Deepdale. We are now in Nelson territory. He was born slightly inland at Burnham Thorpe, and the area oozes this maritime theme with pub names such as the Nelson, the Victory and the Trafalgar. At Burnham Deepdale we take in views across Scolt Head, Gun Hill and then the salt marsh, sand dunes and woodland of Holkham Bay, the largest nature reserve in England and Wales. At Holkham Gap, we drop down to the village of Holkham and catch the bus back to The Lodge in Old Hunstanton.
16 km, (10 miles) negligible ascent and descent
Meals included: breakfast and dinner
Day 4: Holkham Gap to Blakeney
A day of exploring some of the loveliest villages on this coastline. Regaining the trail at Holcombe Gap, we walk the short distance to Wells-Next-The-Sea where we will pause for elevenses and a chance to look around this attractive coastal town. Our route continues to cling the coast as we pass the delightful villages of Stiffkey and Morston to arrive at the cobbled cottages of Blakeney, another of the charming coastal villages characteristic of this area. After exploring, we take the bus back to Old Hunstanton.
16 km, (10 miles) negligible ascent and descent
Meals included: breakfast and dinner
Day 5: Free day
Today is free for you to explore the local area, however, it is also the day we move from Old Hunstanton to Cromer to make the eastern end of the trail more accessible.
So, the choice is yours, you could spend the morning exploring the area around Hunstanton before driving to Cromer to settle into your new hotel.
The following attractions are local to Hunstanton:
- Wells-Next-The -Sea, Blakeney, or any of the other villages we have walked through
- Kings Lynn.
- Holkham Hall
- Sandringham House.
- Houghton Hall, built for Sir Robert Walpole
The alternative is transferring early to Cromer and exploring from there.
The following attractions are closer to Cromer:
- Fellbrigg Hall
- Blickling Estate
- The Poppy line steam train to Sheringham
- Take the train to Norwich for the day
For those travelling to the holiday by public transport, the solution is simple. I will transport your luggage (and you if you want an earlyish transfer) and you are free to explore the area and take the bus to Cromer in the afternoon, or go straight to Cromer and explore from there.
Meal included: breakfast
Day 6: Blakeney to Weybourne
Returning to Blakeney, this time of course from Cromer, we follow our route around Blakeney Eye, the sea bank that juts out into the North Sea from Blakeney, giving a sense of enormous solitude. The pretty village of Clay-Next-The-Sea with its distinctive windmill, and once a busy and important wool port is our next stop. Continuing, we walk through Clay Marches Nature Reserve where it may be possible to spot sea holly and yellow poppies before a section of shingle walking brings us to the old world flinted houses of Waybourne.
14.5 km, (9 miles) negligible ascent and descent
Meals included: breakfast
Day 7: Weybourne to Cromer
Today we actually have a hill to climb! Returning to Weybourne, we slowly climb Skelding Hill, the site of an old coastguard lookout. After pausing to take in the views, we descend to Sheringham, another of Norfolk’s lovely coastal towns where we stop for elevenses. From Sheringham another climb! This time up Beeston Bump which may only be 63m above sea level, but in a county as low lying as Norfolk, this is enough to give breathtaking views along the coast -we should even be able to spot Cromer Pier, our destination for today and the week. From here we descend through East and West Runton before ending our walk on Cromer Pier with a chance to look back from our sea-vantage point at our day’s walk.
14.5 km, 9 miles 210m ascent/descent
Meal included: breakfast
Day 8
The holiday finishes after breakfast. It’s goodbye -until next time!
Meals included: breakfast
Kit list
For walking each day:
- Good walking boots or shoes
- Waterproof jacket and trousers
- Lightweight, quick drying trousers
- Base layer
- Mid-layer such as a fleece jacket and an additional ‘spare’ layer depending on the forecast
- Walking socks
- Warm hat and gloves -just in case the weather turns
- Sun hat, sunglasses, lip salve and high SPF sun block
- Day sack (25 litre capacity is a good size) to comfortably carry your kit, lunch and water
- Dry bag or rucksack cover to keep the contents of your daypack dry
- Water bottle
- Basic first aid kit (plasters, blister treatment, antiseptic etc)
- Some snacks to keep you going
- Walking/trekking poles (if you use them)
Maps
OS Explorer map OL250 Norfolk Coast East, OL251 Norfolk Coast Central, and OL252 Norfolk Coast West or Harvey map Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path.
Group size
This guided holiday will have a maximum group size of 14.
