Festival of Walking

Not even one penny! YHA’s Festival of Walking is absolutely free to take part in so grab your boots and head over to a walking hostel to meet like minded people looking to explore the best of England and Wales. 

A celebration of walking from hostels, the Festival of Walking is designed for everyone. So it makes no difference whether you really don’t consider yourself a walker or you run Striding Edge each morning before breakfast: everyone is welcome.

Want to head out on a hike, but not sure where to start? Come and join us! 

Our social walks are led by a variety of knowledgeable experts, including volunteers with the British Mountaineering Council. As the representative body for hill walkers and climbers, they have some handy tips on how to stay safe when you’re out on the trail or in the hills.

Depending on the grade of walk you’re about to do, you might be fine with a pair of comfy trainers. Or you might need to bring boots with better support for your ankles.  

Walkers often choose to bring a small rucksack to carry a bottle of water, a hat for the sun and a raincoat for our British weather! If you have them, walking poles are great for stability.  

Check out our handy walking skills to brush up on your walking knowledge.   

YHA’s Festival of Walking offers walks for everyone. So there are short walks for beginners as well as longer walks of 10 miles and above which should provide a decent challenge for the most experienced hiker.

You can choose the terrain according to your ability. We firmly believe that everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy walking, which is why we offer accessible walks for people with limited mobility and those taking the first step to better health and wellbeing.  

Absolutely! YHA’s Festival of Walking is open to all, so you will find walks which are suitable for anyone using a wheelchair or a mobility scooter.  

We have walks scheduled across both England and Wales during the Festival of Walking – check out our participating hostels to find out what each hostel is offering during the festival. You can also sign up to our mailing list find the latest news about our walking activities including special offers and mapped routes.

We have social walks taking place across England and Wales. Find a social walk in your region on our social walks page. You can also sign up to our mailing list to get notified of the latest social walk news. New social walks will be added right up to the start of the festival! 

Well behaved dogs are absolutely welcome as long as they are kept on a short lead. Please remember to pick up after them and dispose of all waste. Unfortunately, a few walks are not suitable for our four-legged friends, so please check the walk information before you book. 

Joining one of our social walks gives you the opportunity to meet like-minded people and explore the outdoors together. You’ll chat with people from all walks of life and for many of our ramblers, they’ve reported that the highlight of the day is meeting people they wouldn’t otherwise come across.  

We're running a selection of walks for women. Hosted by fantastic groups such as Outdoor Adventure Girls, these walks are aimed at creating a supportive community whilst exploring beautiful landscapes.

If a social walk as part of the Festival of Walking is just not your thing or you want to walk outside of the festival dates, you are more than welcome to take yourself off on one of YHA’s self guided walks.  

From here you can download a free map with walks starting right from the front door of your hostel. Set your own pace and opt for challenging hikes or gentle rambles. We grade our walks as Easy, Moderate or Challenging. The choice is yours! 

Our Festival of Walking social walks aren't just countryside and coastal based - we have several walks organised in city locations too! 

For example, YHA Manchester and YHA Liverpool Albert Dock are two city hostels included in hosting social walks. Led by Canal & River Trust , you can enjoy 2 hour routes through these iconic cities whilst learning about the historic waterways. 

What’s a walk without a refreshment break, complete with cuppa and a tasty piece of cake? And how much nicer would it be if it was completely free? Join one of YHA’s social walks as part of the Festival of Walking and that cuppa and cake is on us.  

Yes! In fact we’d love it if you would like to combine joining one of our social walks with a stay at a YHA hostel. With over 60 hostels taking part in the festival, there’s something for everyone.

To take part in one of our social walks you will need to book ahead. Each social walk will have booking instructions - follow the booking instructions and we’ll send you confirmation of your booking and more detailed instructions nearer the time of the walk. We look forward to welcoming you at one of our hostels in the near future.