Cost Breakdown: Solo Hiking Hadrian’s Wall [2023]

Purchases made through some links on this page may provide The Detour Effect with commissions (at no extra cost to you). Thank you!

When I solo hiked five long-distance trails back-to-back in Europe, including Hadrian’s Wall in England, Kerry Way in Ireland, West Highland Way in Scotland, Tour du Mont Blanc in France, Italy, and Switzerland, and the Alpe-Adria in Slovenia, I carried a heavy backpack and tried to camp in a tent as many nights as possible to keep costs down. The following is a day-by-day transportation, museum, and accommodation breakdown of what it cost me to hike Hadrian’s Wall path 84 miles (135km) from Bowness-on-Solway to Newcastle in England.

Note that you are not allowed to wildcamp along Hadrian’s Wall path.

Regrettably I wasn’t tracking what I spent on food during these hikes, so this is simply the “base cost” prior to the variables that would differ wildly from person to person. Even my inclusion of the museum costs is pushing it, because this is unlikely to match your plans. There are so many English Heritage sites along Hadrian’s Wall and I didn’t manage to visit them all. When planning your trip you can choose which ones to prioritize. Note that if you purchase entrance tickets online in advance, they will be discounted. I failed to do this; I wasn’t sure which ones would pan out timing-wise with my hiking pace.

International travelers: if you plan on visiting 4+ paid museums or forts, the Overseas Visitors Pass may save you money on entrance fees (do not include Vindolanda in this – it’s run by an independent charitable trust and not part of the pass). Locals could save money by registering to become an English Heritage member.

I hiked Hadrian’s Wall in September 2019 just after finishing the West Highland Way in Scotland. I have made an effort to update this post to note 2023 prices for hotels, campsites, and museums, but I will not bother with updating train prices because they vary drastically depending on time of day, day of the week, season, and train company. There could be a £10-20 difference from hour to hour.

Day 0: Travel Day

Transportation

Accommodation

Wallsend Campsite: £10 per person per night
*Nov 2023 update: £15 per person per night
Shower and toilets?: Yes to both
TripAdvisor

This campsite is located in the backyard of a local Bed and Breakfast. It’s very private and cozy, and there is a little shed building specifically for campers where you can go inside to charge a phone. If you let them know in advance, you can opt into a homemade or continental breakfast even if you’re only camping and not staying in the guest house. There was only one other camper besides me, who I never actually saw as he arrived late and left early.

Wallsend Campsite is walking distance from the Kings Arms pub, where it’s obligatory for Hadrian’s Wall walkers to toast to the beginning or end of their journey.

Day 0: Rest Day

Accommodation

Wallsend Campsite: £10 per person per night (same as previous night)
*Nov 2023 update: £15 per person per night

Hadrian’s Wall Day 1: Bowness-on-Solway to Carlisle

Museum

Accommodation

Carlisle City Hostel: $26.33 per bed
Shower and toilets?: Yes to both
*Nov 2023 update: This hostel appears to have closed. Here is a list of recommended alternatives; search under “Section 7: Newtown, Crosby-on-Eden And Carlisle.” Abberley House, Ashleigh House, Carlisle Station Hotel, Cornerways Guest House, Howard Lodge, and the Langleigh are £35-65 per night for single rooms and are pretty close to the old hostel.

I met other women at Carlisle City Hostel who were hiking the route in the opposite direction. It was fun to chat with them about what to expect, and one of them shared stories with me about her time studying in Morocco. If you’re hoping to meet interesting people during your trek, this will be a promising place to fulfill that.

Carlisle is a quaint, walkable city with a ton of history and a gorgeous cathedral. I’m glad I stayed in town instead of trying to pitch a tent somewhere. I got the chance to explore the famous Carlisle Castle, which is a must. The entire city smells like cookies because there is a local McVitie’s factory; the scent wafts through the air. I literally tried to follow it like a siren’s song.

Hadrian’s Wall Day 2: Carlisle to Banks

Accommodation

Quarryside Campsite: £5 per person per night
*Nov 2023 update: Still £5 per person per night
Shower and toilets?: Compost toilets yes, shower no
TripAdvisor

This was a small, cute, hidden stretch of green across the street from Newgate House, which is tucked away in a neighborhood. The day I hiked from Carlisle to Banks, it rained heavily for the last few hours. I was soaked through, and so was the ground at the campsite. I struggled to get my tent set up with rain actively pummeling me at the same time, but of course this is no fault of the accommodation! I was the only camper.

Two women who were staying in the guest house planned to head into town for dinner and invited me along. It was not walking distance so the guest house kindly arranged a ride to and from. I was so grateful to spend a few hours drying out before sadly plodding back to my wet tent at the end of the night.

Hadrian’s Wall Day 3: Banks to Once Brewed

Museum

Accommodation

Winshields Campsite: £10 per peron
*Nov 2023 update: £12 per person
Shower and toilets?: Yes to both, showers included in price, plus comped tea/coffee
TripAdvisor

Winshields is a large lawn in front of a stately looking manor. Out of everywhere I camped, this spot seemed the most “official” and popular. There were a lot of other campers, and at one point some guys came over to check out my Nemo tent since they’d never seen the foreign brand before. Malcolm, who runs the place, was extremely kind. He greeted me with tea and cookies (biscuits) as I crawled into the campsite after a grueling blister-filled day. He offered to stuff my hiking boots with newspapers and set them on the heater so they could dry out by morning.

A short walk away is the Twice Brewed Inn, which serves fantastic evening meals and drinks. I sat next to two men from the Pacific Northwest during my dinner and it was fun to swap adventure stories with brethren from home. I also ran into a couple I had met at breakfast back at Wallsend, and they insisted on paying for my dinner. They said I needed the calories since I was carrying so much in my pack. In return I slyly bought some chocolate for them and asked reception to deliver it to their room at the inn later.

Hadrian’s Wall Day 4: Once Brewed to Chollerford

*2023 Update: I’ve just heard the horrible news about a teenager cutting down the 300 year old iconic Robin Hood tree at Sycamore Gap in an act of vandalism.

Museum

Transportation

£2 AD122 bus from Housesteads to Chollerford. I explained why I skipped this section here.

Get 10% off admission to Vindolanda, Housesteads, Birdoswald, and Chesters by showing your bus ticket! If you think you’ll be using the Hadrian’s Wall Country bus often, you could buy a multi-day ticket.

Accommodation

Riverside Campsite: £5
Shower and toilets?: Yes to both
*Nov 2023 update: this campsite has permanently closed. Greencarts Campsite and Bunkhouse (£10 per night), Hadrian’s Wall Yurt (glamping), and Fallowfield Dene Caravan & Camping (£30) are camping alternatives. They are slightly off the trail.

This campsite is confusing because there is nobody there to take your money. I figured out that you’re supposed to leave payment in an envelope which can be found in the shower building, and then put the envelope through the letterbox in the home onsite. I was the only camper this night.

There is a cafe immediately next to the campsite. The nearby George Hotel and the Crown Inn have restaurants and pubs; the George is closer but I walked all the way to the Crown for dinner instead, for some reason I can’t remember. Maybe it was their opening hours or maybe it was this review from another hiker: “I wouldn’t bother with the George across the road as it’s a bit stuck up but the Crown is only 5 mins walk away where you can drink and share tips with other walkers.” It’s really more like a 15 minute walk.

Hadrian’s Wall Day 5: Chollerford to Heddon-on-the-Wall

Accommodation

High Hermitage Campsite: $12.50
*Nov 2023 update: £30 per site which can fit up to 8 people
Shower and toilets?: Yes to both
TripAdvisor

Getting to High Hermitage Campsite involved hiking off the main route quite a ways, but I remember the walk being lovely. There were a lot of other campers and RVers already pitched/parked when I arrived; this is clearly a popular vacation spot for local people and not just Hadrian’s Wall hikers.

The only place within walking distance to find sustenance was the White Swan pub, but I arrived too late for the kitchen’s opening hours and made due with beer and chips (crisps).

Hadrian’s Wall Day 6: Heddon-on-the-Wall to Newcastle

Accommodation

Albatross Hostel: £16.50 per bed
*Nov 2023 update: £17 per bed on Sun-Thur or £30 on Fri-Sat
Shower and toilets?: Yes to both
TripAdvisor

This hostel was massive and much more commercial than the one in Carlisle. I was grateful that they had laundry facilities, the holy grail! I couldn’t have needed anything more after (mostly) tent camping Hadrian’s Wall and hiking for six days. Albatross Hostel has a fun design; my core memory is a wall stencil of the love of my life Amy Winehouse.

While it’s possible to tent camp along the Hadrian’s Wall path, in my opinion there’s not a lot of point to it outside of affordability. On some hiking trails, the allure of toughing out a large backpack and setting up a tent every night is that the campsites are located in more dramatic scenery than the hotel-goers will get to experience. The vistas make you feel that you’re really being rewarded for your hard work and your willingness to rough it. On Hadrian’s Wall, some of the campsites were kind of cool (I especially liked Winshields), but most of them were not particularly memorable. 

The Hadrian’s Wall path is not a wilderness trail. I never felt far from civilization whatsoever. I passed a tea room every single day where I could stop and eat cake. If you’re someone who likes to challenge themselves when it comes to trekking and you are debating whether or not to tent camp throughout your Hadrian’s Wall walk, don’t feel guilty or like some kind of wuss if you decide not to camp. You’re not missing out on much, and in fact, on this particular trail part of the charm might be the Bed and Breakfast experiences you could have instead.

Of course, for a lot of people it’s not about “allure”, it’s about price. I can’t imagine any of the Bed and Breakfasts along Hadrian’s Wall can beat the prices I’ve listed above! Did you know it’s possible to embark on a trekking adventure so affordably?

🏨 Need a night away from the tent? Find budget hostels along Hadrian’s Wall.
🥾 Prefer to join a guided group tour instead of going it alone? Check out Intrepid’s Hadrian’s Wall walk.
✈️ Coming to England from abroad? Use an Airalo eSIM for affordable international cell data and don’t forget to protect your investment with travel insurance.

Related:

Pin It: