Dales High Way

The Dales High Way is a hillwalkers paradise. Stretching 94 miles from Saltaire in West Yorkshire to Appleby in Cumbria, the High Way, as the name suggests, follows the glorious high ground over the West Yorkshire Moors, the Dales limestone country, and the Howgill Fells.

The route begins in the village of Saltaire, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the mid-19th century, on the banks of the River Aire, textile manufacturer Sir Titus Salt built not only his woolen mill, but also a village; with houses for his workers, and bath houses, a hospital, an institute for recreation and education, a school for the workers children and even a concert hall. Saltaire is a fascinating place worthy of thorough exploration.

The High Way itself could be described as having three quite differing landscapes. The first of these being the peaty, heather-clad moors that continue pretty much to fringes of Malhamdale. Your introduction to these is Rombalds Moor, a collective name for a number of local moors named according to the nearest town, such as Burley, Bingley and most famous of them all, Ilkley Moor.

On reaching Malhamdale you enter classic Dales limestone country, where there is almost as much going on beneath the ground as there is above it. Few places demand an additional day as much as Malham does. A day exploring Janet’s Foss, Gordale Scar and Malham Tarn is a day well spent. The Dales also offers up some of the most challenging terrain on the High Way, including the crossing of the mighty Ingleborough and the temptation of climbing Yorkshire’s highest peak, Whernside.

The final phase of the walk involves a traverse of the entire Howgill range in a tremendous six mile ridge walk. The imposing Howgills are a series of steep sided, round topped, grassy hills that fold smoothly into one another. The reward for your efforts are far reaching views taking in the likes of the Mallerstang-Garsdale Fells, the Yorkshire Three Peaks, the Lakeland Fells and the North Pennines. Once off the tops all that remains is a celebratory walk through the beautiful Cumbrian countryside, and with the hard work behind you, a chance to reflect on all that you’ve achieved and enjoyed on the incredible Dales High Way.

Our Holidays

The official start of the Dales High Way is in the village of Saltaire, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Your first night accommodation will be in the adjoining town of Shipley and you’ll walk the short distance to the start of the trail.

We offer 3 holidays on the Dales High Way. Firstly we have the full route, a magnificent 94 mile journey across the West Yorkshire Moors, on through the Dales and over the Howgills in 6, 8 or 9 days. We also cover the route with 2 shorter holidays; a 38 mile Ilkley Moor and Malhamdale walk from Saltaire to Settle over 4 days, as well as a 56 mile Ingleborough and the Howgills walk from Settle to Appleby, over 4 slightly more challenging days.

Please bear in mind that the distances each day are trail distances only. They do not take into account walking to your accommodation. On some days the accommodation might be on or close to the trail but on other days you may need to walk one or two miles to get to your overnight stop.

Our colleague Shelley has walked the Dales High Way. Read Shelley’s blog The Dales High Way – An Absolute Corker!

Dales High Way

Saltaire to Appleby 94 miles/151 km

We offer 3 itineraries walking the whole of the Dales High Way. Our 6 day walk starts with 2 really quite challenging 19 mile days, much of it over moorland, before things begin to ease off a little. Our 8 day walk is generally a more comfortable affair, however the 16 miles from Chapel-le-Dale to Sedbergh will still ask questions of some walkers stamina, but this stretch can be split by choosing our 9 day option. The final 14 miles of the walk is over relatively easy ground in comparison to what’s gone before.

Code Length Average per day Price range
DH7 6 days walking (7 nights) 16 miles/26 km £861 - £1003 Full Info Book
DH9 8 days walking (9 nights) 12 miles/19 km £1093 - £1283 Full Info Book
DH10 9 days walking (10 nights) 10 miles/16 km £1225 - £1438 Full Info Book

Dales High Way: Ilkley Moor and Malhamdale

Saltaire to Settle 38 miles/61 km

This is the easier of our shorter holidays, spending 3 comfortable days crossing the moorlands ahead of a leisurely 7 mile day enjoying the delights of Malhamdale and the limestone country.

Code Length Average per day Price range
DHM5 4 days walking (5 nights) 10 miles/16 km £614 - £709 Full Info Book

Dales High Way: Ingleborough and the Howgills

Settle to Appleby 56 miles/90 km

Seasoned hillwalkers will love this 4 day walk which includes a crossing of the mighty Ingleborough, a far too tempting optional ascent of Yorkshire’s highest mountain Whernside, and a traverse of the entire length of the Howgill Fells in a tremendous 6 mile ridge walk.

Code Length Average per day Price range
DHH5 4 days walking (5 nights) 14 miles/23 km £614 - £709 Full Info Book

Client Feedback

I walked the Dales High Way organised by Mickledore. The accommodation booked was high quality and the whole experience was thoroughly enjoyable. Mickledore provided a well organised holiday, with clear communications from booking to finishing the trip. I’ve used them three times now and I wouldn’t hesitate to use them again.

Dales High Way, July 2024
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We would recommend walking the Dingle Way. Good way marking, great views and a warm welcome. Easy to get to the start from Kerry airport. We have used Mickledore before and yet again they didn’t disappoint. All the travel information is clear and they are always on hand to help if needed.

Dingle Way, June 2024
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What made the holiday special, and so easy-going, was the meticulous organisation by Mickledore Travel, from the initial booking to the end of the trip. I know it is a cliché, but Mickledore really did exceed our expectations.

Cotswold Way, August 2024
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