Overview
Walking the South West Coast Path is a journey along the UK’s longest walking trail at over 1,000km, clinging to the coasts of Somerset, Cornwall, Devon and Dorset. This eight day, self-guided walking holiday covers the section from St. Ives to Penzance in Cornwall, staying in a mix of small, locally-owned hotels. The walk includes iconic Cornish spots such as Land’s End, some of Cornwall’s prettiest villages with Mousehole and Newlyn topping the list, and historic sites at every headland. If secret coves, rocky peninsulas and paths that take you well away from crowds appeal, then walking the South West Coast Path hits the spot. This tour is easily accessible by train.
- St Ives
- Penzance
- Mousehole
- Newlyn
- Minack Theatre
- Land’s End
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in St Ives
This historic and handsome fishing village is a maze of winding streets, with panoramic coastal vistas and excellent surfing opportunities. A hub for creatives, the village is said to have an enchanting light that has enticed artists for generations. Art highlights include St Ives Tate Gallery and the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden.
- Accommodation: Primrose House or similar in St Ives
Day 2: St Ives – Zennor | 10.4km
Before starting today’s walk, we recommend a detour to St Ives Head and St. Nicholas Chapel, the patron saint of seafarers. Join the South West Coast Path at Porthmeor beach and, as you depart from St Ives, the peak season tourist crowds quickly thin out. Continue on past Clodgy Point and Trevalgan Stone Circle before descending towards River Cove. Following a final steep ascent, a detour inland leads to Zennor, known for the Mermaid of Zennor, Zennor Quoit and The Tinner’s Arms, a beloved local pub.
- Walking for the day: 10.4km, ↑394m ↓300m
- Accommodation: The White House or similar in Zennor
Day 3: Zennor – Pendeen | 11.6km
Rejoin the Coast Path, meandering from one cove to the next as far as Gurnard’s Head. Explore the Old Mine Ruin and Bosigran Castle Promontory Fort on the headland. Continue on to Pendeen Lighthouse before heading into the village for the evening. Whilst in the area, we recommend a trip to Geevor Tin Mine, offering guided tours from March to October (payable locally).
- Walking for the day: 11.6km, ↑387m ↓440m
- Accommodation: The North Inn or similar in Pendeen
Day 4: Pendeen – Sennen Cove | 14.8km
The initial stretch of the hike offers relatively easy terrain, tracing cliff edges that overlook historic lead and tin mines. Crowns Mine at Botallack, for example, stands precariously on the rocky coast. Continue on to Cape Cornwall, once believed to be England’s westernmost point before its true location was identified as Land’s End. Continue past a rocky outcrop known as Carn Gloose, where Ballowall Barrow can be seen – one of the largest prehistoric funerary monuments along this part of the coast. Continue on towards Whitesand Bay and finally to Sennen Cove, the most westerly surf spot in the country.
- Walking for the day: 14.8km, ↑357m ↓396m
- Accommodation: Old Success Inn or similar in Sennen Cove
Day 5: Sennen Cove – Porthcurno | 11km
Continuing along the Coast Path, walk through traditional Cornish villages like Porthgwarra and St Levan en route to the dramatic and iconic open-air theatre at Minack Point/ Descend via steep steps to the beach and the village of Porthcurno, nestled within a magnificent bay.
- Walking for the day: 11km, ↑352m ↓305m
- Accommodation: Sea View House or similar in Porthcurno
Day 6: Porthcurno – Mousehole | 13.4km
The South West Coast Path winds along the cliffs, with a side trail leading to Logan Rock, an enormous boulder perched on the edge of the cliffs. The route becomes more challenging towards Penberth Cove and Porthguarnon, although they are both perfect spots to take a break. Lamorna beckons with its stunning cove and renowned smugglers inn, the Lamorna Wink. Continue on past Penzer Point before bringing the day to a close in Mousehole (pronounced Mowzl), a village steeped in fishing history, and now home to vibrant arts community.
- Walking for the day: 13.4km, ↑428m ↓473m
- Accommodation: Ship Inn or similar in Mousehole
Day 7: Mousehole – Penzance | 5.4km
The route from Mousehole to Newlyn follows the coast road, offering views out over the bay, with the option to veer inland through the village of Paul to visit the memorial obelisk at St Pol de Lion’s church. Continue on to Newlyn and Penzance, both bustling harbour towns. Spend the afternoon exploring Newlyn’s galleries, or consider taking a bus into Penzance to check out its Georgian and Regency architecture, Egyptian House, as well as the Maritime Museum and National Lighthouse Museum. It also has a superb seawater lido, with a geothermally-heated section, which is worth booking in advance.
- Walking for the day: 5.4km, ↑33m ↓39m
- Accommodation: The Longboat Inn or similar in Penzance
Day 8: Departure
Departure after breakfast.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation on this tour includes a mix of mostly small, locally-owned hotels, B&Bs and traditional guesthouses. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including their location, warm hospitality, fine local food or commitment to responsible tourism. All rooms have en-suite or private bathrooms.
Click to view default hotels
- Primrose House (St Ives)
- The White House
- The North Inn
- Old Success Inn
- Sea View House
- Ship Inn
- The Longboat Inn
Accommodation is subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel or guesthouse being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included each day. When no restaurant location is available on the route, lunches and snacks should either be bought from local shops, or packed lunch can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before. You can have dinner at the guesthouse you are staying at or at the village pubs and restaurants.
Difficulty and terrain
This tour is classed as moderate to strenuous, with daily distances ranging from 10-15km. while not consistently demanding, the route follows the coast quite closely, and it includes plenty of elevation gains and losses and some steep sections (read more about difficulty grades).
The route is well waymarked and easy to follow. We strongly advise you to only follow marked trails and never try to shorten the path through unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed route notes and maps and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed information on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This trip is available from the beginning of March until October. It is best enjoyed in the spring and autumn when there are fewer people on the trails; however, it is lovely during the summer months, too and the Coast Path takes you away from the main tourist haunts quite quickly.
The flexibility of self-guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates, and you can start your trip on any date during the season. Check out our blogs, Everything you need to know about the South West Coast Path and Best time to visit England.
Getting there
Up-to-date travel advice on the United Kingdom is available here (for Canadian citizens) and here (for US citizens).
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended airports for this tour are Bristol Airport (BRS) and London Heathrow (LHR).
By train or bus
- If you are able to travel to Cornwall without flying, this holiday is reachable by rail with train stations in St Ives and Penzance. For more details see GWR for timetables or use the Omio planner above. You can also take a fantastic sleeper train from Penzance to London or a 6h daytime service.
- Trains run from London to St Erth (5h), where you need to change trains to St Ives (15mins)
UK Visa and entry requirements:
IMPORTANT: From 2025, the UK is implementing a new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for many countries around the world. Up until 08 January, the ETA requirement only applied to nationals from Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE.
On 08 January 2025, the ETA requirement was extended to visitors from eligible non-European countries, including Australian, Canadian and US nationals. Then, on 02 April 2025, the ETA requirement was extended to eligible European countries, referring to most of Europe.
You can view the full list of countries that this applies to here and apply for your ETA here, or on the UK ETA app. The ETA usually takes up to three working days to be processed, although we advise applying as early as possible, in advance of your travel dates. People travelling with an Irish passport don’t need an ETA.
You can read more about the UK entry requirements on our blog.
Inclusions
Included
- 7 nights accommodation
- 7 breakfasts
- Luggage transfers on all walking days (one piece per person, max 20kg)
- Access to your digital pre-departure information (accommodation list, GPS map of the route, baggage transfer information, itineraries, route information of cafes, restaurants, local bus timetables, etc.)
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office / representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local museum and entry fees (payable on-site)
- Any items not explicitly listed as included
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers.
- Extra nights along the trail are bookable upon request
