Walking Land's End to John o' Groats

This website offers practical advice for anyone considering walking the length of Great Britain, based on my experience of planning and completing two long-distance crossings – Land’s End to John o’ Groats in 2025 and Lizard Point to Cape Wrath in 2026. It covers route planning, equipment, food, accommodation, and logistics.

There is no official Land's End to John o' Groats (LEJOG) route. The start and finish are defined, but the route between them is entirely up to you. There are many ways to cross Britain from Land's End to John o' Groats, and choosing your own route is a fundamental part of the experience. The well-known End to End Trail is one way to make the crossing, but it is not the definitive LEJOG route. You create your own, and this website can help you do it.

Land's End to John o' Groats

09/04/25 – 08/07/25

1,200 miles (1,900km) completed in 13 weeks, with 77 walking days and 11 rest days, averaging 15.4 miles (24.7km) per walking day. Total cost: £3,100. Tap the image to open in Google Maps.

Lizard Point to Cape Wrath

07/04/26 – 20/07/26

1,400 miles (2,200km) completed in 15 weeks, with 86 walking days and 15 rest days, averaging 15.9 miles (25.5km) per walking day. Total cost: £4,060. Tap the image to open in Google Maps.

Having walked the length of Britain twice, I cannot recommend the experience highly enough to anyone looking for a genuine adventure and a different way of experiencing life. The physical challenge is only one part of what makes these journeys so rewarding. Long-distance walking allows you to experience the country in a uniquely direct way: moving through remote and often beautiful landscapes at the pace of your own footsteps, with fresh air, changing weather and the satisfaction of physical effort becoming part of everyday life. Each day has a clear purpose, your decisions are shaped by the environment around you, and your attention is focused on the simple realities of life on the trail.

Although I completed both journeys alone, the experience was far from isolated. The nature of long-distance walking creates opportunities for connection that are sometimes missing or too infrequent in everyday life, whether through conversations with strangers or friendships formed along the way. Living with constant movement and physical effort, a clear sense of purpose, and a focus on simple daily needs creates a perspective that is difficult to replicate elsewhere.

Planning and Advice

Before you begin

Have a solid base level of fitness – The challenge is not any single day, but maintaining steady progress over weeks on end. You do not need to be exceptionally athletic, but you should be comfortable walking long distances with a backpack before setting off. Completing a shorter through-hike beforehand, such as the Pennine Way, is an excellent way to understand the demands of long-distance walking, discover what daily distances feel sustainable, and refine your equipment and routines. Good preparation will make the experience far more enjoyable and reduce the risk of injury or exhaustion along the way.
Allow enough time – the timeframe required depends heavily on the route you choose. A longer, more scenic route can add significant distance and time compared with a more direct approach. As a general benchmark, 11–15 weeks is realistic for a walk of this length. Around 11 weeks is the shortest I would recommend, as it would offer minimal flexibility, while 13–15 weeks allows a more relaxed pace with rest days, exploration and unexpected delays built in. If your available time would require consistently long or demanding days, i'd recommend shortening the route instead of increasing daily distances.

BEFORE THE WALK

Creating the initial route plan

Creating the initial route requires a combination of mapping software and navigation tools, each serving a different purpose. OS Maps is used to design the route itself, Google My Maps to visualise the full journey, Google Maps to identify accommodation and services, and a dedicated GPS unit for reliable navigation on the trail.

There are several alternative navigation apps available, including Komoot, AllTrails, Outdooractive and Gaia GPS. However, for walking in the UK, Ordnance Survey remains the benchmark due to the level of detail it provides for footpaths, rights of way, terrain and mountain environments.

The tools I used

Desktop computer – Used for planning and managing routes, including importing GPX files into Google My Maps (not possible on mobile).
OS Maps – Used to plan routes on desktop and on mobile, with a Premium subscription for full mapping features including GPX export.
Google My Maps – Used to organise and visualise the overall route by importing GPX files.
Google Maps – Used to find and save accommodation options and services before and during the walk.
TwoNav Link – Used to transfer daily routes (GPX files) from mobile phone to GPS unit.
GPS unit (TwoNav Cross Plus) – Used for reliable navigation along pre-planned daily routes.
Mobile phone – Used for day-to-day logistics, including finding shops and services, and as a backup navigation device.

Together, these tools form a simple workflow: creating the overall route, identifying accommodation and key points along the way, preparing the initial days of walking in detail, and loading the navigation files needed to begin the walk.

OS Maps – creating the overall route

Begin by designing your overall route in OS Maps. Break the route into manageable sections and export these as GPX files. The length of each section should reflect your pace and planning style.

In my case, I worked in roughly 100-mile sections. OS Maps begins to slow down with longer routes, and this distance also aligned with about a week of travel, making it easier to estimate overall duration while creating a sense of progression.

Planning philosophy

Treat your initial route as a guide, not a fixed itinerary. Avoid incorporating specific accommodation at this stage, as this quickly becomes restrictive and time-consuming. Focus instead on creating the best possible route based on scenery, established footpaths, rights of way and places you want to see . The exact route will evolve once the walk begins.

Public access and wild camping

Public access differs across Great Britain. In England and Wales, there is no general right to walk or wild camp across private land, although public rights of way and designated areas of open access land provide extensive opportunities for walking. Scotland has much broader access rights, allowing responsible access to most land and inland water, including the right to wild camp in many areas. Understanding these differences is important when planning your route and deciding where you can legally walk and camp. Read the Countryside Code and Scottish Outdoor Access Code.

Google My Maps – visualising the journey

Import your GPX files into Google My Maps and combine them into a single layer. This creates a clear visual overview of the entire journey and acts as a central reference point for planning.

Google Maps – researching accommodation

Use your route in Google Maps to identify and save accommodation options such as campsites, hostels and hotels. Literally type "campsite", "hotel", "hostel" etc. into the search bar.

Open Google Maps, go to Saved → Maps, and select your custom map. This works particularly well on mobile, where the route remains visible while searching nearby options, making it easier to judge proximity.

OS Maps – creating daily routes

Once accommodation options are identified, create detailed routes for the first few days of your walk. Around 4–5 days is a good starting point, providing structure while allowing flexibility.

Export these daily routes as GPX files.

TwoNav Link – transferring routes to your GPS unit

Transfer the GPX files for your initial days onto your GPS unit. These should be daily routes, not the larger planning sections.

Estimating how long the walk will take

Before choosing a start date, you first need a rough estimate of how long the entire walk will take. This comes from two things: the total distance of your route, and a realistic understanding of how quickly you can cover that distance over a sustained period.

Once you have plotted your route and know the overall distance, you can bring in your own experience to estimate a daily distance you’re confident maintaining day after day. This is not your maximum on a good day, but a consistent, repeatable baseline based on walking with a fully loaded rucksack. It reflects how fast you naturally walk and how many hours you’re prepared to spend walking each day, which in turn determines when you need to set off and when you’re likely to arrive. It should feel sustainable — not something that leaves you exhausted after a few consecutive days.

For me, this was around 14 miles per walking day while carrying approximately 12kg. I arrived at this figure through previous long-distance walks, including the Pennine Way and Coast to Coast. While I was often able to walk further without issue, 14 miles was a distance I felt confident maintaining consistently. When estimating your own figure, it is better to be conservative than optimistic.

You can then estimate the overall duration of your walk by dividing the total distance by this figure. My initial LEJOG route plan came to 1,208 miles:

1,208 miles ÷ 14 miles per day = 86 walking days

To allow for recovery and relaxation, add one rest day per week. This is the balance I chose for my own walk, but it is only a planning estimate. Recovery does not only come from complete days off — some shorter walking days naturally act as “half rest days”, allowing you to explore a place, resupply, do laundry, or simply reduce the physical demand while still making progress.

86 walking days + 12 rest days = 98 days

My final route ended up slightly shorter at 1,188 miles compared to the initial estimate of 1,208 miles — a negligible difference over a journey of this scale. The calculation above estimated 98 days for the journey, and my full expedition took 91 days in total: 77 walking days, 11 rest days, and 3 days spent travelling to and from the start and finish points. The reason I finished slightly earlier than this estimate is reflected in my actual average walking distance: 15.4 miles per walking day compared to the 14 miles I used for planning. This demonstrates why using a conservative figure is valuable — the estimate provided breathing space, while allowing me to naturally finish ahead of schedule rather than relying on maintaining a more ambitious pace from the outset.

Allowing some extra time gives you room to deal with unexpected delays, poor weather, fatigue or opportunities that arise along the way. It is far better to finish earlier than planned than to reach the final stages of a walk under pressure, rushing the end or even having to shorten the journey.

More importantly, I would strongly advise against treating the walk as a race. A journey of this length is not valuable simply because you reach the finish line; the real reward comes from the experience created along the way. The rhythm of daily walking, adapting to the weather and circumstances, passing through different communities and living with fewer distractions are all part of what makes the journey meaningful. Building enough time into your plan gives you the freedom to slow down, adapt and fully experience the walk as a whole, rather than feeling as though you are simply rushing towards the next milestone.

Choosing when to start

For many people, the timing of a long-distance walk will initially be shaped by practical considerations such as work, finances or other commitments. However, if you have flexibility over your start date, it is worth considering how much this choice will influence the experience. On a journey lasting several months, conditions will change as the year progresses, meaning the date you begin can have a significant impact on the weather, daylight hours and temperatures you encounter.

The first consideration is how long your walk is likely to last. The longer the journey, the more important your start date becomes, as you will move through different points of the year. This determines not only the range of conditions you are likely to face, but also whether they improve or deteriorate as the journey progresses.

The direction you travel is another important factor, affecting when you reach particular sections of the route and therefore the conditions you experience in those areas. This can influence when you tackle more remote or physically demanding sections, the amount of daylight available, and factors such as prevailing winds and typical weather patterns.

These two decisions are closely linked. Your start date determines the general progression of the year during your walk, while your direction determines where you are within that progression. Together, they influence how strongly you experience changes in daylight, temperature and weather.

This guide focuses on spring and summer start dates. These seasons offer longer daylight hours, warmer temperatures and generally lower rainfall, making a long-distance walk more comfortable and manageable. They also allow for a lighter rucksack, as less insulation and fewer layers are required.

Walking in autumn or winter introduces additional challenges, including shorter days, colder temperatures, increased rainfall and generally more demanding conditions. While tackling more challenging conditions can be a rewarding part of the experience, it requires a higher level of preparation and experience, and falls outside the scope of this guide.

Typical timing patterns

Spring start (northbound):

Early stages will involve shorter days and the likelihood of cold evenings, wet ground and unsettled weather
Conditions gradually improve as the journey progresses
Increasing daylight supports longer, more flexible days, with the effect becoming more noticeable as you move further north towards midsummer
Prevailing winds are often from the south-west, meaning northbound walkers are more likely to benefit from tailwinds rather than facing persistent headwinds.
Northern and more exposed sections are reached in better conditions, while you are also more physically and mentally prepared for the increased challenge

Spring start (southbound):

Early stages are likely to involve colder, wetter and more unsettled conditions in the Scottish Highlands, where spring arrives later than southern England
Conditions improve as you progress south into warmer, more settled regions
Later stages coincide with warmer temperatures, busier routes and the possibility of heatwaves
The contrast between the start and finish is more noticeable than on a northbound route

Summer start (northbound):

Early stages benefit from long daylight hours, warm temperatures and generally settled conditions
Southern sections may be busy, with a higher chance of heatwaves during the peak summer months
Prevailing winds are often from the south-west, meaning northbound walkers are more likely to benefit from tailwinds rather than facing persistent headwinds
Later stages can involve shortening days, cooler temperatures and more unsettled weather as summer gives way to autumn
Northern sections are reached later in the year, when colder, wetter and windier conditions can make the Highlands significantly more challenging

Summer start (southbound):

Early stages benefit from long daylight hours and the best conditions of the year in the Scottish Highlands
Starting in the north reduces exposure to the most oppressive summer heat, while moving south allows you to follow milder conditions that last later into the year
Although daylight hours gradually shorten as the season progresses, moving south helps offset this with generally warmer temperatures and less severe weather changes
Later stages will involve shorter days and the likelihood of cold evenings, wet ground and unsettled weather

For my own walks, I chose to start in early spring and travel north, beginning both journeys within the first two weeks of April. This allowed me to move away from the risk of summer heatwaves in southern England while progressing towards longer evenings and more reliable conditions in the Scottish Highlands later in the year. By the time I reached the more remote northern sections, I was also fully adapted to the physical and practical demands of long-distance walking, making the combination of improving conditions and greater experience a significant advantage.

Based on my experience, a spring start travelling north would be my preferred option for walking the length of Britain. A summer start travelling south would be my second choice, as it allows you to begin in the Scottish Highlands during the best part of the year and then move down into areas where warmer and more settled conditions tend to last later into the season. This helps offset the gradual shortening of daylight hours and transition towards autumn compared with travelling north at the same time of year.

Selecting equipment and gear

The equipment you carry has a direct impact on your experience of a long-distance walk. Every item has a trade-off between comfort, reliability and weight, and the aim is not to carry everything you might need, but to find the right balance for the conditions you are likely to encounter. On a journey of this length, small decisions about what to bring quickly accumulate, and the difference between a considered pack and an overfilled one becomes increasingly noticeable over time.

Keeping your pack as light as possible is one of the most effective ways to make the walk more enjoyable. Weight is not just a number on a scale — it is something you carry for hundreds of miles, day after day. A lighter pack reduces fatigue, makes climbs and long days more manageable, and helps prevent the low-level joint and muscle problems that can gradually wear you down. Many experienced walkers are comfortable carrying more weight than they need; over this distance, that extra weight rarely feels justified.

In most parts of Britain, you are never far from shops, accommodation or transport links. This makes it possible to carry less, knowing that essential items can be replaced or bought along the way if needed. It also removes much of the need to plan for every possible scenario in advance. Carrying items “just in case” often means accepting their weight for weeks without ever using them.

Learning what you can do without is an important part of preparing for a walk of this scale. The aim should be to begin with a carefully considered pack, rather than relying on the ability to remove items later. However, your understanding of what is genuinely necessary will develop through experience. An item that seems essential before setting off may prove unnecessary after several weeks on the trail, while seasonal changes may mean that some equipment is only needed for part of the journey. Being willing to reassess your kit as you progress is an important part of keeping your pack practical and efficient. Long-distance walking teaches you what you genuinely need, and this may mean sending items home, replacing worn equipment, or leaving behind things that no longer justify their weight.

For a spring and summer journey, conditions are unlikely to be dangerously cold, even at night. This allows you to prioritise lighter equipment and avoid packing for worst-case scenarios that are unlikely to occur. I carried a single waterproof jacket and three t-shirts, relying on a simple clothing system rather than bringing multiple alternatives. There were a handful of nights when temperatures dropped and I had to sleep in my trousers, t-shirt and jacket inside my sleeping bag, but these occasions were exceptions rather than something that needed to shape my entire kit list. While reliable waterproofs and a warm layer remain important, there is rarely a need for heavy or specialist equipment. In most cases, comfort and consistency come from carrying less, rather than carrying more.

My equipment choices

The equipment I carried evolved through experience on multiple long-distance walks. Rather than aiming for the lightest possible setup, I focused on finding a balance between weight, reliability and comfort that would remain practical over several months of walking.

For a full breakdown of my equipment, including item weights, quantities and notes explaining specific choices, see my detailed equipment spreadsheet below.

Detailed equipment breakdown (spreadsheet)

DURING THE WALK

Navigating and managing the route

Once the walk begins, planning shifts from designing the overall route to managing it day by day. Instead of following a fixed itinerary, you are continuously reviewing and extending the route ahead.

In practice, this is usually done in the evenings. After finishing the day’s walk and settling into accommodation, I would use my phone to review and extend the planned route ahead: checking Google Maps for suitable accommodation, choosing where I wanted to stay, creating the detailed routes in OS Maps, then transferring those files to my GPS unit.

I generally aimed to keep around 3–4 days of walking planned ahead, although this varied depending on the section of the route, my confidence, and how much information I had available. Sometimes I would plan an entire week in advance, while at other times I would simply add another day or two as I progressed.

Each day’s route would then be saved and transferred to my GPS unit. I used a clear and consistent naming format, for example: “LEJOG D1 Land’s End - Pendeen”, which made it easy to identify the correct route on the device at a glance.

If I deviated from the planned route at all, I would update the route files in OS Maps that evening so they reflected the path I had actually walked. Over time, this meant that each day’s route became an accurate record of the journey. Once the journey was over, these individual files were combined to produce a complete, definitive overall route, in much the same way as the initial route plan.

I preferred this approach to recording my route continuously throughout the walk (using the Record Activity feature on the GPS unit). It reduced battery usage and avoided the small, jittery deviations that naturally occur while walking (short detours, stops, or wandering around a town) which do not add anything meaningful to the overall route but can make a recorded track unnecessarily cluttered.

The interactive route maps for both walks, including the accommodation and shops I used along the way, are available here:

Land's End to John o' Groats - Interactive route map

Lizard Point to Cape Wrath - Interactive route map

Each map also includes the initial route plan, allowing you to compare the route I originally designed with the route I actually walked and see where adjustments were made during the journey.

Choosing accommodation

Long-distance walking often involves using a mixture of accommodation types, depending on availability, location, cost and personal preference. During my walks, I used a combination of wild camping, campsites, bothies, hostels and hotels (including guest houses, B&Bs and homestays). Campsites were by far my preferred option. They typically cost £10–£16 per night, almost always provided the facilities I needed after a long day of walking, and gave me the chance to meet and chat with other people - something that became one of the highlights of the journey.

Washing and drying clothes

I would always wash my clothes by hand in a sink using a bar of soap, whether camping or staying indoors. Drying was usually the greater challenge, with clothes hung from my tent, nearby trees or attached to my backpack while walking. Campsites and hostels often provided the most practical facilities for wet equipment, while hotel rooms were less useful for drying clothes naturally, as there was rarely suitable outdoor space to hang them.

Charging electronics

When staying in hotels or hostels, access to power is straightforward and you can charge everything overnight. Campsites, and especially wild camping, make things less predictable, so carrying a power bank becomes essential. I used a 13,000mAh bank for both walks, which was sufficient for the vast majority of the journey. During the Lizard Point to Cape Wrath walk, I swapped it for a 20,000mAh bank in Edinburgh because my plans through the Cairngorms and the final northern section of the Cape Wrath Trail were very likely to involve three nights in a row of wild camping or bothies. In that situation, I felt the extra weight was worthwhile for the larger safety buffer and the peace of mind it provided.

In practice, the vast majority of the campsites I used had some form of charging available, often in toilet blocks, laundry rooms or shared indoor spaces. If no sockets were available, I would ask at reception, and staff or on-site wardens were often willing to help by charging a device for a few hours or overnight. Keeping devices powered is an ongoing part of the routine and can influence where you choose to stay - taking opportunities to top up whenever they appear and managing usage carefully in more remote areas. Across both journeys, I never had an emergency keeping my phone and GPS running, but it was something I consciously stayed on top of throughout the walks.

Contacting campsites

Always phone campsites before choosing them as your accommodation. Explain that you are a backpacker travelling on foot, with a single small tent and no vehicle or electric hook-up. Many campsites have different rates depending on how you arrive, and the backpacker rate is often considerably cheaper than standard camping prices. Even if a campsite appears to be fully booked, it is still worth contacting them — while not guaranteed, some sites are willing to accommodate backpackers on foot, occasionally finding space where none appears to be available online.

I would also ask whether I needed to pre-book or whether I could simply turn up later in the day, usually giving an approximate arrival time. The person you speak to can often give a good indication of how busy the site is likely to be, allowing you to decide whether to secure a booking or take the risk of arriving without one. Many sites are happy to accommodate backpackers on this basis, and knowing this in advance provides another level of flexibility. It allows you to adjust your plans during the day - perhaps walking further, stopping earlier, or taking an unexpected opportunity - without being tied to a fixed itinerary. It's also worth asking whether the site has somewhere you can charge a phone or power bank, although I rarely needed to ask this specifically as most campsites I used had some form of charging available.

Using wild camping as flexibility

If you are comfortable with it, or open to trying it, wild camping provides a very useful fallback when accommodation options don’t quite line up with your route. There will inevitably be times when campsites, hostels or B&Bs are either unavailable or too far from your intended path to be practical. In these situations, having the option to camp discreetly gives you a reliable “Plan B”, allowing you to continue walking without significantly altering your route or committing to an unrealistic day. Even if used only occasionally, this flexibility makes the overall planning process feel much less constrained.

Using bothies

Bothies can be a great accommodation option, particularly in Scotland, but they are less predictable than booked accommodation. During weekends or periods of good weather, other walkers may arrive before you and the bothy may already be occupied. However, this does not necessarily mean missing out on the experience - the bothy can still provide shelter, a place to cook, eat and chat before continuing to a nearby wild camping spot for the night. Check out the Mountain Bothies Association website.

Planning food and resupply

My approach to food was based around keeping my backpack as light as possible. I chose not to carry any cooking equipment, as a stove, fuel, pan and other accessories add weight and take up valuable space. For this style of long-distance walking, I found a cooking system unnecessary, as I could rely on the many opportunities to buy food along the route.

Across much of Britain and the more populated areas of Scotland, I planned food resupply directly into my daily routes. While creating routes in OS Maps, I would regularly switch between OS Maps and Google Maps to identify supermarkets, village stores, petrol station shops and other facilities along or close to my route. I would then adjust the route to pass these locations where practical. However, the plan was never fixed; if I passed a suitable shop during the day, I would often take advantage of it and adjust my food plans accordingly.

My typical routine was to buy food as close as possible to the beginning of the day’s walk, sometimes requiring an initial walk of up to three hours to reach a shop for breakfast. I would buy enough to eat immediately, reducing the amount I needed to carry. Later in the day, I would usually stop at another shop to buy food for the remainder of the day and, where necessary, the following morning if the next opportunity was a significant distance away.

I always carried a small emergency supply, usually something nutrient-dense and durable such as a tin of mackerel, tuna, and/or chopped tomatoes. Otherwise, I relied on regular resupply rather than carrying large quantities of food. This kept my backpack lighter and allowed me to plan around available shops rather than carrying several days of food at a time.

Food strategy in Scotland

Once north of Edinburgh and Glasgow, the strategy changed. The distances between shops and services became significantly greater, particularly in the Highlands, and resupply points needed to be identified and checked carefully in advance, rather than relying on frequent opportunities to buy food spontaneously.

The longest resupply gap I encountered was on the Cape Wrath Trail, between Ullapool and Kinlochbervie. Due to the remoteness of this section, I carried around two and a half days of food in my backpack, with a further two days of supplies in shopping bags. These bags were only needed for the first day and a half, after which enough food had been eaten to fit everything back into my pack. This was an exceptional situation caused by the combination of limited resupply options and my relatively small 45L rucksack, rather than a normal part of my approach.

The principle remained the same — carry what you need, but avoid carrying more than necessary — but the practical application changed with the environment. Food is important, but water is the true priority. The human body can cope with periods without food longer than many people realise, whereas a reliable water supply is essential. In remote sections, understanding where your next reliable resupply and water points were located became an essential part of planning each stage of the journey.

What I actually ate

My food was generally very simple and came almost entirely from ordinary supermarkets.

Breakfast (~£4.50) was nearly always:

Mainly carbohydrates: tin of chopped tomatoes, bag of oat & raisin cookies, banana & orange
Protein & Fat: 2 pints of semi-skimmed milk, 2 scotch eggs

Dinner and tea were less structured and depended on how hungry I was and the shops I had access to. Foods I regularly bought included:

Greek yoghurt, natural yoghurt
Cans of Heinz spaghetti bolognese, ravioli or macaroni cheese
Cans of chicken or beef curry, and beef stew
Good quality loaf of bread with hummus or salted butter, Soreen and ginger cakes
Packets of cooked meat such as ham, beef and chicken
Fruit and vegetables such as grapes, carrot batons, grapefruits and tomatoes
Tinned mackerel and sardines

Managing budget and costs

The total cost of walking the length of Britain will vary depending on your route, duration and accommodation choices, but it is often lower than people expect.

For my two walks:

Land’s End to John o’ Groats (2025)
91 days total (13 weeks)
Total cost: £3,096
Average: £31 per day

Lizard Point to Cape Wrath (2026)
105 days total (15 weeks)
Total cost: £4,058
Average: £37 per day

These figures include everything from setting off to returning home: accommodation, food, transport costs associated with the journey and small replacement items. They do not include the cost of the clothing and equipment I set off with.

Keeping a record of costs

Throughout both walks, I kept a daily record of my spending, accommodation, distances walked and general notes from each day using the ColorNote app. At the end of each week, I calculated my total spending to see how I was tracking against my overall budget. This helped me understand when I had room to spend more on comfort and when I needed to be more careful with costs. In those situations, I could naturally lean towards lower-cost options such as wild camping.

For a full day-by-day breakdown of costs from both walks, see the spreadsheets below.

Land's End to John o' Groats - Detailed cost breakdown

Lizard Point to Cape Wrath - Detailed cost breakdown

Where the money goes

The largest cost by far is accommodation.

Across both walks:

Accommodation ranged from campsites (~£10–£16) to hostels (~£20–£35) and hotels (~£45–£70+)
Food and everyday expenses, including toiletries and small personal items, remained very consistent at around £14–£17 per day.

This means your overall budget is largely determined by how you choose to sleep.

Accommodation breakdown from my two walks

The difference in total cost between my two walks was largely due to accommodation choices rather than the length of the journeys. Land’s End to John o’ Groats took 91 days and cost £3,096 in total, while Lizard Point to Cape Wrath took 105 days and cost £4,059 — a difference of almost £1,000 despite the second walk being only around two weeks longer.

Land’s End to John o’ Groats (2025)

Campsites: 58 nights
Wild camping: 8 nights
Bothies: 3 nights
Hostels: 17 nights
Hotels / guest houses / B&Bs: 4 nights

Lizard Point to Cape Wrath (2026)

Campsites: 45 nights
Wild camping: 18 nights
Bothies: 3 nights
Hostels: 17 nights
Hotels / guest houses / B&Bs: 21 nights

The biggest difference was the number of nights spent in hotels, guest houses and B&Bs. On the Lizard Point to Cape Wrath route, this was not simply a matter of choosing more comfort — the availability of suitable accommodation also played a major role. Along the east coast of England, particularly after the North York Moors, there were relatively few campsites that accepted backpackers with tents. While many holiday parks and caravan parks were available, they often catered primarily for caravans and motorhomes rather than walkers on foot. The heavily built-up section between Middlesbrough and Newcastle was particularly challenging, with no practical camping options, and wild camping did not feel like a suitable choice in that environment. As a result, I relied more heavily on hotels, guest houses and B&Bs, which increased the overall cost but allowed the journey to continue without major disruption.

This comparison shows that accommodation choices are the biggest factor in determining the overall budget. A longer walk does not necessarily need to cost dramatically more — the largest increases usually come from having fewer low-cost accommodation options available or relying more heavily on hostels and hotels. In extreme cases, this can have a major impact on the overall cost; I met one walker who had pre-booked hotel accommodation for the entirety of his trip and expected to spend around £15,000 in total.

Carrying a tent makes a significant difference. Campsites were my default accommodation, typically costing around £10–£16 per night, while wild camping and bothies reduced costs further. Hostels and hotels were occasional choices for rest days, terrible weather, or when no suitable camping options were available and wild camping was not a practical or safe alternative.

Keeping costs under control

I approached the walk with a simple daily framework:

Around £15 per day for food
Around £15 per night for accommodation (based around campsites as the default option)

In practice, this proved to be a reliable baseline. Having this figure in mind helped keep campsites as my primary accommodation choice, creating a natural reluctance to choose more expensive alternatives unless there was a good reason. By keeping most days relatively low-cost, it allowed for occasional higher spending when needed without losing control of the overall budget.

A few principles made the biggest difference:

Eat primarily from supermarkets
Supermarkets provide a wide range of affordable, nutritious and practical food options for long-distance walkers. Eating cheaply does not mean eating poorly, and with a little thought it is possible to eat well while keeping costs low. I rarely used restaurants or takeaways, but keeping everyday food spending under control meant I could relax and enjoy occasional treats, particularly during rest days. Tesco and the Co-op were my trusty friends along the way.
Use campsites as your default option
They offer a reliable balance of cost, facilities and convenience. When the weather and location allow, wild camping will reduce costs further and is worth embracing as part of the experience, while also giving you greater flexibility.
Spend more when it matters
Pay for comfort when you genuinely need it — terrible weather, exhaustion or recovery days. But don’t overuse it. Challenge yourself to embrace some discomfort; nights spent camping, wild camping or in bothies are often some of the most memorable parts of the journey.

In many ways, you’re not just budgeting money on a walk like this — you’re budgeting comfort, and how you choose to spend that will shape the experience as much as the route itself.

Estimating the total cost

A simple way to estimate the overall cost of a long-distance walk is to start with the expected duration of the journey and your own rough daily spending target. The most important factor to consider is the type of accommodation you expect to use most often. A camping-focused approach can keep costs relatively low, while relying more heavily on hostels, hotels or other indoor accommodation will increase the budget significantly.

For my own walks, I found that budgeting around £30 per day provided a useful starting point, based on my preference for using campsites as the default option. I would then add a further buffer of around £500 to allow for occasional more expensive accommodation, rest days and the small unexpected costs that naturally arise during a long journey. The right figure for you will depend largely on how much you prioritise camping and how much flexibility you want to allow for more expensive choices.

Finding the right balance

While it is possible to complete the walk on a shoestring, I would not recommend treating it as an exercise in minimising cost at all times. There will be periods when you feel exhausted, fed up or emotionally drained, and those are often the moments when a little extra comfort can make the biggest difference. A warm room, a proper rest or simply the chance to reset can help you continue enjoying the journey rather than just enduring it.

Being consistently aware of your spending does require some restraint, but it creates freedom in other ways. By keeping everyday costs low, you can occasionally choose comfort, treat yourself or spend more generously without worrying that you are losing control of the overall budget.

At the same time, there is a balance between challenging yourself and enjoying some luxury. A night spent camping in difficult conditions can be incredibly rewarding, but so can a warm, dry room when you genuinely need to rest and recover. The goal is not simply to reduce costs, but to manage them in a way that supports the journey and makes it truly memorable. A willingness to accept some discomfort and step outside your comfort zone can significantly reduce costs while often adding to the experience itself.

Ultimately, the walk is both a challenge and a holiday, and finding the right balance is part of making the most of it.

Changing plans along the way

If you have never undertaken a walk of this scale before, the idea of planning routes and accommodation on the fly can feel very daunting. Much of this comes from the fear of the unknown, and from questioning whether your ability to solve problems, cope with physical discomfort, and keep going when things get tough and stressful. In reality, the process is very simple. You do not need to have every answer before you begin. Some experience of walking long distances, wild camping and a reasonable level of confidence in your fitness will stand you in very good stead. The confidence to deal with the unexpected does not have to exist before you start; it develops through experience. You have to put yourself in situations where you are required to solve problems by yourself and push through discomfort to discover that you are capable of doing so. It may feel uncomfortable or even frightening at first, but that is a good sign. If something feels well outside your comfort zone, it is likely to teach you something about yourself and help you grow.

This ability to deal with uncertainty is particularly important because the route you actually walk will almost always differ from the one you originally planned. Long-distance walking involves constantly balancing your original plan with the realities on the ground: weather conditions, energy levels, terrain, accommodation availability and unexpected opportunities along the way. A good route plan should provide confidence and structure, while still leaving enough freedom to make better decisions when circumstances change.

These changes should not be viewed as mistakes or failures of planning. A long-distance walk is a constantly evolving journey, and some of the most memorable experiences often come from being willing to adapt. Whether that means taking a more scenic alternative, shortening a day because of fatigue, or staying somewhere unexpected, the ability to adjust your plans is what allows you to get the most from the experience. The purpose of planning is not to remove uncertainty, but to give you the confidence to respond to it and make the most of whatever the journey brings.

If you are planning a walk of your own and have any questions about route planning, equipment, budgeting or life on the trail, feel free to get in touch.

You can view photos and videos from my two long-distance walks on Instagram, or contact me directly via email, using the buttons below.

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