Five of the best hiking destinations in the UK

Renowned as the UK’s ‘Adventure Capital,’ the Lake District offers fantastic options for mountain and fell walks. The challenge lies in choosing where to begin – will you summit iconic peaks like Helvellyn, Scafell Pike or Coniston Old Man, or discover lesser-known gems and wilderness walking? Cicerone's Fellranger guides collectively cover all the routes up all the fells in each of the main valley bases, giving you a total of 230 fells to choose from!

If you’d like to do a long-distance hike, why not consider Cicerone’s Tour of the Lake District? Taking in memorable lakes, mountain vistas, low mountain tarns, picturesque villages, and delightful country pubs, the 90-mile circular walking route from Ambleside can be walked in 9 days.

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park is an ideal starting point for exploring Scotland’s Munros, lochs and glens, plus numerous smaller mountains that are often overlooked.

Noteworthy amongst these is The Cobbler, a beautiful mountain with spectacular views at the head of Loch Lomond. It’s one of many routes in the Cicerone guidebook to Scotland’s Best Small Mountains.

For a classic long-distance hike, there’s the popular West Highland Way. The 95-mile route from Milngavie near Glasgow to Fort William culminates at the base of Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest mountain. Along the way it winds past Loch Lomond’s bonnie banks, the rugged landscapes of Glencoe and the vast expanse of Rannoch Moor.

For those wanting to go off the beaten track, NOT the West Highland Way describes alternative routes over mountains, smaller hills and high passes, offering a unique perspective to all but one of the route’s nine stages.

The Jurassic Coast, stretching between Dorset and Devon, offers walks along cliffs and downlands suitable for a relaxed day at the beach or a more strenuous hike. This World Heritage coastline also offers the chance to spot ammonites near Lyme Regis, explore the fossil forest of Lulworth Cove, visit Chesil Beach, or discover the red desert of Budleigh Salterton.

If you want to explore more of Devon, you could hike the Dartmoor Way, a 109-mile trail around Dartmoor National Park. From open moorland, wooded gorges and Devon’s distinctive tors to picturesque villages and farmland, the fully waymarked route offers a taste of the county’s wilder landscapes without venturing far from civilisation.

Few areas in England are as appealing as the Yorkshire Dales, with natural attractions including spectacular waterfalls, dramatic gorges, expansive heather moors, and colourful flower meadows. The Dales Way – spanning from Ilkley in West Yorkshire to Bowness-on-Windermere in the Lake District – offers a week-long exploration of this picturesque region. It’s one of the gentlest long-distance walks in Britain, with small hamlets nestled in peaceful steep-sided valleys along the primarily riverside walk.

If time is limited, you could tackle the Yorkshire three peaks – Whernside, Ingleborough and Pen-y-ghent. Whether you opt to climb each peak individually or attempt the famous 23-mile circuit, aiming to summit all three within the 12-hour challenge, you’re guaranteed to encounter some of the most beautiful scenery in the country.

Snowdonia is Wales’ largest National Park, a land of mountains and deep wooded valleys, rivers, sparkling lakes, sheep farming, slate quarries, and a spectacular coastline.

If you’d like to ascend the peaks, Cadair Idris is a fantastic mountain walk with a variety of landscapes and terrain. Or if you’d like to explore the stunning lowlands, the Cicerone guidebooks describing low-level and easy walking in Snowdonia showcase the region’s beautiful scenery, rich history and culture.

However, as the only long-distance, low-level route through the heart of Snowdonia, the 97-mile Snowdonia Way is perhaps the best way to explore the region. It connects must-see sights such as the Ogwen valley, the Aber falls, Llyn Dinas and Llyn Glaslyn lakes, and the Snowdon Massif and Glyders mountain ranges.