Most walkers take 8 to 17 days to walk the 120-mile Westmorland and Furness Way. An 8-day plan averages about 15 miles a day; a 12-day plan with a rest day keeps most days to around 10 miles. The best months are usually May, June and September. The split points below are measured along the route's own GPX files, not estimated.
Choosing Your Pace
The six official stages vary a lot in length: from about 13 miles (the Stage 3 high route) to 27 miles (Stage 4). Walking one stage a day is possible but tough, because two of the six are over 24 miles. Most people split those long stages at a village with accommodation or a railway station, which is where the useful break points are. A good rule of thumb for mixed Cumbrian terrain is 2 to 2.5 miles an hour including short stops — so a 15-mile day is roughly six to seven hours on your feet, more on the high ground.
Be honest about daily distance. Walking 15 miles once is easy for many people; walking 15 miles every day for a week with a pack on is a different thing. If you're unsure, choose the gentler plan and treat any spare time as a bonus in Kirkby Stephen, Sedbergh or Bowness.
Useful Split Points (Measured From the GPX)
| Stage | Split point | Distance into stage | Why stop here |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Dufton (just off route) | 3.3 mi | Walkers' village with pub and youth hostel. |
| 2 | Appleby-in-Westmorland | 8.8 mi | Town with shops, pubs, B&Bs and a Settle–Carlisle station. |
| 3 (low route) | Ravenstonedale | 5.8 mi | Village with a pub; breaks the Howgills into two short days. |
| 4 | Burneside | 16.5 mi | Lakes Line station — train to Kendal or Windermere for the night. |
| 4 | Staveley | 19.8 mi | Cafés and a Lakes Line station; 7 miles left to Bowness. |
| 5 | Satterthwaite (Grizedale) | 6.3 mi | Quiet forest village; limited beds — book early. |
| 6 | Rampside | 11.7 mi | Coastal village near Barrow; easy transfer into town. |
Stage 1 has no practical split: after Garrigill (3.9 miles in) there's no village on the route until Milburn, so plan it as a full day.
6 Days: One Stage a Day (Fast)
For very fit, experienced walkers only. It averages 20 miles a day and includes the 27-mile Stage 4, so you'll need early starts, good weather and no blister problems.
- Day 1: Alston to Milburn — 16.5 mi
- Day 2: Milburn to Kirkby Stephen — 24.8 mi
- Day 3: Kirkby Stephen to Sedbergh — 12.9 mi (high) or 15.7 mi (low)
- Day 4: Sedbergh to Bowness-on-Windermere — 27 mi
- Day 5: Bowness-on-Windermere to Ulverston — 20.9 mi
- Day 6: Ulverston to Furness Abbey — 17.7 mi
8 Days: Steady (About 15 Miles a Day)
The sweet spot for fit walkers: each of the two long stages is split once, leaving no day over 21 miles.
- Day 1: Alston to Milburn — 16.5 mi
- Day 2: Milburn to Appleby — 8.8 mi (a gentler day after the Pennines)
- Day 3: Appleby to Kirkby Stephen — 16.0 mi
- Day 4: Kirkby Stephen to Sedbergh — 15.7 mi (low) or 12.9 mi (high)
- Day 5: Sedbergh to Burneside — 16.5 mi
- Day 6: Burneside to Bowness-on-Windermere — 10.5 mi
- Day 7: Bowness to Ulverston — 20.9 mi
- Day 8: Ulverston to Furness Abbey — 17.7 mi
12 Days: Relaxed (With a Rest Day)
Keeps every day to 17 miles or less, with a rest day in Sedbergh to recover before the Lake District. Distances use the Stage 3 low route.
- Day 1: Alston to Milburn — 16.5 mi
- Day 2: Milburn to Appleby — 8.8 mi
- Day 3: Appleby to Kirkby Stephen — 16.0 mi
- Day 4: Kirkby Stephen to Ravenstonedale — 5.8 mi
- Day 5: Ravenstonedale to Sedbergh — 9.9 mi
- Day 6: Rest day in Sedbergh, England's Book Town
- Day 7: Sedbergh to Burneside — 16.5 mi
- Day 8: Burneside to Bowness-on-Windermere — 10.5 mi
- Day 9: Bowness to Satterthwaite — 6.3 mi (via the Windermere ferry)
- Day 10: Satterthwaite to Ulverston — 14.6 mi
- Day 11: Ulverston to Rampside — 11.7 mi
- Day 12: Rampside to Furness Abbey — 6.0 mi
For the last two nights, most people base themselves in Barrow-in-Furness and use a short bus or taxi ride to and from Rampside. Check accommodation and transport for each stop before you book.
Best Time of Year to Walk
May and June offer the longest days — over 17 hours of daylight around midsummer — plus spring flowers, lambs in the fields and usually drier ground than later in the year. Early June is also Appleby Horse Fair, which fills accommodation in Appleby. July and August are the warmest but busiest months, particularly in Bowness and around Windermere; the Pennine moors turn purple with heather in August, and midges can be a nuisance in still, damp conditions. September is often the pick of the year: settled spells, quieter paths and the anniversary of the trail's opening in Sedbergh. October brings superb autumn colour in the Lake District but shorter days and wetter ground.
From November to March the route is for experienced, well-equipped walkers. Daylight in Cumbria can drop to around seven hours in December, and Stage 1 across the North Pennines can hold snow and ice well into spring. The lower stages — the Eden Valley and the Furness coast — make good winter day walks.
Which direction?
Most people walk north to south, from Alston to Furness Abbey. It saves the abbey for the finish, gets the hardest stage done while you're fresh, and usually puts the prevailing south-westerly weather at your side rather than in your face on the high ground. South to north works just as well if it suits your travel.
Itinerary FAQs
Most walkers take 8 to 17 days. Eight days (around 15 miles a day) suits fit, experienced walkers; 12 days with a rest day is a comfortable pace for most people; and very fast walkers can do it in six days by walking one stage per day, including the 27-mile Stage 4.
May, June and September are usually the best months: long daylight, generally drier ground and fewer crowds than July and August. Early October is also good in the Lake District for autumn colour, though days are shorter and the North Pennines can already be wintry.
Yes. Every stage start and finish is reachable by public transport, and many are on a railway line, so the route works well as a series of weekends or short breaks. Walking it in sections is also a good way to save the high stages for a settled weather window.
Keep Planning
Compare ascent and walking times in the stage comparison table, then read up on kit and safety and accommodation and transport. New to the route? Start with What Is the Westmorland and Furness Way?