The Dalesway officially starts at Ilkley. It does, however, have links from Leeds, Bradford and Harrogate, and these open up the special challenge of walking from largest conurbation in England (the West Yorkshire cities) to largest lake (Windermere). From Ilkley however, you'll still have the satisfaction of walking the full length of Wharfedale, thought by many to be the most picturesque of the Yorkshire Dales. You'll then climb out onto the roof of England, crossing the great Pennine watershed with impressive views of the Three Peaks. Then you head for Lakeland!

You may have arrived at TheDalesWay from one of our other web sites. If so, you will be familiar with our format. Here you will find an accommodation service. Each of the main settlements along the path is listed, with details of accommodation available there. You can make use of our booking and/or luggage service and take advantage of a range of other commercial services on offer. For assistance with your planning, look at the factsheet. The chat bulletin board is a popular resource; use it to tap the advice of experienced walkers. We review a range of the best guidebooks and maps in our Bookshop, and these are available for you to order.

We are constantly working on improvements and welcome your comments. Please mention TheDalesWay when booking; this helps to assure the future of the site for the benefit of many more walkers following in your footsteps. Enjoy your adventure.