How Many Days Do You Need to Walk the Norfolk Coast Path?

If you're walking the Norfolk Coast Path from Hunstanton to Cromer, allow between four and six walking days. Four days suits regular walkers comfortable with longer daily distances, five days gives a good balance, while six days gives you shorter walking days and more time along the way.

If you want to continue beyond Cromer and follow the Norfolk coast towards Hopton-on-Sea, allow around seven to eight walking days.

But there isn't one "correct" number of days.

The best itinerary is the one that suits the distance you enjoy walking each day – and leaves you enough time to enjoy where you are.

Norfolk Coast Path walking days at a glance

The first decision, therefore, isn't really how many days you need.

It's where you want to finish.

Hunstanton to Cromer or continue to Hopton?

Many walkers choose to walk from Hunstanton to Cromer, a distance of roughly 46 miles.

It works extremely well as a walking holiday in its own right. You experience the salt marshes and villages of North Norfolk, walk through some wonderful coastal landscapes and finish in Cromer, which feels like a natural destination.

But the Norfolk Coast Path doesn't finish at Cromer.

You can continue eastwards around the Norfolk coastline towards Hopton-on-Sea, close to the Suffolk border.

This makes for a considerably longer walk and the character of the coastline changes beyond Cromer.

So before deciding between four, five, six, seven or eight days, decide whether you want to experience the North Norfolk section or make a longer journey around the Norfolk coast.

Take a look at the Norfolk Coast Path walking holiday options

Walking from Hunstanton to Cromer in 4 days

If you're a regular walker and comfortable walking around 10–13 miles a day, the four-day itinerary is perfectly achievable.

The approximate daily distances are:

• Day 1 – 10 miles
• Day 2 – 12.5 miles
• Day 3 – 10 miles
• Day 4 – 13 miles

There are two longer days, so I'd choose this option if those distances are already fairly normal for you.

It also suits walkers who enjoy making steady progress. If the walking itself is the main point of the day and you don't mind arriving later in the afternoon, four days works well.

What you have less of is spare time.

There are plenty of places where you might decide you'd like to stop – whether that's for lunch, to explore a village, watch wildlife or simply sit down and enjoy the view.

Four days is best if: you're accustomed to consecutive 10–13 mile days and covering the distance is an important part of the enjoyment for you.

4-day Norfolk Coast Path holiday

Walking from Hunstanton to Cromer in 5 days

For many walkers, five days is a very good middle ground.

The approximate daily distances are:

• Day 1 – 10 miles
• Day 2 – 12.5 miles
• Day 3 – 8 miles
• Day 4 – 7.5 miles
• Day 5 – 7.5 miles

You still get the satisfaction of a couple of decent walking days, but the later stages are shorter.

Those shorter days give you more freedom to stop.

You don't have to worry quite so much about whether an extra half hour over lunch will leave you rushing later, and there's more time to enjoy the places you're passing through.

If you're a regular walker but want the holiday to be about more than covering mileage, this is the itinerary I'd look at first.

Five days is best if: you want a good balance between a proper day's walking and having time to enjoy the coast.

5-day Norfolk Coast Path holiday

Walking from Hunstanton to Cromer in 6 days

The six-day itinerary brings most of the daily distances below ten miles.

Approximate distances are:

• Day 1 – 10 miles
• Day 2 – 8 miles
• Day 3 – 8.7 miles
• Day 4 – 7.5 miles
• Day 5 – 7.5 miles
• Day 6 – 7.5 miles

I'd consider this option if you simply enjoy shorter walking days or if having plenty of time along the way is part of what you want from the holiday.

It's also worth considering for a first multi-day walking holiday.

You're still completing exactly the same journey from Hunstanton to Cromer. You're just dividing it differently.

Six days is best if: you'd prefer your walking days around the 7–10 mile mark and don't feel any particular need to cover the route quickly.

6-day Norfolk Coast Path holiday

walk the full Norfolk Coast Path

If your aim is to continue beyond Cromer towards Hopton-on-Sea, our longer itineraries take seven or eight walking days.

A seven-day itinerary means some longer stages, while eight days spreads the distance more comfortably.

This isn't simply the Hunstanton-to-Cromer holiday with a few extra days added to it. The coastline changes as you head east of Cromer and it feels like a longer journey.

If completing the longer Norfolk coastal route appeals to you, I'd choose between seven and eight days using exactly the same principle as the shorter itineraries: think about the distance you enjoy walking, not simply the maximum you're capable of.

7-day Norfolk Coast Path holiday

8-day Norfolk Coast Path holiday

Why the mileage doesn't tell you everything

Norfolk is relatively flat, which undoubtedly helps.

But I'd be wary of looking at an eight-mile day on a mileage chart and assuming it will feel the same as every other eight-mile walk you've done.

The surface matters.

There are stretches of good path, but you'll also encounter sand and shingle. Walking over loose shingle takes more effort than walking the same distance on a firm track.

The Norfolk coast is also exposed. On a windy day, particularly if the wind isn't behind you, the weather can have quite an effect on how a day's walking feels.

And then there's the simple fact that you're walking again tomorrow.

How Difficult is the Norfolk Coast Path?

Remember that you're on holiday

This sounds obvious, but I think it's easily forgotten when choosing an itinerary.

If you regularly walk 12 miles at home, it's tempting to pick the itinerary that most closely matches that distance.

But at home you may not stop in Wells-next-the-Sea for lunch for example.

You might not suddenly decide to spend twenty minutes watching seals or birds.

You probably are not passing through a Norfolk village you've never visited before and deciding you'd quite like to have a look around.

There is nothing wrong with choosing longer walking days – lots of people prefer them.

Just make sure you're choosing them because that's how you enjoy walking, rather than because you feel you ought to cover a certain number of miles.

If this is your first multi-day walking holiday

I'd generally err on the side of giving yourself a little more time.

The difference with a walking holiday isn't necessarily the individual day's distance. It's getting up the next morning and walking again.

And then doing it again the following day.

You don't need to be an exceptionally experienced walker to enjoy the Norfolk Coast Path, but sensible daily distances make a considerable difference.

Your First Long-Distance Walking Holiday: What to Expect

So which Norfolk Coast Path itinerary should you choose?

For Hunstanton to Cromer:

• Choose 4 days if you're a regular walker and comfortable with consecutive days of up to around 13 miles.
• Choose 5 days if you want a balance between good walking days and time to enjoy where you are.
• Choose 6 days if you prefer shorter daily distances or want a more leisurely holiday.

For the longer journey towards Hopton-on-Sea:

• choose 7 days if you're happy with longer stages or 
• 8 days if you'd prefer the distance spread more comfortably.

There isn't a prize for reaching Cromer – or Hopton – a day earlier.

I'd much rather you arrived at your accommodation each afternoon still enjoying the walk and looking forward to doing it all again tomorrow.

You can see all the different routes and itineraries on our Norfolk Coast Path walking holidays page.

Or, if you're still deciding whether the Coast Path is the right trail for you, read Which Norfolk Walking Holiday Should I Choose?

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