Ultimate Land’s End to John O’Groats – 2024

Itinerary:

Day 1 – Land’s End to Liskeard – 74 Miles

As anyone who has ever ridden LEJOG will tell you, the first few days are the toughest and, unless you plan to ride the suicidal A30, there is no avoiding the hills of Cornwall.  Our route does its best to balance traffic with hills and we follow our tried and tested ‘LEJOG Challenge’ route as far as Liskeard.

Day 2 – Liskeard to Exmouth – 60 miles

We start our day continuing to follow the LEGOG Challenge route but, on the top of Dartmoor, take a radically different route, descending off the moor to the east to meet the coast where a short ferry ride across the river takes us into Exmouth.

Day 3 – Exmouth to Weymouth – 62 Miles

We track the coast but avoid the very worst of the hills by staying inland of Seaton and Lyme Regis and by the time we reach Weymouth the going is becoming considerably flatter. 

Day 4 – Weymouth  to Southampton – 67 miles

We now follow the coast more closely, utilising a total of 3 small ferries to cross river mouths and keep the mileage down.  The 3rd and final ferry takes us into the heart of Southampton.

Day 5 – Southampton to Brighton – 67 Miles

This is a busy part of the world but we wriggle away between the coast and the New Forest , through Havant and Chichester before finishing in Brighton,

Day 6 – Brighton to Enfield Lock – 78 miles

A long day, partly due to the higher than average mileage but also because we must traverse London.  From Brighton we join a section of our long-running London to Paris route in reverse, climbing over Ditchling Beacon and sneaking past Gatwick Aiport before joining the ‘Wandle Trail’ cycle route all the way to Clapham Common.  Eventually we must join the main road network to cross the Thames at Chelsea Bridge before cutting through Hyde Park to join the Regents canal.  The remainder of our day is spent entirely on traffic free cycle paths beside the Regent’s Canal as far as the 2012 Olympic Park then the River Lea  all the way to Enfield Lock where the M25 marks the outer edge of the London spawl.

Day 7 – Enfield Lock to March – 63 miles

A further few miles beside the river and we emerge onto quiet country roads as we pass from Essex into Cambridgeshire.  By mile 35 our route has become completely flat as it passes through the centre of Cambridge utilising its outstanding cycle path network and we head into the flatlands known as The Fens.  Our overnight stop is in the small but bustling market town of March.

Day 8 – March to Lincoln – 72 miles

We continue across the rich farmlands of The Fens with scarcely a vehicle or undulation to impede us.  Passing  a few miles inland of The Wash we head for Lincoln, slipping into the city along the route of the River Witham.

Day 9 – Lincoln to York – 75 miles

A day bookended by two of Britain’s most historic cities!  Lincoln itself nestles between hills but, once clear of the city, the going is once again flat.  At mile 30 we briefly join the banks of the rivers Trent and Ouse, returning to the Ouse on our final approach to York.

Day 10 – Rest Day in York

A well deserved day off provides an opportunity to rest the legs and catch up on chores, but you will certainly want to see some of the sights.  Local tourist offices can provide details of all that there is to see and do.

Day 11 – York to Hartlepool – 64 Miles

Leaving York we head across the North Yorks Moor National Park, crossing the River Tees in Middlesborough using the splendid Transporter bridge, to finish in Hartlepool.

Day 12 – Hartlepool to Ashington – 62 Miles

Our last full day in England.  A mix of rail trails and quiet urban roads carry us into Sunderland where we cross the River Wear and join the coast road bypassing Newcastle, often on a seafront cycle path.  Any day on a bike is brightened by a sea voyage so we cross the River Tyne using the South Shields to North Shields pedestrian ferry.  We are now following the ‘Coast and Castles’ cycle route, a 200 mile stretch of the 3,700 mile North Sea Cycle Route.  As the name implies, our route passes countless castles of all vintages and in all states of repair. 

Day 13 – Ashington to Coldstream  – 70 Miles

We continue along the east coast before bearing west to cross the River Tweed into Scotland.  We follow the river to our overnight stop in the small village of Coldstream (Home of the Coldstream Guards!).

Day 14 – Coldstream to Edinburgh  – 70 Miles

For most of the day we continue to follow the River Tweed, one of the great salmon fishing rivers of Scotland.  In Innerleighten we leave the river and head north for Edinburgh, stopping for the night on the south eastern approaches to the city.

Day 15 Edinburgh to Dunkeld – 68 Miles

Our route into Scotland’s capital is on a mix of cycle paths and minor roads, finally passing through Hollyrood Park (Hollyrood House is the seat of Scottish Government)  and out of the city beside the Firth of Forth.  We cross the iconic Forth Bridge in the safety of the cycle path and track the M90 north as far as Perth.  From here to Inverness we follow an outstanding cycle route that mixes dedicated cycle paths with sections of the old (and mostly unused) A9.  We stop for the night in Dunkeld.

Day 16 – Dunkeld to Aviemore – 70 miles

Our route is predominantly traffic free and with some outstanding views, despite rarely being more than a mile from the modern, and very busy, A9.  We are heading for Aviemore, a winter ski resort in the foothills of the Cairngorns.

Day 17 – Aviemore to Alness – 65 Miles

Our cycle route carries us to the outskirts of Inverness, a small city which poses few problems for a touring cyclist.  We quickly leave the city west along the Beauly Firth before returning east along the Cromarty Firth to Alness. 

Day 18 – Alness to Tongue  – 67 Miles

We now join our traditional ‘scenic’ LEJOG route, tracking through the central highlands, passing the wonderful Crask Inn and continuing on to join the north coast in Tongue, our overnight destination.

Day 19 – Tongue to John O’Groats – 63 Miles

We continue along the picture postcard north coast, rising and falling by 300-500 feet until we reach Thurso where the terrain flattens out for the last 20 miles to the famous community of John O’Groats.

Tour Price includes: 

Hotel/B&B accommodation

Breakfast

Vehicle support

Services of leader/mechanic

Local transfers

Route information

Tour Price does not include: 

Lunches or evening meals

Any snacks or drinks required during the day

Transport to/from Land’s End/Inverness

The cost of any ferries or optional excursions, entrance fees etc.

holiday details:

The Tour: This is a fully supported holiday with a tour leader (who cycles with the group to ensure nobody is left behind) and vehicle support to carry all the luggage and provide additional assistance if necessary.  The daily mileage is between 60 and 75 miles a day with one rest day.

Accommodation & Food: This holiday uses B&B/Hotel accommodation.  Accommodation is generally graded 2-3* or similar and we usually book en-suite rooms if possible but this cannot be guaranteed. Single people travelling alone will be booked into a twin bedded room with another single person of the same sex – unless you have paid the price for a single room (please note that there are only a limited number of single rooms available on this holiday). Breakfast will be provided at the accommodation each morning. Evening meals are available in-house or at nearby pubs or restaurants.

Start: The ride starts in Land’s End and accommodation nearby for the night before the start is included in the holiday price.  Transfer from Penzance Station to the hotel is included.

Finish: The ride finishes in John O’Groats  and the holiday price includes accommodation there on Day 19. Transfer from the Hotel to Inverness Airport or Station next morning is included.

Cycle Transport: If required we offer a cycle transport service to return your bike from Inverness to anywhere in the UK (additional fee payable), to save you the hassle of getting your bike home by train or plane. Using a courier service we can also have your bike transported to Land’s End.

Documents: Insurance is optional for this holiday for UK residents. Participants from outside the UK must have suitable travel insurance.

Bikes: All types of cycle are suitable for the trip. The most important thing is that your bike functions properly and that you are comfortable riding it. However you should make sure that it has suitable gears as there are some very steep hills on parts of the route.