Holiday Highlights
- The vibrant city of Newcastle upon Tyne
- Cycling through the least populated county in England
- Pease pudding and stotties
- Wide open countryside with sweeping views of ‘the land of far horizons’
- Listening to the Geordie lads and lasses in the pub
- Hadrian’s Wall, castles, forts, and hills galore!
Both days were absolutely fantastic. Unforgettable actually, particularly cycling above the mist on the Sunday morning. Just an overall big thank you to the whole team!
Itinerary
Following arrival at your city accommodation on the Friday, you will be shown where you can store your bike (if you are bringing your own) and to your room. Most people tend to arrive early evening, but if you do wish to arrive earlier in the day and get in a few extra miles on your own, then do let us know so we can allow for an early check-in.
In the evening we will be meeting as a group in a local pub, where over a drink and something to eat there will be an informal chat about the events of the weekend. For our weekends we use a selection of quality B&Bs and small guesthouses / hotels, which provide us with a great base and offer a warm welcome after a day in the saddle.
Tonight is a good opportunity to get to know your guides who represent Skedaddle’s enthusiastic and friendly attitude to road cycling as well as the other cyclists on your weekend.

- Meals: Breakfast, lunch
- Ascent: 1,200 Metres Approx.
After a good breakfast at your accommodation, the guides will discuss the route we will be taking from Newcastle to Rothbury and pointing out any areas of note. Our guides know the area intimately and will no doubt enthuse over the varying and challenging terrain you’ll be enjoying on your first day’s ride.
The day will commence at around 10:00am led by a minimum of 2 Skedaddle guides in order to be able to fully support the mix of abilities in the group. The group will be met at various points around the route by our support vehicle for snacks and hot and cold drinks, with lunch served mid-way through the route. Our signature lunches are buffet style picnics, with a selection of local produce put together by our guides (often their pride and joy!).
Following lunch we will continue along the route, arriving at your second night’s accommodation, in the small town of Rothbury, mid to late afternoon. The evening meal will be taken either at a local pub or restaurant. As many of our guides help out on a number of Skedaddle holidays, this is a great opportunity for those who fancy heading further afield on their bike to ask questions and get an accurate picture of the trips from someone who has been there and ridden the routes.

- Meals: Breakfast, lunch
- Ascent: 1,000 Metres Approx.
After another hearty breakfast to set you up for a day on your bike, we will discuss the route for the day. Today’s route will have us winding our way from Rothbury back to Newcastle whilst taking in some stunning descents and breathtaking climbs, including the Ryals (which features in the Beaumont Trophy & the Cyclone Festival of Cycling). The guides will go through other highlights you can expect during the day pointing out areas with particularly good scenery as well as sections of outstanding cycling.
This is supplemented throughout the day as we discuss the route ahead of us. We aim to be on the road by around 10:00am again led by members of the Skedaddle team. As with yesterday, the group is met at various points around the route by our support vehicle with a selection of tasty treats, with lunch served mid-way through the route.
Following lunch it is back on the bikes, returning to the start point in Newcastle around mid afternoon. Once back, it’s time for a final snack and drink, before taking a shower and heading home, with a few miles in the legs, great memories and hopefully plans for your next Skedaddle holiday!

Gallery
The Cycling
Terrain
Cycling out of Newcastle on a mix of roads and cycleways, we are soon on small country lanes and B roads, heading north towards rolling farmland. The further north we go, the higher and more open the surrounding landscape becomes as we approach the Cheviot Hills. There are some cheeky climbs and great descents as we skirt around the southern side of the Cheviots.
This is a very popular road cycling area, and it’s easy to see why, with its combination of quiet roads, very little traffic and beautiful scenery dotted with historical interest.
On day two, making our way south we head back towards more rolling farmland landscapes before reaching the outskirts of Newcastle and the picturesque ride back into the city centre to finish.

Road Cycling Grade
Average distances around 70-90 km with occasional challenging climbs
A moderately difficult tour somewhere slightly tougher than a Grade 2, but not as difficult as Grade 3
Some long days and significant climbs
Our grading guidelines have been carefully created based on our many years of cycling experience, as well as customer feedback from our trips. Of course, if you're still struggling to figure out where you fit on the scale, do feel free to give us a quick call and we'll be more than happy to help!
For more information about our grading system click here.
Is this suitable for you?
You’re reasonably fit and ride frequently at weekends, sometimes staying on the bike for a number of hours at a time. You do enjoy an occasional challenge and quite happy climbing but you‘re unlikely to be found daydreaming about ticking off all the famous cols of the Tour de France. That said the prospect of tackling a semi-serious to serious mountain pass doesn’t fill you with dread. You enjoy the social aspect of cycling and look forward to the occasional coffee-stop as much as the riding itself. You have good control of your bike and feel confident in your skills to ascend and descend safely. Whilst you find a full day in the saddle fulfilling, you’re not obsessed and as much as you are looking forward to the riding on your holiday, you’re also looking forward to a little local culture and cuisine. Grade 2-3 would be a good option for you.
This was our first holiday with Skeddadle and you have set the bar very high, the overall service was faultless from initial contact to waving goodbye at the end of the tour.
Dates & Prices

Private Departures
Are you keen to only travel with your family or friends? Struggling to find the right date? Well, we can organise a private departure for this tour and tailor aspects to suit your group's specific needs. Contact our friendly team and we'll help you turn your dream into reality.
Whats Included 
A) Accommodation (shared twin / double en suite rooms)
B) Meals as per the itinerary (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
C) Full tour service, including Skedaddle guides
D) Unless stated, at least one leader qualified in first aid
E) Support vehicle and luggage transfers
F) Transfer on scheduled arrival day from Newcastle Central train station
G) Transfer on scheduled departure day to Newcastle Central train station
What's not Included 
A) Bike hire (available if required)
B) Train tickets and charges for travelling with your bike (if applicable)
C) Meals not stated in the itinerary
D) Single room (available if required)
E) Travel insurance
F) Personal clothing and equipment
G) Personal expenditure (souvenirs, bar bills, hotel facilities etc)
H) Entrance fees to museums and other attractions en route
I) Transfers on days other than the scheduled arrival / departure days
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Reviews
Elaine, HampshireA real pleasure!Thank you for a fabulous weekend. For me, the cycling was a little challenging – but I do love a challenge! The guides were amazing, the scenery was fantastic, the sun shone (thank you for arranging that too) and I made it to the top of each climb and down to the bottom of each descent. I came wanting to gain a little more confidence on my bike, push myself a bit and ride somewhere different and it was 10/10 on all three points.
It was a real pleasure to ride with our guide. His welcoming and friendly manner made me feel like we were a group of friends out for a few days’ ride. At the same time, he took charge where needed and I felt fully safe riding with him, especially through Newcastle, where he led with aplomb. Our other guide has been on three of our trips with Skedaddle. He is confident and experienced and always great company and he has certainly encouraged me to believe in my cycling abilities. Finally our other guide was also an absolute delight to cycle with. He kept me going up the hills as I started to tire on Saturday, providing support and plenty of interesting conversation. It was lovely to meet and cycle with him.
Ray, HampshireFaultless!This was our first holiday with Skeddadle and you have set the bar very high, the overall service was faultless from initial contact to waving goodbye at the end of the tour.
From the minute we arrived we were warmly welcomed by David and the team. Information about what was coming up either during the evening or days was passed and updates shared at every opportunity. Nothing was too much trouble and you felt that all the necessary Health & Safety aspects were addressed in a very efficient and professional manner.
Although Matt, Francis and Rob were the guides they morphed into the group with such ease it seemed like they were giving everyone their attention whilst seamlessly navigating and controlling the group.
From first contact with Skeddadle via email and the subsequent phone calls, texts and follow up emails the preamble from all the office staff made you feel like you were the only people they were dealing with. Having now been on the holiday and understanding the amount of tours that the office staff deal with per year this amount of feedback for such a short break in our minds was excellent.
Jonathan, WiganAbsolutely fantastic!Both days were absolutely fantastic. Unforgettable actually, particularly cycling above the mist on the Sunday morning.
I thought the holiday was really, really good value for money.
Just an overall big thank you to the whole team, from the moment I booked until the moment I left on Sunday afternoon the service and experience were fantastic.
Lynn, BrightonSo supportive!Tim and Alan were both very supportive without being patronising when I fell behind on the hills. They made it a very cheerful event.