Hike to Atlantic Grey Seals – Britain's Wildlife Safari

On this day hike, we'll walk along the top of the sand dunes and enjoy stunning panoramic views across the North Sea. On our way, we'll pass the much-loved grey seal colony at Horsey Beach, which draws thousands of visitors each year, particularly between November and March, when the seals come ashore to breed. There are literally hundreds and hundreds of seals and their pups stretching for as far as the eye can see!

The whole walk is in the Broads National Park – one of fifteen national parks in the UK. You'll discover its iconic windmills, navigable waterways and broads (man-made, shallow lakes). With over 125 miles of lock-free waterways, the Norfolk Broads have more miles of waterway than Venice or Amsterdam, and are an extremely popular boating holiday destination! Locals like to call the Broads “the Venice of the East”.

💪 This walk is suitable for all abilities – it is almost entirely flat and done at a very gentle pace to allow us enjoy the nature and take plenty of pictures.

HIKE HIGHLIGHTS

• Watch seals and their young from a close distance at Horsey Gap, home to one of the biggest colonies of grey seals in Britain.
• Take a gentle stroll over the vast open expanse of the golden sand dunes of Winterton Beach – a Nature Reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest. The area is a veritable haven for birds and all kinds of wildlife and is widely regarded as having the best sand dunes in Norfolk.

• See the spectacular Horsey Windpump – the youngest and largest windpump in the Norfolk Broads. It was built in 1912 to pump water out from the surrounding land so that it could be used for farming.
• Discover Horsey Mere, often regarded as one of the most beautiful of the northern broads and famous for its internationally important wildlife.
• Walk the newly opened stretch of the England Coast Path – a new National Trail around all of England's coast, which once completed will be the longest coastal walking route in the world (4,500 kilometres in length!).

DISTANCE & DIFFICULTY

• Distance: 6 miles (10km).
• Ascent: 50m.
• Difficulty: Easy.

ITINERARY

07:45 Meet outside ibis London City – Shoreditch Hotel, 5 Commercial St, E1 6BF (near Aldgate East Station)

08:00 Sharp departure

11:15 Horsey Windpump to Hemsby hike via Winterton-on-Sea for a lunch stop

16:30 Departure

19:30 London, next to Bow Road Underground Station

TRANSPORT

As on most of our trips, we'll travel in a comfortable 16-seater minibus.

SAFETY

This hike is led by an experienced, Outdoor First Aid qualified hike leader.

THE PRICE OF £78 INCLUDES

• Transport throughout the trip
• Experienced, professional PSV minibus driver
• Guiding on all hiking routes by an experienced and qualified Mountain Leader
• Professional event organisation
• Group first aid kit with qualified first aiders
• Admin fee
• 20% VAT

THE PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE

• Personal insurance (for cancellation, accident, health, emergency evacuation and loss, theft of or damage to baggage and personal effects, and personal trekking insurance)

HOW TO CONTACT US

For all enquiries, please email us at [email protected] We'll usually get back to you within 4 hours.

WHAT TO BRING

• Suitable hiking shoes with ankle support
• Waterproof and windproof jacket and trousers or a poncho (if there is a chance of rain)
• Gloves/hat/cap
• Water (min 1L)
• Packed lunch

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