Hexham: Hadrian's Wall Private Tour with Pickup

Hadrian's Wall climbing a green hillside beside the Hadrian's Wall Path

The excavated fort platform at Vindolanda seen across the Northumberland hills

The Whin Sill crags and a lough on the central section of Hadrian's Wall

A Northumberland blackface sheep standing on a drystone wall above the Wall country

A drystone wall and reed-fringed lough in Northumberland National Park

About This Experience

The most practical answer to the hardest problem on this frontier: reaching the Wall without a car. This private tour collects you from your hotel, B&B or Hexham railway station and returns you there, which no scheduled Wall tour does.

Group size is capped at four, so it runs in a car rather than a coach and the itinerary bends to what you actually want. Both the half-day and full-day options include Vindolanda, the excavated garrison town whose waterlogged ground preserved Roman leather, textiles and the writing tablets that record everyday correspondence, plus guided stops at two points on the Wall itself.

The full-day option adds the Roman Army Museum and its award-winning 3D film, which reconstructs the frontier as the garrison would have known it. At Vindolanda you may also see active excavation — the dig has run for decades and still turns up new material each season.

The price is charged per group rather than per person, so for two or more travellers it compares far better against the per-seat coach tours than the headline figure suggests. Site admissions are paid at each gate.

Highlights

Door-to-door pickup from your Hexham hotel, B&B or the railway station
Private group of no more than four, in a car rather than a coach
Vindolanda's excavated fort, museum and ongoing archaeological dig
The Roman Army Museum and its 3D film on the full-day option
Guided stops at two separate points on the Wall, with a flexible itinerary

What's Included

✓ Private tour of Hadrian's Wall
✓ Transport from and back to your pickup point
✓ Guided tour of the Vindolanda archaeological site
✓ Guided tour of the Roman Army Museum (full-day option only)
✓ Guided stops at a minimum of two places on the Wall
✓ Commentary on Roman Britain throughout

Not Included

Entry ticket to Vindolanda, paid on arrival
Entry ticket to the Roman Army Museum, paid on arrival
Food and drinks

What to Bring

Comfortable walking shoes
Weather-appropriate clothing
A camera
Money for site admissions, paid at each gate

Good to Know & Caveats

Maximum group size is four
Pickup is available from Hexham railway station, which makes this workable without a car
The full day runs 7 to 8 hours; the half day runs about 4
The tour involves some walking on uneven ground
There is a good cafe at Vindolanda, and the Twice Brewed inn is nearby for lunch

Not Suitable For

People with mobility impairments
Wheelchair users

Meeting Point

Pickup from your hotel or B&B, or from Hexham railway station

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I visit Hadrian's Wall without a car?

This is the tour that makes it work. Pickup from Hexham railway station means you can take the train to Hexham and be collected there, with no further transport of your own. Most other Wall tours meet on site at Cawfields and assume you drove.

Is the price per person or per group?

Per group, up to four people. For two travellers that halves the effective cost and for four it quarters it, which changes the comparison against the per-seat Edinburgh coach tours entirely.

What is the difference between the half-day and full-day options?

Both include Vindolanda and two stops on the Wall. The full day adds the Roman Army Museum with its 3D film and runs 7 to 8 hours instead of 4. If Roman Britain is the reason for the trip, take the full day.

Are museum tickets included?

No. Vindolanda and the Roman Army Museum are both paid on entry. The fare covers the vehicle, the guide and the guiding inside each site.