Buy a Festival Pass
You can choose your Pass to maximise your time in Dorset. Whether you are just coming for one day of walks, want to do one challenging walk or fill your week with great walks & workshops, simply choose a pass for that day and you will gain access to the activities as soon as they go live.
Once you have bought your Pass, we will send notification when you can start book your walks & workshops which you can read about below
Check out the schedule as we add the walks and workshops.
Walks this year include some of the best in Dorset as well as Purbeck – themed walks, half day walks, smugglers routes, wildlife walks, history walks and connecting with nature workshops. Explore cider farms, Tudor houses, secret gardens, cliff tops and everything that walking in Dorset can provide!
You can choose up to three walks per day. You may want an all day walk or prefer to to do some of the shorter walks & workshops. It’s entirely up to you.
There are walks for all levels
The WALX HQ festival team are busy planning new walks and workshops for 2024 but you can rest assured that all of the most popular iconic favourites will be made available on each of the days to give everybody a chance to experience the best
Our iconic walks
Choose from a variety of walks each day
Walks this year include some of the best in Dorset and off the tourist trail – themed walks, half day walks, smugglers routes, wildlife walks, history walks and more! Explore cider farms, Ancient holloways, Hill Forts, Thomas hardy routes, beach and cliff tops plus secret gardens and everything that walking in Dorset can provide!
You can choose up to 3 walks per day and we venture across Dorset with a gentle or more vigorous option in each area and on each day. You may want an all day walk or prefer to to do some of the shorter walks. If you join us for all 4 days we will help you plan an amazing experience at the right level for YOU!
Note - Priority Booking. The earlier you buy the pass the sooner you will be invited to select your favourite walks and workshops!
Festival Passes
Come and Try, Learn, improve and enjoy!
Workshops are a great way to find out how walking can provides results at all levels. Get a feel for the WALX way of mixing walking with fitness, health and fun!
Workshops and Presentations
Choose from daily practical and educational sessions.
The WALX expert team, Instructors from around the UK and our guest partners are all on hand to deliver workshops on SATURDAY 20th Sept. – We will have a WALX discovery session for those curious about what we get up to around the UK and specific sessions for current instructors, rehabilitation specialists and anyone who wants to get more out of walking!! Come and try walking well workshops, foraging, pole walking, walking for rehabilitation, stretching workshops and yoga to name but a few!
The HUB is the centre of festival fun.
Its a great place to meet up with others, browse and enjoy the hot supper & music on Saturday
Come and enjoy the fun
Visit our shop and join us for a boogie!
We now have a retail store and walking HUB in Wareham where the HQ team are on hand to showcase our products and deal with any festival enquiries. With great transport links it’s pretty much on the way to most of the walks and central to the area too. On Friday – we will arrange a meet up at an iconic Purbeck Pub – pop in or book a table and stay for lovely food as you meet others from around the UK (Dining alone? Join the host table )For the Saturday night party we have a supper party with our usual popular band. Those with a Saturday pass get to access everything, including the party and will see options for food in their booking profiles. Festival T shirts can be pre ordered for collection at the WALX shop too.
Book the toughest walk of the week!
Enjoy a brilliant day of walking in the best scenery ever which does not hold back on hills, steps and wilderness paths. Check in with HQ at the end and get your name on the challenge leaderboard ( plus a treat or two)
Challenge yourself!
The 16 Mile Purbeck Challenges
Join us for our ultimate challenge hike walk on the Saturday 19th – a circular led walk which covers the toughest hills around a 15 mile route with the best views in Dorset.
This year the walk is not supported by marshalls or signage but we do provide a route and tracking so you can go at your own pace with support from HQ. The event is not all about speed or racing so feel free to take part as a group or to go it alone and follow the route at your own leisurely pace. Whether you do it for charity or just as a great day out – you will see the best scenery ever and feel a great sense of achievement as you celebrate at the end and earn the right to wear the WALX Challenge T shirt !
Local info and Partners
Local Info
There is plenty of accommodation locally from campsites and shepherd huts to luxury Hotels on the Beach. The HQ team will be based at our store in WAREHAM but walks are all over Dorset this year so choose accommodation from Wareham, Swanage and Bere Regis area to be close to main road links.
Partners
Our Partners include RSPB Arne, The Blue Pool, Forestry England, Dorset Cider, Wareham Town Council and a range of amazing local organisations and businesses.
From farms, attractions and tea shops to country parks and foragers – we all work together to promote the area we love!
The Team
The Festival is run by the WALX HQ Team and a band of amazing volunteer HOSTs. Mainly from the local WALX Dorset group but also other groups across the UK, they lead walks, answer questions, backmark and SMILE a lot!
The WALX festival is an annual event organised by the WALX HQ team and WALX Dorset
View the WALX DORSET Group PageRead what people say about our events………
Festival is highlight of my year
Thank you for another wonderful Dorset walking festival. All the hard work you put in to organising it is really appreciated.I am looking forward to 2026’s festival already, it will be my 8th one, and is one of the highlights of my year!
Festival exceeded my expectations
I just wanted to say I thoroughly enjoyed the festival , as did my old school friend who now lives in France. It exceeded my expectations as the walks were so much fun and everyone so friendly and welcoming . The workshops were also informative and the silent disco good fun. As I attended as an individual with my friend I did not expect to be welcomed so warmly . The social event at the golf club was a great success . I felt very invigorated by the weekend and and only wish there were more local walks by me ( South Birmingham). Thank you to all the great WALX walk leaders who shared their knowledge of beautiful Dorset . I do hope to join the festival again
Best Supper party so far!
Thank you for another amazing festival in 2025- we all thoroughly enjoyed our walks and we thought the Saturday venue, food and location was the best so far.