Hadrian’s Wall Roman History and Walking Tour

Guides like the one we had for our Hadrian's Wall Day tour are the reason why the money spent on a guided experience is well worth the investment. Yes, we could have walked the wall, seen Vindolanda, stopped at the fort and read the posted signs but Hadrian's Wall came alive with the knowledge and experience that Alex has. When we had questions he had the answers - no waiting for Siri to tell us! It was all we hoped it would be. Start to finish it was a 5 star experience.

This day tour with Alex was one of the highlights of our trip. We spent four days in total with Alex and this was incredible. He was flexible and slightly changed the schedule to accommodate a physical limitation of someone in our group. He put together a fantastic day for us. Vindolanda was a true gem. Without Alex they would have just been stones on the ground. He brought it to life and taught us so much we didn't know about the Roman period in Britain. Highly recommended!!

Alexander is a fantastic tour guide. On short notice, Alexander scheduled a tour and hike of Hadrian's Wall. Although the weather was cold and rainy for our two mile hike next to the wall, Alexander was enthusiastic, polite, and upbeat throughout. We took photos next to the wall and the tree where Robin Hood was filmed. We also toured the two Roman forts, but the highlight was Alexander sharing his knowledge of Roman military history while we drank beer next to the fire at the Twice Brewed Pub. If you want a tour from the quintessential English gentleman, then hire Alexander.

All three of us spent a whole day walking Hadrian’s wall. Alex was very informative and we found him very professional from beginning to the end. He really made the experience come to life. Next time we visit Northumberland we will go straight to Alex for the Newcastle History Tour. Highly recommend him! Thanks Alex!

This all-day tour with Alex was without a doubt one of the highlights of our visit to the UK and an experience we will never forget. Alex is a veritable fountain of knowledge about Roman and British history and was a thoughtful and considerate guide. The walk through pastures along Hadrian's Wall was both incredibly beautiful and a fantastic way to obtain a greater understanding of the history of the wall and Roman history in Britain. The landscape we hiked through was simply breathtaking. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone interested in Roman or British history, archaeology, and/or who enjoys hiking and physical activity. We had children aged 4, 8, and 10 and a senior aged 78 and the walk was about 7 kilometers and has terrain that goes up and down hills in several parts. The walk probably would take about 2-2.5 hours for an active adult or teen, but understandably took longer for our group. This was fine as we could savor the experience and walk at our own pace. Alex anticipated issues that might arise relating to physical safety and was always on the lookout for us, and he was so patient with the slower pace given our group needs. Despite this, he managed to get it all in the tour, with a slightly shorter visit to one of the Roman forts. Alex's driver, Bert, was just the best. He took care of our other senior who couldn't do the hike along the wall, escorted her to the Roman Fort for an easier visit, and zipped us all to the port in time to make our ship's departure from Newcastle. One suggestion is to wear good shoes for walking, but with treads that are not so grooved so as to retain the cow and sheep droppings that are pretty much everywhere and unavoidable during the walk! We encountered many Brits with their dogs walking the trail and that also made the experience special as we felt we were experiencing part of the local traditions and activities rather than merely being on a touristy day trip.

The day tour was beyond excellent.  Not only did Alex bring Hadrian’s Wall to life (especially Housesteads and Vindolanda and the rest of the Wall we visited with him), but also his enthusiasm,  knowledge and readiness to discuss and debate it all in an open manner (not showing up our ignorance), while accommodating and helping disabled me where he could, was all second to none. Can't recommend him and his guidance highly enough.