Cistercian Way

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Cistercian Way: A Complete Hiking Guide

Published 30 April 2025 Updated 5 June 2026

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HikeList Score

Cistercian Way scored 81/100 on HikeList's trail-quality metrics.

Very Good

See score breakdownHide breakdown

Ideal length 52
Balanced challenge 100
Scenery & wildness 69
Varied terrain 100
Accommodation 83
Food & support 94
Path quality 92
Season flexibility 89

Computed from length, challenge, scenery & wildness, terrain variety, accommodation, food & support, path quality and season flexibility.

The Cistercian Way is a 969 km circular pilgrimage route around Wales, linking all 16 medieval Cistercian houses plus the modern successor communities at Caldey and Whitland. Most walkers take 40-60 days. It is moderate rather than technically hard, but the length, self-arranged logistics and exposed upland sections make it a committing long-distance walk. It suits hikers who want a historic Welsh thru-hike mixing abbey ruins, mining valleys, coast, farmland, woodland, river valleys and the Cambrian Mountains.

Route Overview

The loop starts and finishes at Llantarnam Abbey, near Cwmbran/Newport, and is usually walked clockwise, though it can be joined anywhere. The route links Penrhys and the Rhondda, Neath Abbey, Margam Abbey, the Pembrokeshire coast, Whitland, Caldey, Strata Florida, Cymer Abbey near Dolgellau, Pumlumon in the Cambrian Mountains, Abbeycwmhir, Valle Crucis near Llangollen, Strata Marcella, St Asaph, Basingwerk Abbey, Conwy and Tintern Abbey in the Wye Valley. It is waymarked, has GPX files available, and is covered by 26 Ordnance Survey Explorer maps. Sections can be walked independently with returns by public transport. For shorter Welsh options, compare the Beacons Way, Anglesey Coastal Path or Aber Falls Walk.

History of the Cistercian Way

The Cistercian Way was first walked in May 1998 by the Society of St David and St Nicholas on its annual pilgrimage to Penrhys, marking the 900th anniversary of the founding of the Cistercian order in 1098. A team from the University of Wales, Newport then developed it into an official long-distance footpath. A small charity was later set up to clear, waymark and improve the route, which now links Wales’s medieval Cistercian abbeys with other religious, archaeological and historic sites.

Notable highlights

Tintern Abbey: The first Cistercian abbey in Wales, founded on 9 May 1131 beside the River Wye in Monmouthshire. Its riverside ruins are a major stop near the end of the circuit.
Strata Florida: A Ceredigion abbey founded in 1164 near Tregaron. It is associated with Welsh princes of Deheubarth, the poet Dafydd ap Gwilym and the chronicle Brut y Tywysogion.
Valle Crucis Abbey: Begun in 1201 near Llangollen in the “vale of the cross”. It is one of the best-preserved Cistercian churches in Wales and a key northern landmark on the route.
Penrhys and Our Lady of Penrhys: A hilltop shrine above the Rhondda and the most famous pilgrimage site in medieval Wales. The route follows the old 21-mile pilgrim way from Llantarnam, passing Ffynnon Fair, St Mary’s Well.
Pumlumon and the Cambrian Mountains: One of the “Five Holy Mountains” of Wales and the source area of five rivers, including the Severn and Wye. This is the wilder high mid-Wales section of the walk.
Neath Abbey: Substantial abbey ruins in the industrial south, once described as the largest abbey in Wales. It gives the route a strong contrast between medieval monastic history and former mining landscapes.

Challenges to expect

The main challenge is commitment: 969 km, 40-60 days and self-arranged accommodation rather than a hut system. Terrain changes constantly, with field paths, upland tracks, quiet lanes, woodland, coast and remote Cambrian Mountains sections. Waymarking and GPX files help, but you still need solid map skills across 26 OS Explorer sheets. Weather can make the upland and coastal stages tougher, especially outside late spring to early autumn.

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Ranked #411 of 974

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