Weekend adventure package with YHA
Adventure planning with the family can be hard; where do we go? What do we do? Will the kids enjoy it… (or get bored and moan!?)
To make life easier, we’ve created the perfect weekend adventure package. The kids can run wild having fun, the adults can join in… and then have some time to relax with a book and a glass of wine.
Weekend Adventure Package:
Where: YHA Wye Valley, Ross-on-Wye
What to do: river walk, wild swim/paddle, den-building, aerobie, sunset on the beach or BBQ, biking and/or canoeing
Other activities: paddleboarding, Go Ape, Goodrich Castle, Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail
What’s on the menu: Evening meal at YHA (kids eats for £1), breakfast at YHA, picnic lunches and easy sunset BBQ
What do we need to bring? 1. A sense of adventure! 2. Kit list below.
YHA Wye Valley
YHA Wye Valley is the perfect base for this family weekend adventure.
Location: hidden away on the banks of the River Wye, close to Goodrich, Symonds Yat and Ross-on-Wye.
Accommodation: ticks all the boxes; affordable, super-comfy and ideal for families.
What you’ll find there;
- Private rooms which are great for families
- Food and drink available onsite (kids eat for £1)
- Self-catering kitchen
- Lounge and games room
- Drying room (in case of wet weather)
- BBQs and outdoor picnic area
- Parking onsite
- Lots and lots of space for kids to run wild
- Camping/glamping options also available
WHAT’S ON?
Go Wild Go West Adventure Weekend:
FRIDAY
Arrive at YHA Wye Valley. Settle in, explore, play, relax.
We played a game of ‘extreme’ aerobie (catch it with your legs and head!) and it wasn’t long before other kids came to join in and our boys had made a gaggle of new friends. After dinner, we played games in the lounge before settling down for the night.
Friday meal: Eat with YHA
YHA Wye Valley have a great menu to choose from for adults and kids. Even better, kids staying at the hostel eat for just £1!
SATURDAY
Breakfast:
Option 1 -Delicious cooked breakfast at YHA Wye Valley
Option 2 – Bring your own brekkie to make in the self-catering kitchen
Saturday morning
River-walk adventure
The River Wye is brilliant for exploring. There are two itineraries for your river adventure depending on how far you want to go. Pack a picnic to take with you.
1) Rope Swing River Adventure
Distance: 6 miles
Time: 4.5 hours with rope swing, swims and picnic
OS route link here
This brilliant route had enough fun along the way to keep the kids entertained;
– Amazing views and trig point to play on at Coppett Hill
– Play on the rope swing and flop into the water at Kerne Bridge (beware of current)
– Look for ducks, swans and kingfishers along the Wye
– Watch the canoeists and paddleboarders over the rapids
– Scramble on giant rocks for a picnic
– Find the secret beach near the hostel
– play floor is larva and make assault courses along the fallen tree logs
2) Lower-Lybrook Ice Cream Quest
Distance: 2.2 miles
Time: 2 hours with ice cream stop
OS route link here
A shorter route for little legs;
Walk along the river path
Cross stowfield bridge (a former railway bridge)
Head into Lower Lydbrook for an ice cream from Café Vanille and/or a pint at the pub
Paddle in the Wye from Lower Lydbrook
Saturday afternoon
Relax at YHA Wye Valley
Lots to do in the afternoon at the hostel;
– Swim/paddle from the canoe launch
– Send the kids off the build dens and set an ambush in the woods behind YHA Wye Valley whilst you sit in the sunshine and read a book
Saturday evening
Sunset, sand castles and supper on the beach
There’s a beautiful, sandy beach 500 meters upstream from the hostel. It’s the perfect spot to build sand castles and watch the sunset. We decided to cook our supper on the beach too.
We took a mini camping stove and frying pan to make a super simple meal of flat breads with campfire peppers, falafel and humous on the beach. Deeeelicious! Find out more here.
The kids then met their new friends to play ball games in the field whilst we relaxed with a glass of wine and a beautiful view at dusk.
As an alternative, the hostel has BBQs onsite that you can use or keep it simple and order food from the YHA menu again.
SUNDAY
Breakfast options as above.
Family biking
Pack up and leave YHA Wye Valley and head to Cannop Cycle Centre in the Forest of Dean for a day exploring the family and off-road trails. This is our favourite place to cycle as a family and there are routes and trails for all abilities. Find out more here.
Bike hire available on site.
Family Canoeing
This stretch of the Wye is perfect for canoeing with kids. Paddle downstream and enjoy the views from water level. There are a few rapids for extra excitement. Canoe hire available from Kerne Bridge or plenty in Symonds Yat
Other weekend activity ideas:
- Paddleboard on the Wye
- Visit Goodrich Castle
- Test your nerves at Go Ape
- Amble through the woods on the beautiful Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail
Kit list:
- Backpack for picnic and swimmers
- Good walking shoes
- Suncream and waterproofs – you never know what to expect from British weather
- Swimmers
- Picnic (can be kept in the YHA Wye Valley fridges in the self-catering kitchen)
- Gas cooker and lighter
- Frying pan
- Flatbreads with campfire peppers
- Aerobie
Sign me up for a weekend of adventure!
*This is a self-guided adventure weekend itinerary. YHA Wye Valley is open year round.
Thanks to the YHA Wye Valley team for welcoming us for the weekend. Affiliate links in use.
Need help? Ask us a question here.
