Cycle The Wolf Way around Suffolk

At Cycle Breaks, we’ve been organising bike tours for leisure cyclists around Suffolk since 1991. In 2025, we’re delighted to extend our offer in East Anglia to support dedicated, faster-paced cyclists with on- and off- road experience, who may prefer more of a DIY approach to an accessible, multi-day ride like The Wolf Way.

Of course, Cycle Breaks offer fully organised Wolf Way packages too – ideal for those wanting to rise to the challenge of a longer distance self-guided adventure, at their own pace and with the minimum of hassle. What’s more, we’ve also developed a handy range of bike hire, bag transfer and mechanical support service options, so however independent your Wolf Way plans, Cycle Breaks can help make it an even easier ride.  

So what’s with the wolf?
It’s genuinely a Suffolk thing, and connects with the story of St Edmund, Anglo-Saxon King of East Anglia and one-time patron saint of England.

Martyred and decapitated at the hands of the invading Danes around 869 AD, legend has it that a wolf safeguarded Edmunds’ severed head.

The head retained the power of speech, miraculously fused back with its body, and then more miracles followed. Edmund’s shrine was established by monks at Beodricsworth, now Bury St Edmunds (obvious now isn’t it?!). The mighty abbey was a major centre of pilgrimage until its destruction during the Reformation.   

A 250 mile cycling adventure

The Cycle Breaks Wolf Way route uses our in depth local knowledge of little lanes and great places to visit alongside the original Wolf Way, set up by cycling adventure enthusiasts, Chris Bower and Sharon Calton in support of the charity, Cycling UK. The mapped route is only intended as a guide, designed to support our fully organised Wolf Way cycle tour packages. It can be amended and refined to include other local destinations in the Southern Broads, inland Suffolk or along the Suffolk Heritage Coast.           

Highlights along The Wolf Way

The Cycle Breaks Wolf Way route not only joins all the Edmund dots as you spin around the county, but showcases Suffolk’s glorious country lanes and wonderfully historic coastline too. Discover the dragon on the hillside near the site where Edmund was reputedly crowned king at Bures. See where he was shot through with arrows at Hoxne, cycle over the bridge where the wolf guarding Edmund’s head once cowered and wander through the ruined abbey at Bury St Edmunds.

The Wolf Way is full of reminders of Suffolk’s great medieval wool trade wealth. Spot stunning landscapes which have inspired artists for generations, and enjoy a heritage coastline where fishermen still sell their catch on the beach by their boats; Adnams brew their famous Southwold ales; Napoleonic Martello Towers interrupt the skyline, and elegant seaside resorts colour the coast beautiful with terraced gardens and whimsical architecture. 

What we can offer

Suffolk’s gentle, picturesque terrain and fab mix of coast and countryside makes it fantastic cycling country for all. We’ve put together a few taster packages, just to oil the wheels and get your cogs whirring if you are considering a longer distance cycling holiday adventure. These clockwise tours are just a start point – at Cycle Breaks we are very flexible and appreciate that you may already be fired up with ideas of your own … or just looking for a truly knowledgeable team to take the organising lead in making it happen.

It is worth noting that Cycling UK promote the Wolf Way written in an anti-clockwise direction. Although Cycle Breaks can support that direction of travel, riding the route clockwise with us is more cost-effective, as it fits with our standard luggage runs.

Please scroll down for a table of proposed cycle stage distances and overnights, and start points for arriving by own vehicle or public transport.   

The Wolf Pack

The complete package available to all from solo travellers to groups including: accommodation, bike hire, luggage transfer, navigation files and equipment; all the visitor info you need on an app; plus mechanical assistance on call. Zero hassle – simply talk us through your requirements – leave everything to us – get yourself to the start point… and off you go with confidence!

The Stealth Pack

All the above, but without the bike hire… Because we’re cyclists too and know that sometimes only own bikes will do!  We also know they are very special things, so our cyclist friendly accommodation is all tried and tested, with proper storage facilities – and our suggested coffee stops usually let you keep your bike in view too! 

The Travel Light (Luggage Transfer) Pack

Booking your own accommodation, but would love a door-to-door luggage transfer service? We’re local enough to help and very experienced in this service area too. Our bag transfer service is an option, as long as someone will be at your serviced accommodation to receive or hand over your luggage, or in the case of Air B&B or guest accommodation, that we can access either the property itself or an appropriate store room. 

The Bike Hire & Breakdown Support Pack

We provide you with quality bikes, delivered and collected from a specified agreed point, and give your full on call mechanical support for your hire bikes during the agreed duration of your self-organised cycling adventure.

The Call for Help Pack

On call mechanical support for own bike riders with replacement bike an option. Ideal if you are organising and taking charge of your own adventure, but would just like some extra peace of mind and the chance to do the full circuit, come what may. Got others ideas? Can’t see an offer that works for you?  Do just get in touch  – we’d love to chat things through and help you.

Our Wolf Way tour suggestions

We’ve put together a collection of tours featuring cycling stages of different lengths, to suit different levels of fitness, experience and ambition – or simply to suggest routes at a more relaxed pace that allow more time to visit Suffolk’s awesome attractions, soak up the atmosphere, sip at a pint, or even put a toe in the North Sea!

Choose to travel by rail and set off cycling from the beautiful town of Bury St Edmunds, or travel to Ipswich – under 1.5 hours journey from London Liverpool Street.

Prefer to travel by car? Our great cyclist-friendly start/ finish accommodation has parking for the duration of your tour. What’s more, it is off-the-beaten track, so you can start your ride in the historic heart of the Suffolk countryside, close to some of the county’s iconic half-timbered villages.        

*optional nights before first day of cycling/ after last day of cycling

Interested? Next steps, prices, bookings & more

At Cycle Breaks we look forward to supporting you in your Wolf Way self-guided cycling adventure – in whatever way suits you. We’re very flexible, but that also makes it hard to be specific or publish exact routes or rates for our services (with the exception of bike hire only), or for accommodation-based packages until we understand your exact requirements.  

But your answers are only an email or telephone conversation away. 

Please use the form below to outline your requirements or log your questions.
Make sure to put WOLF WAY clearly in your message – thank you.
We will get back to you by phone or email in the shortest possible delay. 

If you would prefer to just pick up the phone and call us on 01449 721555, we’d be delighted to hear from you.   

Enquire Now

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