You'll walk 139 kilometres along Britain's oldest road, taken across open chalk downland and through Chiltern beechwoods rather than over mountain country, with Iron Age hillforts and the Uffington White Horse on the way and the Thames as the natural break. A route with five thousand years of footfall underneath it.
Your trail divides naturally into three parts — not by day, but by ground. Open chalk downland walked since prehistory gives way to the Thames crossing at Goring, and the river opens out into the beechwoods of the Chilterns.
Open chalk downland walked since prehistory, with hillforts on the high points and a chalk-cut horse on the slope above the trail.
The chalk falls away, the Thames cuts across the route, and the country shifts from open down to enclosed beech.
Beech woodland, a long chalk escarpment, and the Bridgewater Monument standing on the last high point of the trail.
Most people walk it in 6 days. Some want longer to take it all in. Others want the challenge of doing it quicker. Pick the trip that suits you — or customise yours below.
Included with every trip
Everything you need for every day of your trail — built around your exact itinerary. Your route, your accommodation, your packing list. Ready before you leave, works offline when you're out there.
Tonight's accommodation
Check-in time, room type, phone number and directions — all in one place
Day-by-day trail description
Route map, elevation profile and written description for each stage
Packing list and pre-trip checklist
Everything you need, nothing you don't. Tick items off as you go
Works offline
Open it once with data and it's yours — no signal needed on the trail
Included with every trip
Your custom GPX file is built around your exact itinerary — day by day, door to door. Load it onto any device or app before you set off and navigate with confidence.
Works with
Hear it from the trail
Elise Downing
Elise Downing ran the Ridgeway in three days. Two friends tried to walk the same distances. It went about as well as last time.
“Don't try and challenge yourself in every area at once. If you're nervous, step out of your comfort zone one area at a time.”Read Elise’s story →
The Ridgeway is the trail I usually point people to as a first National Trail. The first half is open and exposed, the second half wooded — it works either way, but most people walk it west-to-east. Plan a slower day on the chalk if the forecast is hot.
Craig has spent over ten years in adventure travel, most of it talking walkers through trails like this. He's helped hundreds of customers plan their Ridgeway, knows where people typically underestimate the exposure of the chalk downs in high summer, and has the calls in his pocket from those who walked it last week.
If you want to talk through your timing, your fitness, your pace, or anything the planner can't answer — call. Most of our customers do, and Craig's the one who'll answer.
The things walkers ask us most often — answered plainly, so you don't have to ring to find out.
Still not sure? Ring us on 0131 560 2740 — Craig usually answers.
If you've scrolled this far, we need to help you get onto this trail. The bit the planner can't help with — "is the pace right for me?", "is August really that busy?", "can we add a rest day in Keswick?" — that's a two-minute phone call. Most people who book the Ridgeway ring first.
