Your walk from
Overton Hill to
Ivinghoe Beacon

You'll want to be comfortable walking around 22 km a day, or about 14 miles, for five consecutive days, with a daypack and some chalk-track climbs of 200–400 metres. The Ridgeway is one of the more accessible National Trails — no scrambling, no remote sections, well-signposted the whole way. If that pace sounds firm, our Explorer plan splits the route over eight days with shorter walking days and the option of a rest stop near Goring.

May to September is the settled stretch. June and September are the sweet spot — long days, the downs in flower or late-summer light, fewer crowds than peak August. April and October work if you're flexible with the weather. Winter is technically open but the chalk-and-clay tracks turn heavy from November to March, and the short daylight squeezes the longer middle stages. Heat is the main thing to plan around in July and August — the high downs offer little shade.

Yes — your luggage is moved between accommodation each day, with a 20 kg allowance per bag. You walk with a daypack containing whatever you need until evening. The Ridgeway is well-served by transfer services along its full length, with no remote stages requiring an alternative. Most walkers carry around 5–7 kg in their daypack: water, lunch, layers, waterproofs, and a small first-aid kit. Hot-day water is the one thing worth carrying more of on this trail.

Family-run B&Bs and traditional village inns, never chains. All en-suite where available, with breakfast included and drying space for wet kit. The trail runs close to villages with established walker accommodation — The Inn With The Well at Ogbourne St George, the White Horse at Woolstone, pubs in Goring, Wallingford, and Wendover. Some stages put you a short detour off the trail to reach a bed — we book ahead and brief you on the side-trips before you walk.

Yes — the Ridgeway is one of the most solo-friendly National Trails. The path is consistently well-signed, it stays close to villages and roads with no remote multi-day sections, and you'll see other walkers most days in season. Single-occupancy supplements apply at most B&Bs; we'll work the price out with you when we plan it. The route is open downland and woodland the whole way — nothing exposed enough that you'd want company for safety.

The Hiker package starts at £749 per person for the six-day Hiker pace, based on two people sharing. That covers all accommodation with breakfast, daily luggage transfer, the planning work, route notes, and our support line while you walk. On top, expect £15–20 a day for lunches, plus dinner and drinks (£25–35 for a pub meal in this part of the country). The Ridgeway is a National Trail with no entry fees or permits. Most walkers spend roughly £200–250 on top of the package across the trip, plus trains at each end.