Self-guided · Southern England
100 miles from Winchester Cathedral to the Seven Sisters — England's only fully bridleway National Trail, walked west to east across the roof of the South Downs.
Chalk under your boots, big skies overhead, and the sea drawing steadily closer to the south — the South Downs Way is walking distilled to its essentials, on England's only fully bridleway National Trail. It's also the easiest to reach: an hour from London at one end, ninety minutes back from the other.
The South Downs Way runs 160 kilometres along the chalk escarpment from Winchester to Eastbourne, high, open, and airy, with the Weald falling away to the north. Stages are moderate — 20 km a day at Explorer pace, on well-drained chalk that runs fast and stays clean underfoot. Villages sit in the valleys either side of the ridge, so most nights end at a country pub or a proper Sussex B&B.
The trail divides naturally into three movements — Hampshire chalk, the quiet middle Downs, and the Sussex ridge to the sea.
Winchester · Cheesefoot Head · Butser Hill
Out of Winchester Cathedral, across Cheesefoot Head where Eisenhower briefed the D-Day troops, over Old Winchester Hill's Iron Age ramparts and up Butser Hill — the highest point on the whole trail at 240 m.
Cocking · Bignor · Amberley · Chanctonbury Ring
Sussex ridge walking with the Weald spread out to the north. Roman remains at Bignor, a picture-postcard village at Amberley, and the beech crown of Chanctonbury Ring standing sentinel above Washington.
Devil's Dyke · Ditchling Beacon · Alfriston · Seven Sisters
Devil's Dyke, Ditchling Beacon, the exposed ridge above Lewes, the medieval village of Alfriston, and a grand finale over the Seven Sisters and Beachy Head into Eastbourne.
Build your trip
Pick your pace, party size and dates. The itinerary, distances, nightly stops and the price all update live — no commitment until you're happy.
Your day-by-day itinerary updates live in the Your itinerary section below.
This is the itinerary you're building. Change the pace, party size or start date in the planner above and every stage, distance and date updates here.
Where you'll stay
A mix of village B&Bs and walker-friendly inns in the valleys below the ridge, plus the occasional YHA where that's the strongest option on-trail. Amberley and Alfriston are the two worth booking early.
Every trip is planned around your dates and party, so we can't promise you a specific inn — but we can promise the kind of welcome that makes a walking holiday feel like a proper holiday.
Self-guided, but properly supported. You turn up, you walk, you eat well, you sleep well. We handle the logistics.
Walking the South Downs Way alone doesn't mean being out of touch. We lend you a small GPS tracker for the trail, and a private map link lets the people who care about you follow along from home.
Carry it in your pack and it updates your position as you walk — no phone signal required.
See your own progress on a secure map, with your overnight stops visible at a glance.
Send the private link to family or friends so they know you've arrived safely each day.
We'll start planning your trip right away. Not happy with anything? We'll adjust it or refund you — no questions asked.
The Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited (ABTOT) provides financial protection under The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 for Big Trail Adventures (member 5690). Protection is provided for non-flight packages. Full details in our booking conditions.
The South Downs Way is the most accessible of the English National Trails. On the 8-day Explorer pace you'll average 20 km a day on well-drained chalk with moderate ups and downs — comfortable for anyone with a reasonable base fitness who walks regularly. The 7-day Hiker pace bumps stages up to 23 km. The trail is well-signposted throughout and never far from a road or village, which makes it a very good first long-distance walk.
May to September is prime — long days, wildflowers on the chalk grassland, and largely dry underfoot. June is our favourite for the balance of daylight and settled weather. April and October work well too, with fewer walkers about; the trail's exposure to the south-westerlies means October storms can be lively but the chalk drains quickly. Winter is possible in a settled spell but daylight is short and the ridge takes the wind.
Yes, every day. Your main bag moves between accommodation each morning with a 20 kg allowance; you walk with a daypack containing water, lunch, waterproofs and layers. The South Downs Way has good carrier coverage end to end, so there are no awkward gaps.
A mix of village B&Bs, walker-friendly inns and the occasional YHA (Truleigh Hill, Southease) where that's the best on-trail option. All en-suite where the village allows, with breakfast and drying space for wet kit. Amberley and Alfriston tend to book up early for weekends in summer — we always try to get you the strongest option on each night.
Winchester is 55 minutes from London Waterloo on a direct train; the cathedral is a short walk from the station. Eastbourne is on the London Victoria line, about 90 minutes back. That makes the South Downs Way one of the easiest National Trails to reach without a car — start Saturday morning, finish the following Saturday, home for dinner.
The 7-day Hiker package starts at £642 per person — that covers accommodation with breakfast, daily luggage transfer, planning, route notes and our support line while you walk. On top, budget £10–15 a day for a picnic lunch and £20–30 for a pub dinner. Most walkers spend an additional £300–450 across the trip on food, drinks and the occasional taxi transfer around the finish.
The South Downs Way is the trail I recommend to first-time long-distance walkers, and to experienced walkers who want a week that's mostly about the walking and the pubs rather than the mountains. Tell me your dates, party size and how far you like to walk in a day and I'll put together an honest plan.
Notes from Big Trails
154 km, Glasgow to Fort William. Scotland's most famous long-distance walk.
127 km from Fort William along Loch Ness to Inverness. Lochside and forest walking.
127 km through the southern Highlands, following the outlaw's old country.
