OpenAir Tools — Outdoor Planning & Performance

How Our Planner Helps

Choose Your Pace

Four speed profiles from trail runner to explorer.

Set Your Dates

Pick a start date and daily walking hours.

Add Rest Days

After generating your itinerary you can add rest days along the way.

Interactive Map

View each day's segment with trail details.

GPX Downloads

Export a free GPX file for each day of your trek.

Free GPX Route Files

Download free GPX route files for The Ridgeway, split by day to match your personal itinerary. Our route planner generates individual GPX tracks for each of your stages, from Overton Hill across the chalk downs to Beacon Hill in the Chilterns.

Each GPX file includes full elevation data and follows your chosen direction of travel. Load them onto Komoot, AllTrails, Garmin, OS Maps, or any GPS-compatible device. No sign-up required — just generate your itinerary and download.

KomootAllTrailsGarminOS MapsMaps.meApple Watch

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Does The Ridgeway Route Take?

Hikers walking along The Ridgeway chalk downland path with rolling green hills

The Ridgeway stretches approximately 139 km (87 miles) from Overton Hill in Wiltshire to Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire, following Britain's oldest road across the chalk downs and through the Chiltern Hills. How long it takes depends entirely on how you choose to travel it. Based on averaging 8 hours a day on the trail, here's what to expect.

Most walkers complete the route in 6 to 7 days, averaging around 12 to 14 miles per day with comfortable overnight stops in villages and towns along the way. This is the classic pace, unhurried enough to soak in the sweeping views across the Wessex Downs, enjoy a pub meal at the end of each day, and still feel the satisfying pull of progress along the ancient ridgeline.

For those who move light and fast, fastpacking The Ridgeway in around 4 days is a popular challenge. Covering 20+ miles a day with a stripped-back pack, fastpackers experience the route with a different kind of intensity, longer days on the trail and bigger transitions between the open downland and the wooded Chilterns.

At the sharp end, experienced trail runners tackle the entire route in as few as 3 days, running significant distances daily across some of southern England's most iconic terrain.

Our planner lets you adjust daily hours and speed profile to find the perfect schedule for however you choose to travel.

What to Expect on The Ridgeway Route

Ancient Iron Age hillfort on The Ridgeway with sweeping views across Wiltshire downs

The Ridgeway is often described as Britain's oldest road, a 140-kilometre trail that traces an ancient route across the chalk downlands of southern England from Wiltshire to the Chiltern Hills. Beginning at Overton Hill near Marlborough, where a sarsen stone marks the trailhead, it finishes at Beacon Hill in Buckinghamshire, passing through landscapes that have barely changed in thousands of years.

The opening miles set the tone beautifully. From Overton Hill the trail climbs onto Fyfield Down, a remarkable stretch of open chalk grassland scattered with sarsen stones left behind by glacial action. As the trail pushes north and east, it passes a succession of Iron Age hillforts — Barbury Castle, Liddington Castle and Uffington Castle — their ramparts still commanding the skyline after two millennia.

The terrain in this western half is largely firm chalk tracks across cropped grassland and arable fields, open to the sky and often shared with cyclists and horse riders.

The crossing of the River Thames at Goring marks a genuine change in character. The broad open downland gives way to the enclosed, wooded world of the Chilterns, where beech trees arch overhead and the trails wind through dappled shade. This half of the walk feels more intimate, the landscape folding into valleys and quiet hamlets.

The trail ends at Beacon Hill at 230 metres, where a trig point and the tall Doric column of the Bridgewater Monument make a memorable finish. The views from the summit stretch across Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.

Best Time to Walk The Ridgeway Route

Spring wildflowers along The Ridgeway chalk path with golden afternoon light

The Ridgeway is one of the more forgiving national trails in terms of terrain and exposure, but the season you choose makes a significant difference to the experience underfoot.

May and June are outstanding. The chalk downland is at its most vivid, with wildflowers covering the open hillsides and the views stretching for miles. The days are long, the ground is firm and dry, and the route is quiet enough to feel genuinely ancient and unhurried.

July and August bring warm and often dry conditions. There is little shade on the western section, so early starts and carrying enough water are important on hot days. The Chilterns section east of the Thames is more wooded and provides welcome shelter.

September is a lovely month to walk. The summer heat softens, the beech woods in the Chilterns begin to turn, and the light over the downs is warm and golden.

October onwards the chalk paths become slippery when wet and the clay sections can turn to heavy mud. November through March transforms the character considerably — the western ridge is exposed and bleak, and the Chiltern paths can become extremely muddy. Winter walking requires realistic daily distances and solid footwear.

Getting There – Transport to The Ridgeway

How do I reach the start near Avebury?

Getting to either end of the Ridgeway is not the easiest thing to do. Most people travel via Swindon.

By Train — Swindon has excellent rail connections to London Paddington, Bristol, Wales, and the South West.

By Bus — From Swindon, take the hourly No. 49 Stagecoach bus to Avebury — it runs seven days a week, though only every two hours on Sundays. From Avebury, it's a short walk to the stone circles and onward to Overton Hill and the official trail start.

By Car — There is a small car park near Overton Hill on the A4, but it's worth parking in Avebury if you want to explore the prehistoric sites before starting.

How do I get back from Ivinghoe Beacon?

At Ivinghoe Beacon, you can walk back three miles to Tring railway station, either by the Ridgeway itself or by an alternative route. Tring is on the West Coast Main Line, with services and connections to London Euston, Birmingham, the North, and Scotland.

By Train — Tring station is the most convenient option — a walk of around 3 miles from the Beacon along the trail, or a short taxi ride.

By Bus — Local buses from near Ivinghoe Beacon serve Tring town, Aylesbury, Dunstable, Luton, and Leighton Buzzard, all of which have onward rail connections.

Taxi — A taxi from Ivinghoe Beacon to Tring station is a quick and convenient option, particularly useful if you're arriving late in the day and don't want to miss your train.

The Ridgeway — Itinerary & Route Planner

Create Your Ridgeway Route Itinerary

Choose your Direction

Choose your Pace

Choose your Start Date

Choose your Daily Hours

Generate Your Instant Free Itinerary

How Our Planner Helps

Choose Your Pace

Set Your Dates

Add Rest Days

Interactive Map

GPX Downloads

Free GPX Route Files

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Does The Ridgeway Route Take?

What to Expect on The Ridgeway Route

Best Time to Walk The Ridgeway Route

Getting There – Transport to The Ridgeway

How do I reach the start near Avebury?

How do I get back from Ivinghoe Beacon?

Sample Ridgeway Route Itineraries

7-Day Explorer

6-Day Hiker

4-Day Fastpacker

3-Day Trail Runner

Other Trail Itinerary Planners

UK

Europe

Create Your Ridgeway Route Itinerary

Choose your Direction

Choose your Pace

Choose your Start Date

Choose your Daily Hours

Generate Your Instant Free Itinerary

How Our Planner Helps

Choose Your Pace

Set Your Dates

Add Rest Days

Interactive Map

GPX Downloads

Free GPX Route Files

Frequently Asked Questions

How does your Itinerary Planner help me plan my adventure?

How accurate are your time calculations?

Can I download GPX route files of my itinerary?

I need assistance with my itinerary, booking accommodation and bag transfer

Is it harder than other long-distance trails?

Which direction should I walk it in?

What are the hardest parts?

Do I need to book accommodation early?

Is the route well signposted?

What footwear and other kit do I need?

Where can I get food and supplies?

Can I walk the trail with my dog?

Can I wild camp?

How Long Does The Ridgeway Route Take?

What to Expect on The Ridgeway Route

Best Time to Walk The Ridgeway Route

Getting There – Transport to The Ridgeway

How do I reach the start near Avebury?

How do I get back from Ivinghoe Beacon?

Sample Ridgeway Route Itineraries

7-Day Explorer

6-Day Hiker

4-Day Fastpacker

3-Day Trail Runner

Other Trail Itinerary Planners

UK

Europe