What is this 6-day itinerary?
Six days is the length the trail body gives for the Ridgeway. The first three follow the open chalk of the downs, past Barbury Castle, Wayland's Smithy and the White Horse, with little water and few villages close to the path. After the Thames at Goring, the last three run through the Chiltern hills and beech woods. Most days are 13 to 17 miles.
Read the The Ridgeway guide for the whole trail.
Will this 6-day split work for you?
- Fit walkers who want the whole trail in a week, the length the trail body gives.
- Walkers happy with four days in a row of 13 to 15 miles on gentle ground, with long, dry stretches on the downs.
- Book Liddington and Letcombe Regis first: each has only one or two beds, both a walk below the ridge.
Fitness & effort
Days run from 11.5 mi (18.5 km) to 17.3 mi (27.9 km), and the first four come back to back at 13 to 15 miles. The climbs are gentle, but chalk is tiring underfoot, and byways turn soft and rutted after rain. The longest day is also the most undulating. If you can walk 15 miles several days running, you can walk this.
Your 6-day route on the map
Toward Ivinghoe Beacon
Overton Hill to Ivinghoe Beacon in 6 days
Overton Hill to Ivinghoe Beacon, the way the official guide runs, with the south-west wind usually behind you.
| Day | Stage | Distance | Overnight / destination |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Overton Hill → Liddington | 15.0 mi (24.1 km) | Meadowbank House Bed and Breakfast (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 2 | Liddington → Letcombe Regis | 12.9 mi (20.8 km) | Court Hill Centre (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 3 | Letcombe Regis → Goring | 14.8 mi (23.7 km) | The Miller of Mansfield (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 4 | Goring → Watlington | 15.0 mi (24.2 km) | The Fat Fox Inn (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 5 Longest | Watlington → Wendover | 17.3 mi (27.9 km) | Bel & The Dragon at The Red Lion - Wendover (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 6 | Wendover → Ivinghoe Beacon | 11.5 mi (18.5 km) | The Ridgeway Finish |
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Day 1
Overton Hill to Liddington
15.0 mi (24.1 km) ↑ 340 m (1,100 ft) ↓ 240 m (800 ft)
Straight onto the downs from the barrows at Overton Hill, past sarsen stones lying in the fields. Beech clumps on the barrows give the only shade, and the trail is dry, so carry plenty of water. After Barbury Castle the path drops to the Og valley and climbs again to Liddington Hill. The bed is a walk down off the ridge.
Example stay Meadowbank House Bed and Breakfast (opens in a new tab)
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Day 2
Liddington to Letcombe Regis
12.9 mi (20.8 km) ↑ 230 m (750 ft) ↓ 290 m (950 ft)
Back up to the ridge, then miles of chalk above 200 m under big skies. One stretch below Fox Hill runs on a busy road, so walk it in single file. Wayland's Smithy, a Neolithic long barrow, sits a few paces off the path, and the White Horse is above you before the walk down to Letcombe Regis.
Example stay Court Hill Centre (opens in a new tab)
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Day 3
Letcombe Regis to Goring
14.8 mi (23.7 km) ↑ 150 m (500 ft) ↓ 310 m (1,000 ft)
A day of open downs with racehorse gallops beside the track, so take lunch and the day's water from Letcombe Regis. The A34 underpass is a dry spot when it rains. After wet weather the broad track goes soft and slows you. The long descent ends at Streatley, across the Thames from Goring.
Example stay The Miller of Mansfield (opens in a new tab)
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Day 4
Goring to Watlington
15.0 mi (24.2 km) ↑ 390 m (1,300 ft) ↓ 300 m (1,000 ft)
The day changes from river to hills. The morning is flat through Thames water meadows to South and North Stoke, quiet villages with cattle in the fields. The afternoon climbs into the Chilterns. Watlington is a small town below the hills, and the Fat Fox Inn is in its centre.
Example stay The Fat Fox Inn (opens in a new tab)
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Day 5 Longest
Watlington to Wendover
17.3 mi (27.9 km) ↑ 460 m (1,500 ft) ↓ 470 m (1,550 ft)
The longest day and the most undulating section of the trail. A long bridleway between hedges passes under the M40 at Aston Rowant. After Princes Risborough a dull stretch runs beside the A4010. Whiteleaf Hill is the steepest climb of the day, and Coombe Hill, above Chequers, is the last view before Wendover.
Example stay Bel & The Dragon at The Red Lion - Wendover (opens in a new tab)
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Day 6
Wendover to Ivinghoe Beacon
11.5 mi (18.5 km) ↑ 370 m (1,200 ft) ↓ 270 m (900 ft)
The trail body calls this its most wooded section, and a short one to finish. Bacombe Hill looks back over Wendover before sunken holloways lead into the trees. Past the canal near Tring station, Pitstone Hill opens onto springy turf for the last climb to Ivinghoe Beacon. The 61 bus to Aylesbury stops below the hill.
Finish The Ridgeway Finish
Cross-check: The Ridgeway trail information on National Trails . The trail body gives 87 miles (139 km) and six days. Distances on the cards are measured along the trail. A walk off the path to a bed is extra.
Toward Avebury
Ivinghoe Beacon to Overton Hill in 6 days
The same nights, starting at Ivinghoe Beacon. The Chiltern woods come first and the open downs to Avebury last, usually into the wind.
| Day | Stage | Distance | Overnight / destination |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Ivinghoe Beacon → Wendover | 11.5 mi (18.5 km) | Bel & The Dragon at The Red Lion - Wendover (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 2 Longest | Wendover → Watlington | 17.3 mi (27.9 km) | The Fat Fox Inn (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 3 | Watlington → Goring | 15.0 mi (24.2 km) | The Miller of Mansfield (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 4 | Goring → Letcombe Regis | 14.8 mi (23.7 km) | Court Hill Centre (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 5 | Letcombe Regis → Liddington | 12.9 mi (20.8 km) | Meadowbank House Bed and Breakfast (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 6 | Liddington → Overton Hill | 15.0 mi (24.1 km) | Overton Hill |
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Day 1
Ivinghoe Beacon to Wendover
11.5 mi (18.5 km) ↑ 270 m (900 ft) ↓ 370 m (1,200 ft)
The 61 bus from Aylesbury stops below the Beacon for the start. Pitstone Hill and Aldbury Nowers lead down into the woods and holloways, and Bacombe Hill gives the first view of Wendover.
Example stay Bel & The Dragon at The Red Lion - Wendover (opens in a new tab)
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Day 2 Longest
Wendover to Watlington
17.3 mi (27.9 km) ↑ 470 m (1,550 ft) ↓ 460 m (1,500 ft)
Out of Wendover the climb to Coombe Hill comes early, with Chequers below and fields to cross on the path only. The drop off Whiteleaf Hill is steep, and after Princes Risborough the going is flat and easy to Watlington.
Example stay The Fat Fox Inn (opens in a new tab)
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Day 3
Watlington to Goring
15.0 mi (24.2 km) ↑ 300 m (1,000 ft) ↓ 390 m (1,300 ft)
Leave Watlington by the bridleway, muddy in places, and climb over Swyncombe Downs. Grim's Ditch leads down through the trees to the Thames. The last miles run flat through water meadows to the bridge at Goring.
Example stay The Miller of Mansfield (opens in a new tab)
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Day 4
Goring to Letcombe Regis
14.8 mi (23.7 km) ↑ 310 m (1,000 ft) ↓ 150 m (500 ft)
A long climb out of the Thames valley past Lowbury Hill, the site of a Roman temple. Fill your bottles in Goring, because the downs are dry. The A34 underpass and the gallops lead on towards Segsbury Camp and the walk down to Letcombe Regis.
Example stay Court Hill Centre (opens in a new tab)
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Day 5
Letcombe Regis to Liddington
12.9 mi (20.8 km) ↑ 290 m (950 ft) ↓ 230 m (750 ft)
West past Dragon Hill and the White Horse, then Wayland's Smithy. One short stretch below Fox Hill runs on a busy road, so walk it carefully. The night is a 1 mi (1.6 km) walk down from the ridge near Liddington Hill.
Example stay Meadowbank House Bed and Breakfast (opens in a new tab)
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Day 6
Liddington to Overton Hill
15.0 mi (24.1 km) ↑ 240 m (800 ft) ↓ 340 m (1,100 ft)
Climb back to Liddington Hill, the trail's highest ground, then drop steeply into the Og valley. Smeathe's Ridge and Barbury Castle follow. The deep ruts after Hackpen Hill make the end at Overton Hill slower than it looks.
Finish Overton Hill
6-day itinerary FAQ
Is 6 days the right length for the Ridgeway?
For most fit walkers, yes. The trail body says the Ridgeway can be completed in six days, at about 15 miles (24 km) a day. Every day here is between 11.5 and 17.3 miles, and the Thames at Goring falls at the halfway night.
Where do I get water on the downs?
Plan to carry it. The trail body warns that some sections have limited access to water, and the chalk downs between Overton Hill and Goring are dry, with springs far down the slopes. Fill up at each night's bed and carry enough for the whole day.
Can I download a GPX for the 6-day The Ridgeway?
Yes. Open this itinerary in the planner (free, no account). Download a full-route GPX or per-day files for Garmin, Komoot, or your phone. You can export the preset unchanged or edit overnight stops first.
Personalise this itinerary
This 6-day itinerary is ready as it stands. Open it in the planner to keep these stops, or change where you sleep, then download the GPX for your watch or phone.
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Full-trip and per-day GPX files. Free, no account.
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