What is this 7-day itinerary?
Seven days keeps the downs at the usual pace and slows down the Chilterns. After the Thames at Goring and a night in Watlington, a short day along the foot of the hills reaches Saunderton. The next takes in Whiteleaf Hill, Coombe Hill and Wendover, and a night at Aldbury leaves a short last morning to Ivinghoe Beacon.
Read the The Ridgeway guide for the whole trail.
Will this 7-day split work for you?
- Walkers who want the downs at the usual pace and more time in the Chiltern hills.
- Anyone who would rather end with a short morning to the Beacon than a long last day.
- Book Liddington and Letcombe Regis early: each has one or two beds, both a walk below the ridge.
Fitness & effort
Days run from 3.2 mi (5.1 km) to 15.9 mi (25.6 km), and the first four come back to back at 13 to 15 miles. The ground is gentle but long and exposed on the downs. The longest day, Saunderton to Aldbury, has the steepest climb, to Whiteleaf Hill. If you can walk 15 miles several days running, you will manage this.
Your 7-day route on the map
Toward Ivinghoe Beacon
Overton Hill to Ivinghoe Beacon in 7 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 | Watlington → Saunderton | 9.7 mi (15.6 km) | Ridgeway Lodge B&B |
| Day 6 Longest | Saunderton → Aldbury | 15.9 mi (25.6 km) | Folly Farm Bed and Breakfast (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 7 | Aldbury → Ivinghoe Beacon | 3.2 mi (5.2 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)
Barbury Castle is the first big sight, an Iron Age fort with a great rampart and wide views; one walker saw red kites, skylarks and hares there. Before it, the byway onto Hackpen Hill is deeply rutted for over two miles, so pick your line. Smeathe's Ridge leads down to the Og valley, then the climb to Liddington Hill.
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)
A chalk roller coaster under big skies. Wayland's Smithy sits a few paces off the path, its entrance guarded by great sarsens. Dragon Hill, just below the track, looks across at the White Horse. Segsbury Camp looks straight down into Letcombe Regis at the end, and the night is a walk below the ridge.
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)
Wild, open upland that left one walker feeling utterly alone. Racehorse gallops run beside the track, and Lowbury Hill, the site of a Roman temple, is the last rise before the long descent. The day ends at the Thames, where Streatley and Goring have the best choice of beds on the trail.
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)
A morning by the Thames, past Brunel's railway bridge at South Stoke. Then the path follows the tree-lined bank of Grim's Ditch and climbs over Swyncombe Downs, the first real hill since the downs. Watlington, a small town below the Chiltern escarpment, has an inn for the night.
Example stay The Fat Fox Inn (opens in a new tab)
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Day 5
Watlington to Saunderton
9.7 mi (15.6 km) ↑ 160 m (500 ft) ↓ 170 m (550 ft)
A short day along the foot of the Chilterns, on a long bridleway between thick hedges that can be muddy near Watlington. It passes under the M40 cutting at Aston Rowant nature reserve. Ridgeway Lodge, near Princes Risborough, is close to the path, so the afternoon is your own.
Example stay Ridgeway Lodge B&B
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Day 6 Longest
Saunderton to Aldbury
15.9 mi (25.6 km) ↑ 500 m (1,650 ft) ↓ 490 m (1,600 ft)
The big Chiltern day. Whiteleaf Hill is the steepest climb of the day, with Princes Risborough below, and Coombe Hill, at 260 m, looks down on Chequers. Wendover makes the lunch stop. Afterwards woods lead to the canal near Tring station, and Folly Farm at Bulbourne is just off the path.
Example stay Folly Farm Bed and Breakfast (opens in a new tab)
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Day 7
Aldbury to Ivinghoe Beacon
3.2 mi (5.2 km) ↑ 170 m (550 ft) ↓ 80 m (250 ft)
A short morning out of the woods onto Pitstone Hill, then open turf to Ivinghoe Beacon. The last climb is slippery when wet, and the view runs far over the flat Buckinghamshire country. From the top, walk back to Tring station or take the 61 bus to Aylesbury.
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 7 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 → Aldbury | 3.2 mi (5.2 km) | Folly Farm Bed and Breakfast (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 2 Longest | Aldbury → Saunderton | 15.9 mi (25.6 km) | Ridgeway Lodge B&B |
| Day 3 | Saunderton → Watlington | 9.7 mi (15.6 km) | The Fat Fox Inn (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 4 | Watlington → Goring | 15.0 mi (24.2 km) | The Miller of Mansfield (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 5 | Goring → Letcombe Regis | 14.8 mi (23.7 km) | Court Hill Centre (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 6 | Letcombe Regis → Liddington | 12.9 mi (20.8 km) | Meadowbank House Bed and Breakfast (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 7 | Liddington → Overton Hill | 15.0 mi (24.1 km) | Overton Hill |
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Day 1
Ivinghoe Beacon to Aldbury
3.2 mi (5.2 km) ↑ 80 m (250 ft) ↓ 170 m (550 ft)
Half a morning from the Beacon, after the 61 bus from Aylesbury drops you below the hill. Pitstone Hill leads down into the beech and birch of Aldbury Nowers, with the bed by the canal at Bulbourne.
Example stay Folly Farm Bed and Breakfast (opens in a new tab)
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Day 2 Longest
Aldbury to Saunderton
15.9 mi (25.6 km) ↑ 490 m (1,600 ft) ↓ 500 m (1,650 ft)
Through the woods from Aldbury Nowers and down sunken holloways to Wendover for lunch. Coombe Hill is the big view of the afternoon, and the steep drop off Whiteleaf Hill ends the day near Saunderton.
Example stay Ridgeway Lodge B&B
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Day 3
Saunderton to Watlington
9.7 mi (15.6 km) ↑ 170 m (550 ft) ↓ 160 m (500 ft)
An easy morning along the foot of the hills, with the M40 cutting at Aston Rowant as the one landmark. The miles to Watlington run straight, and the Fat Fox is a short walk into town.
Example stay The Fat Fox Inn (opens in a new tab)
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Day 4
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 5
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 6
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 7
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
7-day itinerary FAQ
Why is the last day so short?
The night before is at Aldbury, by the canal at Bulbourne, because the Beacon has no beds of its own. That leaves 3.2 mi (5.1 km) to the finish, a relaxed morning, and time to travel home the same day from Tring station or by the 61 bus.
Which day is the hardest?
Saunderton to Aldbury, at 15.9 mi (25.6 km). It has the steep climb to Whiteleaf Hill and Coombe Hill, which the trail body calls one of the highest points in the Chiltern Hills. The first two days are almost as long, at 15.0 and 12.9 miles, but gentler.
Can I download a GPX for the 7-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 7-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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