Day-by-day trail itinerary
The Ridgeway: 6-day itinerary
The Ridgeway is a 139 km National Trail across the chalk of southern England, from Ivinghoe Beacon in the Chilterns to The Sanctuary at Overton Hill near Avebury, along a line of track that has been in use for thousands of years. Its two halves walk quite differently: wooded Chiltern escarpment with villages close by east of the Thames at Goring, and open downland ridge with very little on it to the west. Around a quarter of the route is byway open to all traffic, which is why the western half is rutted and why motor vehicles are lawfully on parts of it outside the winter restriction.
Choose your pace
Compare The Ridgeway itineraries
A practical starting point
6 days from The Sanctuary to Ivinghoe Beacon
Use these daily distances and overnight stops as a starting point, then customise the trip in the planner.
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1
Day 1: The Sanctuary → Chiseldon
23.9 km · 321 m ascent · 6h16–8h50 (about 7h22, incl. ~1h14 of stops)
Via Ogbourne St George, Ogbourne St Andrew -
2
Day 2: Chiseldon → Letcombe Regis
20.9 km · 207 m ascent · 5h25–7h38 (about 6h22, incl. ~1h04 of stops)
Via Liddington, Hinton Parva, Bishopstone, Ashbury, Woolstone, Kingston Lisle, Sparsholt, Letcombe Bassett -
3
Day 3: Letcombe Regis → Moulsford
27.7 km · 129 m ascent · 6h54–9h45 (about 8h07, incl. ~1h21 of stops)
Via Farnborough, Chilton, West Ilsley, East Ilsley, Compton, Aldworth, Streatley, Lower Basildon, Goring-on-Thames, South Stoke -
4
Day 4: Moulsford → Aston Rowant
25.8 km · 382 m ascent · 6h51–9h40 (about 8h04, incl. ~1h20 of stops)
Via Cholsey, North Stoke, Wallingford, Crowmarsh Gifford, Ipsden, Nuffield, Park Corner, Cookley Green, Watlington, Lewknor -
5
Day 5: Aston Rowant → Wendover
22.2 km · 402 m ascent · 6h06–8h37 (about 7h11, incl. ~1h12 of stops)
Via Kingston Blount, Chinnor, Bledlow, Bledlow Ridge, Lacey Green, Horsenden, Princes Risborough, Monks Risborough, Whiteleaf, Cadsden, Askett, Great Kimble, Little Kimble, Little Hampden, Ellesborough -
6
Day 6: Wendover → Ivinghoe Beacon
18.4 km · 318 m ascent · 4h59–7h02 (about 5h51, incl. ~59m of stops)
Via The Lee, St Leonards, Buckland Common, Cholesbury, Tring, Wigginton, Cow Roast, Tring Station, Aldbury, Pitstone, Ivinghoe
Solve the practical questions
Plan The Ridgeway with confidence
Route-specific answers from Trailstrider's researched trail data, with the planner ready when you want to turn them into your own trip.