Day-by-day trail itinerary
The Ridgeway: 7-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
7 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 → Streatley
23.2 km · 121 m ascent · 5h49–8h13 (about 6h50, incl. ~1h08 of stops)
Via Farnborough, Chilton, West Ilsley, East Ilsley, Compton, Aldworth -
4
Day 4: Streatley → Watlington
24.8 km · 352 m ascent · 6h34–9h16 (about 7h43, incl. ~1h17 of stops)
Via Lower Basildon, Goring-on-Thames, South Stoke, Moulsford, Cholsey, North Stoke, Wallingford, Crowmarsh Gifford, Ipsden, Nuffield, Park Corner, Cookley Green -
5
Day 5: Watlington → Bledlow
10.8 km · 79 m ascent · 2h41–3h48 (about 3h10, incl. ~32m of stops)
Via Lewknor, Aston Rowant, Kingston Blount, Chinnor -
6
Day 6: Bledlow → Wendover
16.9 km · 361 m ascent · 4h47–6h45 (about 5h38, incl. ~56m of stops)
Via Bledlow Ridge, Lacey Green, Horsenden, Princes Risborough, Monks Risborough, Whiteleaf, Cadsden, Askett, Great Kimble, Little Kimble, Little Hampden, Ellesborough -
7
Day 7: 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.