The best walks, trails & cycle routes in the UK

One more ridge

Walk until the world goes quiet.

Ridge paths, valley trails and cycle routes worth lacing up for, from gentle Sunday strolls to the kind of walk you plan a whole weekend around.

A slow walk for twoSummits at first lightTrails with a pub at the end
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The best walks, trails & cycle routes in the UK

65 places · best first
Ingleborough Summit — Place photographPlace photograph8.2

Ingleborough Summit

Ingleborough, Yorkshire Dales National Park

Countryside walk · Full day

Hareshaw Linn — Place photographPlace photograph8.1

Hareshaw Linn

Bellingham, Northumberland, England

Woodland walk · 1–2 hours

Hooken Cliffs — Place photographPlace photograph8.1

Hooken Cliffs

Between Beer and Branscombe, Devon

Coastal walk · Half day

Bath Skyline Walk — Place photographPlace photograph7.8

Bath Skyline Walk

Bathwick Hill at Cleveland Walk, Bath, Somerset BA2 6JP

Countryside walk · Half day

Llyn Dinas and Llyndy Isaf Circular — Place photographPlace photograph7.5

Llyn Dinas and Llyndy Isaf Circular

Nant Gwynant, near Beddgelert, Gwynedd

Waterside walk · 1–2 hours

Hergest Ridge — Place photographPlace photograph7.4

Hergest Ridge

Kington, Herefordshire, on the England–Wales border

Countryside walk · Half day

Dunnet Forest Trails — Place photographPlace photograph7.4

Dunnet Forest Trails

Dunnet, near Thurso, Caithness

Woodland walk · 1–2 hours

Dunearn Burn & Findhorn Gorge Walk — Place photographPlace photograph7.2

Dunearn Burn & Findhorn Gorge Walk

Darnaway Forest, near Conicavel, Moray, Scotland

Woodland walk · 1–2 hours

Pease Dean Woodland Walk — Place photographPlace photograph7.1

Pease Dean Woodland Walk

Pease Dean, near Cockburnspath, Scottish Borders

Woodland walk · 1–2 hours

Lea Valley Walk — Place photographPlace photograph7.0

Lea Valley Walk

From Leagrave, near Luton, to East India Dock, London

Long-distance trail · Multi-day

Derwent Gorge and Muggleswick Woods — Place photographPlace photograph8.1

Derwent Gorge and Muggleswick Woods

Between Muggleswick and Castleside, County Durham

Woodland walk · 1–2 hours

Pen-y-ghent from Horton-in-Ribblesdale — Place photographPlace photograph8.1

Pen-y-ghent from Horton-in-Ribblesdale

Horton-in-Ribblesdale, Yorkshire Dales National Park

Countryside walk · Half day

Buttertubs Pass — Place photographPlace photograph7.7

Buttertubs Pass

High moorland between Hawes in Wensleydale and Thwaite in Swaledale, Yorkshire Dales

Leisure cycling · 1–2 hours

River Otter Beaver Walk, Otterton — Place photographPlace photograph7.2

River Otter Beaver Walk, Otterton

Otterton, East Devon

Waterside walk · 1–2 hours

Seven Bridges Valley Walk — Place photographPlace photograph7.2

Seven Bridges Valley Walk

Studley Royal, near Ripon, North Yorkshire

Waterside walk · 1–2 hours

Hillingdon Trail — Source imageSource image7.0

Hillingdon Trail

Cranford Park to Harefield, via Hayes and other parts of the London Borough of Hillingdon

Long-distance trail · Full day, Multi-day

Musselburgh Lagoons — Place photographPlace photograph6.9

Musselburgh Lagoons

Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland

Waterside walk · 1–2 hours

Hedleyhope Fell Nature Reserve Loop — Place photographPlace photograph6.8

Hedleyhope Fell Nature Reserve Loop

Hedleyhope Fell Nature Reserve, east of Tow Law, County Durham

Countryside walk · 1–2 hours

Ingleton Waterfalls Trail — Source imageSource image6.8

Ingleton Waterfalls Trail

Broadwood Entrance, Ingleton, Carnforth LA6 3ET

Waterside walk · Half day

Thrislington National Nature Reserve — Source imageSource image6.8

Thrislington National Nature Reserve

Thrislington, County Durham

Countryside walk · Half day

Forest Way Country Park — Place photographPlace photograph6.6

Forest Way Country Park

Between East Grinstead and Groombridge, via Forest Row and Hartfield, East Sussex

Long-distance trail · 1–2 hours for a short out-and-back

Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk — Source imageSource image6.6

Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk

Central London, beginning and ending at Kensington Palace

Heritage walk · Half day

Chevin Forest Sculpture Trail — Place photographPlace photograph6.4

Chevin Forest Sculpture Trail

Otley Chevin, near Otley, West Yorkshire

Heritage walk · 1–2 hours

Jubilee Greenway — Place photographPlace photograph6.4

Jubilee Greenway

London, England

Long-distance trail · Sections can be walked separately

Montgomery Canal Nature Trail — Place photographPlace photograph6.4

Montgomery Canal Nature Trail

Welshpool, Powys

Waterside walk · 1–2 hours

London Roman Wall Walk — Place photographPlace photograph6.4

London Roman Wall Walk

City of London, London

Heritage walk · Allow around 2–3 hours for a partial exploration

London Wall Walk — Tower Hill section — Place photographPlace photograph6.4

London Wall Walk — Tower Hill section

Tower Hill, London EC3N 2LY, United Kingdom

Heritage walk · About 1–2 hours for the London Wall Walk

Dollis Valley Greenwalk — Source imageSource image6.3

Dollis Valley Greenwalk

Dollis Valley, north London

Long-distance trail · Half day

The Queen’s Walk — Source imageSource image6.3

The Queen’s Walk

London, SE1 9PP

Long-distance trail · Full day

Fallin Bing — Place photographPlace photograph6.2

Fallin Bing

Fallin, about 3 miles east of Stirling, Scotland

Countryside walk · 1–2 hours

Forest Way — Place photographPlace photograph6.2

Forest Way

East Grinstead to Groombridge, through the High Weald, East Sussex

Countryside walk · 1–2 hours to a full day, depending on section and pace

Pitmedden Forest Trails — Place photographPlace photograph6.1

Pitmedden Forest Trails

Pitmedden Forest, on the Fife–Perth and Kinross border

Woodland walk · Half day

Meanwood Valley Trail — Source imageSource image6.1

Meanwood Valley Trail

Meanwood, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS16 8PB

Woodland walk · Half day

Regent’s Canal Towpath — Source imageSource image6.1

Regent’s Canal Towpath

Regent’s Canal, King’s Cross, London N1C

Waterside walk · 1–2 hours

Downham Woodland Walk — Source imageSource image6.0

Downham Woodland Walk

Downham, London Borough of Lewisham

Woodland walk · Under 1 hour

Brush Hill & Whiteleaf Nature Reserve Walk — Place photographPlace photograph5.9

Brush Hill & Whiteleaf Nature Reserve Walk

Near Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire

Countryside walk · Half day

London LOOP Section 17: Cockfosters to Enfield Lock — Place photographPlace photograph5.9

London LOOP Section 17: Cockfosters to Enfield Lock

Cockfosters to Enfield Lock, north London

Long-distance trail · Half day

Croft Quarry Circular — Place photographPlace photograph5.8

Croft Quarry Circular

Croft, Leicestershire

Countryside walk · 1–2 hours

Ravelston Woods Circular — Place photographPlace photograph5.8

Ravelston Woods Circular

Ravelston Woods Local Nature Reserve, Edinburgh, Scotland

Woodland walk · 1–2 hours

Saline Glen Woodland Walk — Place photographPlace photograph5.8

Saline Glen Woodland Walk

Saline, West Fife, Scotland

Woodland walk · 1–2 hours

Trinity Hill Circular — Place photographPlace photograph5.8

Trinity Hill Circular

Trinity Hill, Trinity Hill Road, Axminster, Devon EX13 5SL

Woodland walk · 1–2 hours

Bollington to Waulkmill Waterfall Circular — Place photographPlace photograph5.8

Bollington to Waulkmill Waterfall Circular

Bollington, Cheshire, England

Countryside walk · 1–2 hours

Surrey Canal Walk — Source imageSource image5.8

Surrey Canal Walk

South London

Heritage walk · Half day

London Wall Walk — Vine Street section — Source imageSource image5.8

London Wall Walk — Vine Street section

Vine Street, London EC3N 2HT

Heritage walk · 1–2 hours for the roughly 4 km walk described by the source

Houghall Discovery Trail — Place photographPlace photograph5.7

Houghall Discovery Trail

Houghall, on the southern edge of Durham City, County Durham

Woodland walk · 1–2 hours

Den of Maidencraig Circular — Source imageSource image5.7

Den of Maidencraig Circular

Den of Maidencraig Local Nature Reserve, west Aberdeen, Scotland

Woodland walk · 1–2 hours

Lochan na Dunaich Trail — Place photographPlace photograph5.6

Lochan na Dunaich Trail

Lochan na Dunaich, near Acharacle, Highlands, Scotland

Woodland walk · Under 1 hour

Smiddy Shaw Reservoir Loop — Place photographPlace photograph5.6

Smiddy Shaw Reservoir Loop

Smiddy Shaw Reservoir, Muggleswick Common, County Durham

Waterside walk · 1–2 hours

  1. 01Ingleborough SummitIngleborough, Yorkshire Dales National Park
  2. 02Hareshaw LinnBellingham, Northumberland, England
  3. 03Hooken CliffsBetween Beer and Branscombe, Devon
  4. 04Bath Skyline WalkBathwick Hill at Cleveland Walk, Bath, Somerset BA2 6JP
  5. 05Llyn Dinas and Llyndy Isaf CircularNant Gwynant, near Beddgelert, Gwynedd
  6. 06Hergest RidgeKington, Herefordshire, on the England–Wales border
  7. 07Dunnet Forest TrailsDunnet, near Thurso, Caithness
  8. 08Dunearn Burn & Findhorn Gorge WalkDarnaway Forest, near Conicavel, Moray, Scotland
  9. 09Pease Dean Woodland WalkPease Dean, near Cockburnspath, Scottish Borders
  10. 10Lea Valley WalkFrom Leagrave, near Luton, to East India Dock, London

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