Best walks near London by train

Middlesex · South East England

Stations: Kings Cross · London King's Cross · London St. Pancras International · St Pancras International · Euston · Charing Cross · Victoria · Waterloo · Waterloo East · Marylebone · Paddington · Moorgate · Liverpool Street · Cannon Street · Fenchurch Street · Blackfriars · London Bridge

Map

A day hike in the countryside is just a simple train journey away — explore the most charmingly located railway stations near London and plan your next day of green.

Alternatively, view walks directly from London.

Guildford Circular via Compton (Surrey)

30 minutes direct from Waterloo.

Beginner-friendly: No coast or river to follow, but pretty straightforward long lines nonetheless, and Watt’s Chapel provides a lovely reward for reaching the midpoint of the circuit. The lunch stop is a simple café in the vicinity of Watt’s Chapel, so no messing around with booking a table in advance.

Watts Chapel: A spectacular Arts and Crafts memorial chapel decorated by Mary Watts.

Watts Gallery

St Catherine's Chapel Ruins

Guildford

Time: 3h30–7h

1 lunch spot: Watts Gallery café (1h30–3h in)

5 end-of-walk rewards: the Withies Inn, Ye Olde Ship Inn, the Britannia, the White House, or the George Abbot

Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).

Similar walk: Walking Post (inc. GPX).

GPX

Rolling

Cambridge Circular via Grantchester (Cambridgeshire)

45 minutes direct from London King's Cross.

Beginner-friendly: A straightforward walk along the River Cam with many lunch options in Granchester. Within Cambridge itself, feel free to wander about randomly rather than following the route — there’s plenty to appreciate.

King's College Chapel

Fitzwilliam Museum

Hobson's Conduit Monument, Cambridge

Cambridge

Time: 3h30–6h30

4 lunch spots: Grantchester (1h30–3h in) — the Orchard Tea Garden, Grantchester, the Red Lion, the Rupert Brooke, or the Blue Ball Inn

1 end-of-walk reward: the Panton Arms

Warnings: A quarter urban.

Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).

Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.

GPX

Flat

Hanborough Circular via Blenheim Palace (Oxfordshire)

1 hour direct from Paddington.

Beginner-friendly: A gigantic well-signposted park. It’s completely fine to deviate from the route — explore as you like! Plenty of options for lunch — no need to reserve a table. It's an easy walk from the station to the beautiful, vast (and free) grounds of the finest example of English baroque architecture. For a somewhat extortionate fee you can also visit the house, but you'd probably want a whole day for that.

Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.

Blenheim Palace

Woodstock

Time: 3h30–7h

3 lunch spots: Woodstock (1h30–3h in) — the Crown, the Back Lane Tavern, or the Star Inn

1 end-of-walk reward: the George and Dragon

Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).

GPX

Rolling

Aspley Guise Circular via the Woburn Estate (Bedfordshire)

1 hour from Euston, with one change.

Beginner-friendly: A shortish but satisfying walk. It’s hard to go wrong and, if you do, it’s easy to recover. Lunch is in the pleasant village of Woburn, where there are many choices, so no faffing with making reservations needed. Plus it goes through a safari park and you’ll likely spot some of the beasts.

Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.

Woburn Safari Park: a 300-acre wildlife park opened in 1970, home to over 80 species including critically endangered hoofed mammals.

Time: 3h–6h

3 lunch spots: Woburn (1h–2h in) — the Black Horse, Lussmanns, or the Woburn Hotel

1 end-of-walk reward: the Anchor

Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).

GPX

Rolling

Henley-on-Thames to Marlow (Oxfordshire)

45 minutes from Paddington, with one change.

Beginner-friendly: Cross the river, make sure it’s on your left, and keep walking all the way to Marlow! You can't go wrong.

Waterway: two thirds along the River Thames.

Time: 3h30–6h30

Lunch: There’s nowhere to eat en route so either pack a lunch or eat in Marlow at the end — there are many cafés, pubs and restaurants there.

4 end-of-walk rewards: the Bull Inn, the Old Brewery, the Prince of Wales, or the Marlow Donkey

Warnings: Very popular and busy. Be warned that the river bank is prone to flooding, making sections of the route impassible — if that happens there will be many other ramblers who you can follow for the alternative route.

Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).

Similar walk: Slow Ways (inc. GPX).

GPX

Flat

Tring Circular via Ashridge Estate (Hertfordshire)

45 minutes direct from Euston.

Beginner-friendly: It’s nearly all in a big National Trust estate that’s extremely well sign-posted. It’s completely fine to deviate from the route — explore and shorten as you like! The lunch options are simple cafés, so no messing around with booking a table in advance. The Ashridge Estate is very beautiful if you appreciate woodland, and covers more then enough ground to cover a day of hiking in itself. There are paths everywhere and you can wander freely. Ancient trees, rolling chalk downlands and lush meadows. Extensive woodland.

Woodland: half under tree cover.

Ashridge Estate

Ashridge House

Time: 3h30–7h30

2 lunch spots: the Ashridge Estate Café (1h–1h30 in), or Ashridge House café (2h–4h30 in)

1 end-of-walk reward: the Valiant Trooper

Warnings: Relatively busy. Take the minor paths to avoid the crowds. Can be muddy.

Source: Trains2Green.

GPX

Rolling

Windsor and Eton Riverside Circular via Windsor Great Park (Berkshire)

1 hour direct from Waterloo.

Beginner-friendly: A gigantic well-signposted park. It’s completely fine to deviate from the suggested route — explore as you like! The lunch stop is a simple café, so no messing around with booking a table in advance.

Windsor Great Park

Windsor Castle

Windsor

Time: 5h–9h30

3 lunch spots: Windsor Great Park (2h30–5h in) — the King And Castle, or Savill Garden Visitor Centre Cafe; plus Water Lilies at Windsor Great Park (3h–5h30 in)

3 end-of-walk rewards: the Two Brewers Pub, the Prince Harry, or the Royal Windsor

Source: Trains2Green.

GPX

Gentle

East Grinstead Circular via Standen House (Sussex)

1 hour from London Bridge, with one change.

Beginner-friendly: This short walk is nearly all National Trust territory and signposted. If you want to make it even shorter and simpler, just skip the detour through the woods. The lunch stop is a simple café, so no messing around with booking a table in advance. Extensive woodland. Mostly secluded.

Standen House

Time: 2h30–4h30

1 lunch spot: Standen House café (1h–2h in)

Source: Trains2Green.

GPX

Rolling