Hiking in London

• OS Maps apps

In London

Jubilee Walkway

Jubilee Walkway: A walk through London opened for the silver jubilee of Queen Elizabeth.

Jubilee Walkway 20.3km

• Google Maps

• GPX clockwise 20.3km

• Komoot clockwise

• GPX counterclockwise 20.3km

Regent's canal

• Stations:

  • Limehouse DLR station (zone 2)
  • Warwick Avenue (zone 2)

• Main walk:

  • Walk can start at the Limehouse DLR station near the Limehouse Basin
  • Ends near Paddington and Little Venice where it connects to another canal that may be worth following to, e.g., Kensal Green.

Limehouse DLR to Warwich Avenue U station (15.3km)Tower to Limehouse (4km)Rosebery Hall to Tower (3.9km)

• GPX: Limehouse DLR to Warwick Avenue Underground station (15.3km)

• Komoot

• GPX: From Tower to route near Limehouse (4km)

• Komoot

• GPX: Rosebery Hall to Tower (3.9km)

• Komoot

Hampstead Heath - Highgate - Alexandra

Walks through the Heath

• Stations:
  • Highgate Tube Station (zone 3) (Northern line)
  • Archway Underground Station (zone TODO) (Northern line)
  • Alexandra Palace Station (zone TODO): No tube, only rail by Great Northern and Thameslink. The nearest tube station would be Turnpike Lane on the Piccadilly line

Highgate Tube Station to Archway Underground (11.8km)Alexandra Palace Station to Highgate Tube Station (14.6km)

It turns out that the route through the cemetery is not possible though as there is only one (paid) entrance.

• Highgate Tube Station to Archway Underground Station (11.8km)

• Komoot

• Alexandra Palace Station to Highgate Tube Station (14.6km)

• Komoot

• Walks on AllTrails and Komoot:

  • Hampstead Heath Circular Walk on AllTrails

  • Hampstead Heath loop from Gospel Oak on Komoot

• Notes:

  • Depending on the time, it may be a good idea to make a detour and grab a small lunch at King William IV, one of the oldest gay pubs. (lunch served noon till 4pm) The evening menu is well worth it too.

Shorter walks partly along a former railway

• In the neighbourhood of Hampstead Heath: A green walk from Finsbury Park over the Parkland Walk to Alexandra Palace.

• Stations:

  • Finsbury Park station (zone 2) (Piccadilly and Victoria lines)
  • Turnpile Lane station (zone TODO) (Piccadilly line)
  • Alexandra Palace Station (zone TODO): No tube, only rail by Great Northern and Thameslink. The nearest tube station would be Turnpike Lane on the Piccadilly line

Finsbury to Alexandra (7.6km)Finsbury to Turnpike Lane (9.7km)

• GPX "From Finsbury Park station to Alexandra Palace station (7.6km)"

• GPX reverse: "From Alexandra Palace station to Finsbury Park station (7.6km)"

• Komoot

• GPX: "From Finsbury Park station to Turnpike Lane station over Alexandra Palace (9.7km)"

• GPX reverse

• Komoot

• Walks on Alltrails and Komoot:
  • Parkland Walk: Finsbury Park to Alexandra Park on AllTrails through a nice green corridor.
  • Similar walk but circular: Alexandra Palace & Highgate Wood loop from Finsbury Park on Komoot

Walthamstow Marches and Wetlands and surrounding areas

Walthamstow Marches and Wetlands, combined with Victoria Park and the Olympics site

• Places:
  • Bethnal Green tube station (zone 2) (Central line)
  • Tottenham Hale tube station (zone 3) (Victoria line)

Bethnal Green to Tottenham Hale 14.5kmLonger version loop around reservoirs 19.5km

• GPX Bethnal Green to Tottenham Hale over Olympic Park and Walthamstow Marshes 14.5km""

• Komoot

• Longer version with a longer loop around the reservoirs (19.5km)

• Komoot

• Inspiration on hiking sites:
  • Walthamstow Marshes & Walthamstow Wetlands loop from Tottenham Hale on Komoot and it should be possible to extend this walk further towards the Northeast.

Epping Forest

Start- and end points

• Theydon Bois tube station (zone 6), (Central line)
• Chingford station (zone 5) (Overground)
• Highams Park station (zone 4) (Overground)
• Leytonstone tube station (border zone 3 and 4) (Central line)
• Enfield Lock Rail Station (zone 6) (greateranglia train service)
• Turkey Street station (zone 6) (Overground)

Set 1: From Theydon Bois along the length of the forest

If you start in Theydon Bois, you can decide along the way where to stop depending on the mood.

Theydon Bois to Chingford 14.5kmTheydon Bois to Highams Park 18kmTheydon Bois to Leytonstone 22.5km

• GPX from Theydon Bois tube station to Chingford station

• GPX from Chingford station to Theydon Bois tube station (14.5km)

• Komoot

• GPX from Theydon Bois tube station to Higham Park station

• GPX from Highams Park station to Theydon Bois tube station (18km)

• Komoot

• GPX from Theydon Bois tube station to Leytonstone tube station

• GPX from Leytonstone tube station to Theydon Bois tube station (22.5km)

• Komoot

Set 2: Other walks

Oak trail circular 10.7kmTurkey Street to Theydon Bois 18.4km

• GPX Oak Trail loop from Theydon Bois tube station counterclockwise (10.7km)

• GPX clockwise

• Komoot

• GPX from Turkey Street Station to Theydon Bois tube station (18.4km)

• GPX from Teydon Bois tube station to Turkey Street Station (18.4km)

• Komoot

• Notes

  • Alternative starting point: Enfield Lock station
  • This is a walk with many nice parts but also some parts that are not so pleasant or where the actual path is hard to find as it is not a main path that is frequented a lot. The version here already has some improvements based on how the walk was done at the end in 2024.

  Specific issues with this route variant - The path along the Lee River Flood Relief channel is not very interesting and by the end of the summer overgrown with nettles and blackberry bushes. - The path from Yardley Hill to Yates Meadow is very hard to find. Yates Meadow offers a very nice view onto London, especially in its Western half, and hence is worth doing. - The paths from Bury Road to Connaught Water are also likely unofficial paths that often fade away in the forest. Some improvement there would be desired also.

  The version offered here is already a sligthly improved version based on the route actually taken in 2024, but does not yet contain the other improvements.

Other sources for walks

• OS maps: A slightly different variant of the Oak trail.
• Chingford Plain & Connaught Water loop from Chingford - Epping Forest

Greenwich and Woolwich

Stations

• Greenwich (zone ⅔): DLR, Thameslink and Sourtheastern.
• Woolwich Dockyard station (zone TODO): Southeastern
• Blackheath train station (zone TODO): Thameslink and Southeastern
• Woolwich station (zone TODO): Elisabeth line
• Abbey Wood station (zone 4): Elisabeth line, Thameslink and Southeastern.
• Charlton station (zone 3): Thameslink and Southeastern

Own preparations:

Thames Barrier and Greenwich 15.3kmGreenwich Park, Shooters Hill and Etham Palace loop 24.7km

Walk from Woolwich Dockyard station to Greenwich station, going first along the Thames and the O2 Arena, then following some parks to Greenwich Park and with a stop at the Richard the first pub, back to Greenwich with the Old Royal Naval College and Greenwich Market.

Done the walk in 2023.

• GPX

• Komoot

The counterclockwise variant may be the most interesting one as that one ends at Greenwich Park.

• GPX "Greenwich Park, Shooters Hill and Etham Palace loop counterclockwise (24.7km)"

• GPX clockwise.

• Komoot

Walks from Abbey Wood over Severndroog castle

Revised based on the walk done in 2024.

Abbey Wood to Charlton station (17.8km)Abbey Wood to Woolwich Station (19.8km)

• GPX

• Komoot

• GPX

• Komoot

Other options

• From the Tower to Greenwich: base upon Komoot Tower Bridge of Londen - Loop from Mudchute

Brixton and Dulwich

• Stations:
  • Brixton tube station(zone 2): Victoria line
  • Herne Hill station (zione ⅔): Thameslink and Southeastern

Walk: Brockwell Park, Dulwich Park and Sydenham Hill Woods loop.

Options:

From Herne Hill 9.9kmFrom Brixton station 13km

• GPX Brockwell Park, Dulwich Park and Sydenham Hill Woods loop counterclockwise from Herne Hill station (9.9km)

• GPX clockwise

• Komoot

• GPX Brockwell Park, Dulwich Park and Sydenham Hill Woods loop counterclockwise from Brixton station (13km)

• GPX clockwise

• Komoot

Done this walk in 2023, with a detour in Sydenham Hill Woods due to track works.

Richmond area

Start- and end points

• Wimbledon station (zone 3): On the District line.
• Richmond station (zone 4): On the District Line, the Overground, and South Western Railways

Own walks

Wimbledon to Richmond 15kmExtra: Broomfield Hill Sensory Trail in Isabella Plantation 800m

• GPX Wimbledon to Richmond (15km) from Wimbledon station to Richmond station.

• Komoot

• GPX Broomfield Hill Sensory Trail in the Isabella Plantation (800m)

• Komoot

Other options

• Richmond Park and Sidmouth Wood Circular walk on AllTrails

  • Combine with Thames Path National Trail: Hammersmith Bridge to Richmond Bridge on AllTrails

• Richmond Park & the River Thames loop from Richmond on Komoot

• Richmond Hill - Deer Loop from Richmond on Komoot

Ealing

Start- and end points: - Ealing Broadway Station on the Elisabeth Line - Northfields Station on the Picadilly line - Boston Manor Underground Station on the Picadilly Line

Own preparations for a walk over Brent River Park, Wharncliffe Viaduct, Brunel's Three Bridges across the Thames, Osterly House, Blondin Park nature reserve. Walks revised after doing the round trip in 2024.

Round trip from Ealing Broadway 22.2kmEaling Broadway to Northfield 19.7kmEaling Broadway to Boston Manor 16.4km

• Round trip from Ealing Broadway Station 22.2km GPX counterclockwise

• GPX clockwise.

• Komoot

• Counterclockwise is advised as then the walk can be shortened at needed via the next two options.

• GPX

• GPX reverse

• komoot

• GPX

• GPX reverse

• Komoot

Stops on the way:

• There is a café at the stables of Osterley House where you can get some sandwiches

• Just after Osterley House on the main road (assuming the walk is done counterclockwise) there is a pub, the "Hare and Hounds"

• Close to Ealing Broadway station there is a good craft beer bar, BeerKat.

Walks around Scadbury Park (South-East London)

Start and end points:

• Bickley rail station (Thameslink and Southeastern) (zone 5)

• Beckley rail station (Southeastern)(zone 6)

Walks from Bickley to Bexley through Scadbury Park:

through Scadubry park and past Five Arches Bridge 13.8kmAlso through Joydens Wood with wooden walkway 17.4km

• GPS

• GPXreverse, from Bexley to Bickley

• Komoot

• GPX

• GPX reverse, from Bexley to Bickley

• Komoot

It may be wise to start from Bickley as then quite late in the walk you can still chose between the shorter and the longer one (at Five Arches Bridge)

Other suggestions:

• A walk circular walk from Bexley Station taken from Komoot: Walk along Five Arches Bridge and Joydens Wood, counterclockwise 8,8km and clockwise

Interesting online documented walks

• The Thames Path: A national trail that starts at the sources in the Cotswolds, but there is a stretch through London all the way to Woolwich.

  • See also a page on Walking Britain
  • See also a page on gpc-routes.co.uk

• RouteYou: London City Views Ring Walk: 16 stages, all from station to station

  • Section 1: Harrow-on-the-Hill to West Hendon (10.6km) (view on RouteYou)
  • Section 2: West Hendon to Golders Green (7.39km) (view on RouteYou)
  • Section 3: Golders Green to Highgate Tube Station (10.6km) (view on RouteYou)
  • Section 4: Highgate station to Stoke Newington (13.4km) (view on RouteYou)
  • Section 5: Stoke Newington to Stratford International (7.49km) (view on RouteYou)
  • Section 6: Stratford International to Beckton (11,4km) (view on RouteYou)
  • Section 7: Beckton to Woolwich (8,17km) (view on RouteYou)
  • Section 8: Woolwich to Charlton (10.1km) (view on RouteYou)
  • Section 9: Charlton to Lewisham (8.86km) (view on RouteYou)
  • Section 10: Lewisham to Numhead (10.4km) (view on RouteYou)
  • Section 11: Nunhead station to Crystal Palace (11.8km) (view on RouteYou)
  • Section 12: Cristal Palace to Streatham (12.4km) (view on RouteYou)
  • Section 13: Streatham to Wimbledon (10.6km) (view on RouteYou)
  • Section 14: Wimbledon to Richmond (12.5km) (view on RouteYou)
  • Section 15: Richtmond to Ealing (10.2km) (view on RouteYou)
  • Section 16: Ealing to Harrow-on-the-Hill (11,9km) (view on RouteYou)

• RouteYou: London Tube Ends Ring Walk - Unfinished project when we updated this for the last time

  • Section 1: Epping to Cheshunt (15.2km) (view on RouteYout)
  • Section 2: Cheshunt to Chingford (14.6km) (view on RouteYou)
  • Section 3: Chingford to Enfield (14.7km) (view on RouteYou)
  • Section 4: Enfield to Cockfosters (13.9km) (view on RouteYour)
  • Section 5: Cockfosters to High Barnet (6.2km) (view on RouteYou)
  • Section 6: High Barnett to Mill Hill East (7.89km) (view on RouteYou)
  • Section 7: Mill Hill East to Edgware (10.2km) (view on RouteYou)
  • Section 8: Edgeware to Stanmore to Harrow & Wealdstone (12km) (view on RouteYou)
  • Section 9: Harrow & Wealdstone to Watford Junction (15.6km) (view on RouteYou)
  • Section 10: Watford Junction to Little Chalfont (15.7km) (view on RouteYou)
  • Section 11: Litle Chalfont via Chesham to Amersham (14km) (view on RouteÝou) (Nog geen GPX gedownload)
  • Section 12: Amersham to Rickmansworth (16.2km) (view on RouteYou)
  • Section 33: Barking to Romford (18.5km) (view on RouteYou)
  • Section 34: Romford to Upminster (11.1km)

• More official is the 15-stage Capital Ring Walk by TfL (stored on Komoot)

  • Captial Ring Walk on AllTrails

  • Capital Ring Walk on Ramblers Inner London with an overview of the stations and PDFs with guides.

• Green Chain Walk in Sout-East London

  • Green Chain Walk on Ramblers Inner London

• The Green London Way (AllTrails version) (GPX from AllTrails) is yet another circular trail around London

• 15-mile Green Link Walk from Epping Forest to Peckham Town also looks interesting. (GPX from gps-routes.co.uk) (Stored on Komoot)

  PDFs with descriptions from the Go Jauntly app:

  • Complete route (26.4km)

  • Section 1: From Epping Forest to Lea Bridge through the centre of Walthamstow and the marshes (6.8km)

  • Section 2: From Lea Bridge to the Regends Canal and Angel Underground via the center of Hackney (8.6km)

  • Section 3: From Angel to Blckfriars (4.5km)

  • Section 4: Blackfirars to the hustle and bustle of Peckham (6.5km)

• Some paths found on AllTrails:

  • The Wandle Trail (19.6km) (GPX from AllTrails) (stored on Komoot)
    • Starts near West Croydon station (Overground & Southern)
    • Ends near Wandsworth Town Station (Sout Western)
    • East Putney Tube Station (District line) could be an option too.

• Check also search results for London on gps-routes.co.uk

At the border of London

• Farthing Downs & Happy Valley loop from Coulsdon on Komoot

Further out-of-town hikes

Sources:

• 15 perfect routes for hiking near London

• TimeOut: 10 ridiculously scenic walks near London

Maybe interesting hikes:

• Leith Hill can be done from Holmwood Station.

• Chess Valley Walk from Chesham Station at the end of the Metropolitan Line (but outside the big ringroad around London) to Rickmansworth Station, also on the Metropolitan Line.