The Thames Path

The Thames Path

Walk Details:

Duration: 10-19 nights / 9-18 days walking
Distance: 184 miles / 294 km
Grade: Easy to challenging

The Thames Path, one of the National Trails follows England’s best-known river from its source in the Cotswolds all the way to the heart of London.The Thames Path is a gentle trail without steep climbs, but due to its length it can test your stamina depending on the daily mileage you choose to walk. The reward is an array of awe-inspiring natural and cultural sights as the Trail passes peaceful water meadows rich in wildlife, historic towns and cities and picturesque villages.
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Prices from:

£1,395 pp for 10 nights B&B

Price based on 2 people sharing an en-suite room.

Start any day. *


*Please see Key Points for details.


Availability in 2024


Please note that we are now not taking bookings for May 2024, due to lack of availability.


June and September 2024 -


Apart from May, these are the most popular months and availability is getting limited. If you wish to travel during June and September, we would recommend booking as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.


Availability for the rest of the year is still good; please enquire and we are always happy to check and advise you on the availability of your preferred start date.

Route Description

Covering a distance of 184 miles, the Thames Path takes the walker on a unique journey. From the quiet, rural Thames full of natural beauty to castles and palaces the Path offers a great variety of walking. Some of the highlights along the Path include Kelmscott Manor, the city of Oxford, Windsor Castle, Runnymede, Hampton Court Palace, the Palace of Westminster, St Paul’s Cathedral, and Greenwich.

Of all iconic walks in the United Kingdom, the Thames Path is perhaps the easiest despite its length. As there is very little ascent along the Path, it is considered to be a gentle trail, suitable for people with a wide range of abilities.

We offer four itineraries based on the daily mileage of walks, ranging from easy to challenging. There is a wealth of natural beauty and history to discover along the Path, so, if you are not looking to put your fitness to the test, we would recommend taking a bit longer to relax and enjoy the walk. If you would like to walk longer or shorter stages than detailed below, we will be happy to tailor the itinerary to suit your requirements.
  • The Source to Oxford

    The first stretch of the Thames Path is wonderfully remote and quiet right until you reach the centre of Oxford. Your journey starts near the village of Kemble, where the source of the River Thames lies in the middle of a meadow, beneath an ancient tree. You will most likely find that the spring is dry, especially in the summer, however, the river comes to life deep under ground. The first leg of the journey takes you through fields and picturesque Cotswolds villages as you follow the infant river. The highlights of this section will be the village of Kelmscott, the North Meadow near Cricklade with a dazzling display of wildflowers in spring, the Church of St John the Baptist in Inglesham, Old Father Thames at St John's Lock (the first lock on the river), and the dreaming spires of the city of Oxford.

  • Oxford to Windsor

    This section of the Thames Path offers exhilarating walking as it follows a much more mature river, with colourful river boats, great loops, and numerous locks and weirs. The Path takes you through a mixture of landscapes. It passes through quiet countryside, beech woodlands, small hamlets full of historic interest as well as some urban centres. Highlights of the walk include the famous Christchurch Meadows, the Sandford Lasher (weir at Sandford lock), Clifton Hampden Bridge, Mapledurham Lock and corn mill, the River and Rowing Museum at Henley-on-Thames, the beautiful suspension bridge at Marlow, Goring Gap (dramatic valley carved by the river), the Cliveden Estate (especially colourful in autumn), and Windsor Castle.

  • Windsor to the Thames Barrier

    The final stretch of the Thames between Windsor and the Thames Barrier is full of sites of historical and cultural interest waiting to be explored. How long you will need to walk this section will depend on how many of these you would like to visit. Once past Old Windsor and Runnymede Meadows (where the Magna Carta was signed by King John in 1215), the Thames Path starts to showcase London at its best. Highlights of this last stretch of the Thames Path include the largest lock system on the river at Teddington, Hampton Court Palace, the majestic grandeur of Westminster, the spectacular view up to St Paul’s Cathedral from the Millennium Bridge, Greenwich Park, the Royal Observatory, and, of course, reaching the Thames Barrier is a fitting climax.

Itinerary Options

Our standard itineraries finish in Kingston upon Thames, as from this point, the best thing to do is to have a central base in London and use the excellent public transport connections, rather than move on to a new accommodation each night. This option will offer you greater flexibility in choosing your daily mileage and in deciding how to combine the walking with sightseeing.

  • Challenging - 10 nights - from £1,395 pp

    DAY ONE

    Arrive in Kemble.


    DAY TWO

    Kemble to Lechlade

    23.25 miles/37.4 km


    DAY THREE

    Lechlade to Newbridge

    16.75 miles/26.9 km


    DAY FOUR

    Newbridge to Oxford

    14 miles/22.5 km


    DAY FIVE

    Oxford to Dorchester

    18 miles/28.9 km


    DAY SIX

    Dorchester to Pangbourne

    16.25 miles/26.1 km


    DAY SEVEN

    Pangbourne to Henley

    16 miles/25.7 km


    DAY EIGHT

    Henley to Maidenhead

    16.5 miles/26.5 km


    DAY NINE

    Maidenhead to Staines

    15 miles/24.1 km


    DAY TEN

    Staines to Kingston

    15.5 miles/24.9 km


    DAY ELEVEN

    Depart after breakfast.

  • Strenuous - 12 nights - from £1,595 pp

    DAY ONE

    Arrive in Kemble.


    DAY TWO

    Kemble to Cricklade

    12.25 miles/19.7 km


    DAY THREE

    Cricklade to Lechlade

    11 miles/17.7 km


    DAY FOUR

    Lechlade to Newbridge

    16.75 miles/26.9 km


    DAY FIVE

    Newbridge to Oxford

    14 miles/22.5 km


    DAY SIX

    Oxford to Dorchester

    18 miles/28.9 km


    DAY SEVEN

    Dorchester to Pangbourne

    16.25 miles/26.1 km


    DAY EIGHT

    Pangbourne to Henley

    16 miles/25.7 km


    DAY NINE

    Henley to Marlow

    8.5 miles/13.6 km


    DAY TEN

    Marlow to Windsor

    14.5 miles/23.3 km


    DAY ELEVEN

    Windsor to Shepperton

    14 miles/22.5 km


    DAY TWELVE

    Shepperton to Kingston

    10 miles/16 km


    DAY THIRTEEN

    Depart after breakfast.

  • Moderate - 14 nights - from £1,875 pp

    DAY ONE

    Arrive in Kemble.


    DAY TWO

    Kemble to Cricklade

    12.25 miles/19.7 km


    DAY THREE

    Cricklade to Lechlade

    11 miles/17.7 km


    DAY FOUR

    Lechlade to Tadpole Bridge

    9.75 miles/15.6 km


    DAY FIVE

    Tadpole Bridge to Newbridge

    7 miles/11.2 km


    DAY SIX

    Newbridge to Oxford

    14 miles/22.5 km


    DAY SEVEN

    Oxford to Abingdon

    9.75 miles/15.6 km


    DAY EIGHT

    Abingdon to Wallingford

    13.5 miles/21.7 km


    DAY NINE

    Wallingford to Pangbourne

    11 miles/17.7 km


    DAY TEN

    Pangbourne to Henley

    16 miles/25.7 km


    DAY ELEVEN

    Henley to Marlow

    8.5 miles/13.6 km


    DAY TWELVE

    Marlow to Windsor

    14.5 miles/23.3 km


    DAY THIRTEEN

    Windsor to Chertsey

    12 miles/19.3 km


    DAY FOURTEEN

    Chertsey to Kingston

    12 miles/19.3 km


    DAY FIFTEEN

    Depart after breakfast.

  • Easy - 19 nights - from £2,520 pp

    DAY ONE

    Arrive in Kemble.


    DAY TWO

    Kemble to Ashton Keynes

    7 miles/11.2 km


    DAY THREE

    Ashton Keynes to Cricklade

    5.25 miles/8.4 km


    DAY FOUR

    Cricklade to Lechlade

    11 miles/17.7 km


    DAY FIVE

    Lechlade to Tadpole Bridge

    9.75 miles/15.6 km


    DAY SIX

    Tadpole Bridge to Newbridge

    7 miles/11.2 km


    DAY SEVEN

    Newbridge to Eynsham

    7.5 miles/12 km


    DAY EIGHT

    Eynsham to Oxford

    6.5 miles/10.4 km


    DAY NINE

    Oxford to Abingdon

    9.75 miles/15.6 km


    DAY TEN

    Abingdon to Shillingford

    10.25 miles/16.4 km


    DAY ELEVEN

    Shillingford to Goring and Streatley

    10.25 miles/16.4 km


    DAY TWELVE

    Goring and Streatley to Caversham

    11 miles/17.7 km


    DAY THIRTEEN

    Caversham to Henley

    9 miles/14.4 km


    DAY FOURTEEN

    Henley to Marlow

    8.5 miles/13.6 km


    DAY FIFTEEN

    Marlow to Maidenhead

    7.75 miles/12.4 km


    DAY SIXTEEN

    Maidenhead to Windsor

    6.5 miles/10.4 km


    DAY SEVENTEEN

    Windsor to Staines

    8.5 miles/13.6 km


    DAY EIGHTEEN

    Staines to Shepperton

    5.5 miles/8.8 km


    DAY NINETEEN

    Shepperton to Kingston

    10 miles/16 km


    DAY TWENTY

    Depart after breakfast.

Key Points

Friday and Saturday nights may incur a supplement.

What’s included

  • Up to date and easy to follow route notes and maps in a handy sized booklet. One set per 2 people.
  • Digital map download and walking app to track your position as you walk.
  • A helpful and comprehensive information pack, including notes on where to eat and what to visit.  
  • Hand-picked, high quality, accommodation from B&B’s to luxury hotels with en-suite facilities. 
  • Breakfast each morning.
  • Upgraded accommodation available on request.
  • Door to door luggage services. 
  • Local knowledgeable support and assistance when you need it, not just Monday - Friday, 9-5. 

When to go

Any time of year but we suggest May to October. Departure on any day subject to accommodation availability.

Remember

Many of our walks can be shortened by using either public transport or taxis. We can also adapt these routes to suit the time you have available and your walking capabilities.

Comments & Testimonials

We had a great walk and enjoyed the Thames Path. This was our third walk with Cotswold Walks. The organisation and arrangements by Cotswold Walks were excellent as always - maps, booklet, GPS app all useful.

Pauline G.

May 2023

Yes, we had a wonderful holiday with you. Thanks to Adam's input we got a very good impression of the river Thames. We asked for a tailor made holiday and that was what we got, a few very beautiful stretches of the Thames path; a days walk near the source, some days in Oxford, so we walked to Oxford and from Oxford... 2 walks near Henley on Thames and a walk to Windsor. We can recommend it for walkers who don't want to, or do not have the time to do the whole path!

Rian V. Z.

May 2023

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We would love to hear from you if you have any questions or queries regarding our walks or if you would simply like to gather more information.

Please visit the contact page to get in touch.
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