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Thames Path – East

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Overview

Route

What’s Included?

Itineraries & Prices

Accommodation

Travel Info

Additional Days

Overview

Walking Holidays

6 - 7 Nights

57 miles / 91.5 km

Prices from: £945 per person
Start: Windsor, Berkshire
Finish: Thames Barrier, London
Availability: Year-round
Grading: Easy to Moderate
Way-marked: Yes

Thames Path - East Highlights

Picturesque countryside

Stroll alongside the historic River Thames through picturesque countryside and quaint English villages.

London

Explore the endless attractions that London has to offer, including Westminster Palace, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London, and Tower Bridge.

Windsor Castle

Experience the magnificent Windsor Castle – the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world where the Queen spends most of her private weekends.

Hampton Court Palace

Visit Hampton Court Palace – the former home of Henry VIII and several of his ill-fated wives where you can experience the public dramas and private lives of the family.

Kew Royal Botanic Gardens

Saunter through the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew – the largest botanical collection in the world with over 50,000 living plants to be found.

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Discover the historic UNESCO World Heritage Site of Greenwich, rich in maritime history and the home of the famous Cutty Sark.

A Historic Journey Along The River Thames

Beginning in the historic market town of Windsor, the Thames Path – East follows the river through peaceful countryside, vibrant riverside towns, and the incredible city of London, before finishing at the impressive Thames Barrier. There will be many historic sites for you to see along the way!

This National Trail is well way-marked, set largely on towpaths and through rolling countryside. The Thames Path is a fantastic entry-level walk, unchallenging yet incredibly rewarding. The path takes you through some beautifully quaint villages where you will be able to enjoy a drink or well-deserved pub lunch during your walk.

For those interested in history, this section of the Thames Path offers wonderful sightseeing opportunities, such as Windsor Castle, the impressive city of London, and the Royal Borough of Greenwich. We would recommend adding rest days to this walking holiday in order to make the most of your time in this fantastic area.

This section of the path is apart of the larger 184 mile (296 km) route along the entire River Thames, one of the most iconic rivers in the UK. The Thames Path offers a great opportunity to lose yourself in the countryside and enjoy walking along the serene Thames, whilst also being able to enjoy visiting some of the most well-known sites in the area.

Thames Path - East Route Map

Recommended Itinerary

Our most popular itinerary is THP-E1 which covers the route in 5 days / 6 nights.

Travel to Windsor for your first night’s accommodation

Arrive in Windsor, home to the world’s oldest and largest inhabited castle where you will spend the evening at your first night’s accommodation.

Day 1: Windsor to Shepperton (14 miles / 22.5 km)

You will enjoy excellent views of Windsor Castle as the Thames Path skirts around the edges of the Windsor Estate. Pleasant riverside walking then leads you to Runnymede – the historic site of the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215.

You will then continue to the riverside village of Shepperton, your overnight stop this evening.

Day 2: Shepperton to Richmond (15 miles / 24 km)

This morning you will take the only ferry crossing on your walk – a five-minute ferry from Shepperton Lock to Weybridge will transport you to the south banks of the Thames. Do take the time to visit the impressive Hampton Court Palace en-route!

Your accommodation this evening is in the leafy Borough of Richmond, close to Kew Gardens, and full of vibrant restaurants and pubs.

Day 3: Richmond to Putney (9 miles / 14.5 km)

Today’s shorter walking distance will allow you to visit Kew Gardens. From Kew, the Thames snakes back and forth between Chiswick and Hammersmith.

Your overnight stop will be Putney, on the outskirts of central London. Putney is the site of the annual boat race between Oxford and Cambridge universities.

Day 4: Putney to Tower Bridge (9 miles / 14.5 km)

Today you will make your way into central London and discover some of the city’s iconic attractions. While you may be slowed down by the number of people along the trail, this will give you a good opportunity to appreciate London’s wonderful sights such as the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament at Westminster, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tate Modern, the Tower of London, as well as the twenty bridges that cross this stretch of the Thames.

Your accommodation is ideally located near Tower Bridge to allow you to explore all that London has to offer.

Day 5: Tower Bridge to the Thames Barrier (10 miles / 16 km)

The trail continues east away from central London, passing old warehouses and renovated industrial buildings. At historic Greenwich, you may wish to explore the Cutty Sark – the historic tea clipper which once transported tea from Asia to Victorian Britain, the fascinating National Maritime Museum, or the Royal Observatory which gives its name to Greenwich Mean Time.

From Greenwich, the path circumnavigates the O2 Arena and the Greenwich peninsula, before arriving at the impressive Thames Barrier where your walk will come to an end. From here, you will make the very short journey back to Greenwich where you will stay overnight.

Onward travel

After breakfast, you will start your journey home after a wonderful walking holiday on the Thames Path.

What’s Included?

Your Thames Path walking holiday includes:

Carefully selected accommodation along the route and trail transfers when applicable
En-suite or private bathroom facilities whenever possible
Daily door-to-door baggage transfers
Comprehensive information pack, kit list, guidebook and map (one set per room)
Personalised itinerary with details of your accommodation, route and recommendations for lunch and dinner
Traditional English breakfast
24-hour emergency contact number
Full financial protection

Your walking holiday doesn't include:

Travel insurance
Transport to and from the start and end of the walk
Lunches and evening meals

Itineraries & Prices

We offer 2 suggested itineraries for walking the Thames Path – East.

Our most popular itinerary is THP-E1 which covers the route in 5 days.

Tour code

Itinerary

Average miles

Difficulty

Price per person

THP-E1

5 Days / 6 Nights

11.5 miles per day

Moderate

From £945

Average miles : 11.5 miles per day

Tour code: THP-E1

Difficulty : Moderate

5 Days / 6 Nights (THP-E1)

This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this package. Transfers are included when you are staying away from the trail.

Additional nights can be added at any stage along the walk and we would be delighted to adjust it for you.

All of our prices are per person based on two people sharing a room. Our packages include all accommodation, baggage transfers and full information pack.

Single room & solo walker supplements

Single rooms are available at a supplement which covers the additional costs of a single room or single occupancy of a twin or double room.

Standard: £75 per night

As we incur additional costs for transferring a single bag there is a solo walker supplement of £35 per day in addition to the single supplement.

Due to the popular nature of the area that the Thames Path passes through, this does incur a higher single supplement and solo walker supplement than our other walking holidays.

Arrive Travel to Windsor for your first night's accommodation

Day 1 Windsor to Shepperton 14 miles / 22.5 km

Day 2 Shepperton to Richmond 15 miles / 24 km

Day 3 Richmond to Putney 9 miles / 14.5 km

Day 4 Putney to Tower Bridge 9 miles / 14.5 km

Day 5 Tower Bridge to Thames Barrier (overnight Greenwich) 10 miles / 16 km

Depart Onward travel from Greenwich

Prices

Standard

Good quality B&Bs, Guest Houses & Hotels

From £945 per person

Good quality and comfortable B&Bs, guest houses and some hotels located as close to the trail as possible. We will prioritise en-suite facilities or a private bathroom, although in remote areas with limited accommodation this may not always be possible.

Enquire Now

THP-E2

6 Days / 7 Nights

9.5 miles per day

Easy

From £1130

Average miles : 9.5 miles per day

Tour code: THP-E2

Difficulty : Easy

6 Days / 7 Nights (THP-E2)

This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this package. Transfers are included when you are staying away from the trail.

Additional nights can be added at any stage along the walk and we would be delighted to adjust it for you.

All of our prices are per person based on two people sharing a room. Our packages include all accommodation, baggage transfers and full information pack.

Single room & solo walker supplements

Single rooms are available at a supplement which covers the additional costs of a single room or single occupancy of a twin or double room.

Standard: £75 per night

As we incur additional costs for transferring a single bag there is a solo walker supplement of £35 per day in addition to the single supplement.

Due to the popular nature of the area that the Thames Path passes through, this does incur a higher single supplement and solo walker supplement than our other walking holidays.

Arrive Travel to Windsor for your first night's accommodation

Day 1 Windsor to Chertsey Bridge 12 miles / 19 km

Day 2 Chertsey Bridge to Hampton 9 miles / 14.5 km

Day 3 Hampton to Richmond 8 miles / 13 km

Day 4 Richmond to Putney 9 miles / 14.5 km

Day 5 Putney to Tower Bridge 9 miles / 14.5 km

Day 6 Tower Bridge to Thames Barrier (overnight Greenwich) 10 miles / 16 km

Depart Onward travel from Greenwich

Prices

Standard

Good quality B&Bs, Guest Houses & Hotels

From £1130 per person

Enquire Now

Thames Path Accommodation

All of the accommodation that we reserve for you has been personally selected by our expert team to ensure it meets our exacting standards. We regularly review our extensive database.

We will always prioritise accommodation as close to the walking trail as possible. Occasionally, your accommodation may be located a short distance from the trail, or you may need to spend more than one night in the same place, in which case we will provide return transfers.

Travel Information

As an environmentally conscious tour operator, we actively encourage the use of public transport by providing clients with a detailed breakdown of travel options in their information packs. The following information may help with your pre-trip planning.

Getting to Windsor

By Air

Nearest International Airports: London Heathrow Airport

From London Heathrow, you can take a bus to Windsor (journey time 1 hour).

Alternatively, Windsor is accessible from all other London Airports using the London underground system to Paddington Station and then trains to Windsor.

By Public Transport

Nearest Railway Station: Windsor & Eton Central

Windsor is conveniently located on the Great Western Line. Frequent trains run between Windsor Station and London Paddington (journey time 45 minutes).

By Car

If you plan to travel by car, it may be possible to leave it in Windsor for the duration of your holiday. We can check this for you when your booking is confirmed. Due to the popularity of Windsor as a tourist destination, we would recommend travelling via public transport.

Departing from Greenwich

By Air

Nearest International Airports: London City Airport

The nearest airport to Greenwich is London City, which can be reached by travelling on the DLR via Canary Wharf (journey time 40 min).

London Gatwick is also accessible via Thameslink, changing at London Bridge (journey time 1 hour).

If you are travelling from Greenwich to Heathrow Airport, we’d suggest planning your journey using the TFL Journey Planner.

By Public Transport

Nearest Railway Station: Greenwich

From Greenwich, there are regular direct trains to London Bridge (journey time 10 min), where you can connect to the railway network (see National Rail Enquiries) or the TFL Tube.

Greenwich is also on the DLR, which you can use to travel to Canary Wharf, Stratford, and Bank.

By Car

If you plan to travel by car, it may be possible to leave it in London for the duration of your holiday. We can check this for you when your booking is confirmed. Due to the popularity of London as a tourist destination, we would recommend travelling via public transport.

Additional Days

We would be delighted to arrange additional accommodation for you along the Thames Path – East.

You may wish to plan a rest day or have an additional night at any of the locations along the route which offer activities or sightseeing opportunities – we’ve made some suggestions below. Please request this when you make an enquiry.

Windsor

Visit the Queen’s royal residence at Windsor Castle. Home to 900 years of royal history, this castle has been home to 39 monarchs. Visitors are welcome to view St George’s Chapel, the State Apartments and Semi-State Apartments
Try locally-brewed craft beer from the Windsor & Eton Brewery, and join one of their brewery tours
Hop aboard a Windsor Duck Tour for an amphibious sightseeing tour through Windsor and onto the River Thames

London

Explore legendary London – truly one of the world’s great cities. With a rich history stretching back beyond Roman times, the sightseeing options are endless
Tour the Houses of Parliament at Westminster, and take a photo of iconic Big Ben (under renovation until 2021)
Discover Westminster Abbey, site of countless British monarch coronations, burials, and weddings since the 13th century
Visit some of the world’s top museums and galleries, such as the British Museum, the Tate and the Tate Modern, the National Gallery, the Imperial War Museum, and the Churchill War Rooms

Greenwich

Spend an additional day in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Greenwich, where you can explore its fascinating naval connections as well as charming cafes and craft shops
Visit the Royal Observatory and stand on the world’s Prime Meridian – the home of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
Discover Britain’s naval past at the National Maritime Museum and visit the former royal residence the Queen’s House
Climb aboard Cutty Sark – the historic sailing ship which is now permanently berthed in Greenwich

How do our Walking Holidays Work?

For more than 20 years, we’ve been weaving together unforgettable walking holidays amidst the enchanting landscapes of the British Isles. Dive deeper into how they work in our comprehensive guide. Read more

Our client walking in the North York Moors National Park

London Calling: A Walking Holiday on the Thames Path

Beginning in the historic town of Windsor, the Thames Path - East follows the river through peaceful countryside, vibrant riverside towns, and the incredible city of London, to end at the Thames Barrier. Pippa from the AE team set off to discover whether a walking holiday on the Thames Path is the ultimate way to experience London... Read more