Day-by-day trail itinerary
Thames Path: 12-day itinerary
The Thames Path is a National Trail following the river from its source in the Gloucestershire Cotswolds through Oxford, Reading and London to the Thames Barrier and on to Woolwich. It was inaugurated on 24 July 1996 and extended by 1.2 miles to the Woolwich Foot Tunnel in January 2022, where it now meets the England Coast Path. It is described as the only National Trail to follow a river for its whole length, give or take the couple of miles at Bablock Hythe where the ferry is long gone. The National Trail's published length is 185.2 miles (298 km) against the 330 km stored here, which is the usual difference between a published figure and a stitched line rather than a discrepancy to chase.
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Compare Thames Path itineraries
A practical starting point
12 days from Thames Head (source), Gloucestershire to Woolwich
Use these daily distances and overnight stops as a starting point, then customise the trip in the planner.
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1
Day 1: Thames Head (source), Gloucestershire → Cricklade
19.9 km · 0 m ascent · 4h43–6h39 (about 5h32, incl. ~55m of stops)
Via Kemble, Ewen, Poole Keynes, Somerford Keynes, Ashton Keynes, Leigh, Cerney Wick, Latton -
2
Day 2: Cricklade → Clanfield
28.6 km · 0 m ascent · 6h45–9h32 (about 7h56, incl. ~1h19 of stops)
Via Marston Meysey, Castle Eaton, Kempsford, Hannington, Lechlade, Little Faringdon, Buscot, Kelmscott -
3
Day 3: Clanfield → Swinford
26.9 km · 6 m ascent · 6h21–8h58 (about 7h28, incl. ~1h15 of stops)
Via Buckland, Hinton Waldrist, Longworth, Standlake, Fyfield, Northmoor, Appleton, Cumnor, Stanton Harcourt, Farmoor, Eynsham -
4
Day 4: Swinford → Abingdon
24.9 km · 0 m ascent · 5h52–8h17 (about 6h55, incl. ~1h09 of stops)
Via Cassington, Yarnton, Wytham, Binsey, North Hinksey, Oxford, South Hinksey, Kennington, Sandford-on-Thames, Nuneham Courtenay, Radley -
5
Day 5: Abingdon → North Stoke
25.1 km · 5 m ascent · 5h56–8h22 (about 6h58, incl. ~1h10 of stops)
Via Shippon, Culham, Drayton, Sutton Courtenay, Appleford-on-Thames, Long Wittenham, Clifton Hampden, Berinsfield, Dorchester-on-Thames, Little Wittenham, Warborough, Shillingford, Brightwell-cum-Sotwell, Berrick Salome, Benson, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford -
6
Day 6: North Stoke → Reading
25.7 km · 81 m ascent · 6h14–8h48 (about 7h20, incl. ~1h13 of stops)
Via Cholsey, Moulsford, South Stoke, Streatley, Goring-on-Thames, Lower Basildon, Whitchurch Hill, Whitchurch-on-Thames, Pangbourne, Tidmarsh, Mapledurham, Purley on Thames -
7
Day 7: Reading → Hurley
26.2 km · 17 m ascent · 6h13–8h46 (about 7h19, incl. ~1h13 of stops)
Via Woodley, Sonning, Dunsden Green, Binfield Heath, Shiplake, Hare Hatch, Wargrave, Lower Shiplake, Crazies Hill, Harpsden, Henley-on-Thames, Remenham, Hambleden, Aston -
8
Day 8: Hurley → Eton
27.5 km · 5 m ascent · 6h30–9h10 (about 7h38, incl. ~1h16 of stops)
Via Bisham, Marlow, Cookham Dean, Little Marlow, Bourne End, Wooburn Green, Cookham Rise, Hedsor, Cookham, Taplow, Maidenhead, Holyport, Bray, Dorney Reach, Fifield, Dorney, Oakley Green, Eton Wick, Clewer Village -
9
Day 9: Eton → Walton-on-Thames
25.7 km · 5 m ascent · 6h04–8h34 (about 7h08, incl. ~1h11 of stops)
Via Chalvey, Slough, Datchet, Horton, Sunnymeads, Wraysbury, Old Windsor, Bishopsgate, Englefield Green, Hythe End, Egham, Pooley Green, Egham Hythe, Staines-upon-Thames, Thorpe, Laleham, Chertsey, Addlestone, Weybridge, Shepperton -
10
Day 10: Walton-on-Thames → Barnes
27.9 km · 0 m ascent · 6h35–9h17 (about 7h44, incl. ~1h17 of stops)
Via Upper Halliford, Charlton, Sunbury-on-Thames, Kempton Park, Molesey, Thames Ditton, Kingston upon Thames, Teddington, Twickenham, Richmond, Isleworth, Brentford -
11
Day 11: Barnes → Greenwich
30.5 km · 28 m ascent · 7h15–10h14 (about 8h32, incl. ~1h25 of stops)
Via Chiswick, City of Westminster, London, City of London, Lewisham -
12
Day 12: Greenwich → Woolwich
41.0 km · 21 m ascent · 9h43–13h43 (about 11h26, incl. ~1h55 of stops)
Via Purfleet-on-Thames, Erith, Woolwich
Solve the practical questions
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Route-specific answers from Trailstrider's researched trail data, with the planner ready when you want to turn them into your own trip.