Day-by-day trail itinerary
Thames Path: 13-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
13 days from Thames Head (source), Gloucestershire to Thames Barrier area after an extension past Woolwich to Crayford Ness and retrace
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 · 4h43–6h38 (about 5h32, incl. ~55m of stops)
Via Kemble, Ewen, Poole Keynes, Somerford Keynes, Ashton Keynes, Leigh, Cerney Wick, Latton -
2
Day 2: Cricklade → Lechlade
17.2 km · 0 m ascent · 4h04–5h44 (about 4h46, incl. ~48m of stops)
Via Marston Meysey, Castle Eaton, Kempsford, Hannington -
3
Day 3: Lechlade → Northmoor
29.1 km · 0 m ascent · 6h52–9h41 (about 8h04, incl. ~1h21 of stops)
Via Little Faringdon, Buscot, Kelmscott, Clanfield, Buckland, Hinton Waldrist, Longworth, Standlake, Fyfield -
4
Day 4: Northmoor → Sandford-on-Thames
25.3 km · 6 m ascent · 5h59–8h26 (about 7h02, incl. ~1h10 of stops)
Via Cumnor, Stanton Harcourt, Farmoor, Eynsham, Swinford, Cassington, Yarnton, Wytham, Binsey, North Hinksey, Oxford, South Hinksey, Kennington -
5
Day 5: Sandford-on-Thames → Wallingford
30.9 km · 5 m ascent · 7h18–10h18 (about 8h35, incl. ~1h26 of stops)
Via Nuneham Courtenay, Radley, Abingdon, 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 -
6
Day 6: Wallingford → Reading
28.7 km · 84 m ascent · 6h57–9h49 (about 8h11, incl. ~1h22 of stops)
Via North Stoke, 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 · 15 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 · 12 m ascent · 6h31–9h11 (about 7h40, incl. ~1h17 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 · 0 m ascent · 6h04–8h33 (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 → Chiswick
29.1 km · 0 m ascent · 6h52–9h41 (about 8h04, incl. ~1h20 of stops)
Via Upper Halliford, Charlton, Sunbury-on-Thames, Kempton Park, Molesey, Thames Ditton, Kingston upon Thames, Teddington, Twickenham, Richmond, Isleworth, Brentford, Barnes -
11
Day 11: Chiswick → Greenwich
29.3 km · 30 m ascent · 6h58–9h50 (about 8h12, incl. ~1h22 of stops)
Via City of Westminster, London, City of London, Lewisham -
12
Day 12: Greenwich → Purfleet-on-Thames
23.5 km · 20 m ascent · 5h35–7h53 (about 6h34, incl. ~1h05 of stops)
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13
Day 13: Purfleet-on-Thames → Thames Barrier area after an extension past Woolwich to Crayford Ness and retrace
17.5 km · 16 m ascent · 4h10–5h53 (about 4h54, incl. ~49m of stops)
Via Erith, Woolwich
Solve the practical questions
Plan Thames Path with confidence
Route-specific answers from Trailstrider's researched trail data, with the planner ready when you want to turn them into your own trip.