The Essex Way crosses the county mostly on rural paths from Epping just outside the M25 to Harwich on the coast. The Way heads across gently undulating agricultural land, passing through or near many attractive old villages including Willingale, Pleshey, Coggeshall, Dedham, which has connections with the painter John Constable, and Manningtree where it takes to the Stour Estuary.

For an up-to-date route description for the full Essex Way, the Cicerone guidebook for walks in Essex has been updated by Peter Aylmer and is listed in the sidebar.

At Epping, the Essex Way is joined by the 15-mile Epping Forest Centenary Walk so it is possible to make a 97-mile traverse of Essex from Manor Park within Greater London.

To celebrate the 21st year of the Essex Way the 13-mile Ridley Round was created which is coincident with six miles of the Essex Way. Beating the Bounds (Essex) is another circular walk (16 miles) and meets the Essex Way at Great Waltham. The John Ray Walk (9 miles) crosses the Essex Way between Braintree and Witham.