Walking in Kent
Kent runs from the chalk of the North Downs to the White Cliffs of Dover, with Canterbury and the Stour valley at its heart. Around it are the orchards and oast houses of the Weald, the Darent valley below Sevenoaks, the Medway towns and a long coast from Whitstable round to Folkestone.
Difficulty is shown only where we have graded the route, so choosing a level hides walks not yet graded.
Walks with a mapped start point are plotted above; the rest appear when you search their town. Zoom, drag or click a pin to explore, or search a town to list its walks.
Choose a starting town
Sevenoaks, Westerham & the Darent
Medway, Maidstone & the North Downs
Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge & the Weald
Canterbury, Whitstable & the Stour
Thanet, Dover & Folkestone
Top walks by area
A starting point for each part of Kent: well-documented routes that finish back where they start, between 1 and 12 miles.
Sevenoaks, Westerham & the Darent
- Eynsford Little LoopEynsford · 3.0 mi
- Lullingstone LoopSevenoaks · 3.8 mi
- Otford LoopOtford · 5.6 mi
- Chiddingstone Hoath via Hill HoathChiddingstone Hoath · 3.0 mi
- Chartwell Circular 9MWesterham · 9.0 mi
- Enysford To Shoreham Circular WalkFarningham · 9.2 mi
Medway, Maidstone & the North Downs
- Aylesford Circular Along RiverAylesford · 6.1 mi
- Sittingbourne, Tunstall, Bredgar, Borden LoopSittingbourne · 7.6 mi
- Darland Banks and Ambley Wood LoopHempstead · 2.9 mi
- Bredhurst via Monkdown WoodBredhurst · 4.3 mi
- Hollingbourne via Greenaway and Leeds CastleHollingbourne · 4.8 mi
- Detling via WhitehallDetling · 5.1 mi
Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge & the Weald
- Horsmonden via Finchurst Farm and River Teise Circular WalkHorsmonden · 3.5 mi
- Great Baynden via River and Cheveney and Tanner FarmsGreat Baynden · 3.3 mi
- Goddards Green via Hemsted ForestGoddards Green · 6.0 mi
- Tonbridge via Barden LakeBrook Street · 6.0 mi
- Pluckley via Little ChartPluckley · 6.2 mi
- Tunbridge Wells via Langton and RusthallTunbridge Wells · 7.2 mi
Canterbury, Whitstable & the Stour
- Bridge, Highland Court LoopBridge · 3.0 mi
- Kenfield LoopChartham · 3.8 mi
- Wye Downs Loop (revised)Hastingleigh · 6.4 mi
- Littlebourne via Pine WoodLittlebourne · 3.9 mi
- Canterbury via St Mildred’s and the Kings MileCanterbury · 4.2 mi
- Perry Woods via SellingSelling · 5.3 mi
Thanet, Dover & Folkestone
- Sandwich via North StreamSandwich · 3.1 mi
- Folkstone via Three Hills and SandgateFolkestone · 4.6 mi
- Etchinghill via Postling and LymingeEtchinghill · 5.1 mi
- Dover White CliffsDover · 5.8 mi
- Lyminge via PaddlesworthLyminge · 7.0 mi
- Lympne loop via Potting Shed and Lazy ShackLympne · 10.0 mi
Popular in Kent
Know before you go
Practical points for walking in Kent. Rules and timetables change, so check the linked sources before you set off.
North Downs Way
The 153-mile National Trail runs from Farnham in Surrey to Dover. Near Wye it splits, with one branch running via Folkestone and a loop via Canterbury, and the full route opened in 1978.
White Cliffs of Dover
The cliffs rise to about 110 metres and stretch roughly eight miles either side of Dover. Large sections have collapsed in recent years, most recently in 2020 and 2021, so keep well back from the edge.
Kent Downs
Protected since 1968, the Kent Downs National Landscape covers 878 square kilometres from the London and Surrey borders to the White Cliffs, taking in the Darent, Medway and Stour valleys.
Saxon Shore Way
This 163-mile path follows the Kent coast from Gravesend to Hastings. Several of our walks follow sections of it, from Faversham to Herne Bay, Sandwich to Dover and Hamstreet to Rye.
Maps
Sevenoaks and Tonbridge are on OS Explorer 147, Maidstone and the Medway towns on Explorer 148, Canterbury and Thanet on Explorer 150, and Dover, Folkestone and Hythe on Explorer 138.
Walking in Kent: questions
How many walks are there in Kent?
We list 303 walking routes in Kent, starting from 110 towns and villages. The typical route is about 10 miles; 41 are under 4 miles and 151 are 10 miles or more. Every route is free to view.
Which towns have the most walks?
Canterbury (17), Dover (11), Maidstone (9), Eynsford (9), Sevenoaks (9) and Bridge (8). Use the town search or the town list on this page to see every walk from a particular place.
Are there short circular walks in Kent?
Yes. 17 routes under 4 miles finish where they start, including Tankerton via Slopes (1.8 mi), Horton Kirby via Farningham Road Train Station (2.0 mi), Yalding via Mill Place (2.0 mi) and Darland Banks and Ambley Wood Loop (2.9 mi). Choose Under 4 mi and Back to start in the filters above to see them all.
Can I take my dog on Kent walks?
Yes, on most routes. Keep dogs on a lead near sheep and cattle on the downs, well back from cliff edges on the coast, and on a lead no longer than 2 metres on open access land from 1 March to 31 July. See Know before you go for more.
Does the North Downs Way go to Canterbury?
Yes. Near Wye the trail splits: one branch heads to Dover via Folkestone, and a loop runs through Canterbury before reaching Dover. Several of our walks follow parts of both.
Is it safe to walk along the White Cliffs of Dover?
Yes, if you keep well back from the edge. The chalk cliffs erode and large sections have fallen into the sea in recent years, so stay on the paths away from the cliff top.
Which long-distance trails pass through Kent?
The North Downs Way and Greensand Way both pass through Kent, and each has its own guide on Walking Rambler.