Walking in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire stretches from the honey-coloured Cotswold villages around Burford and Chipping Norton to the beechwoods of the Chilterns, with the Thames flowing through Oxford and Wallingford between them. In the south, the ancient Ridgeway runs along the downs above the Vale of White Horse.
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
Oxford & around
Cotswolds & West Oxfordshire
Banbury, Bicester & Cherwell
Chilterns & the Thames
Vale of White Horse & Ridgeway
Top walks by area
A starting point for each part of Oxfordshire: well-documented routes that finish back where they start, between 1 and 12 miles.
Oxford & around
- Sunningwell via Boars Hill Loop.Sunningwell · 3.6 mi
- Oxford via Hinksey And The Electric Road Circular WalkOxford · 4.0 mi
- Kidlington CircularThrupp · 6.1 mi
- Bayswater Mill via Sydlings CopseHeadington · 3.7 mi
Cotswolds & West Oxfordshire
- Burford via Shilton and HolwellBurford · 8.7 mi
- Chipping Norton Hertiage LoopChipping Norton · 1.2 mi
- Charlbury via FawlerCharlbury · 4.6 mi
- Blenheim Palace via Great ParkWoodstock · 5.2 mi
- Wootton via Dornford GroveWootton · 5.3 mi
- Burford via Westwell CotswoldsWest Oxfordshire · 6.2 mi
Banbury, Bicester & Cherwell
- Adderbury LoopAdderbury · 3.2 mi
- Langford And Launton Circular WalkBicester · 3.9 mi
- Shutford via Madmarston Hill CircularShutford · 4.3 mi
- Otmoor LoopMerton · 11.4 mi
Chilterns & the Thames
- Chinnor Circular WalkChinnor · 3.8 mi
- Checkendon LoopCheckendon · 2.8 mi
- Binfield Heath via High Wood and Kiln LaneBinfield Heath · 3.3 mi
- Wittenham Clumps To Wallingford CircularDorchester-on-Thames · 11.0 mi
Vale of White Horse & Ridgeway
- Greyhound LoopLetcombe Regis · 4.8 mi
- Fernham Circular WalkFernham · 1.3 mi
Popular in Oxfordshire
Know before you go
Practical points for walking in Oxfordshire. Rules and timetables change, so check the linked sources before you set off.
The Ridgeway
The 87-mile Ridgeway National Trail runs from Overton Hill near Avebury to Ivinghoe Beacon, following the chalk downs across the south of the county. It is often described as Britain’s oldest road.
Uffington White Horse
Just off the Ridgeway, the White Horse at Uffington was cut into the chalk between about 1380 and 550 BC, making it Britain’s oldest chalk figure. The National Trust looks after it, and volunteers re-chalk it each year.
Thames Path
The Thames Path runs about 185 miles from near the river’s source at Kemble in Gloucestershire to the Woolwich foot tunnel in London, passing Oxford, Abingdon, Dorchester and Wallingford on the way.
Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace near Woodstock stands in a park landscaped by Capability Brown, and has been a World Heritage Site since 1987.
Red kites in the Chilterns
Red kites, brought from Spain, were released in the Chilterns between 1989 and 1994. Look out for them over the beechwoods and open fields of the Oxfordshire Chilterns.
Maps
The Cotswolds are on OS Explorer OL45, the Chilterns around Henley and Wallingford on Explorer 171 (Chiltern Hills West), and the Vale of White Horse on Explorer 170 (Abingdon, Wantage and Vale of White Horse).
Walking in Oxfordshire: questions
How many walks are there in Oxfordshire?
We list 78 walking routes in Oxfordshire, starting from 42 towns and villages. The typical route is about 5 miles; 30 are under 4 miles and 20 are 10 miles or more. Every route is free to view.
Which towns have the most walks?
Burford (8), Woodstock (7), Oxford (7), Dorchester-on-Thames (6), Bicester (5) and Charlbury (3). 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 Oxfordshire?
Yes. 15 routes under 4 miles finish where they start, including Chipping Norton Hertiage Loop (1.2 mi), Fernham Circular Walk (1.3 mi), Langford Circular Exercise Walk (2.0 mi) and Oxford via Harry Potter Trail (2.3 mi). Choose Under 4 mi and Back to start in the filters above to see them all.
Can I take my dog on Oxfordshire walks?
Yes, on most routes. Keep dogs under close control around livestock, 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.
How old is the Uffington White Horse?
It was cut into the chalk between about 1380 and 550 BC, in the late Bronze Age or early Iron Age, which makes it the oldest chalk figure in Britain. It lies just off the Ridgeway above the Vale of White Horse.
Can I see red kites in Oxfordshire?
Yes. Red kites were released in the Chilterns between 1989 and 1994, and our walks from Chinnor, Checkendon and Ipsden cross the Oxfordshire Chilterns where you can look out for them.
Which long-distance trails pass through Oxfordshire?
The Thames Path and The Ridgeway both pass through Oxfordshire, and each has its own guide on Walking Rambler.