Walking the Grand Union Canal towpath between Birmingham and London is a popular long-distance route of about 138 miles (222 km), passing through a variety of landscapes and historic towns and villages. The walk was created as part of the celebrations of the 200th anniversary of the creation of the canal companies that later formed the Grand Union Canal, and being almost entirely towpath it provides much for those interested in canal history.

From Brentford, where it joins the Thames Path, the canal heads to Slough and then through Hertfordshire and the Chilterns to Tring. Apart from the stretch through Milton Keynes the route is then largely rural, passing the Canal Museum at Stoke Bruerne to Leamington Spa and Warwick. The final stretch is through the suburbs of Birmingham. Walked from Birmingham, the canal towpath is flat and easy, passing pretty canal-side villages and historic sites such as Warwick Castle.

Walking the towpath from Birmingham to London typically takes between 7-10 days, depending on your pace and the amount of time you want to spend exploring the towns and villages along the way. There are plenty of accommodation options along the route, including campsites, B&Bs and pubs offering accommodation, as well as numerous transport links that make it easy to return to Birmingham or London at the end of the walk.