Thames Path
Follow the greatest river in England past water meadows, unspoilt rural villages and historical towns and cities
Follow the greatest river in England past water meadows, unspoilt rural villages and historical towns and cities
Welcome to the Thames Path’s home page where you’ll find an introduction to the trail. You can access the trail’s main pages using the links above. Here you’ll find links to the Information & Map page, Trail Holidays page and the Add your information page.
If you’re thinking about planning a visit to the trail, please view the Interactive Map on the Trail Information & Map page. The map allows you to view the line of the trail alongside accommodation, things to do, services such as food and drink, transport, water points and more.
You can also find additional Thames Path pages by going to ‘The Trails’ dropdown menu at the top of the page, clicking on the trail name and browsing the pages in the Further Information column. Here you can access pages such as the trail’s Route Description page, Leaflets page, Circular and Linear Walks page and Events.
Find useful facts and learn more about the Thames Path. Select the blue tabs below for more details.
The Thames Path is a long distance walking trail, following England’s best known river for 185.2miles (298 km) as it meanders from its source in the Cotswolds through several rural counties and on into the heart of London. On its way the Trail passes peaceful water meadows rich in wildlife, historic towns and cities and many lovely villages, finishing in Woolwich just a few miles from the sea.
Easy to reach by public transport, the Thames Path is a gentle Trail, mostly flat and one of the easier trails to navigate. This National Trail can be enjoyed in many ways, whether for an afternoon’s stroll, a weekend’s break or a full scale, but relatively gentle, trek of its whole length. It is very well way-marked so following the route is easy, but it’s always a good idea to take a guidebook or map. To help you decide if this trail is suitable for you, check out the route descriptions
The best months to visit are spring through to the end of autumn. If you’re interested in wildlife there are always a range of birds present on and around the river but they’re at their most active and visible during April and May whilst establishing territories and finding mates. If you’re keen on wildflowers, then April to September is the time to visit, and if insects such as butterflies, damselflies and dragonflies are the things you’d most like to see choose June to September.
There are Route Descriptions in the Further Information section of this website. Check out the Visit Thames website for more inspiration and ideas, things to do and places to stay along the River Thames.
The final section was opened and the Thames Path National Trail inaugurated at the Thames Barrier on 24 July 1996. Read about its history here How the Trail Become… A Brief history of the Thames Path.
On 12th January 2022 the England Coast Path from Grain to Woolwich was officially opened at the Woolwich Foot Tunnel, 1.2 miles east of the Thames Barrier. It connects with the Thames Path National Trail there to create a continuous ‘Source to Sea’ National Trail along the length of the River Thames from the Cotswolds to the North Sea. The entire ‘Source to Sea’ trail is 232 miles (374 km) following the south bank of the River Thames in London. In total the Thames Path National Trail is now 185.2miles (298 km) from the source of the River Thames to Woolwich. For a video overview on The Thames Path and England Coast Path – Source to Sea – Please visit Thames Source to Sea – YouTube.
If you’d like to become a National Trail Volunteer, just visit our Volunteering webpage and send us an email: NT.volunteers@oxfordshire.gov.uk
Visit our Walking Holidays Page for holiday inspiration for the Thames Path.
Visit our News Page for the latest interesting and exciting news about the Thames Path.
Check out our Thames Path National Trail Team’s blog.
Read our latest newsletter.
Take a look at our Events calendar to find details of the enjoyable events that are taking place along the trail. If you want, you can even add your own event.
The Thames Path National Trail, the 184-mile long-distance footpath from the source of the River Thames in Trewsbury Mead, Gloucestershire to the Thames Barrier in Woolwich, London, celebrated its 25th anniversary on Saturday 24 July 2021.
The Thames Path was named as one of the country’s long distance recreational routes in the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act of 1949.
From 1973 the Ramblers and the River Thames Society worked together with local campaign groups negotiating with landowners and local authorities, and lobbying politicians to restore the old towing path from the days of barges on the River Thames.
The final section was opened and the Thames Path National Trail inaugurated at the Thames Barrier on 24 July 1996.
Please visit our History page to learn more about ‘How The Trail Became’.
Explore the river by boat, visit the fabulous stately homes, palaces, gardens and nature reserves along the way. Stop off to enjoy the sights of Oxford and London.
View short walks on the trail's interactive map or browse the list by clicking the button below.
