7 Great Hiking Trails Near London You Need to Experience

One of the best things about being an avid hiker is that hiking is an activity that can take you to all sorts of places. The view is part of the hike. You might even find yourself appreciating a part of your city that you didn't realise holds a beauty that you never noticed before.

For example, London isn’t a city that you would think can be a place for hiking, but there are plenty of excellent hiking trails there that are worth experiencing.

If you happen to be around London and are looking to hike somewhere around it, then there are plenty of trails that you would want to try. Here are seven hiking trails near London that you can try out for your next hike.

The Seven Sisters Cliff Walk

Located in East Sussex, England, the Seven Sisters Cliff Walk is a hiking trail worth the trip to South England.

You can book a tour starting from London to be able to get to it. If you plan on commuting, then you can take a bus ride that will get you to any of the nearby towns such as Brighton, Seaford, and Eastbourne.

You can start your hike from Seaford Beach to the Eastbourne Pier, and you can manage to hike the length of it within seven hours, even with a few breaks here and there.

The Seven Sisters Cliff Walk is known for its chalky white cliffs that look like icebergs protruding from the sea. Aside from the beauty of the trail, it’s also relatively easy, so if you aren’t an expert hiker, you won’t have a hard time traversing these cliffs.

Oak Trail Epping Forest

The Oak Trail Epping Forest is a great way to experience a proper country walk if you feel like city life is suffocating you. However, be careful as sometimes the plants tend to get overgrown quite a bit.

This hiking trail is located in North London and spans about 6.6 miles or around a ten-kilometre hike. So, you should prepare some hiking boots and hiking poles to be safe, but they’re relatively easy to traverse.

Lewes via West Firle Circular

South Downs National Park is the closest national park that you can get to if you’re coming from London. Of course, you can go hiking on one of their trails there, where you can explore Lewes via the West Firle Circular.

This next hiking trail is great for long walks that would take you around 11 hours, including breaks in between. It can also be a hike that you break down into three trails with varying lengths depending on the place.

Hiking on this particular hiking trail has its difficulties, but overall, it should be manageable. You should equip yourself with hiking equipment, though. Also, try not to hike here during December and January as the lighting conditions aren’t going to be favourable.

Ditchling Beacon

Ditchling Beacon is the highest point that you can reach in the East Sussex area. It makes for an excellent hiking trail that won’t take you more than three hours or so to finish.

It’s a circular hiking trail that will take you right back to where you started, which is typically the Ditchling Beacon car park area.

Going on a trek in Ditchling Beacon is peaceful, and you get to see the verdant fields and valleys around you. There can be quite a few ascents that you have to prepare for, especially since you’re going to the peak of Ditchling Beacon. But it won’t be that treacherous of a hike.

Box Hill Circular

Another circular hiking trail is the Box Hill Circular.

The most manageable commute to get to Box Hill Circular would be by riding the train. You can board at the London Waterloo station, and then you can drop off at Box Hill and Westhumble.

The hike itself is of medium difficulty, so maybe it’s a good hike for beginner hikers who have been hiking for a while and are looking for a bit more of a challenge.

It should take you about four hours or so to complete.

Chess Valley

The Chess Valley Walk is a hiking trail that will get you through the Chess Valley, its villages, and the Chess River.

Overall, the trail extends at about ten miles or 16 kilometres. If you’d like to shorten your walk, then instead of dropping off at Rickmansworth or Chesham station, you can go to the Chalfont and Latimer station instead.

The Chess Valley Walk is a great way to experience the English countryside experience.

Henley via Stonor Circular

Traversing Henley through the Stonor Circular will lead you through a variety of hills and woodland.

The walk is not going to be too harsh, but there is a steep hill you might encounter on your trail there.

The Henley Walk is going to be another charming look at the valleys. You can also see some local wildlife in the area.

Although London isn’t exactly known as one of the best hiking destinations, it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have a few gems that are worth making the trip for any hiker.

There are plenty of hiking trails near London that are worth experiencing for any avid hiker around.

If you are looking to add a few hiking trails to your to-hike list, then definitely check the ones on this list.