Why Walk London?

Why Walk?

"I have two doctors, my left leg and my right."
George Macaulay Trevelyan, 1913

Walking has many benefits. It has been described as "the nearest activity to perfect exercise". You'll benefit from improved health, saving money and by doing your bit for the environment.

It's a great way of exploring both your local area and new places, it gives you the time to take in your surroundings and you'll notice things that you wouldn't have seen from a car or a train.

"To find new things, take the path you took yesterday."
John Burroughs

Walking is one of the cheapest ways of getting around, you don't need any specialist equipment - just a pair of comfortable shoes, and off you go.

There's no doubt about it, walking is good for you.

Why Walk in London?

London is a great city for walking. Almost 7 million walking journeys are made in London every day. As well as the network of pavements and paths, the number of walking trails rivals any other city in the world. Walking is the best way to get to and from public transport services and is often the quickest, easiest way of moving around the capital.

Transport for London (TfL) and the London Boroughs are working together to complete and promote six major walking routes - the London Outer Orbital Path (LOOP), the Capital Ring, the Thames Path National Trail, the Jubilee Walkway, the South East London's Green Chain Walk, and the Lea Valley Walk. The aim is to create great walking experiences on well managed routes, making London a more attractive place to live, work and visit.

Walking around London gives you a chance to appreciate the beauty of the city, and to discover new places or see familiar ones from a different angle. The routes described on this website are designed to be accessible by public transport and you can choose to walk as little or as far as you want by walking them in short sections.

If you are looking for someone to walk with why not try one of the many organised guided walks running throughout the year. For more information on guided walks check out the guided walks page of this site.

For more information on walking in London visit Transport for London's website

If you are interested in long distance walks why not visit the London branch of the Long Distance Walkers Association.

If you want to know more about what you're passing as you walk why not try www.audioguide2go.com - you can download audio guides to London as well as other cities, with information on heritage, nature, or whatever catches your imagination.  

"Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time."
Steven Wright