Kennet and Avon Canal
Hike along the Kennet and Avon Canal at your own pace on a full self-guided walking holiday. Accommodation, luggage transfer and custom holiday pack included.
Kennet and Avon Canal
https://www.contours.co.uk/kennet-and-avon-canal
A tranquil, low-level walking holiday from Reading to Bristol, enjoying beautiful waterside views throughout.
From £590 per person
The full Kennet and Avon Canal walking trail enjoys 95 miles of gentle canal towpaths and easy paths. The route stays close to the River Avon as it meanders through the North Wessex Downs from Reading to Bristol. Along the way you will find plenty of beautiful scenery, as well unique insights into England’s industrial history. The walk passes the Caen Hill flight of locks and the ornate aqueducts at Avoncliff and Dundas, to name a few enticing sites. The route also visits the iconic Roman city of Bath – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – and Bristol’s vibrant floating harbour. With all this and more to discover along the way, this trail has something for everyone to enjoy.
.gif)
Wandering at your own pace along well-laid, clear paths through quintessentially English countryside, with wonderful views throughout.
Counting all 105 canal locks along the route and learning about the amazing industrial history of this waterway.
Exploring the magnificent architecture in Bath, as well as the range of facilities and attractions on offer in Bristol.
| Code | Tour | Duration | Price per person | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KAC1 | From Reading to Bristol | 5 days walking | £590 | |
| KAC2 | From Reading to Bristol | 7 days walking | £785 | |
| KAC3 | From Reading to Bristol | 9 days walking | £980 | |
| KAC4 | From Reading to Bristol | 13 days walking | £1375 |
Travel to Reading where your first night's accommodation has been booked
Reading to Newbury. 19.5 miles (31km)
Newbury to Crofton. 15.5 miles (25km)
Crofton to Devizes. 19.5 miles (31km)
Devizes to Bath. 22.5 miles (36km)
Bath to Bristol. 17.5 miles (28km)
Depart from Bristol after breakfast
This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this tour. Sometimes there may be a shortage of available accommodation in a preferred location, in which case we will transfer you from the trail to your accommodation and back again at no extra charge. Overnight stops marked with a (T) will always require transfers as standard.
Overnight stops marked with an (L) have very limited accommodation, and therefore more often than not will also require a transfer, particularly on bank holidays and weekends. We will use non-transfer accommodation wherever possible.
The daily mileages quoted are average trail miles only and do not include the distance from the trail to your accommodation. We do not expect you to have to travel more than a mile from the trail to your accommodation; should your accommodation be further than this, transfers will be provided as standard.
Below are the additional costs that may apply depending on your requirements. Dog-friendly tours are subject to a Daily Dog Charge, which will be listed below if applicable. Our standard prices per person are based upon two people sharing a room; if you are on your own, or are part of a group but require a room of your own, then the Solo Traveller or Single Supplements apply respectively:
Due to the high costs incurred by booking a Lone Walker on this trail, we can only provide prices on application. Please contact us for further details.
You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:
You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:
To find out more about the weather forecast for your chosen holiday's general location, please see the following websites:
“The walk was challenging but so much fun. We often walked for hours without seeing anyone; just us, the ducks/geese/swans (and their babies) and the birds. Perfect. The walk was everything we wanted and more. Some of the route involved an almost non-existent path; nothing more than the canal bank. That added to the adventure. Would absolutely recommend, especially if someone wants an off-the-beaten-path experience.”Ms Burda, USA
“Great trip! Wonderful time of the year.”Mrs Rodgers, USA
“We enjoyed the walk very much, beautiful scenes, many locks and comfortable walking paths, even the weather was helpful.”Mr van der Meer, Netherlands
“Great countryside and interesting engineering of canals. Baggage and B&B all worked well.”Mr Styles, UK
“From picking this holiday on the website, the personal attention given to our booking, the very complete holiday pack, all the b&b's and hotels we stayed in, the way the luggage transport is handled; this is the most relaxed way I can imagine booking a holiday and be sure our interests are in capable and caring hands.”Mrs Sanders, Netherlands
“This was an easy, relaxed walk with lots to see along the way.”Ms Matthews, USA