North Downs Way - East Section via Canterbury
Walk eastern North Downs Way at your own pace on a self-guided walking holiday via Canterbury. Accommodation, luggage transfer and custom holiday pack included
North Downs Way - East Section via Canterbury
https://www.contours.co.uk/north-downs-way-east-section-via-canterbury
A self-guided walking holiday through the Surrey Hills and Kent Downs, from Farnham to Dover.
From £415 per person
The North Downs Way National Trail follows the long chalk ridge of the North Downs through some of the most scenic and historic countryside in England. It crosses downland, sandy heath, deciduous woodland, green pastures, apple orchards and vineyards. A section of the trail even slips onto the Pilgrim’s Way, an ancient route followed by countless pilgrims on their way to pray at the shrine of Thomas Becket at Canterbury, immortalised in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
Walking the North Downs Way will bring you across plenty more historic sites, from prehistoric long barrows to a Napoleonic fort, with eight castles and three cathedrals in the mix. The local settlements, too, show their years: spot impressive Tudor carvings, half-timbered houses, and flint-walled churches as you make your way to the white cliffs and seaside views at Dover.
From £685 per person
Travel between listed buildings and chocolate box villages through picturesque downland scenery as you walk along the North Downs Way. The east section of the trail heads onto Pilgrim’s Way over the Soakham Downs to Canterbury.
Immortalised in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, the city’s cathedral, St Augustine’s Abbey, and St Martin’s Church form a World Heritage Site that will absorb you for hours. Beyond, the trail crosses ancient woodland to reach the busy port of Dover beneath the famous white cliffs.
| Code | Tour | Duration | Price per person | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NDWCE1 | From Rochester to Dover | 4 days walking | £685 | |
| NDWCE2 | From Rochester to Dover | 5 days walking | £820 | |
| NDWCE3 | From Rochester to Dover | 6 days walking | £950 |
| Code | Tour | Duration | Price per person | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NDWSB | From Canterbury to Dover | 2 days walking | £415 |
Travel to Rochester where your first night's accommodation will be booked
Rochester to Hollingbourne(T). 16 miles (26km) / 2001 ft (610 m) ascent
Hollingbourne(T) to Boughton Lees(T). 16 miles (25.5km) / 827 ft (252 m) ascent
Boughton Lees(T) to Canterbury. 14 miles (22km) / 1211 ft (369 m) ascent
Canterbury to Dover. 19 miles (30km) / 1486 ft (453 m) ascent
Depart from Dover 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 in most cases; should your accommodation be further than this, transfers will be provided as standard if practical. A very limited number of stops will require you to travel on foot up to two miles off the trail, however these instances will be clearly communicated to you if applicable.
Further transfers may also be required due to some accommodations having a two-night minimum booking policy, especially at weekends.
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:
You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:
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Walking through the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Visiting the numerous historical sites on the route, including Rochester Castle and Cathedral, the Neolithic Barrow of Kit’s Coty, Thurnham Castle, Canterbury World Heritage Site and Dover’s Roman Painted House.
Discovering the literary connections along the trail as you follow in the footsteps of Chaucer’s Pilgrims on the way to Canterbury and visit the buildings of Dickens’ Great Expectations.
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:
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“Spectacular scenery. Great weather. Well organised, bags delivered as promised. Very happy with Contours management and efficiency.”Mrs Apperley, New Zealand
“Accommodations were very good, quite satisfactory. All the innkeepers were friendly and helpful.”Mr Wolf, USA
“Enjoyed the holiday very much.”Mr Hilmarsson, Iceland
“We felt cared for at each of the accommodations. The guidebook and maps were very helpful, the trail was usually well marked, and we never got lost.”Mr Hard, USA
“It was perfect - corresponding to the advertisement!”Mrs Schneider, Switzerland
