South Downs Way
South Downs Way walking holidays. Accommodation, luggage transfer and customised holiday pack included.
South Downs Way
https://www.contours.co.uk/south-downs-way
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A walk along the chalk downs of Hampshire and Sussex, from Winchester to Eastbourne.
From £425 per person
Walk the length of the chalk downs of Hampshire and Sussex on the South Downs Way, which dips into beautiful river valleys to visit Norman and Saxon churches, deserted medieval villages, and historic thatched villages bursting with flowers.
This spectacular National Trail boasts a wealth of old beacon viewpoints overlooking patchwork fields and woodland. Those inland vistas are matched only by the breath-taking views from chalk clifftop trails out over the English Channel at the adventure’s end. The South Downs Way is a stunning walking holiday through iconic English terrain.
Dogs are welcome on select routes along this trail. Look for the pawprint icon when choosing your holiday.
We also organise trail running holidays along this route. Find out more.
From £970 per person
Book your walking holiday along the South Downs Way and explore all 100 miles of this spectacular National Trail, setting off from Winchester and scrambling eastwards towards Eastbourne on the coast.
The walk traverses the fabulous chalk downs and offers far-reaching views along its length. However, the best scenery arguably comes at the end of your journey, where you'll enjoy magnificent coastal panoramas from atop the rolling clifftops of the famous Seven Sisters.
| Code | Tour | Duration | Price per person | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SDW1 | From Winchester to Eastbourne | 6 days walking | £970 | |
| SDW2 | From Winchester to Eastbourne | 7 days walking | £1105 | |
| SDW3 | From Winchester to Eastbourne | 8 days walking | £1240 | |
| SDW4 | From Winchester to Eastbourne | 9 days walking | £1375 | |
| SDW5 | From Winchester to Eastbourne | 10 days walking | £1475 |
| Code | Tour | Duration | Price per person | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SDWSBE | From Kingston-near-Lewes(T) to Eastbourne | 2 days walking | £425 |
Travel to Winchester where your first night's accommodation will be booked
Winchester to East Meon. 17 miles (27km) / 1772 ft (540 m) ascent
East Meon to Cocking. 18.5 miles (29.5km) / 2333 ft (711 m) ascent
Cocking to Washington(L). 17.5 miles (28km) / 2073 ft (632 m) ascent
Washington(L) to Pyecombe(L). 15 miles (24km) / 1942 ft (592 m) ascent
Pyecombe(L) to Alfriston. 21.5 miles (34.5km) / 2365 ft (721 m) ascent
Alfriston to Eastbourne. 12 miles (19.5km) / 1742 ft (531 m) ascent
Depart from Eastbourne 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:
Exploring the cathedral city of Winchester, once the capital of Saxon England, and Alfriston’s parish church, the “Cathedral of the Downs”.
Visiting the downland viewpoints of Beacon, Butser and Bignor Hills, Ditchling Beacon and Firle Beacon.
Arriving in Eastbourne to breath-taking views from Birling Gap, Seven Sisters Cliffs, and Beachy Head.
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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“Good/excellent accommodation throughout.”Mr Lea, UK
“Many thanks. We are already planning our next walk for October 2019. It goes without saying that we will be looking to make use of your services again.”Mr King, UK
“Thank you for organising our walk along the SDW. We thoroughly enjoyed it even if we did moan a bit on some of the hills. The only downside was its accessibility to cyclists. Too many going far too fast. Next time I'll choose a route with lots of stiles and very rough ground!”Ms Willey, UK
“We loved it. Beautiful paths, well signposted. Lovely villages and interesting things to see. Sometimes a bit busy but so clean. No litter. Well done Brits!”Mrs Baines, Netherlands
“So lucky with the weather. Views were stunning. Great trail. We have done a lot of trails and always used Contours.”Mrs Johnson, UK
“It was delightful and very restorative. I rave about you to every cab driver and colleague that will listen. The views, particularly on the downs between Cocking and Alfriston, were spectacular. I love waking up each morning with nothing on my agenda except walking.”Ms Turnbull, USA
“I really enjoyed the walk in spite of the uncomfortably hot weather. All of our accommodations were good and the luggage services excellent. Thanks to your staff in the office, everyone was very helpful and ready to sort things out when we made some changes on dates and accommodations.”Mrs Parker, UK
“A wonderful experience. The South Downs is a beautiful is a beautiful area and a wonderful place to walk.”Dr Reader, Canada
“Wake, breakfast, walk, wash, dinner, sleep, repeat--what's not to like? Particularly as the weather was almost universally good and the downs full of flowers, birds and butterflies!”Ms Myerscough, Australia
