South Downs Way Self-Guided Walking Holidays

The South Downs Way is one of 15 National Trails in England and Wales.
It was the first bridleway National Trail in England and is the only National Trail to lie entirely within a National Park, running right through the heart of the South Downs National Park.
100 miles of chalk downland walking separate Winchester – the ancient Saxon Capital of Wessex and England and the Victorian seaside resort of Eastbourne.
Stretching over a rare large area of outstanding natural beauty,
The South Downs Way follows the old routes and droveways along the chalk escarpment and ridges of The South Downs from Winchester to  the white chalky cliffs of the Seven Sisters and Beachy Head.

Glorious Countryside &
Stunning Views

Walking The South Downs Way offers the opportunity to experience some of the finest landscapes in Britain.
You can enjoy exceptional views of the Isle of Wight and the Solent, the high heathlands of the Western Weald and Blackdown,
the heavily wooded Weald of Sussex, and the receding ridges of the Chalk Downs themselves as well as the distant ridge of the North Downs.
At the Eastern end of the trail you can enjoy the famous sea cliffs of the Seven Sisters and Beachy Head.
For nature lovers, The South Downs Way passes through an extraordinary range of diverse habitats including ancient woodlands, river valleys, chalk grassland, mixed farm land and coastal habitats.

25 Years Experience of
The South Downs Way

Footprints of Sussex have a vast amount of experience in organising self-guided walking holidays on The South Downs Way.
We have been leading walks and offering holidays along the The South Downs Way for over 25 years and each year in June we also lead the Annual South Downs Way Walk along the full length of the trail.
That’s how we know the South Downs and the National Park so well.
Our self-guided walking holidays and short breaks on The South Downs Way will give you the opportunity to see some of the finest countryside and historical sites in Britain,
including the great iron age hill forts of Old Winchester Hill, Chanctonbury Ring and Devil’s Dyke.

As one of the leading walking companies in Sussex, Footprints of Sussex has some great options for enjoying the South Downs Way National Trail.
We will provide accommodation, baggage transfers and route maps and guides to maximise your enjoyment of The South Downs Way.

What better way to get away from it all and to recharge your batteries than by taking a short break or weekend walking break in the beautiful, wide open spaces of the South Downs Way? Easy access by train or car to some of England’s finest walking. A great taster if you fancy the whole trail…

We offer full days walking to companies of various sizes. A great way to build team morale, get to know your colleagues or to strategise in some of the most beautiful scenery you can find… We have organised a wide variety of company based days and more than happy to get involved from concept to delivery. Get in touch for more details and a quote.

This is an organised nine day walk along the full 100 mile length of the South Downs Way, one of England’s finest national trails. It will take place in September (postponed from June) 2020.For the past 40 years it has been enjoyed every June by hundreds of people from all over the world.

As well as leading guided walks in the South Downs National Park we also publish walks in newspapers and magazines and have been instrumental in creating and writing the guidebooks for two delightful long distance trails, both of which appear on the O.S. Landranger and Explorer maps – The West Sussex Literary Trail and The New Lipchis Way.

Taking the lead from our parent company Pawprints of Sussex has been created specifically for dog owners who would like to walk the beautiful South Downs Way with their dog. Dog walking in the South Downs National Park and along the South Downs Way National Trail are fabulous for both you and your four legged companions….From 2020, we will only be offering short breaks with dogs.