Kennet and Avon Canal Walking Holiday
In Southern England
Reading to Bath
(East to West) in 9 Days
8 nights and 7 days walking

Kennet and Avon Canal Walking Holiday in UK with Lets Go Walking

Kennet and Avon Canal Walking Holiday in UK with Lets Go Walking

Kennet and Avon Canal Walking Holiday in UK with Lets Go Walking

kennet_and_avon_canal_towpath walking holidays with letsgowalking

Kennet and Avon Canal Walking Holiday
in Southern England
from Reading to Bath (East to West)
via Newbury, Hungerford, Pewsey, Devizes, and Pewsey

This is a 75-mile walking holiday on the Kennet and Avon Canal Towpath. The walking holiday follows the whole meandering course of the Kennet and Avon Canal from the River Thames at Reading to Bath.
The Kennet and Avon Canal walking holiday is a great first walking holiday experience as it is easy walking and offers a wealth of interesting places to visit en-route.

The Kennet and Avon canal connects the Bristol Channel at Bristol with the River Thames at Reading providing an inland waterway between Bristol and London. On its journey, it passes through the magnificent Avon Valley and the Vale of Pewsey.

John Rennie undertook the surveying for the canal, with building commencing in 1794 and completed in 1810. The Dundas Aqueduct and the Avoncliff Aqueduct carry the Kennet and Avon Canal over the River Avon. However, the canal enjoyed only thirty years of exclusive business, with the main trade being coal, before it suffered the competition of the Great Western Railway which opened in 1841. The canal was then deliberately run down and neglected until the post-war years when forty years of hard work and renewed interest resulted in the canal being reopened in 1990.

Our Kennet and Avon Canal walking holiday connects with the following routes:
Cotswold Way at Bath
White Horse Trail at Devizes, Alton Barnes, and Pewsey
Great Stones Way at Alton Barnes
Thames Path at Reading.

The route passes through the city of Bath which is a great place to visit, with good shopping, restaurants, and pubs.
This Kennet and Avon Canal walking holiday is great hiking for visitors to the UK as it offers a taste of England’s history mixed with the modern UK of today. This is a gentle walk, full of contrasts, with bustling cities and quiet river and canal banks.

Our self-guided walking holidays are designed with your comfort and enjoyment in mind and can be tailor-made to your own personal requirements.

The routes are clearly way-marked to provide reassurance on your hiking vacation.

We use a selection of guest houses, inns or small hotels with en-suite or private bathroom to ensure you are well rested each night after a busy day hiking and sightseeing. Rest assured that all our accommodation walking holiday providers are hand-picked and offer you that famous British hospitality.

Special diets can be catered for, including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free.

We organize the luggage transfer so your bags are at your next accommodation when you arrive. We try to get your bags delivered by 4pm, but this may be delayed due to road conditions.

Let’s Go Walking has developed one of the largest selection of walking holidays.
Our offices are staffed 9am to 9pm during our walking season (March to September) to ensure your walking holiday runs without a hitch.

All our walking holidays are self-guided and you must be a confident map reader and able to navigate from a compass bearing.  The weather in the UK and Ireland can change quickly effecting visibility and underfoot conditions. It is important to carry a selection of clothing with you on your hike each day to cope with changing weather conditions. If you are not confident of completing any days walk, do not set out.

This walking holiday in the UK operates March to September and in either direction.

The daily distances are only a suggestion. If you would like to walk longer or shorter distances, we can arrange that too.
Our stated distances include mileage to the accommodation or pickup point and so may not agree with the guide book mileages.
Rest days can be taken in any location.

Why not combine this walk with a hiking tour in another part of the UK or Ireland. Our staff will be happy to advise on necessary transfers.

Online booking available.
A deposit of £85 per person is required to secure the booking, with the balance due 6 weeks before departure.
Optional extra days and accommodation upgrades can be added during the booking process online.
Please wait for the confirmation of your holiday before making final travel plans just in case your holiday is not available for your requested date.

Kennet and Avon Canal Walking Holiday
Reading to Bath (east to west)
in England UK
9 day itinerary

7 days walking and 8 nights

Suggested Itinerary
Day 1:arrive Reading
Optional Day:optional extra day in Reading
Day 2:Reading in Aldermaston10 miles
Day 3:Aldermaston to Newbury9 miles
Day 4:Newbury to Hungerford10 miles
Optional Day:optional extra day in Hungerford
Day 5:Hungerford to Pewsey14 miles
Day 6:Pewsey to Devizes11 miles
Optional Day:optional extra day in Devizes
Day 7:Devizes to Bradford on Avon12 miles
Day 8:Bradford on Avon to Bath9 miles
Optional Day:optional extra day in Bath
Day 9:depart Bath
Prices per person for Kennet and Avon Canal
9 day itinerary 8 nights
Double or Twin
Occupancy
Single Occupancy
travelling with others
Solo
Traveller
2024£1,032£1,504£1,664

All prices subject to change

Extra nights from £64.00 per person
depending on location

Optional Accommodation Upgrades for
Kennet and Avon Canal Walking Holiday
Reading to Bath  (East to West)

Can be added when booking online

Subject to availability              Supplement per person per night

Reading
Crown Plaza Hotel
Malmaison Hotel

double/twin
£49.00
£49.00

Single
 please ask
 please ask

Aldermaston
Hinds Head Hotel

double/twin
£39.00

Single
 please ask

Newbury
The Elephant in the Market

double/twin
£29.00

Single
 please ask

Hungerford
Three Swans Hotel

double/twin
£39.00

Single
 please ask

Devizes
The Peppermill

double/twin
£49.00

Single
please ask

Bear Hotel

£29.00

please ask

Bradford on Avon
The Swan

double/twin
£39.00

Single
 please ask

Kennet and Avon Canal Walking Holiday
Reading to Bath
Suggested Tour Duration
:
8 nights, 7 days walking
Total Distance:
75 miles/120 kms
Min/max daily distance:
9/14 miles
Average Daily distance:
11 miles
Grading:
Easy
Features:
River Thames
Crofton Pumping Station
Claverton Pumping Station
Caen Hill flight of 16 locks
Tithe Barn in Bradford on Avon
Dundas and Avoncliff Aqueducts
Roman Baths at Bath
This route connects with:
Thames Path
Cotswold Way
Great Stones Way
White Horse Trail

Please note the Kennet and Avon Canal Race will take place 25th July 2025.
This affects the availability of accommodation in the area and your enjoyment of the canal towpath. 
Therefore when booking your walking holiday on Kennet and Avon Canal we suggest you avoid this date.

What’s included
in your
Kennet and Avon Canal Walking Holiday in Southern England

  • accommodation at high quality guest houses, inns or small hotels on a bed and breakfast basis
  • room with en-suite or private bathroom, tea and coffee making facilities
  • daily luggage transfer
  • support should there be any problems on route
  • detailed itineraries
  • map ot Kennet and Avon Canal
  • guide book to The Kennet and Avon Canal & River Avon Trail

Optional Extras
for your Kennet and Avon Canal Walking Holiday in Southern England

  • upgrade to the region’s most elegant, prestigious and famous hotels, where available
  • transfers back to car or station
  • parking facilities
  • rest days
  • inn to inn walks
 

What’s not included
in your Kennet and Avon Canal Walking Holiday in Southern England

  • lunches and dinners
  • travel insurance
  • entrance to local attractions

Lunches and Dinners
These are not included.
Evening meals
These are available at overnight locations, either at your accommodation or in the town/village.
Packed lunches
These can be provided by your accommodation or can be obtained from a local store, or cafe or inn along the route.

Holiday Travel Insurance
We require that you take out holiday insurance as Let’s Go Biking Ltd accepts no liability for the following:
cancellation, personal accident, illness, loss/theft of personal possessions and/or money, and any unforeseen circumstances, especially travel delays.

This is in addition to our existing
booking conditions.

Please contact us if you have any questions.

Our telephone Lines are open 7 days a week.

UK +44 (0)1837 880075
or +44 (0)207 193 1252

March to September 9am to 9pm
October to February 9am to 5pm
US +1 (646) 233-1541
New York 5 hours behind UK time:
March to September 4am to 4pm EST
October to February 4am to 12noon EST
AUS +61 (02) 8006 0182
Sydney 10 hours ahead of UK time:
 March to September 7pm to 7am EADT
October to February 7pm to 3am EADT
CAN +1 (647) 4786251
Toronto 5 hours behind UK time:
March to September 4am to 4pm EST
October to February 4am to 12noon EST
or

Kennet and Avon Canal Walking Holiday:
How to get there

  • By Plane  to Bristol or London where we can arrange transfer to Bristol, Bath or Reading
  • By Car to Bristol, Bath or Reading where parking is available
  • By Train/Bus to Bristol, Bath or Reading

A 93 mile walking holiday on the Kennet and Avon Canal from Bristol and Bath to the River Thames at Reading.

This is one of our Canal Walking Holidays, one of our Southern England Walking Holidays, and also one of our Wiltshire Walking Holidays.

Kennet and Avon Canal Towpath walking holiday with Let's Go Walking