The Pilgrims Way from London to Canterbury: A Complete Guide
This post is about walking The Pilgrims Way. The Pilgrims Way is one of the oldest pilgrimage routes in England, stretching from London to Canterbury through the rolling countryside of the Kent Downs.
With historic churches and traditional English villages it is a lovely hiking trail. From London to Canterbury, the Pilgrims Way is about 150 kilometers and it takes around a week to reach the final destination, Canterbury Cathedral.
History of The Pilgrims Way to Canterbury
After finishing the Camino le Puy, I was looking for other pilgrim routes in Europe. It’s then that I came across the Pilgrims Way from London to Canterbury. Although quite famous among British walkers, I had never heard of it before and was surprised to learn about its long and rich history.
The Pilgrims Way has its roots in medieval England. For centuries, pilgrims traveled to Canterbury to visit the shrine of Thomas Becket. Thomas Becket was murdered in the Canterbury Cathedral in 1170 after a conflict with the king over church authority and later canonized as a saint. In the 14th century Geoffrey Chaucer published the Canterbury Tales describing the stories of pilgrims on their way from London to Canterbury.
The Pilgrims Way fell into decline after the English Reformation in the 16th century. However, in recent decades, growing interest in pilgrimage has led to a revival of the route. In 2026, Sarah Mullally walked the Pilgrims Way as a spiritual preparation, before being installed as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury.
Despite the stories of The Canterbury Tales, historians believe there was not one single path. The Pilgrims Way was more a network of ancient roads that pilgrims followed across the countryside of the North Downs.
Even now there is not one single path. You can start the Pilgrims Way in either Winchester Cathedral following the North Downs Pilgrims Way or Southwark Cathedral in London following the Becket Way. In addition, Sarah Mullally’s hike on The Pilgrims way is now known as the Archbishop’s Camino.
The Pilgrims Way Itinerary: from London to Canterbury
When planning to hike The Pilgrims Way I decided to follow the original path as described by Geoffrey Chaucer in the Canterbury Tales. The Pilgrims Way from London to Canterbury starts in Southwark Cathedral. In the Cathedral shop you can buy your pilgrims credential and get your first stamp.
Stamps on the Pilgrim’s Way are not readily available, therefore I recommend the following list on where to get your pilgrims passport stamped.
Day 1: Southwark Cathedral to Shooters Hill
Southwark Cathedral might be the official starting point of The Pilgrims Way, but in the Canterbury Tales most pilgrims gathered at the Tabard Inn before starting their journey. The original Tabard Inn was lost in a fire, but the courtyard is still there and now home to the 16th century George Inn.
The George Inn is the only surviving galleried inn in London and among its visitors were Charles Dickens and William Shakespeare. Obviously there was no better way to start my Pilgrims Way with a traditional pub lunch of sausage and mash at the George Inn.
Truth be told, is that the first day on the Pilgrims Way through the urban outskirts of London was not the most beautiful hike. There was little history visible on the Old Kent Road that I needed to follow. Only the tiled mural made by Polish artist Adam Kossowski is proof that I am on the historic Pilgrims Way. The mural depicts the history of the Old Kent Road and includes an illustration of a group of pilgrims with their horses on their way to Canterbury
Highlights: Pub lunch at the Tabard Inn, Adam Kossowski’s mural
Difficulty: 14 kilometers, easy
Accomodation: in London I stayed at the London Castle Dover hostel that offers budget dormitory accomodation. The hostel is close to Southwark Cathedral and is on the Pilgrim’s Way. Another hostel close to the cathedral is the Saint Christopher’s Inn.
Day 2: Shooters Hill to Dartford
From Shooters Hill to Erith, the Pilgrims Way follows a section of the Green Chain Walk. I thought it was a pleasant walk through parks and wooded areas and much greener than what I would expect from London. I had some nice last views over the city from the ancient ruins of Lesnes Abbey. This Abbey was built in 1137 by Richard de Luci as penance for his role in the king’s plot to murder Thomas Becket.
In Erith I needed to switch to the Tamesh Path with nice views over the Thames river on one side, but less scenic views over industrial areas and metal recycling centers on the other side. The trail got better at the salt marshes of Crayford Ness where I turn inland along the Darent river.
Highlights: Lesnes Abbey, Thames river, Crayford Salt Marshes
Difficulty: 24 kilometers, easy
Accomodation: In Dartford I stayed at the Royal Victoria & Bull Hotel (old english pub with lovely traditional pub food)
Day 3: Dartford to Otford/Kemsing
Dartford is a nice small town where I stumbled upon two Mick Jagger statues. Apparently, Mick Jagger grew up in Dartford. After Dartford I leave the urban areas behind me as I follow the Darent river valley path. A nice trail through woodlands and cute traditional Kentish villages.
The first village I came across was Horton Kirby. Farningham in particular was charming with its medieval church and picturesque bridge. The path continues up a ridge with nice views over Eynsford castle. Unfortunately, the Roman villa and the Lullingstone Castle were closed when I passed by. Shoreham is another cute village with an old church.
In Otford the route from Winchester meets up with the route from Southwark. I took a small break in Sally’s Tea room where they have delicious cakes and cookies. From here it was a short walk to Kemsing
Highlights: Mick Jagger statues, Farningham, Roman Villa, Lullingstone Castle, Shoreham church
Difficulty: 26 km, moderate as it is a long day.
Accomodation: The best option is in Kemsing in the Up the Downs Bed and Breakfast
Day 4: Kemsing to Halling and Rochester
From Kemsing onwards the Pilgrim’s Way intersects a lot with the North Downs Trail and the path gradually climbs up a ridge with beautiful views over the rolling countryside. It was a nice day, but unfortunately it also involved a lot of walking on hedged roads. I took a small break in Wrotham where I visited the ancient church, before continuing to Halling where I took the train to Rochester.
Although Rochester is officially not on the Pilgrim’s Way, the old town is well worth a visit. The ancient Rochester Cathedral was a site of pilgrimage itself. The ancient pilgrim stairs leading to the shrine of Saint William is proof of its pilgrims history. Nowadays, it is also the starting point of another pilgrimage, the Augustine Camino .
Highlights: Wrotham church, Old Town of Rochester
Difficulty: 22 kilometers, easy
Accomodation: With no suitable accomodation in Halling, I took the train to Rochester and stayed in the Gordon House Hotel
Day 5: Rochester – Aylesford Priory
From Rochester to Aylesford you can either follow a trail up the hills or a trail along the Medway river. I decided to hike along the Medway river which was a scenic walk untill the industrial outskirts of Aylesford. I arrived early at Aylesford Priory and I was in time for lunch at their Friars tea room.
The Aylesford Priory is the only true pilgrims accomodation on the Pilgrim’s Way and the old priory is a peaceful and tranquil place to stay. After lunch I had enough time to wander around the beautiful gardens and the different historic buildings and chapels. Aylesford itself also has a small, but nice old town center with traditional architecture.
Highlights: Medway river, Aylesford Priory
Difficulty: 16 kilometers, easy
Accomoddation: Aylesford Priory
Day 6: Aylesford Priory – Lenham
The Pilgrims Way from Aylesford to Lenham was a pleasant walk through forests and fields where I was surprised to find vineyards. Apparently a growing industry on the southern slopes of the North Downs.
The feeling that I walk on ancient paths was all the more real when I passed by the White Horse Stone, a prehistoric megalith that is thousands of years old. Boxley was a nice village with a welcoming church for pilgrims. The friendly lady guarding the church, showed me the guestbook where archbishop Sarah Mullally signed in only a week ago when she hiked the Pilgrims way.
Towards Harrietsham the path goes through bright yellow mustard fields in full bloom. And after a long, but beautiful day I finally reached Lenham.
Highlights: White Horse stone, Vineyards, bright yellow mustardfields near Harrietsham, Pilgrims statue near Lenham
Difficulty: 26 kilometers, moderate as it is a long day
Accomodation: The Dog and Bear Hotel
Day 7: Lenham – Boughton Lees
The Pilgrims Way from Lenham to Boughton Lees is an easy day over straight stretches of hedged lanes, farm tracks, and quiet country roads. Charing is the biggest village I came across and it has some nice traditional architecture as well as an old church and archbishop’s palace.
For several days I heard the sound of pheasants, but never managed to see one. Today I saw my first pheasant on the Pilgrims Way near the village of Boughton Lees.
Highlights: charming village of Charing
Difficulty: 22 kilometers, easy
Accomodation: The Flying Horse Inn
Day 8: Boughton Lees – Canterbury
I started early today as it was a long day to hike all the way to Canterbury. First I hiked through open farm fields, but then entered the Kings Woods where the bluebells were in bloom, turning the forest floor into a sea of vivid blue. The trail gradually climbed up to a viewpoint where I got to see a first glimpse of the spires of the Canterbury Cathedral in the far distance.
The charming village of Chilham is more or less midway and I enjoyed the traditional architecture as well as a filling soup of the day at the White Horse pub. After Chilham the wooded forests make place for open farmfields with vineyards and apple orchards untill the first urban outskirts of Canterbury.
I walked straight to the Canterbury Cathedral where I received a warm welcome at the Pilgrims office and a certificate that I finished the Pilgrim’s Way. For me it was also the start of a new adventure, because Canterbury is also the start of the famous Via Francigena pilgrimage to Rome. After a rest day to explore the sights in Canterbury I continued along the Via Francigena from Canterbury to Dover.
Highlight: Bluebell fields in Kings Wood, charming village of Chilham
Difficulty: 26 kilometer
Accomodation: The best place to stay is without doubt the Canterbury Cathedral Lodge that is within the cathedral premises itself. If this is not within your budget, the cheapest option is the YHA Hostel. Both options were fully booked when I reached Canterbury and therefore I ended up in the Greyfriars Lodge (A basic, but nice budget option)
Hiking the Pilgrims Way Travel Tips
Accomodation on the Pilgrims Way
Unlike the Camino, there are very few dedicated pilgrim hostels or budget albergues on The Pilgrims Way. The only true Pilgrims accomodation is available at the Aylesford Priory. In the rural villages between London and Canterbury, hikers need to rely on bed and breakfasts that are often in historic buildings or in traditional pubs.
The warm welcome and excellent hospitality unfortunately comes with a considerable price tag. Another problem is that there are usually only one or two options in a village and it is therefore recommended to book your accomodation well in advance.
One advantage of the Pilgrims’ Way is that most villages on the way are on the South Eastern Rail line, making it easy to take a train back to London or Canterbury and rejoining the trail on the next day. In London and Canterbury you can find cheap dormitory backpacker hostels making it possible to hike the Pilgrims Way on a budget.
Another advantage of basing yourself in London for the first part of the hike and then Canterbury for the second part is that you can leave part of your luggage at the hostel and only need to carry a day pack. Currently, there are no luggage forwarding services available on the Pilgrims Way.
Food on the Pilgrims Way
I was surprised by how easy it was to find food along the Pilgrims Way, even in the rural villages. Almost all villages have at least one pub with funny names like the Dirty Habit, the Fighting Cocks, the Pied Bull, the Cock Horse or the Flying Horse. Most of them are in historic buildings and serve good food for decent prices.
In some villages there are also tea rooms or small community shops. Here is a full overview of all the refreshment options along the Pilgrim’s Way.
Transport on the Pilgrims Way
The Pilgrims Way is well connected by public transport as most villages are on the Southeastern rail line, making it easy to travel back and forth along the trail.
Navigation on the Pilgrims Way
The Pilgrims Way is not well marked, yet I found it very easy to find my way and never got lost. After Otford, the Pilgrims Way runs almost parallel to the North Downs Way and you will see frequent markings of this trail. It also runs parallel with the Via Francigena Brittanica so sometimes you will see a yellow pilgrim sign.
Although I had the Cicerone Guide book with me, I preferred to use my gpx viewer. I downloaded the gpx files from the British Pilgrimage Trust. If you register with your email, they are free to download. Otherwise you can also download them from Cicerone if you have an account.
Safety on the Pilgrims Way
The Pilgrims Way is a very safe long distance trail, because of the easy terrain. Although there are few other pilgrims you’re rarely far from civilization. The Pilgrims Way passes through some of the most populated parts of southeast England, with regular access to villages, towns, roads, public transport, and good mobile phone coverage.
The main risks are typical hiking hazards rather than crime, including slippery paths, uneven terrain, road crossings, and occasional navigation errors where waymarking is unclear. By carrying suitable gear, checking the weather, and following basic hiking precautions, you can prevent any problems from happening.
Solo Female Travel on the Pilgrims Way
I hiked the Pilgrims Way as a Solo Female Traveller and in my experience it was very safe. I never felt uneasy or unsafe. The English people along the way are extremely friendly and welcoming and it would have been easy to find help when needed.
Hiking the Pilgrims Way Planning
How to Prepare for the Pilgrims Way
Training: Some people have a training schedule to build their endurance before hiking the Pilgrims Way. I did not do this, but I spend my weekends doing day hikes with my fully packed backpack. This helped a lot in adjusting my backpack before the trip so that it was comfortable.
Book your Accomodation: Accomodation on the Pilgrims Way is sparse and because there are only one or two options in the villages it is best to reserve your accomodation as soon as possible.
Buy the proper gear: if this is the first time you do a multi day hike, you probably need to invest in your hiking gear. There are a lot of fancy and expensive items out there, but in the end you don’t need that much. Less is more on a multi day hike like the Pilgrims Way and more expensive does not always mean better.
If you want to know what to bring along I can recommend my Camino Packing List that I used when hiking the Via Podiensis as well as the Pilgrims Way.
When to go hiking the Pilgrims Way
The Canterbury Tales opens with a verse about the arrival of spring in April and how it awakens in people a longing to go on pilgrimages. I wasn’t even aware of this opening verse when I planned my pilgrimage in April, but I can say April is a wonderful time to go.
Although April can still be cold, it coincides with the peak of England’s spring bloom. The rapeseed and mustard fields turn into a bright yellow and the forest floors in a vivid blue. The bluebells are a lovely sight, especially in the King Woods from Boughton Lees to Chilham.
In theory you can walk the Pilgrim’s Way year round, but winter can be wet and muddy. Therefore, the best months to hike the Pilgrims’ Way is between April and October when temperatures are mild.
Resources on the Pilgrims Way
Cicerone Guidebook: The Cicerone Guidebook is the only guidebook on The Pilgrims Way and includes both the route starting in Winchester as well as the route starting in Southwark Cathedral. The maps are useful and the guide also provides some historical background information. I had the e-book on my e-reader and was happy to have it with me.
Geoffrey Chaucer – Canterbury Tales: This 14th century classic tells the story of a group of pilgrims traveling from London to Canterbury to visit the shrine of Thomas Becket. The Canterbury Tales still inspires walkers to follow the Pilgrims Way and experience the historic journey for themselves.
Ken Haigh – On Foot to Canterbury: Ken Haigh wrote a nice book on his pilgrimage along the Pilgrims Way from Winchester to Canterbury. Besides his own reflections he also writes a lot about the history of the trail. I was reading it when I hiked the Pilgrims Way and it was interesting to read, although it sometimes went a bit too much into historical details.
J.F Penn – Pilgrimage lessons learned: I only found out about J.F Penn‘s book after I hiked the Pilgrims Way. A pity as it is full of useful information when planning a multi day pilgrimage. She writes well and it is a very practical book to read before you hike The Pilgrims Way.
Derry Brabs – Pilgrimage: Derry Brabs released a very beautiful picture reference book, called Pilgrimage, that also includes the Pilgrims Way and other pilgrimage routes in Europe.
Sustainable travel on the Pilgrims Way
Traveling sustainably on the Pilgrims Way is essential to minimize your environmental impact and preserve the area’s natural beauty for future generations.
Leave no trace principle: When hiking the Pilgrims Way, stick to designated trails to protect the environment. Straying off the marked paths can cause soil erosion and damage to plant life.
I encourage you to take all your trash back with you and dispose of it responsibly. In other words, leave no trace of your visit. It is even better when you bring something to pick up any of the trash that other people left behind. To avoid single-use plastics, invest in reusable items. For example, you can bring your own water bottle.
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