Plan your South West Coast Path route with this free itinerary planner. Set your walking pace, choose your start date, and instantly generate a personalised day-by-day schedule covering all 1,014 km (630 miles) from Minehead in Somerset to Poole in Dorset — or walk the other way.
Choose your walking speed (leisurely, moderate, or fast), set how many hours you want to walk each day, and pick a start date. The planner calculates the number of days needed and generates a detailed route itinerary with overnight stops based on real accommodation locations along the South West Coast Path.
The South West Coast Path (SWCP) is England's longest waymarked long-distance footpath and a designated National Trail. Stretching 1,014 km (630 miles) around the coastline of south-west England, it passes through Somerset, North Devon, Cornwall, South Devon, and Dorset. The trail takes in Exmoor National Park, the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, dramatic cliffs, hidden coves, and picturesque fishing villages. With approximately 35,000 metres of ascent — nearly four times the height of Everest — it is one of the most challenging and rewarding long-distance walks in the world.
The South West Coast Path stretches approximately 1,014 km (630 miles) from Minehead in Somerset to Poole Harbour in Dorset. Most walkers complete the entire route in 43 to 52 days, averaging around 12 to 15 miles per day. Fastpackers can complete the route in around 33 days, while experienced trail runners can push through in approximately 23 days.
The route begins at Minehead's seafront, climbing steeply through North Hill woodland before reaching England's highest coastline. Highlights include Great Hangman at 318 metres (England's highest sea cliff), Lynmouth harbour, Woolacombe's three-mile golden beach, and the iconic fishing village of Clovelly. The stretch from Hartland Quay to Bude is among the toughest on the entire path.
Cornwall's rugged Atlantic coast featuring the folded rocks of Millook Haven, High Cliff (223m, Cornwall's tallest), Tintagel Castle, Port Isaac, Padstow, Bedruthan Steps, and the mining heritage around St Agnes including the iconic Wheal Coates engine house. Finishes with a descent into the cobbled lanes of St Ives.
Wild granite headlands from Zennor to Land's End, the mining ruins of Botallack, Cape Cornwall, the Minack Theatre, St Michael's Mount, Kynance Cove on the Lizard Peninsula, and mainland Britain's southernmost point at Lizard Point. Concludes at Falmouth's harbour town.
The quieter south Cornwall coast featuring the Roseland Peninsula, Dodman Point (Cornwall's highest south coast headland), Charlestown's Georgian harbour, Fowey, the fishing villages of Polperro and Looe, and Mount Edgcumbe Country Park. Ends with a ferry crossing into Plymouth.
From the Mayflower Steps through South Devon's varied coastline: Burgh Island, Bolt Head's dramatic cliffs, Salcombe, Slapton Sands, Dartmouth, Berry Head's guillemot colony, and the resorts of the English Riviera. Concludes with a ferry crossing to Exmouth.
The entire Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site: the Geoneedle at Orcombe Point, Beer's chalk cliffs, Lyme Regis fossil coast, Golden Cap (highest point on England's south coast at 191m), Chesil Beach, Portland Bill, Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove, Old Harry Rocks, and the official finish at South Haven Point near Poole.
Outstanding months with spectacular clifftop wildflowers, warm temperatures, long days, and manageable crowds.
Warmest and driest conditions but popular stretches become very busy. Book accommodation well ahead.
Widely regarded as the best month. Summer crowds retreat, coastal heathland takes on autumn tones, sea remains warm, and weather often stays settled.
Atlantic storms can cause closures, landslips, and diversions. Check the South West Coast Path Association website for latest route changes before setting out.
Three sample route itineraries for the full South West Coast Path from Minehead to Poole, based on 8 hours of walking per day. Each is broken down by the six official sections. Use these as a starting point, or create your own custom plan above.
A steady, comfortable pace averaging around 24 km per day. 1,036 km total distance, 20,188 m total ascent, 43 walking days.
Day 1: Minehead → Porlock Weir (14.5 km, ↑315m, 4.9h) · Day 2: Porlock Weir → Heddon Valley (29.1 km, ↑1,103m, 11.8h) · Day 3: Heddon Valley → Ilfracombe (21.1 km, ↑681m, 8.2h) · Day 4: Ilfracombe → Woolacombe (13.1 km, ↑372m, 4.8h) · Day 5: Woolacombe → Barnstaple (30.9 km, ↑238m, 8.7h) · Day 6: Barnstaple → Appledore (22.3 km, ↑119m, 6.1h) · Day 7: Appledore → Clovelly (26.2 km, ↑594m, 8.8h) · Day 8: Clovelly → Hartland Quay (16.1 km, ↑385m, 5.8h) · Day 9: Hartland Quay → Bude (24.8 km, ↑724m, 9.3h)
Day 10: Bude → Boscastle (27.9 km, ↑832m, 10.4h) · Day 11: Boscastle → Port Isaac (21.1 km, ↑560m, 7.6h) · Day 12: Port Isaac → Trevone (29.5 km, ↑426m, 9.2h) · Day 13: Trevone → Mawgan Porth (19.5 km, ↑242m, 5.9h) · Day 14: Mawgan Porth → Holywell (29.8 km, ↑354m, 8.9h) · Day 15: Holywell → Portreath (26.3 km, ↑535m, 8.8h) · Day 16: Portreath → St Ives (28.2 km, ↑372m, 8.6h)
Day 17: St Ives → Pendeen (22.9 km, ↑542m, 7.9h) · Day 18: Pendeen → Porthcurno (24.7 km, ↑455m, 8.1h) · Day 19: Porthcurno → Marazion (23.9 km, ↑375m, 7.5h) · Day 20: Marazion → Mullion (28.1 km, ↑405m, 8.7h) · Day 21: Mullion → Coverack (28.2 km, ↑482m, 9.1h) · Day 22: Coverack → Maenporth (27.8 km, ↑469m, 8.9h)
Day 23: Maenporth → Portscatho (26.1 km, ↑266m, 7.7h) · Day 24: Portscatho → Gorran Haven (25.9 km, ↑510m, 8.6h) · Day 25: Gorran Haven → Par (22.7 km, ↑461m, 7.6h) · Day 26: Par → Polperro (23.9 km, ↑504m, 8.1h) · Day 27: Polperro → Downderry (15.8 km, ↑349m, 5.4h) · Day 28: Downderry → Plymouth (29.8 km, ↑541m, 9.7h)
Day 29: Plymouth → Noss Mayo (20.4 km, ↑302m, 6.4h) · Day 30: Noss Mayo → Bantham (24.9 km, ↑485m, 8.2h) · Day 31: Bantham → Salcombe (18.1 km, ↑358m, 6.0h) · Day 32: Salcombe → Stoke Fleming (30.7 km, ↑720m, 10.6h) · Day 33: Stoke Fleming → Brixham (24.1 km, ↑619m, 8.7h) · Day 34: Brixham → Babbacombe (21.0 km, ↑340m, 6.7h) · Day 35: Babbacombe → Exmouth (26.9 km, ↑393m, 8.4h)
Day 36: Exmouth → Sidmouth (20.2 km, ↑381m, 6.6h) · Day 37: Sidmouth → Lyme Regis (28.6 km, ↑803m, 10.5h) · Day 38: Lyme Regis → West Bay (16.8 km, ↑584m, 6.6h) · Day 39: West Bay → Weymouth (29.7 km, ↑264m, 8.5h) · Day 40: Weymouth → Portland (20.1 km, ↑318m, 6.2h) · Day 41: Portland → West Lulworth (28.3 km, ↑463m, 9.1h) · Day 42: West Lulworth → Hill Bottom (18.9 km, ↑595m, 7.1h) · Day 43: Hill Bottom → Poole (27.4 km, ↑352m, 8.4h)
A strong pace for experienced long-distance walkers covering around 32 km per day. 1,036 km total distance, 20,188 m total ascent, 33 walking days.
Day 1: Minehead → Lynmouth (33.4 km, ↑1,004m, 9.4h) · Day 2: Lynmouth → Combe Martin (21.8 km, ↑833m, 6.6h) · Day 3: Combe Martin → Croyde (31.7 km, ↑764m, 8.4h) · Day 4: Croyde → Bideford (38.6 km, ↑176m, 8.2h) · Day 5: Bideford → Clovelly (31.7 km, ↑645m, 7.9h) · Day 6: Clovelly → Morwenstow (29.3 km, ↑850m, 8.2h)
Day 7: Morwenstow → Crackington Haven (28.1 km, ↑699m, 7.5h) · Day 8: Crackington Haven → Port Isaac (32.5 km, ↑952m, 9.0h) · Day 9: Port Isaac → Porthcothan (42.2 km, ↑563m, 10.0h) · Day 10: Porthcothan → Holywell (36.6 km, ↑459m, 8.5h) · Day 11: Holywell → Portreath (26.3 km, ↑535m, 6.7h)
Day 12: Portreath → Zennor (39.6 km, ↑663m, 9.6h) · Day 13: Zennor → Sennen Cove (26.2 km, ↑515m, 6.7h) · Day 14: Sennen Cove → Marazion (33.9 km, ↑566m, 8.3h) · Day 15: Marazion → Mullion (28.1 km, ↑405m, 6.7h) · Day 16: Mullion → Rosenithon (33.7 km, ↑569m, 8.3h) · Day 17: Rosenithon → Maenporth (22.3 km, ↑382m, 5.5h)
Day 18: Maenporth → Portloe (37.9 km, ↑485m, 8.9h) · Day 19: Portloe → Charlestown (31.2 km, ↑688m, 8.1h) · Day 20: Charlestown → Polperro (29.5 km, ↑568m, 7.4h) · Day 21: Polperro → Kingsand (36.1 km, ↑755m, 9.2h)
Day 22: Kingsand → Wembury (27.1 km, ↑343m, 6.3h) · Day 23: Wembury → Hope Cove (33.3 km, ↑648m, 8.4h) · Day 24: Hope Cove → Beesands (32.0 km, ↑678m, 8.2h) · Day 25: Beesands → Dartmouth (17.6 km, ↑404m, 4.6h) · Day 26: Dartmouth → Torquay (31.3 km, ↑682m, 8.1h) · Day 27: Torquay → Teignmouth (18.8 km, ↑465m, 5.0h)
Day 28: Teignmouth → Sidmouth (35.7 km, ↑513m, 8.5h) · Day 29: Sidmouth → Lyme Regis (28.6 km, ↑803m, 7.9h) · Day 30: Lyme Regis → Abbotsbury (31.3 km, ↑702m, 8.1h) · Day 31: Abbotsbury → Weymouth (43.4 km, ↑510m, 10.0h) · Day 32: Weymouth → Kimmeridge Bay (31.9 km, ↑832m, 8.6h) · Day 33: Kimmeridge Bay → Poole (34.6 km, ↑532m, 8.3h)
A fast, efficient pace combining running and power-hiking, covering around 45 km per day. 1,036 km total distance, 20,188 m total ascent, 23 walking days.
Day 1: Minehead → Heddon Valley (43.6 km, ↑1,418m, 8.6h) · Day 2: Heddon Valley → Croyde (43.3 km, ↑1,183m, 8.2h) · Day 3: Croyde → Westward Ho! (51.8 km, ↑253m, 7.8h) · Day 4: Westward Ho! → Morwenstow (47.8 km, ↑1,418m, 9.1h)
Day 5: Morwenstow → Tintagel (46.6 km, ↑1,262m, 8.8h) · Day 6: Tintagel → Trevone (43.5 km, ↑815m, 7.6h) · Day 7: Trevone → Holywell (49.3 km, ↑596m, 8.0h) · Day 8: Holywell → Hayle (45.7 km, ↑794m, 7.9h)
Day 9: Hayle → Land's End (48.4 km, ↑979m, 8.5h) · Day 10: Land's End → Porthleven (48.8 km, ↑714m, 8.2h) · Day 11: Porthleven → Rosenithon (44.9 km, ↑766m, 7.7h)
Day 12: Rosenithon → Portscatho (48.4 km, ↑648m, 8.0h) · Day 13: Portscatho → Mevagissey (31.5 km, ↑621m, 5.5h) · Day 14: Mevagissey → Looe (49.0 km, ↑994m, 8.7h) · Day 15: Looe → Plymouth (37.6 km, ↑750m, 6.6h)
Day 16: Plymouth → Thurlestone (47.4 km, ↑815m, 8.1h) · Day 17: Thurlestone → Beesands (35.5 km, ↑719m, 6.3h) · Day 18: Beesands → Paignton (44.0 km, ↑1,042m, 8.0h)
Day 19: Paignton → Budleigh Salterton (47.6 km, ↑799m, 8.1h) · Day 20: Budleigh Salterton → Lyme Regis (40.4 km, ↑1,026m, 7.5h) · Day 21: Lyme Regis → Weymouth (46.5 km, ↑848m, 8.0h) · Day 22: Weymouth → West Lulworth (48.4 km, ↑781m, 8.2h) · Day 23: West Lulworth → Poole (46.3 km, ↑947m, 8.2h)
Download free GPX files for the South West Coast Path, split by day to match your personal itinerary. Each GPX file includes full elevation data and follows your chosen direction of travel. Compatible with Komoot, AllTrails, Garmin, OS Maps, Maps.me, and Apple Watch. No sign-up required.
Tell the planner your start date, walking speed, and daily hours. Choose from four pace types — Explorer, Hiker, Fastpacker or Trail Runner — and generate a personalised day-by-day plan with distances, elevation, and walking times for every stage.
Our timings model each route using flat terrain speed, climbing speed, descent efficiency, and terrain profile — not simple distance calculations. Each trail is individually profiled for realistic timing guidance.
Yes — every day includes a free GPX download. Files contain latitude, longitude, and elevation data. Compatible with Komoot, AllTrails, Garmin, OS Maps, Maps.me, and more. No sign-up required.
Most walkers complete the entire SWCP in 45–60 days, depending on fitness and walking pace. Many people walk it in sections over several trips.
The best months are May to September. September is widely regarded as the finest month, with fewer crowds and settled weather.
Created by Big Trail Adventures — specialists in self-guided walking holidays on Britain's best long-distance trails.
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