Kent’s best walks to enjoy all year from coastal trails to enchanting woodlands

No matter the time of year, you can never go wrong with enjoying a good old fashioned walk. We lucky Kent residents are absolutely spoiled when it comes to choosing a route for a stroll.

Fancy a meander along a beautiful golden beach? You’ve got it. Want to journey through an enchanting forest that looks right out of a storybook? No problem. How about exploring a literal desert? You bet you can in Kent.

Come rain or shine, getting out and about to explore all the wonderful trails our county has to offer really cannot be beaten. With so much variety, however, choosing where to start can be a pretty daunting task, especially if you’re new to it all.

Read more: Kent’s best beaches from stunning golden sands to bays off the beaten track

Read more: Kent’s very best beer gardens to visit in the sunshine

Have no fear because KentLive is here to shine a light on the best of the best walks from around the Garden of England. Whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned walking veteran, we’ve included choices for all skill levels and abilities.

Great Stour Way

Starting off with a beautiful river trail, this three mile route takes you from Canterbury to the neighbouring village of Chartham, passing beautiful meadows, scenic gardens and adventure play parks along the way. It’s also a very popular route for cycling and has been named one of the nation’s ‘most beautiful’. Find out more here.

Harriestsham, Maidstone

Close to part of the North Downs Way too, you will see a beautiful range of flowers on the trail, and you can also rest at Ringlestone Inn which was built in 1533 and retains many original features. You can learn more about Harrietsham here.

Otford Circular Walk

There are few better motivators for walking than the promise of a good pub at the end, and that’s exactly what you get with the Otford circular walk. Looping around the scenic village of Otford near Sevenoaks, this moderate route spans around 5.5 miles and ends at The Bull, a pub dating back to the 16th century. Further details on this trail can be found here.

Lullingstone Country Park

This beautiful route takes place along the Darent Valley Path, starting at the Lullingstone Country Park Visitor Centre. This walk is perfect if you’re looking for eye-catching views of the Kent countryside, which includes lavender fields, hop gardens, and some historic buildings.

Dungeness

We weren’t kidding when we said that you can explore a desert right here in Kent, with Dungeness being the only one found in all of Britain. This wide expanse of shingle may look like a scene straight out of Mad Max at a glance, but it's a truly fantastic spot for a wander and has been named one of the nation’s best spots for a dog walk. Further details can be found here.

Pluckley, Ashford

The village of Pluckley is surrounded by various fields and orchards to appreciate. But most of all, it has been labelled as the haunted village in England according to the Guinness Book of Records. So if you’re feeling particularly brave, be sure to check out the village. If that wasn’t enough, Pluckley was the location of the popular Darling Buds of May TV series of the early 1990s. Find out more here.

Herne Bay to Reculver Towers

One for the more seasoned strollers out there, the coastal route between Herne Bay and Reculver Towers offers views unlike any other and is a great way to see one of Kent’s most iconic historic landmarks up close. Spanning a little over three miles each way, there is a bus route that operates between the two points if one leg of the trip is more than enough to tucker you out. Find out more here.

White Cliffs of Dover

Few walks can claim to have raised the property values in their surrounding areas, but that’s exactly what the White Cliffs of Dover have done. Arguably one of the most famous features of Kent, this is another brilliant route to follow for some striking coastal views and has increased the price of homes around it by around 19 per cent. The full details can be found here.

Hadlow River, Tonbridge

A walk from Hadlow towards the River Medway will see you stroll through fields and past landmarks of British military history. The route goes through the countryside, past lovely views of the rolling Medway Valley and Hadlow Tower.

Sissinghurst Castle Garden

If a walk surrounded by gorgeous flowers is what you crave, then a visit to Sissinghurst Castle is in order. You can wander along paths including the Lime Walk, where borders are bursting into life and shoots are seemingly everywhere, or around scenic lakes and formal gardens, with a whopping 400 acres to explore in all. Learn more here.

The Lower Leas Coastal Park, Folkestone

This hidden gem along the Kent coast might often get overshadowed by the surrounding beautiful beaches and bustling town centre, but it's unlike anywhere else in the county. The Green Flag-awarded park has previously been named within the top 10 per cent of attractions worldwide on TripAdvisor and is a fantastic spot to take in some gorgeous scenery while enjoying a bit of peace and quiet. See what happened when KentLive paid the park a visit here.

Leybourne Lakes Easy Access Trail, Aylesford

With almost two miles of pathways around the wonderful Leybourne Lakes, this is an easy access walk which features some ravishing greenery and nature. Some key places on the trail include the Water Activity Centre, snake sculptures and even the marker buoys – which all relate to a sunken object for scuba divers to explore.

King’s Woods

Jumping from a beautiful castle to a woodland that looks straight out of the Disney Vault, King’s Woods is perhaps best known for its unique sculptures dotted throughout. Set within the picturesque Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, this 1500-acre forest has plenty of quirky features that make it an absolute must-visit for any and all outdoorsy folks. Check out all King’s Woods has to offer here.

Medway’s Green Flag parks

Okay, we may be cheating a little with this one here, but we simply could not decide between Medway’s eight 2024 Green Flag Award winners. Broomhill Park, Capstone Farm Country Park, Gillingham Park, The Great Lines Heritage Park, Hillyfields Community Park, Ranscombe Farm Reserve, Riverside Country Park and The Vines Gardens all won the coveted award. Learn about all of these fantastic green spaces here.

Whitstable seafront

Back over to Kent’s gorgeous coastline now, Whitstable’s iconic seafront is a simply gorgeous place to visit for a walk whether at the peak of summer or on the chilliest day in winter. Following the shoreline from the charming suburb of Tankerton down to the heart of Whitstable, you can end your walk at the brilliant Old Neptune Pub, a favourite with locals and celebs alike. Find out more here.

Bluewater Shopping Centre

A busy shopping centre probably isn’t the first place you’d think of for a relaxed stroll by a lake, but Bluewater offers just that. Another Green Flag Award winner, the former quarry boasts 50 acres of stunning, landscaped parkland. Check out our story here for the full details.

Knole Park, Sevenoaks

Renowned for its wildlife, the park in Sevenoaks is the host to deer, and parakeets, as well as views of the North Downs. There's The Brewhouse Cafe, inside the park, so something to look forward to as you tramp around the spectacular 1,000 acres of trees, woodland, valleys and parkland. Learn more here.

Under the Dartford Crossing

If you’ve ever been stuck in a queue on the Dartford Crossing and wondered what it would be like to explore underneath, you might be pleased to know that you actually can. Back in 2022, a new National Trail walking launched which passes right under the famous crossing, stretching all the way from Grain to Woolwich, covering 49 miles in all. Of course, you do not have to do it all in one go, and you can see what KentLive made of the trail when we journeyed under the Dartford Crossing here.

Rochester Walk

Far from your average stroll in the park, this walk is filled with historic landmarks, beautiful architecture and glittering views across the town which inspired Charles Dickens. Views from Rochester Bridge, the remains of the Norman castle, and the Rochester Cathedral are just a few of the inevitably remarkable highlights of this trip through Rochester.

Samphire Hoe Country Park, Deal

What sets this park apart is that, rather than being owned by one of Kent’s 13 main councils as is usually the case, the award winning park is actually owned by Eurotunnel. In fact, Samphire Hoe is a brand new piece of land that was created using the spoil that came from the creation of the Channel Tunnel which opened in 1994. Read the full fascinating history here.

White Horse Wood Trail, Thurnham

If you’re looking for only a short walk, this is an easy access trail of just 0.7 miles across White Horse Wood Country Park in Thurnham. From the top of the North Downs there are lucrative views of the surrounding countryside, and beneath the grass is a late Bronze Age enclosure thought to be 3,000 years old. You will also be able to see the medieval ruins of Thurnham Castle atop the North Downs.

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