Chalk downland and seacliffs, the battlefield of Hastings, Rye’s Mermaid Street, hopfields and oasthouses, and Sissinghurst garden!

A self-guided walking tour.
2023 dates: May to mid-October, starting on any day. During some periods accommodation can be heavily booked. Please give alternative dates if possible. If you wish to include a visit to Sissinghurst Castle Garden (National Trust) near Cranbrook (night 7 of this tour) please note that this may be closed on 1 or 2 days every week. To avoid disappointment, check with us before booking. Our route passes another superb garden on day 6 at Great Dixter, which is normally closed on Mondays, except bank holiday Mondays. In most years Bank Holidays in England are on Good Friday, Easter Monday, the first and last Mondays in May and the last Monday in August, in addition to Christmas. In 2023 there will be an additional bank holiday on Monday 8 May to mark the coronation of King Charles III.
Duration: 5 or 7 nights.
Grade: Moderate. Daily distances range up to 20km/13 miles. Some gradients on the South Downs Way (days 2 and 3) and Saxon Shore Way (Day 5) are steep and strenuous. However days can readily be shortened by using buses, trains or taxis. We provide local bus information. Route-finding is generally easy on the well-marked coastal paths (days 2,3,4); field and woodland paths in the Weald (days 6 and 7) require close attention to our detailed route notes.
Tour prices: See “Tour prices” below.
Tour code: X5E (5 nights); X7E (7 nights).



Tour Map





Images from our Seven Sisters & Rye tour…


  • Hastings net shops

  • Sissinghurst Oast houses

  • Seven Sisters


More images of this tour…

Beach hut, Rye
How to Book

Hiking Tour Enquiries

Request our detailed factsheet for this tour - code FSX - to find out more about daily walking distances, places of interest to visit and more!

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