Our journey along King Alfred’s Way begins in the charming cathedral city of Salisbury, Wiltshire, conveniently accessible by both road and rail.

Salisbury is a city worth exploring if you have some extra time on arrival. The magnificent 13th-century cathedral is a must-see, and there are also numerous museums, shops, restaurants, and bars to enjoy. Tonight, we’ll be staying in the heart of Salisbury, where you’ll have the opportunity to meet your guides and fellow travellers over dinner, a perfect start to our adventure together.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 650 Metres Approx.

We leave Salisbury to begin our journey around the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex, which was ruled by Alfred the Great over 1000 years ago. From our hotel, we weave our way through the city along the scenic banks of the River Avon. It doesn’t take long before we hit our first off-road trail, which leads us to the Iron Age fort of Old Sarum – an impressive multi-ring hill fort dating back to 400 BC. From there, we continue onward along bumpy farm tracks and some fun muddy single track bridleways, to one of the UK’s most renowned archaeological sites; Stonehenge. After a brief stop to marvel at this 10,000-year-old stone circle, we venture onto the criss-crossing chalk and gravel tracks across Salisbury Plain, entering an active MOD military firing range.

Navigating around the red flags and artillery zones of Black Heath, the terrain becomes more challenging as we follow rutted paths flanked by wildflower banks, passing through the village of Tilshead and down a fast grassy descent into Chirton. We conclude the day by pedalling along quiet roads and winding tracks into the historic market town of Devizes, Wiltshire’s “hidden gem,” where we’ll enjoy a meal at one of the town’s charming pubs before resting up at our hotel after a rewarding day’s ride.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 825 Metres Approx.

We begin the day on quiet roads and gravel bridleways, before crossing the Kennet and Avon Canal, the perfect warm-up for our legs. Our first real challenge comes with the steep ascent of Tan Hill, where ancient earthworks surround us, and the climb rewards us with breathtaking views over the plains, and a long, fun descent down quiet rutted farm tracks to our morning coffee stop in Avebury, home to yet another remarkable historic site; The Great Henge. This stone circle, less famous but perhaps more significant than Stonehenge, is the largest in the world, boasting over 100 stones!

Leaving Avebury, we continue onto the rugged, tussocky track of The Ridgeway, which guides us for the rest of the day. Along the way, we pass landmarks like Barbury Castle and Ogbourne St George. After lunch, we maintain our elevation, skirting the villages of Bishopstone and Ashbury, before reaching White Horse Hill. Here, we can descend to admire the iconic Uffington White Horse from below before completing the final stretch to our accommodation for the evening.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 550 Metres Approx.

We’ll need a hearty breakfast this morning, as we kick off with an early morning climb straight from our accommodation, ascending back onto the Ridgeway. From there, we enjoy one of the longest continuous off-road sections of the trip, as we pedal our way along 12 miles of chalk grasslands, rutted tracks and gravel byways, before descending to the River Thames and into Goring. We make our way our way through quintessential English countryside, passing charming locks, weirs, churches, and riverside cafes, before reaching the vibrant town of Reading.

Our route avoids the bustling areas and traffic, guiding us along the River Kennet — a tributary of the Thames — via cycle paths, forest tracks, and hidden back lanes. Before long, we leave the town behind and find ourselves on tranquil bridleways. Riding past Wellington Country Park on some surprisingly quiet forest tracks, we soon arrive at our destination in Heckfield, where we can unwind with a pint at a traditional pub and settle in for the evening.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 940 Metres Approx.

There’s a bit of everything on today’s ride, which is the longest of the week. We start the day on some picturesque tree-lined country roads, then start twisting our way along a sandy singletrack section through Hazeley Heath before we come to Oldham Common and the remains of WWII tank testing areas.

A short climb and descent take us to Farnham, and its impressive motte & bailey castle, before we hit more sandy heathland trails around Frensham and Thursley Common, and more Iron Age and post-Roman archaeological remains. The toughest climb of the day is up onto Hindhead Common but the reward is an amazing view of the rolling Surrey Hills making it well worth it! (not to mention the 5 mile descent to Bramshott).

The final stretch of the day undulates along quiet trails to our accommodation near the bustling village of Liss, where we can relax in the knowledge that the longest and hilliest day is now behind us.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 900 Metres Approx.

We’ll find ourselves this morning riding on forest tracks and singletrack trails across Rogate Common, crossing into Sussex before joining the South Downs Way at Torberry Hill Fort. From there, we tackle a series of short, steep off-road climbs and descents as we make our way to Queen Elizabeth Country Park.

Next, we ascend to stay high on The Downs ridge, following a mix of bridleways and back roads toward the more challenging terrain around Old Winchester Hill Fort. Our journey then takes us down the exhilarating yet technical descent of Wether Down, navigating steep chalk singletrack while carefully avoiding rare butterflies.

After reaching the Meon Valley railway line in Exton, we face our final significant climb of the day—an on-road ascent up Beacon Hill—before soaring down the aptly named ‘Wheely Down’ and ‘Gander Down’ trails, arriving at the natural amphitheater of Cheesefoot Head.

To reach Winchester, we depart from the South Downs Way, crossing the M3 via gravel tracks and bridleways to St. Catherine’s Hill. From there, a picturesque path leads us directly to Winchester city centre; we’ll ride past Abbey Gardens and the sculpture to commemorate King Alfred on route to our hotel. There should be time to explore Winchester and its spectacular cathedral before dinner this evening.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 540 Metres Approx.

Our final day is the shortest, allowing us time to explore Salisbury and unwind after a week of riding.

We begin by leaving Winchester, gently climbing out of the suburbs onto singletrack roads and ancient trails, passing by prehistoric earthworks and picturesque villages. We then descend into King’s Somborne and the scenic Test Valley, known for its shallow tributaries and tranquil ponds, as well as its muddy singletrack paths and rough byways which we follow before tackling a short but steep climb onto Broughton Down, where we’ll have a view of Danebury Hill Fort, one of the most extensively excavated hill forts in the UK.

After the climb, we‘re rewarded with a fantastic descent along gravel and dirt trails on the Monarch’s Way, an ancient Roman road that almost seems custom-built for our mountain bikes’ chunky tires! Weaving westward through fields and woodlands we head up onto Porton Down, an area rich in military history, which brings us back to Old Sarum, a familiar landmark from our first day’s ride.

The final 3 miles take us past Castle Hill and into the heart of Salisbury, where we’ll have time to explore this impressive cathedral city or simply relax after a week of adventure. In the evening, we’ll gather for a final meal to celebrate completing an epic 350km loop on the mountain bike!

• Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, we all go our separate ways. For those travelling by train we offer a transfer back to Salisbury train station. For those extending their stay, there is plenty to explore in and around Salisbury.