Summer is when Britain becomes unusually persuasive. Footpaths look friendlier, coastlines start behaving like holiday brochures, and even a modest riverside stroll can feel like an excellent decision. These are 20 of the best easy summer walks in the UK, chosen for scenery, atmosphere and the comforting fact that you do not need heroic thighs, specialist equipment, or the mentality of a Victorian explorer to enjoy them.
Quick takeaways
- Best for seaside strolling
St Ives, Llandudno, Tenby, Exmouth, Scarborough - Best for easy views
Orrest Head, Malham Cove, Durdle Door, Box Hill, Arthur’s Seat lower routes - Best for riverside and waterside charm
Durham, Winchester, Hebden Bridge, Richmond, Portmeirion - Best for family-friendly ease
Llandudno, Exmouth, Studland, Tarn Hows, Whitby - Best for historic atmosphere
Durham, Salisbury, Richmond, Whitby, Portmeirion - Best for a gentle summer day with maximum reward
Tarn Hows, St Ives, Winchester, Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove
Why easy summer walks are one of Britain’s great pleasures
There is something deeply sensible about the easy summer walk. It asks very little of you, apart from the ability to keep moving at a civilised pace and occasionally say things like look at that view. It leaves time for lunch, for ice cream, for detours into small churches and gift shops, and for sitting on a bench with the full confidence of somebody who has absolutely earned it.
Britain is especially good at this sort of thing. Not every walk needs to involve weather fronts, contour lines, and a growing awareness that you may have taken a wrong turn near a sheep. Sometimes the finest outing is a harbour path, a riverside loop, a cliff-edge stroll, or a gentle climb to a viewpoint that makes you feel rather pleased with yourself for very little effort.
1. Orrest Head, Lake District
This is one of the great easy wins of British walking. From Windermere, a short uphill path brings you to a viewpoint that manages to make the Lake District look even more like itself than usual, which is saying something.
It is the sort of walk that delivers a grand reward with pleasingly modest labour. In summer, with the trees full and the light catching the water, the whole thing feels almost suspiciously generous. View route here.
- Best for
First-time Lake District views without a major climb - Walk style
Short uphill woodland path to a viewpoint - Time needed
Around 1 to 2 hours - Don’t miss
The first full view over Windermere and the surrounding fells
2. Tarn Hows, Cumbria
Tarn Hows is what happens when a walk decides to be agreeable in every possible direction. The paths are broad, the scenery is lovely, and the whole place has a calm, polished beauty that makes even a short wander feel restorative.
This is ideal for summer when you want Lakeland atmosphere without turning the day into a mountaineering event. Water, trees, gentle slopes, and just enough grandeur to keep everyone happy. View route here.
- Best for
Easy Lake District beauty - Walk style
Gentle circular waterside walk - Time needed
Around 1 to 2 hours - Don’t miss
The reflections across the tarn on a bright still day
3. Durdle Door, Dorset
Yes, it is famous. Yes, lots of people take photos of it. Yes, it is still worth going. Durdle Door remains one of those places where geology has shown off a bit and nobody has really objected.
The walk from the car park is short, with some slope involved, but the reward is immediate and extremely dramatic. In summer, the sea colour can look positively Mediterranean until the wind reminds you that this is still Dorset and not Capri. View route here.
- Best for
Big coastal scenery with relatively little walking - Walk style
Short coastal path with some incline - Time needed
About 1 to 2 hours - Don’t miss
The view back across the bay from the clifftop
4. Lulworth Cove, Dorset
Lulworth Cove is one of the most satisfying easy coastal walks in the country because it gives you shape, colour and drama without requiring a tactical briefing beforehand. The curve of the cove is beautiful enough on its own, and the nearby clifftop paths make it even better.
In summer it feels lively and bright, but still scenic enough to rise above simple beach business. This is one for anyone who likes their geology handsome and their walking manageable. View route here.
- Best for
Easy coastal wandering with classic scenery - Walk style
Cove, beach and clifftop stroll - Time needed
1 to 2 hours - Don’t miss
The view down over the cove from above
5. St Ives harbour and Porthminster stroll, Cornwall
St Ives in summer is not exactly a secret, but it remains one of the great places for a gentle walk that feels like a proper outing. You can link the harbour, the beach, the old streets and the seafront without ever doing anything especially strenuous.
There is sea light everywhere, the beaches look absurdly inviting, and even a modest amble feels festive. This is a very good place to remember that walking can include coffee, browsing and occasional pauses for staring at the water. View route here.
- Best for
Easy seaside atmosphere - Walk style
Harbour, beach and town wander - Time needed
1 to 3 hours - Don’t miss
The view across Porthminster Bay
6. Llandudno promenade, North Wales
Some walks are really just well-organised drifting, and Llandudno does this extremely well. The promenade is long, flat, handsome and reassuringly old-school, with the bay spreading out in front like a postcard that never needed updating.
In summer, it is ideal for families, couples, or anyone who would like a sea view without the inconvenience of rough terrain. You may end up on the pier. You may end up with ice cream. Both are entirely in keeping with the spirit of the place. View route here.
- Best for
Flat and effortless seaside walking - Walk style
Promenade and pier stroll - Time needed
1 to 2 hours - Don’t miss
The long curve of the bay looking its most elegant in evening light
7. Durham riverside walk
Durham is one of those cities that seems unfairly well arranged. Cathedral, castle, river, wooded banks, stone bridges. It is as though somebody gave medieval England a particularly strong design brief.
The riverside walk is easy, green and deeply rewarding in summer. It gives you one graceful view after another while allowing you to feel faintly cultured the entire time. View route here.
- Best for
Historic city scenery with very gentle walking - Walk style
Easy riverside circular - Time needed
1.5 to 2.5 hours - Don’t miss
Cathedral views through the trees
8. Winchester water meadows, Hampshire
Winchester has a polished old-soul charm, and the water meadows are one of its great summer assets. A short walk beyond the historic centre opens out into soft green landscape, river channels and open views that feel remarkably peaceful for somewhere so close to town.
This is not showy scenery. It is subtler than that. But on a warm day, with the grass bright and the river moving quietly past, it becomes extremely persuasive. View route here.
- Best for
Gentle countryside beside a historic city - Walk style
Riverside and meadow loop - Time needed
1.5 to 3 hours - Don’t miss
The contrast between city spires and open meadow landscape
9. Hebden Bridge canal walk, West Yorkshire
Hebden Bridge has the sort of setting that makes a simple towpath walk seem unexpectedly stylish. Old mills, green hillsides, calm water and a town centre that understands the value of a good café. It all works rather well.
The canal path is flat and easygoing, perfect for a summer wander that requires more curiosity than effort. You can take it at whatever pace suits your mood, which is one of its chief virtues. View walk here.
- Best for
Waterside walking with a good food stop nearby - Walk style
Flat canal towpath - Time needed
1 to 3 hours - Don’t miss
The peaceful stretch where town and valley seem to soften into one another
10. Richmond riverside and castle views, North Yorkshire
Richmond has exactly the sort of setting a good historic town ought to have. There is a river, there are dramatic buildings above it, and there is enough old stone to make the whole place feel satisfyingly established.
The riverside paths below the castle are easy and scenic, especially in summer when the banks are green and the water catches the light. It is a very strong option for anyone who likes a walk with a side order of market-town dignity. View route here.
- Best for
Historic charm and an easy riverside route - Walk style
Short circular by river and town - Time needed
1 to 2 hours - Don’t miss
The view of Richmond Castle rising above the trees
11. Box Hill viewpoint paths, Surrey
Box Hill sounds as though it ought to be harder work than it really is. Happily, there are easy routes and viewpoint strolls here that let you enjoy the Surrey Hills without pretending you are in training for anything.
Summer suits it particularly well. The views open out, the chalk downland glows softly, and you get that pleasant just-outside-London feeling of having escaped somewhere greener and calmer without too much difficulty. View route here.
- Best for
Easy countryside views in the South East - Walk style
Gentle viewpoint paths and short circulars - Time needed
1 to 2 hours - Don’t miss
The broad views across the North Downs
12. Studland Bay and dunes, Dorset
Studland is easy walking of a very high order. You get sandy paths, low dunes, open beach and wide coastal light, with none of the more punishing cliff work that sometimes turns a seaside stroll into an argument with your calves.
It feels spacious, easy and gloriously summery. This is a walk for hot days, sun hats and people who believe a proper outing should include the possibility of a swim or an unapologetically large ice cream afterwards. View routes here.
- Best for
Soft coastal scenery and easy family walking - Walk style
Beach, dunes and sandy paths - Time needed
1 to 3 hours - Don’t miss
The wide sweep of sand and sea
13. Whitby harbour and west cliff, North Yorkshire
Whitby has atmosphere to spare. It barely knows how not to be dramatic. But the good news is that you do not need to tackle the more demanding bits to have an excellent walk here.
A harbour wander linked with the west cliff and seafront gives you plenty of sea air, fine views and that agreeable mixture of seaside bustle and Gothic moodiness that Whitby has made very much its own.
- Best for
Seaside character with easy walking - Walk style
Harbour and clifftop promenade - Time needed
1.5 to 3 hours - Don’t miss
The view across the harbour mouth and out to sea
14. Portmeirion woodland and estuary paths, North Wales
Portmeirion is one of Britain’s more eccentric triumphs, a place that seems to have been designed by somebody who thought normality was all very well but perhaps a bit overrated. The gardens, woods and estuary paths add to the surreal charm rather than competing with it.
Walking here is gentle and full of visual rewards. In summer, the whole place can feel almost improbably lush and theatrical, as though Italy had briefly taken a lease on a corner of Gwynedd. View route here
- Best for
Easy walking somewhere gloriously distinctive - Walk style
Woodland, gardens and estuary paths - Time needed
2 to 3 hours - Don’t miss
The shifting estuary views beyond the village
15. Exmouth seafront and estuary path, Devon
Exmouth is excellent at the whole business of summer. Broad beach, open skies, estuary light, cheerful atmosphere. It all feels designed to improve your mood with very little resistance.
The walk is easy, spacious and flexible. You can keep it to a short seafront stroll or add a longer section beside the Exe estuary. Either way, it remains a deeply civilised way to spend a warm day. View route here
- Best for
Flat walking with plenty of sea air - Walk style
Seafront and estuary path - Time needed
1 to 3 hours - Don’t miss
The broad estuary views in late afternoon light
16. Salisbury cathedral close and meadows, Wiltshire
Salisbury has one of the great English skylines, thanks to a cathedral spire that looks as though it is trying to set some sort of record. The nearby meadows and riverside paths make it even better by giving you space from which to admire it properly.
This is a walk of gentle contrasts. City and country, stone and grass, river and spire. In summer it feels particularly elegant, as though the whole place has remembered exactly how to behave. View route here
- Best for
Historic beauty with a calm easy route - Walk style
Cathedral close and meadow paths - Time needed
1.5 to 2.5 hours - Don’t miss
The cathedral rising above green riverside scenery
17. Malham Cove from Malham village, Yorkshire Dales
Malham Cove is one of those places that looks as though nature briefly became interested in architecture. The great curved limestone face is dramatic enough to justify all the attention it gets, yet the walk from the village is manageable for most people in decent footwear.
It is a particularly satisfying summer outing because the scenery is big while the route remains fairly straightforward. This is the Yorkshire Dales doing one of its more crowd-pleasing turns. View route here
- Best for
Dramatic scenery without an all-day hike - Walk style
Village to limestone cove and back - Time needed
2 to 3 hours - Don’t miss
The first full sight of the cove
18. Tenby harbour and town walls, Pembrokeshire
Tenby knows exactly how to look good in summer. Pastel houses, sandy beaches, harbour boats, old walls. It all comes together with the slightly polished air of a place that has been preparing for visitors for quite some time.
The easy walk here is wonderfully simple. Through the old town, down to the harbour, along the front, then back for lunch. Pleasantly little hardship is involved. View Tenby walks here
- Best for
Summer holiday atmosphere and easy wandering - Walk style
Harbour, beach and town circuit - Time needed
1 to 2.5 hours - Don’t miss
The harbour framed by colourful houses
19. Scarborough esplanade and South Bay, North Yorkshire
Scarborough remains one of the classic British seaside names because it understands scale. Big bay, broad views, a proper sweep of promenade, and enough layered terraces and gardens to make even a gentle walk feel like a complete outing.
This is a very good choice for a traditional summer day by the sea, especially if your ideal walk includes benches, cafés and the option of doing very little very attractively. View route here
- Best for
Grand seaside promenade walking - Walk style
Esplanade and bay stroll - Time needed
1 to 2.5 hours - Don’t miss
The broad view along the bay from above
20. Arthur’s Seat lower slopes and Holyrood Park, Edinburgh
Now, to be clear, Arthur’s Seat itself can be more than some people mean by easy. But the lower paths and routes through Holyrood Park offer a gentler way to enjoy the same dramatic setting without having to commit to a proper uphill campaign.
In summer, with the city behind you and crags, grass and open views all around, it feels like one of the best urban-edge walks in Britain. You get Edinburgh looking magnificent while remaining on speaking terms with your knees. View route here
- Best for
Big views without a full summit climb - Walk style
Parkland and lower hillside paths - Time needed
1 to 2 hours - Don’t miss
The views back across Edinburgh
Final verdict
The great virtue of the easy summer walk is that it asks you to notice things rather than conquer them. A harbour in bright light, a river looping beneath old stone, a stretch of promenade with gulls overhead, a low hill that rewards you with a view far larger than the effort required. Britain is full of these places, and in summer they come into their own.
This is walking at its most appealingly untroubled. Not a test, not a mission, not a performance of outdoor seriousness. Just a very good excuse to be outside in some of the loveliest bits of the country, moving slowly enough to enjoy them properly.
Need to know
- Easy does not always mean completely flat, so check gradients and surfaces if you need step-free or buggy-friendly routes.
- Summer weekends can be busy at famous beauty spots, so earlier starts often make for a calmer walk.
- Take water, a light waterproof and sun cream, because Britain likes to keep its options open.
- Good footwear still helps, even on gentler routes.
- Build in time for lunch, tea or ice cream because this is Britain in summer and those things are part of the tradition.
