Explore Wiltshire
Your Itinerary Planner
Welcome to the Itinerary Planner. Use this tool to build your own journey or choose from an exciting range of specially selected tours.
Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Easy to explore, yet off the beaten track, Wiltshire is one of Britain’s best-kept secrets. With scenery ranging from rolling chalk downland to gentle Cotswold hills; from a high grassy plateau to acres of ancient woodland, Wiltshire’s countryside is as beautiful as it is varied.
At the heart of the county lies the vast, untouched expanse of Salisbury Plain. With its big skies and broad horizons, this untamed landscape is home to many rare and endangered species, including the Great Bustard (the world’s heaviest flying bird), which thrive in this sparsely populated landscape.
From the gentle meadows of the Vale of Pewsey to wilder expanses of upland, the North Wessex Downs is a nationally protected landscape. So too is Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which stretches in a giant undulating swathe across the south of the county.
Much of north and west Wiltshire lies within the beautiful Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Here, picturesque hills and valleys are characterised by dry stone walls and narrow, winding lanes, where towns and villages of honey-coloured limestone meld seamlessly into the landscape.
The Savernake Forest near Marlborough featured in the Domesday Book and wildlife abounds among its chestnuts, oaks and magnificent avenues of beech. The New Forest National Park protects an area south and east of Salisbury.
Walking
Wherever you are in the county, our miles of ancient drove roads and uncrowded country lanes encourage you to explore this quintessentially English landscape. Indeed, Wiltshire’s gently rolling and varied countryside might well have been invented with outdoor pursuits in mind.
As the last count there were over 8,200 paths for walkers and cyclists in Wiltshire, so it’s safe to say that there’s something for all levels of enthusiasm, from easy family outings to exhilarating long distance trails.
Walkers can revel in part of The Ridgeway – a classic National Trail – which runs through Wiltshire. Or take to the Thames Path, which follows this most famous of rivers from its source in the Cotswolds towards London. There are also numerous opportunities for enjoying a gentle stroll around one of our enchanting towns and villages, across the water-meadows or along the canal towpath – see our website for some sample walks.
Cyclists will love Wiltshire too. A series of routes ranges from short hops to long-distance trails – of which the 160-mile Wiltshire Cycleway is an excellent example. Elsewhere around the county you can sample one of several National Cycle Routes, or experience part of the National Byway.
Picturesque narrowboats make a popular and relaxing way to enjoy the county’s splendid scenery, as you follow the Kennet & Avon Canal which runs across the centre of the county. If watersports are more to your liking, the Cotswold Water Park offers a huge range of water-based activities, including sailing, canoeing, waterskiing and windsurfing. Anyone wanting to get the adrenalin flowing can take to the skies in an aeroplane, micro-light or hot air balloon. Or if you’d rather keep your feet firmly on the ground, why not try your hand at mountain boarding – an exhilarating kind of snowboarding on grass.
Avoid the crowds
Rural Wiltshire is a delight at any time of the year: spring meadows carpeted with flowers… the shadows of hay bales lengthening in the setting sun… autumn mist hanging like a blanket over winding river valleys… frost glistening on the flanks of mighty standing stones - truly a county for all seasons
Travelling outside the peak months of July and August brings numerous benefits: our charming towns and villages that bit more peaceful; spring and autumn are the perfect time for outdoor pursuits such as walking and cycling; and you are likely to find a wider range of special offers on accommodation.
With so much to see and do from January through to December, Wiltshire is the ideal destination for refreshing weekends and midweek breaks, as well as longer stays.
