How long does it take to walk the Malvern Hills?

Short answer: allow 35–40 minutes of steep walking to climb the Worcestershire Beacon from Great Malvern, much less from the Beacon Road car parks, and most of a day to walk the whole ridge end to end. How long it takes depends on where you start, because the hills rise so sharply from the town.

Climbing a single summit

The Malverns are not high (the top is 425 metres), but they are steep. Starting point matters more than distance:

• Worcestershire Beacon from Great Malvern: Wikipedia describes the climb from the town via St Ann’s Well or Happy Valley as a brisk 35–40 minute steep walk to the summit.
• North Hill from the town: about a 15–20 minute steep walk via St Ann’s Road and Happy Valley, again according to Wikipedia.
• Ragged Stone Hill from Hollybush: a steep 15–20 minutes to the top.
• Worcestershire Beacon from Beacon Road: the car parks at Upper Wyche are already high on the hill, and a surfaced path leads to the summit, so it is the quickest and gentlest way up.

Popular walks and how long they take

These times come from the people who publish each route, or from our own estimates where noted on the walk page.

Times are for a steady pace without long stops. Ascent is the approximate total climb.

How long to walk the whole ridge?

The ridge runs for about 13 km (8 miles) north to south. The walking route along it is longer than that, with a lot of up and down between the summits. Treat the end-to-end walk as a full day. UKHillwalking’s longer Grand Traverse, from Ledbury station to Great Malvern station, is 22.5 km with 1,158 metres of ascent. It allows 7–9 hours of walking.

What makes walks take longer

• Wind. The ridge is exposed. A strong westerly slows everyone down on the tops.
• Wet grass and rock. Descents get slippery after rain.
• Children and dogs. Allow more time, and plan a turnaround point.
• Daylight. In winter, check sunset before you start. Our weather page shows how much daylight is left and suggests routes that fit.