Best walking routes in Plymouth

8 routes ranked on sights, efficiency, hills & length — real foot distance and elevation.

3.7 scoreHills 1/107.3 kmBest —
—

Scroll to previewauto-fits in a momenttap card to open

Ranked routes

Same score for every walk. Click a card to expand details on the map.

…
#1
Viewpoint

One Hour in Plymouth: A Short Walk

1 hour

6 stops2.8 km1 h 10 min~167 m stairs

2.8 kmdistance1 h 10 minwith stops6stops+58 mgain~167 mstairs
4.0 sights7.8 efficiency1.0 hills6.0 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 35 min+ up to 1 h insides+58 m climb along route
  1. Theatre Royal
  2. Plymouth Hoe
  3. Smeaton's Tower
  4. Tinside Lido
  5. Plymouth Gin Distillery
  6. The Box
6–33 m

Photo: ViewpointMerlin UKCC BY-SA 3.0

4.9/10
#2
Viewpoint

Plymouth in One Day: Walking Itinerary

One day

18 stops12.7 km4 h 40 min~233 m stairs

Inside visits push a full day to ~6 h 25 min.

Inside: Royal Citadel (~45 min) + Mount Edgcumbe House (~1 h). Estimates only.

12.7 kmdistance4 h 40 minwith stops18stops~6 h 25 minfull day+170 mgain~233 mstairs
3.0 sights7.1 efficiency2.8 hills7.3 length
Open in Google Maps 1/3 ↗Open in Google Maps 2/3 ↗Open in Google Maps 3/3 ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 2 h 50 min+ up to 6 h insides+170 m climb along route
  1. The Box
  2. Charles Church
  3. National Marine Aquarium
  4. Royal Citadel (inside ~45 min)
  5. Tinside Lido
  6. Smeaton's Tower
  7. Armada Memorial
  8. Plymouth Hoe
  9. Plymouth Naval Memorial
  10. Plymouth Gin Distillery
  11. Plymouth Synagogue
  12. Plymouth Minster
  13. Theatre Royal
  14. Palace Theatre
  15. Drake's Island
  16. Mount Edgcumbe House (inside ~1 h)
  17. Mount Edgcumbe Country Park
  18. Picklecombe Fort
0–98 m

Photo: ViewpointJThomasCC BY-SA 2.0

4.7/10
#3
Viewpoint

Old Town of Plymouth in 2 Hours

Old town

8 stops3.8 km1 h 45 min~136 m stairs

3.8 kmdistance1 h 45 minwith stops8stops+34 mgain~136 mstairs
2.3 sights6.7 efficiency0.6 hills9.2 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 50 min+ up to 2 h 5 min insides+34 m climb along route
  1. Plymouth Cathedral
  2. Charles Church
  3. Plymouth Minster
  4. Plymouth Synagogue
  5. Royal Citadel
  6. Armada Memorial
  7. Plymouth Naval Memorial
  8. Smeaton's Tower
6–33 m

Photo: ViewpointHerbythymeCC BY-SA 4.0

4.3/10
#4
Viewpoint

Hidden Gems of Plymouth in 2 Hours

Hidden gems

8 stops4.3 km1 h 45 min

4.3 kmdistance1 h 45 minwith stops8stops+63 mgain
1.0 sights7.6 efficiency1.0 hills7.8 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 55 min+ up to 1 h 45 min insides+63 m climb along route
  1. Elizabethan House
  2. The Barbican
  3. Sir John Hawkins Square
  4. Christ The King Roman Catholic Church
  5. Derry's Clock Tower
  6. Palace Theatre
  7. Plymouth Cathedral
  8. Central Park, Plymouth
2–49 m

Photo: ViewpointSmalljimCC BY 3.0

3.7/10
#5
Viewpoint

Self-Guided Walking Tour of Plymouth

Walking tour

11 stops8.9 km3 h 15 min~201 m stairs

8.9 kmdistance3 h 15 minwith stops11stops+78 mgain~201 mstairs
3.4 sights7.1 efficiency1.3 hills0.2 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 2 h+ up to 3 h 25 min insides+78 m climb along route
  1. The Box
  2. Charles Church
  3. Prysten House
  4. Plymouth Synagogue
  5. Plymouth Gin Distillery
  6. Tinside Lido
  7. Plymouth Hoe
  8. Theatre Royal
  9. Drake's Island
  10. Mount Edgcumbe House
  11. Mount Edgcumbe Country Park
0–44 m

Photo: ViewpointJanipewterPublic domain

3.6/10
#6
Viewpoint

Plymouth Old Town Walking Tour

Old town

11 stops6.3 km2 h 35 min~185 m stairs

6.3 kmdistance2 h 35 minwith stops11stops+22 mgain~185 mstairs
2.2 sights7.4 efficiency0.4 hills2.0 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 1 h 25 min+ up to 2 h 50 min insides+22 m climb along route
  1. Royal Citadel
  2. Smeaton's Tower
  3. Armada Memorial
  4. Plymouth Naval Memorial
  5. Sir John Hawkins Square
  6. Charles Church
  7. Plymouth Minster
  8. Plymouth Synagogue
  9. Derry's Clock Tower
  10. Plymouth Cathedral
  11. Drake's Island
3–33 m

Photo: ViewpointNo machine-readable author provided. Adam Cuerden assumed (based on copyright claims).Public domain

3.3/10
#7
Viewpoint

Plymouth Loop Walk from The Post-War City Centre

Loop

19 stops9.8 km3 h 50 min~203 m stairs

9.8 kmdistance3 h 50 minwith stops19stops+48 mgain~203 mstairs
1.7 sights6.8 efficiency0.8 hills0.0 length
Open in Google Maps 1/3 ↗Open in Google Maps 2/3 ↗Open in Google Maps 3/3 ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 2 h 10 min+ up to 1 h 45 min insides+48 m climb along route
  1. The Post-War City Centre
  2. Christ The King Roman Catholic Church
  3. Plymouth Minster
  4. Prysten House
  5. Sir John Hawkins Square
  6. Merchant's House
  7. Plymouth Gin Distillery
  8. The Barbican
  9. The Mayflower Steps
  10. Elizabethan House
  11. Tinside Lido
  12. Armada Memorial
  13. Plymouth Hoe
  14. Plymouth Naval Memorial
  15. The Royal William Yard
  16. Mount Wise
  17. Palace Theatre
  18. Theatre Royal
  19. Derry's Clock Tower
0–31 m

Photo: ViewpointNilfanionCC BY-SA 3.0

2.6/10
#8
Viewpoint

Hidden Gems of Plymouth: Off-the-Beaten-Path Walk

Hidden gems

11 stops9.7 km3 h 10 min

9.7 kmdistance3 h 10 minwith stops11stops+37 mgain
1.3 sights7.1 efficiency0.6 hills0.0 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 2 h 10 min+ up to 1 h 5 min insides+37 m climb along route
  1. Central Park, Plymouth
  2. Plymouth Cathedral
  3. Mount Wise
  4. The Royal William Yard
  5. Palace Theatre
  6. Derry's Clock Tower
  7. The Post-War City Centre
  8. Sir John Hawkins Square
  9. The Barbican
  10. The Mayflower Steps
  11. National Marine Aquarium
1–49 m

Photo: ViewpointChris DownerCC BY-SA 2.0

2.5/10

Hills: higher = steeper along the walk. Stairs (when shown): metres of mapped stairways near the route — approximate, not a step countvisit times are estimates.

Plymouth walking stats

From the 8 rated routes92 stops total31 unique places.

Most climbPlymouth in One Day: Walking Itinerary+170 m along route
Most stops / kmOne Hour in Plymouth: A Short Walk2.1 stops per km
Least climbPlymouth Old Town Walking Tour+22 m along route
Most stairsPlymouth in One Day: Walking Itinerary~233 m mapped stairways (approx., not step count)
Longest / shortest12.7 km2.8 kmPlymouth in One Day: Walking Itinerary / One Hour in Plymouth: A Short Walk
Places on routes31unique stop ids
How we score. Same formula for every route: Sights 50% (how notable the stops are)Efficiency 25% (less backtracking between stops)Hills 10% (how steep the walk is)Length fit 15% (distance vs the kind of walk). Stairs stay a fact in metres, not a quality bar. Avg score in the hero is the mean across all ranked walks.

Plymouth FAQ

Short answers from this city’s data.

Best first-visit walk?
One Hour in Plymouth: A Short Walk (2.8 km, 1 h 10 min with stops) ranks #1 here.
Best months to walk Plymouth?
Most months work — check local weather before you go.
Shortest walk?
One Hour in Plymouth: A Short Walk2.8 km, walking 35 min.
One hour in Plymouth?
One Hour in Plymouth: A Short Walk: walking 35 min, with stops 1 h 10 min, 6 stops.
One-day plan?
Plymouth in One Day: Walking Itinerary: 18 stops, ~4 h 40 min on-route; suggested insides on marked stops; full day ≈ 6 h 25 min. Visit times are estimates.
Stairs and hills?
Hills is 10% of the score (higher = steeper along the walk). Stairs are not scored — when shown, they are metres of mapped stairways near the route (approximate; not a step count). Example: stairways ≈ 0 m.
Can I change stops?
Yes — open in Maps, edit, then paste into Lineo for a cleaner order.
Why are some Google Maps links split?
Google Maps caps how many stops fit in one directions link (we use 11). Longer walks are split into numbered buttons (1/2, 2/2, …). Open them in order — each part starts where the previous one ended.