Group led walks FAQs

Ramblers members can walk with our local groups, of which we have over 500, for free all year round - it's one of the benefits of membership.

If you're not a member, you can try up to three walks for free before joining but if you walk regularly with a Ramblers group you'll be expected to become a member.

You're also welcome to come along to our national walking festivals such as the annual Festival of Winter Walks to see what it's like to walk with a Ramblers group.

Our volunteers organise a wide range of group led walks, from all-day walks with breaks for a picnic or pub lunch, to half-day and shorter walks. A large number of our walks walks are at weekends but there are also weekday walks, and evening walks in the summer.

We aim to offer walks for all abilities and most walks are graded for difficulty to help you choose one that's right for you. All walks under 8km/5 miles are highlighted on the Group Walks Finder using the Walk4Life and Active Nation logos to help you find shorter, easier walks.

Some of our walks are especially suitable for people with young children. Search for a child-friendly walk near you or contact your local group for details.

Unfortunately Ramblers volunteers are unable to take responsibility for supervising children on our walks and children under 15 must be accompanied by a parent or other adult with parental responsibility.

Young people aged 15-17 can come on a walk unaccompanied with written permission from a parent or legal guardian. Find out how to apply for a 15-17 year old parental consent card.

Each individual walk will have details of where to meet including a start grid reference. We encourage our volunteers to organise walks that connect with public transport and many also run car-sharing schemes.

If you have any trouble locating the start point, contact the group in advance and they will be happy to help you.

You'll need suitable footwear and clothing (this may vary depending on the type of walk you join), and you should also bring something to eat drink, even if the walk includes a pub or café break.

If you're inadequately equipped the Walk Leader might ask you not to join the walk, which could cause frustration for you and them. If in doubt, contact the group in advance to check what you need to bring.

We encourage all our groups to allow dogs on walks as we recognise that many people enjoy walking with their four-legged friends.

Some walks won't be suitable for dogs (for example when the route covers a particular type of terrain or young farm animals are present) and the ultimate decision on whether to allow dogs lies with the individual group or walk leader.

If you do take a dog, please keep it under close control, especially on farmland, and on a short lead near livestock. Assistance dogs such as hearing or guide dogs are allowed on all suitable walks.

We're committed to ensuring the wellbeing of everyone who participates in our activities. We produce guidance for the public and Ramblers members about children, young people, people with special needs and vulnerable adults participating in our activities. We also produce a safeguarding toolkit which includes advice for our volunteers and staff.