What this calculator works out
This calculator divides distance by speed to give walking time in minutes, then adds an allowance for stops.
The stops allowance is what makes it realistic. A walk with a gate, a road crossing and a look at the map takes longer than the arithmetic suggests.
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Before you plan a walk
- 5 km/h is a typical adult pace on the flat. Brisk is 5.5 to 6.5; a stroll or a walk with young children is 3 to 4.
- Distance should be the actual route, not the straight line. Paths rarely run direct.
- For hilly ground, add roughly an hour for every 600 m of ascent on top of the flat-ground time.
- The stops allowance should cover gates, crossings, photographs and map checks, not just planned rests.
The traditional hill walking rule allows an hour per 5 km plus an hour per 600 m of ascent. It assumes fit walkers on reasonable ground and is widely regarded as optimistic for most people — later corrections adjust for fitness, load and descent, which on steep ground is slower than the rule implies rather than faster.
How this calculator works
Distance divided by speed, plus stops:
Minutes = distance ÷ speed × 60 + stop minutesThe calculation is the same one used by the cycling calculator, with different typical speeds. What changes between them is not the arithmetic but the realistic range of the speed input and how much terrain affects it.
Worked example: five kilometres
Using the default figures — 5 km at 5 km/h with 10 minutes of stops:
- Walking time: 60 minutes
- Total: 70 minutes
Now add 300 m of ascent, which is a modest hill walk. Naismith adds 30 minutes, taking the total to 100 minutes — nearly half as long again for the same distance. On hilly ground, distance alone is a poor predictor of time, which is why walk descriptions quote ascent as prominently as mileage.
Common mistakes
- Using straight-line distance. Measure the actual route.
- Ignoring ascent. It can add more time than the distance itself.
- Planning at your fastest pace. Group speed is set by the slowest walker.
- Forgetting daylight. A walk that overruns in winter finishes in the dark.
- Underestimating descent. Steep downhill is slower and harder on the knees than flat ground.
Frequently asked questions
How fast do people walk?
Around 5 km/h on the flat for a typical adult, which is roughly 12 minutes per kilometre or 19 minutes a mile. Brisk walking is 5.5 to 6.5 km/h. Pace falls with age, load, terrain and group size, and a group walks at the pace of its slowest member rather than its average.
How do I account for hills?
Naismith's rule is the usual starting point: an hour per 5 km plus an hour per 600 m of ascent. For most walkers it is optimistic, so treating it as a minimum and adding a margin is sensible. Rough ground, poor visibility and a heavy pack all slow things further.
How much daylight will I have?
In UK winter, useful daylight can be as little as seven or eight hours, and dusk arrives quickly. Any walk planned close to the available daylight should carry a torch regardless. Sunset times are published locally and are worth checking rather than estimating.
What should I take on a longer walk?
Beyond the obvious: a paper map and compass as backup to a phone, more water than you expect, a windproof layer even in summer, and a torch. Telling someone your route and expected return time costs nothing and matters most on the walks where it turns out to have mattered.
Is what I enter stored?
No. Figures are processed in your browser and never transmitted or retained.
Related tools
References
- GOV.UK — rights of way, countryside access and outdoor safety guidance
- Met Office — weather forecasts and mountain area forecasts for walk planning
Sources are checked at publication and can change — how I choose and check references.