NCN 4 - Celtic Trail
NCN 4 - Celtic Trail is a 657 km road cycling route in London & South East with 4478 m of climbing, about 16% of it off road, and it splits into about 7 days at a moderate pace.
The first two fifths run flat to gently rolling through the Cotswolds and North Wessex Downs, and the riding stays manageable for a long while. The gradient stiffens gradually through the middle of the route before the final fifth turns noticeably rolling, particularly through Pembrokeshire Coast. Around sixteen percent of the route is off road, so the surface is predominantly tarmac but not entirely. The line is tagged as road.
Worth knowing before you go
Seven days at a moderate pace leaves reasonable daily distances, but the hillier finish into Pembrokeshire demands more from tired legs. The off-road sections are spread across the route rather than concentrated in one place, so check your tyre choice before you leave. Pembrokeshire Coast is the most remote stretch, and resupply points thin out accordingly.
NCN 4 - Celtic Trail in numbers
- Distance: 657 km
- Climbing: 4478 m
- Off road: 104 km, about 16% of the route
- Riding time: about 37 hours, roughly 7 days at a moderate pace
Water, food, campsites and stations along this route are shown on the interactive map.
Plan it and ride it
The map on this page carries the surface breakdown, the elevation profile and every point of interest. You can split the route into days against your own pace, see what it will cost to ride, and take it with you. Download the GPX.
Read the NCN 4 - Celtic Trail route guide.
Getting to the start without flying · Browse all routes
Route from Sustrans.
Compiled by Ed Hunton, Cicerone guidebook author, from TourTrax's own route data.