Autumn on the Islands of Guernsey is milder than in the UK, with warmer temperatures and bright skies. It is a wonderful time of year to get outside and explore.
The Autumn Walking Festival is the perfect opportunity to embrace the fresh air and discover new places, history and heritage on Guernsey, Herm, Sark and Lihou.
We’ve gathered all of the information you’ll need to know about this year's Autumn Walking Festival, including what and when the festival is, as well as the type of routes and the guides who will be taking you.
What is the Autumn Walking Festival?
The Autumn Walking Festival is one of the best ways to explore the Islands of Guernsey on foot. An annual event, the festival is a series of organised daily walks, led by experienced guides from the Bailiwick of Guernsey Guild of Accredited Guides.
Whether you’re looking for an easy amble or a more challenging hike, want to walk the cobbled streets of St Peter Port or traverse the cliff paths in Herm, there are walks to suit everyone.
You'll find over 30 walks taking place over the course of 16 days.
When is it happening?
This year’s festival is taking place from the 13th - 28th September, and there will be walks happening daily.
What are the walks like?
Each walk in the festival has an intensity rating, ranging from 'easy' to 'hike'. They vary in duration, length and cost. Each walk starts and ends close to a bus stop and car park, so getting there is easy.
There are walks taking place in Guernsey, Sark, Herm and Lihou, each one exploring a different area or theme, and expertly discussed by your guide.
Whether you're interested in flora and fauna, local folklore, are a history enthusiast, a literary lover or just want to see some spectacular scenery, there is a walk ready for you.
Your guides
All of the guides for the Autumn Walking Festival are accredited by the Bailiwick of Guernsey Guild of Accredited Guides. The Guild has more than 60 experienced guides, each with their own specialities. Silver and Gold accreditations are awarded to guides following a stringent training and assessment programme, so you can be sure of a knowledgeable and experienced tour guide.
How to book
Space on each walk is limited, so pre-booking is recommended and in some cases required. To book your space on one of the tours, visit the Autumn Walking Festival event page, click on your desired walk, and you will find the booking information specific to that event. You will be able to contact the guide directly to make sure your place is secured.
10 walks to get you started
With over 30 walks to choose from at this year's festival, here is a selection of 10 to get you started.
The Secrets of Sark's La Seigneurie
Discover the fascinating story of La Seigneurie grounds and gardens on this fully guided tour. Visit areas not normally accessible to the public, and hear about the site's history from the 6th century through to present-day, with a few surprises along the way.
Date: 13th September
Guide: Malcolm Cleal
Meet: Outside Bel Air at the top of Harbour Hill
Start: 11:30am
Contact: malcolm_cleal@hotmail.co.uk
What3Words: ///catnip.stereotypes.pure
Bus routes: N/A
Difficulty: Moderate
Cost: £15
Length: 3 miles
The Ghosts of the WWII Mirus Gun Battery
A tour of one of the four Mirus underground bunkers that made up the largest gun battery in the Channel Islands. You will hear about the paranormal activity and 'ghostly goings-on' that have been reported in these bunkers, with first and second-hand stories and sightings, including your guide's own personal experiences.
Date: 14th September
Guide: Tim Osborne
Meet: La Houguette School Car Park (roadside)
Start: 7pm
Contact: timobeanie@gmail.com
What3Words: ///doorframe.memorably.dishwashers
Bus routes: 61, 93, 94
Difficulty: Easy
Cost: £10
Length: 0.25 miles
Folk on Foot, Fairies & Forts
Beginning at Portelet, we head to where some say fairies meet, and others say footmen on an ancient procession feasted. We also visit fortifications, some from WWII, others medieval. The area's history is further evoked in the origins of place names and their stories.
Date: 15th & 26th September
Guide: Yan Marquis
Meet: Near the bus stop in front of the Imperial Hotel
Start: 10:30am
Contact: janmarquis@suremail.gg
What3Words: ///giraffes.dinnertime.governed
Bus routes: 91, 92, 93, 94, 61
Difficulty: Moderate
Cost: £12
Length: 1.5 miles
New Tour: The Vale Castle - The Bastion of the North
A tour of the Vale Castle and its amazing history from the Iron Age, through to its medieval development and the WWII occupation, and onto today.
Date: 17th September
Guide: Andy Walker
Meet: Bordeaux car park by Woodies cafe
Start: 2:15pm
Contact: andrewwalker@suremail.gg
What3Words: ///flexed.eyeful.suspect
Bus routes: 13
Difficulty: Moderate
Cost: £10
Length: 1 mile
New Tour: Start to Finish (St Peter Port)
A sprint through 7,000 years of Guernsey’s human occupation from the Neolithic first settlers to the monolithic Liberation Monument - a short walk through our bustling capital which packs a lot of history into 90 minutes.
Date: 20th September
Guide: Simon De La Rue
Meet: Outside the Visitor Information Centre, Market Street
Start: 10:30am
Contact: 07781 426199 or sdelarue@gmail.com
What3Words: version.classed.actors
Bus routes: All routes to town
Difficulty: Easy
Length: 1-2 miles
Incarceration, Fortification & Escapes
Join Jo May and Occupation historian/writer Nick Le Huray for a walk around the Bridge, Vale Castle and Bordeaux. You will hear stories of three escapes by boat during the Occupation, being held prisoner, fortifications along the route and some local characters of the time.
Date: 20th September
Guide: Jo May
Meet: Woodies Kiosk, Bordeaux
Start: 2pm
Contact: Jomaytours@outlook.com
What3Words: ///rafters.reheat.airports
Bus routes: 92, 11, 91
Ability: Moderate
Cost: £12
Length: 4 miles
New Tour: GY1 Ghostly & Ghastly
Guernsey folklore is legendary, join Jo May for a walk through St Peter Port as you’ve never seen it before, be prepared for gore, ghosts, torture and, a few other surprises long the way.
Date: 22nd & 26th September
Guide: Jo May
Meet: Victor Hugo bench in front of the Town Church
Start: 7pm
Contact: Jomaytours@outlook.com
What3Words: //blurred.stage.pardon
Bus routes: All routes to town
Ability: Moderate
Cost: £10
Length: 2 miles
Lihou Island Adventure
Lihou Island is visitable only on certain low tides; you’ll find it full of history, stunningly beautiful and fun to visit.
Date: 23rd September
Guide: Bryan Pill
Meet: The MV Prosperity monument at the Lihou headland car park
Start: 12pm
Contact: bryan@pilotsnotebook.gg
What3Words: ///parabola.volume.particle
Bus routes: 60, 61, 91, 92, 93, 94
Ability: Hike
Cost: £10
Length: 3 miles
Herm by Beach and Dune
Join horticulturalist, Malcolm Cleal, exploring the wilder side of Herm's coastal environments, flora and fauna. Including foraging the shoreline and inland, discovering what’s edible and useful and sampling some complementary homemade fennel and elderflower gin along the way.
Date: 28th September
Guide: Malcolm Cleal
Meet: Old crane, Herm harbour
Start: 11am
Contact: malcolm_cleal@hotmail.co.uk
What3Words: ///undervalued.showcased.detonated
Bus routes: N/A
Ability: Hike
Cost: £10
Length: 2 miles
New Tour: Last Man Hanging
Follow the footsteps of the last man hanged in Guernsey. From murder scene to gallows, we retrace Tapner’s dark journey—through Upland Road, Les Canichers, the town, and up to St James. Kelvin’s new book reveals the secrets of Britain’s longest trial at the time.
Date: 28th September
Guide: Jackie Ward
Meet: Odeon car park, green area opp Perrot Court
Start: 2pm
Contact: Ward.jacqueline@rocketmail.com
What3Words: ///Princes.migrate.panthers
Bus routes: 31, 41, 42, 60, 61, 71, 81
Ability: Moderate
Cost: £12
Length: 3 miles
For more information on the Autumn Walking Festival click here.
