Hi All,
I am looking for tour guides to choose from that will pick us up in Chichester or Arundel and show us West Sussex/South Downs NP. Any advice is welcome. Going late April 2026.
Also, where to stay in either of those towns. Midrange prices are fine--may need a taxi if it's more than a 10 minute walk from the train. Thank you in advance!
Posted by
Portsmouth
5757 posts
I think you might struggle to find any tour guides that fit your requirements. As far as I can see there's only one tour company offering tours to the South Downs (South Downs Tours) but they focus on the Seven Sisters area.
I suspect the lack of tour guides may be due to the nature of the park itself. Many people associate national parks as being large areas of nature however the South Downs National Park is a large area encompassing many towns and villages and a major arterial road leading to London. Whilst it does contain areas of natural beauty these are not expansive areas of wilderness. Tour guides exist for those seeking to walk the South Downs Way but I suspect this is not what you're after. South Downs Tours do offer a bespoke option so it may be worth contacting them to discuss your options.
Posted by
Buckinghamshire
346 posts
I'd echo JC's post.
You might find the link below useful:
https://thedetoureffect.com/blog/day-trips-hikes-brighton-public-transportation/
Brighton might be a good place to stay even though it is built up. It has plenty of hotels and guest houses and you might get good rates in late April which is not peak season. It's also well connected by transport links both rail and bus. Don't forget the latter, west of Brighton the train covers several coastal towns but going east the line goes inland and some favourite spots (eg Seven Sisters or Beachy Head) are easily accessible by bus but not at all by rail.