Hiking Time Calculator
How long a walk or hike will take by Naismith's rule, from its distance and ascent, with an optional descent correction, a pace factor and breaks.
Result…
How it's calculated
Naismith: time = distance ÷ 5 km/h + ascent ÷ 600 m per hour (or distance ÷ 3 mph + ascent ÷ 2,000 ft per hour) Langmuir (optional): −10 min per 300 m of gentle descent (5–12°), +10 min per 300 m of steep descent (over 12°) Total = (Naismith time ± descent) × pace factor + breaks
Naismith's rule, named after the Scottish mountaineer William Naismith, allows one hour for every 5 km (3 miles) forward plus an hour for every 600 m (2,000 ft) of ascent. The metric and imperial versions are each rounded, so they differ slightly: 3 mph is 4.83 km/h. Langmuir's later correction adjusts for descent: on gentle slopes of 5 to 12° take off 10 minutes per 300 m of descent, and on slopes steeper than 12° add 10 minutes. Aitken suggested 4 km/h (2.5 mph) instead of 5 off paths and tracks, so the flat speed can be changed. Tranter's corrections use a table based on how long you take to climb 1,000 ft (about 300 m) over half a mile (800 m); this calculator offers only a simple pace factor instead, which is an approximation. Ascent rate is the climbing divided by the moving time.
Your numbers, step by step
About the Hiking Time calculator
This hiking time calculator estimates how long a walk will take using Naismith's rule, the hill walker's rule of thumb: one hour for every 5 km (3 miles) forward, plus an hour for every 600 m (2,000 ft) of climbing. Enter the route's distance and total ascent from a map or app, and it gives the total time, the moving time, your average pace and how fast you'll be climbing. Naismith ignores descent, so you can add Langmuir's correction, which takes time off gentle downhills and adds it on steep ones. A pace factor slows or speeds the whole estimate for a heavy pack, a slow group or a fit one, and breaks are added at the end. It works in kilometres and metres or in miles and feet. Use it to plan a start time and to check you'll be off the hill before dark.
How to use it
- Choose “Units”: km and m, or mi and ft.
- Enter the route's “Distance”, “Total ascent” and “Total descent”.
- Pick a “Descent correction” if the way down is gentle or steep, and change “Walking speed on the flat” for rough ground.
- Set the “Pace factor” and the minutes of “Breaks”, then read the total time and pace.
Worked example
A 14 km route with 950 m of ascent and 950 m of steep descent: 14 ÷ 5 = 2.8 h for the distance, 950 ÷ 600 = 1.58 h for the climb, and Langmuir adds 950 ÷ 300 × 10 min = 0.53 h for the steep way down. That is 4.91 h, or 4 h 55 min of moving. With 45 minutes of breaks the total is 5.66 h, about 5 h 40 min, at 21.0 minutes per km and a climbing rate of about 193 m an hour.
Updated
Questions people ask
What is Naismith's rule?
Allow one hour for every 5 km (3 miles) forward plus one hour for every 600 m (2,000 ft) of ascent, as set out on Wikipedia's Naismith's rule page. It assumes a reasonably fit walker on paths, with no stops.
How do I allow for going downhill?
Langmuir's correction takes 10 minutes off for every 300 m of descent on gentle slopes of 5 to 12°, and adds 10 minutes per 300 m on slopes steeper than 12°, where you have to slow down. Choose it under “Descent correction”.
What is Tranter's correction, and is it used here?
Tranter's correction uses a table that scales Naismith's time by your fitness, measured by how long you take to climb 1,000 ft (about 300 m) over half a mile. This calculator uses a simple pace factor instead, which is only an approximation of that table.
Why does my hike take longer than the estimate?
Rough or boggy ground, snow, heat, a heavy pack, route finding and the slowest person in the group all slow you down, and Naismith's time leaves out stops. Lower the flat speed to 4 km/h (2.5 mph) off paths, raise the pace factor and add breaks.
Can I rely on this time to plan a mountain day?
Use it as a starting point, then add a margin for weather, daylight and the group, and check local mountain safety advice. It is not a safety guarantee. To compare with your running or walking pace, try the pace calculator.