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Its highest point is at Coombe Hill near Wendover. A prominent hill is the nearby Ivinghoe Beacon, the starting point of the Icknield WayThe Icknield Way is one of the oldest roads in Britain, being one of the few long-distance trackways to have existed before the Romans occupied the country. It stretches from Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire to Knettishall Heath in Norfolk. It could be and The RidgewayFor other meanings see Ridgeway . The Ridgeway is a long-distance National Trail for rambling in England that starts at Overton Hill, near Avebury, and heads northeast for 85 miles to finish at Ivinghoe Beacon, near Tring, where it joins the Icknield Way, long distance path, which follows the line of the Chilterns for many miles to the west, where they merge with the WiltshireWiltshire (abbreviated Wilts is a large southern English county. Considered as a ceremonial county it borders those of Hampshire, Dorset, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire, and contains the unitary authority of Swindon. Wiltshire is a m downs and southern CotswoldsThe Cotswolds are a range of hills in central England, sometimes called the "heart of England", a hilly area reaching nearly 300 m or 1000 feet. The area has been designated as the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty . A district of Gloucestershi. To the east of Ivinghoe Beacon is Dunstable DownsDunstable Downs are part of the Chiltern Hills, in southern Bedfordshire. They are a chalk escarpment forming the north-eastern reaches of the Chilterns. At 244m, Dunstable Downs are the highest point of the East of England. Whipsnade Zoo has cut an enorm, a steep section of the Chiltern scarp that is the site of the famous London GlidingGliding (or soaring is a recreational activity and competitive sport where individuals fly un-powered aeroplanes known as gliders or sailplanes. Properly, the term gliding refers to descending flight of a heavier-than-air craft when its own weight is its Club and Whipsnade Zoo.

The more gently sloping country to the south of the Chiltern scarp is also generally referred to as The Chilterns, containing much Beech woodland and many pretty villages. Due to the quality hardwood, the area was once renowned for its chair making industry, centred on the town of High Wycombe.

This area is also known as the Chiltern Hundreds, an administrative area of convenience used to subvert an archaic rule, which permits a member of parliament, who is not allowed to resign, to apply for tenureship of the Chiltern Hundreds, thus relieving him of his parliamentary duty.

Rivers that drain from the Chiltern Hills include the River Lee, River Ver , River Bulbourne and River Gade .