We explain one of Garmin's most useful features
If you go running or hiking out in the wild, adding a GPX route to your Garmin watch is a great way to navigate. And what’s more, GPX route navigation is supported by a wide array of Garmin sports watches.
At Wareable, we’ve used this excellent GPX feature for both running out in Dartmoor, where the paths can be faint and there are very few signposts to guide your way and in the center of London, navigating tiny roads and cut-throughs. So it’s a versatile and powerful tool.
But finding out how to upload GPX routes to the Garmin watch itself isn’t obvious. Read our guide on how to do it.
Garmin devices that support GPX uploads:
- Garmin Fenix series
- Garmin Epix (2nd Gen)
- Forerunner 745
- Forerunner 965/655/645
- Forerunner 265/255/245
- Forerunner 945/935/645/630
- Instinct series
- MARQ series
Not all of those will give you actual maps though, but you can still use GPS navigation to follow a directional route. TOPO mapping itself is only available on Fenix, Epix and Forerunner 955.
Even without mapping, you can use GPX waypoints to follow a heading. Hikers can use this feature for long, off-the-beaten-track walks, and it’s especially reassuring to follow when the path fades away and you’re off-piste.
Quick overview: Add GPX routes to your Garmin watch
1. Download or create a GPX file and store it on iCloud/Dropbox/Google Drive.
3. Import the GPX file into Garmin Connect
4. Send the Course to your specific Garmin device and then sync.
5. When starting an activity on your Garmin watch, head to Settings by holding the option button > Navigation and then Courses to start the workout with the route.
6. Cycle through screens until you get your GPX heading.
In-depth: Add GPX routes to Garmin watch

1. Download the Garmin Connect app and register
The Garmin Connect app on your phone will automatically sync courses to your Garmin device via Bluetooth.
You can create new routes using the phone app itself through Courses, as well as import GPX files from third-party apps on iPhones and Android phones.
You can also import files from the Garmin Connect web app. The web interface also offers a significantly easier-to-use system for reviewing and modifying navigational data, as well as editing various features of the GPX course before sending it over to your device.
2. Download or create a GPX file
Next, you’ll need to get a GPX or TCX file containing your route and save it down. If you’re using iOS, then I tend to save these to my Files folder. This makes it easy to follow the next step and send the route to my Garmin device. If you’re using Android, then your Google Drive will work fine.
If you don’t opt for the impressive Garmin Trendline route builder or Courses, our favorite for building runs is Strava – however, in April 2020 this became a paid-for feature. You can also try Wander Map or Koomot.
You can also download GPX files from the web. The site wikiloc.com is a great source of routes with GPX downloads, and in the UK you can grab them from GPS-routes.co.uk. There are loads of sites out there besides those.
3. Import the GPX/TCX file into Garmin Connect (app)

If you’re importing GPX or TCX files via the Garmin Connect phone app this will slightly differ depending on whether you’re using an iPhone or Android phone.
For iPhone users (see above), you’ll need to copy the file to iCloud Drive or Dropbox. Long press the file and choose Share and then you should have the option to Copy to Connect.
You may have to expand to see the full list of apps. Your iPhone needs to be running iOS 13 or later to do this. You then can name the route, choose whether it’s public or private, and then save the route to Connect.
If you have an Android smartphone, locate your course file then select to open it with Connect, choose course type, and edit the name before saving.
4. Send to device

Make sure your watch is synced and in range. Then go to the route which is now uploaded and saved to Garmin Connect, and press the little send button. It looks like a phone with an arrow (see above).
Choose your device and then it will be transferred over.
5. Select the route via your Garmin device

There are two ways to get to the navigational routes stored on your Garmin device.
Start a new hike/run/cycle activity and then head to the Navigation option in the activities menu before scrolling down to Courses.
Here you should see a list of the available routes that have been synced to the device. Click on those and you’ll have the option to view the map or start the course as an activity.