What to expect from a Walking holiday

A walking holiday is an ideal way to explore a destination in depth and take in its landscapes. From mountains to coastlines, deserts to villages, nothing gets you closer to a country than walking through it. We’ve got trips to suit walkers of all levels and interests.

What about the logistics?

On nearly all our Walking trips, your main luggage will be transported for you, so you’re free to walk with just a light rucksack. We recommend you carry water, snacks, a camera, a small first aid kit and any extra clothing or sun protection. On more remote or challenging treks, additional guides are there to assist the leader and provide support to the group.

How fit do I need to be?

All our Walking holidays are graded from ‘Leisurely’ through to ‘Challenging and Tough’. On our online trip pages you’ll find a chart showing the daily walk distances, timings and information on the route including the terrain, ascents and descents. Generally, no specific training is needed but it’s always a good idea to get out walking a few times in the lead-up to your trip.

For more information on walking grades, see page 88.

What will the group be like?

As with all our trips, every group is different but the ‘average’ group consists of roughly half solo travellers and the rest made up of couples, friends and family travelling together.

You’ll always have someone to keep you company along the route, but you don’t always have to walk together. Wherever possible your Explore leader will allow everyone to walk at their own pace, regrouping regularly along the route.

Will I need to walk every day?

Typically, we select the very best walks in a country or region, include any must-see highlights along the way and also build in some free time. Some of our most popular European trips are Centre-Based. This relaxed style of holiday involves staying in one place and getting to know the area in greater depth. It’s very flexible and you can choose to do as many (or few) of the walks as you like. We also have Point-to-Point trips where almost the entire journey is on foot and you’ll need to take part in all the walks.

online or contact your travel agent.