Hiking tours are growing in popularity. Joanna Booth goes step by step through the options.
A week after you read this, I’ll be taking a hike. I’m doing the Three Peaks Challenge, which means I’ll be climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon – the highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales respectively – all within 24 hours.
I know, I know – it doesn’t sound like much of a holiday. But with a growing focus on health and wellness, the number of Brits embracing walking is growing, even if most are sane and sensible enough to pick a slightly less extreme trip than mine.
More than nine million adults in England walk for recreation, according to Ramblers – that’s twice the number who swim or go to the gym. And although walking is most popular with those between the ages of 25 and 55, it is maintained later in life than any other sport.
“With a growing focus on health and wellness, the number of Brits embracing walking is growing.”
This large pool of potential bookers, combined with an increasing interest in staying fit and a love of experiential holidays, may explain why operators are reporting impressive growth in the sector.
Exodus has seen a 14% year-on-year increase in hiking and trekking trips. At G Adventures, walking holiday bookings grew 7% in the UK last year. Off-the-beaten-track treks are flying off the shelves at Intrepid Travel, with one Patagonia hiking itinerary up 86% on last year. KE Adventure Travel, alongside a 30% uplift in Nepal as Everest Basecamp bounces back, has found growth in expanding beyond hardcore hikes to offer more laid-back trips, including wine-and-walking tours.
Active benefits
The selling points are many, and staying active in the fresh air is just the start. Walking doesn’t require specialist skills or expensive equipment, and trips are incredibly diverse – they can be easy or challenging, and long or short in duration.
Where some hardy mountain hikers will want to conquer Kilimanjaro or trek the Inca Trail, other, more fairweather walkers will be happy ambling among vineyards and along woodland paths, on itineraries that build in time for long lunches and later starts.
“Walking doesn’t require specialist skills or expensive equipment, and trips are incredibly diverse – they can be easy or challenging.”
HF Holidays offers some trips, such as its Guided Walking in Zakopane, Poland, where there are two guided walking options every day, one more strenuous than the other, so couples, groups or even individuals who want to vary the pace can choose which suits them best.
And although the walking itself is the focus of most trips, some bring in wider themes, whether it’s Abercrombie & Kent’s Puglia and Amalfi: Food and Walks escorted tour, or Leger Holidays’ range of battlefield walking tours, with itineraries in the Somme, the Ypres Salient, Normandy and Waterloo.
Choices to suit
There are also a variety of styles on offer. Clients can take centre-based walks where they stay at one hotel for the whole trip, or walk point-to-point, most often with their luggage transferred on ahead every day, whether by van, man or mule, so they only need to carry a small rucksack.
Specialist walking and adventure tour operators tend to offer both guided walks, where clients would join a group with an expert leader, and self-guided trips, where guests are unaccompanied but provided with maps, trip notes and other assistance. The former offers socialising and the security of the guide, the latter privacy and flexibility.
Walking holidays aren’t just available through specialist operators, and the range of players that offer them shows just how mainstream they’ve become. It may be no surprise that adventure operator Tucan Travel has added seven new hiking itineraries in Europe, but did you know over-50s specialist Saga also features walking tours, with 19 European options on offer?
“Clients can take centre-based walks where they stay at one hotel for the whole trip, or walk point-to-point.”
Operators with a regional focus, such as InsideAsia Tours and Journey Latin America, offer hiking trips in their chosen destinations. And guests travelling on their own could sign up for one of Solos’ walking tours. The operator’s walking trips have grown significantly in recent years, with a much higher percentage of new customers on these tours than on any other type.
It seems customers are realising that while walking is something almost everyone can do unaided, having a little help with bag carrying and path finding really smooths the way. And – as I’ll be able to vouch next week – there’s nothing like having someone to share the view with, when you finally get to the top.
Ask the experts
“Exploring on foot unveils the highlights and hidden surprises of a country. It’s the best way to really get to know the people and immerse yourself in the culture. Walking gets you to sites that are hard to reach, to experience unforgettable views.”
Vicky Garnett, Walking and trekking product manager, Explore
“We offer hiking and trekking tours to cater to travellers with all levels of experience. These range from first-time climbers to trekking veterans, which means that, as long as you are in good shape, there is something to suit everyone.”
Simon Ma, Active brand manager, G Adventures
“In areas without good walking maps and well-marked trails, the best option is a guided group tour with an expert guide. On our self-guided trips, walkers get detailed trip notes with kilometre-by-kilometre descriptions and emergency assistance.”
Marta Marinelli, Product manager, Exodus
“The great thing about walking is it’s good for you. Taking a walking holiday keeps you active while allowing you to visit great vineyards, restaurants and local producers, and not feel guilty about indulging.”
Jo Rolls, Head of product, KE Adventure Travel
“We recommend having a reasonable level of fitness. Suggest clients commit to some type of physical training programme around six weeks before departure. This could involve long walks, running or cycling, or strength training.”
Steph Millington, Europe product manager, Intrepid Travel
“The hotels in our walking programme are as varied as the walks themselves. So you might find yourself at a small, family-run hotel, a beautifully restored historic chateau, or a luxury hotel with state‑of-the-art wellness facilities.”
Catherine Crone, PR consultant, Headwater
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