Walking holidays are a great way to see new travel destinations with a mind for fresh air and fitness. Each tour comprises of several hours of walking, hiking and trekking a day to see remote destinations, stunning landscapes and rare tribes of people that are far off the beaten path.
If you’d like to take in a picturesque walking tour with your family or loved ones, consider one of these luxury walking holidays. Each package includes meals, breathtaking and authentic accommodations and visits to landmarks you’ve only dreamt of until now! These are our choices for the ultimate luxury walking holidays that combine thes best adventure with the most comfort.
Georgia: Walking in the Svaneti Mountains
This 10-day walking tour is perfect for the traveler or travellers that enjoy real, unpolished and wild lands that are largely untouched by tourist trades. The Svaneti mountains are far from a typical tourist destination. However, this trek is full of the legendary hospitality of the Georgian people, trips to several World Heritage sites like Dadiani’s Palace and Mtskheta, and an up-close-and-personal experience with the independent Svan people.
On this trek, you will begin in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi. You’ll have plenty of time to poke around the shops, baths, mosques and old quarters of the city before embarking to the fabled Kutaisi. This city is the former capital of the ancient kingdom of Colchis and is featured in the myth of Jason and the Argonauts. You’ll also see the religious seat of Mtskheta. On a trek from Usghuli, which is Europe’s highest permanently inhabited village, you’ll see Mt. Shkhara, the graceful Engura River and the majestic Shkhara Glacier. You’ll also see the famed Chaneri Glacier, Dadiani’s Palace in Zugdidi and end your tour on Black Sea Coast.
Learn more about this Georgia Walking Holiday Here.
Walking in Kerala: Tea & Spice Trails
Kerala, the southwestern corner of Southern India is known as “Gods Own Country” and is full of history, spice and tea plantations and stunning golden beaches. This 13 day tour will lead you on foot, cycle, kayak and boat through some of the rainforests, hills, peaks and beaches of this gorgeous country.
Your journey will start in the port city of Kochi, which is known as the “Queen of the Arabian Sea.” Kochi is the oldest European settlement on the Indian Subcontinent. After you explore the sites of Kochi, you’ll find yourself camping on the banks of the Periyar River in Thattekad before journeying through the migration routes of Asiatic elephants towards Athirappilly.
After visiting the Vazhachal Falls, you’ll see the dense forests, birds, butterflies, elephants and tea estates of the Western Ghats. One night of accommodation at a Colonial tea plantation will introduce you to the city of Valparai. You’ll also enjoy the gardens and bazaar of Munnar before hiking the second highest peak in the Western Ghats-Meesapulimala Peak. Enjoy the Butterfly Forest and the Mathikettan Shola National Park with it’s spicy plantations of coffee, pepper and cardamom. Your tour will end with a luxurious cruise in the backwaters of Vandanmedu on a converted rice barge.
Find out more about this India luxury walking holiday here.
Walking in Myanmar (Burma): Villages, Temples and Tribes
Myanmar (Burma) has increasingly become a popular tourist destination over the years, however the team at Wild Frontiers are committed to a different approach when it comes to tours of this magical country. Instead of an inauthentic or canned tourist experience, Wild Frontiers has put together a tour that takes you away from the main roads and through the villages in the Burmese countryside.
You’ll start the 14 day tour with a relaxing stay in Chiang Rai, Thailand before trekking over the border to Keng Tong. Here you’ll spend a few days in the hills visiting the unique tribes of the Shan State. You’ll admire Ho Kwin Village, home to the Akha tribe and their interesting fusion of animist, Christian and Buddhist beliefs. They’re also well known for their silver headdresses.
While in the area, you’ll also visit the rare Ann tribe, whose people have stained black teeth and are considered one of the least developed minorities of the Shan State. You’ll then move onto Kalaw in the west, a former British Hill Station. Here you’ll hike valleys and hills to Nan Tha Le The Village and the Lake Inle, where you’ll stay on stilted accommodations. Before ending the tour in Yangon, you’ll see the 2500 Buddhist stupas of Kakku Pagoda Complex and the 13,000 temples, pagodas and religious structures in Bagan.
Walking in Montenegro
Montenegro is one of the worldest smallest countries, yet it is considered one of the most scenic. On this 8 day tour, you’ll experience a lifestyle most of Europe moved away from centuries ago. Although a notable destination, Montenegro is still a little of the beaten path for most tourists, affording an authentic experience on treks through this beautiful land.
You’ll have the opportunity to walk down the historic “Ladder of Cattaro” to the world heritage site of Kotor. From the lonely mountains, to remote valleys and Europes deepest canyon you’ll see scenery unlike anything you’ve experienced before. From the starting point in Budva, one of the oldest settlements in the Adriatic coast through 15th century remaiins of citadels and fortresses to the alpine summer pastures of Biogradska Gora National Park.
Learn more about this luxury Montenegro scenic trek here.
Walking in China: Hill Tribes of Guangxi and Guizhou
One of the benefits of walking tours is that you have the opportunity to venture deep into the countrysides and remote terrain of the worlds destinations to discover an authentic experience. This is especially true of this twelve day walking tour through China and its Miao and Dong heartlands.
You’ll begin in the picturesque city of Yangshuo on the banks of the Li river. You’ll raft down the river and hike the countryside before traveling to Longsheng. Longsheng features breathtaking rice terraces that are known as the “Dragon’s Backbone.” The terraced hills are a fantastic hike and will be the evenings accommodations on the fourth day of the tour.
Next is the famous Wind and Rain bridge of Chengyang before you move on to Zhaoxing, one of the largest Dong villages in the region. You’ll also have the opportunity to learn how to make traditional pots from the Miao people in remote Leishan a town that clings to its ancestral traditions. The tour will end in Guiyang after a hike through the Da Mo Chong Valley.
