Holiday destinations that are best explored on foot

Pick on one of these walking holidays - guided or self-guided - and discover the beauty of mindful exploration at a pace of your own choosing

May 20, 2017, 07:10 IST9 min

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Walking is the great adventure that brings us slowly around to our selves and delivers us into the lap of well-being. It slows, and simultaneously, stirs up the senses at a pace that allows...

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JAPAN. The Nakasendo Wayfarer In its heyday in the 17th Century, the Nakasendo way was crowded with travellers including feudal lords, samurai, itinerant merchants, pi...

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At the end of a day&rsquos walk, relax and luxuriate in accommodation at traditional, way-side inns in an ambience reminiscent of the scenes found in the great artist Hiros-hige&rsquos wo...

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FRANCE. Ch&acircteau to Ch&acircteau in the Loire Valley Traversing resplendent vineyards and water courses, a trail of gentle walks take you through UNESCO&rsquos wor...

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Crowning these picturesque landscapes are some of the Loire&rsquos most splendid architecture and gardens, from Chinon, once home to the kings of France &amp England, to spectacular ch&acir...

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INDIA. MARKHA VALLEY TREK This popular trek in Ladakh takes you through an ethereal trans-himalayan landscape dotted with ladakhi villages. Because it isn&#39t an ea...

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Experience some exciting waist-deep river crossing sections on Markha River to trails going across quaint Buddhist villages and rocky canyons. The charming Markha Village is a jewel in this...

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ITALY - TRAILS OF CINQUE TERRE Known as Italy&rsquos &ldquoFlower Riviera&rdquo the Ligurian Riviera is a delight for all the senses. Take in stunning views of rollin...

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The walking takes you through five fishing villages nestled into the steep coastline of the Ligurian Riviera - celebrated for centuries in the arts - that make up the Cinque Terre, a UNESCO...

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PERU - THE COMMUNITY INCA TREK Choose this unique and pioneering trekking route to Machu Picchu and you&rsquoll be hiking unspoiled trails used only by the locals, avo...

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You can even help out with some hands-on projects at the local schools, thus adding to your experiences the joy of being part of a project which provides a genuine, direct benefit to the ho...

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NORWAY - HARDANGERFJORD The southernmost of the three great fjords, Hardangerfjord is blessed by a mild cli-mate and renowned for its glorious colours, orchards of app...

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The retreating glaciers once overwhelmed and molded this landscape gouging out the great coastal grooves which, with post-glacial rising sea levels, have become the fjords. A must-do when y...

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TASMANIA - THREE CAPES TRACK Few places on Earth remain that feel so remote, so raw, so removed from the ordi-nary as these 46 kilometres of cliff-hugging wildness in...

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Be overcome with awe as whales, dolphins and fur seals appear in the drama in which the Tasman Sea is your constant. The overnight stops are at the track&#39s architect-designed huts, where...

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THE OTTER TRAIL. SOUTH AFRICA Be warned, the trail is popular but protected, so the limited places must be booked well in advance. But if you do, it will be a rewardin...

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The trail is characterized by virgin evergreen forests, rocky contours that plunge into dramatic coastlines and a gushing network of waterfalls and rivers. These waterways carve their way t...

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And while the walks may only be a short distance - spread out over five days - there are rivers to cross, cliffs to scale and hills to climb. The upside - recovering each night in the comfo...

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