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 IST6 min

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Crowning these picturesque landscapes are some of the Loire’s most splendid architecture and gardens, from Chinon, once home to the kings of France & England, to spectacular châteaus such as Chenonceau and Chambord, giving testimony to an intense and rich spiritual and cultural life, as well as an art de vivre that has continued throughout the centuries.
6 days.

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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't an easy trek, you are most likely to spot some high altitude wildlife as well as experience the life of nomadic families as they herd their yaks in these big and beautiful valleys. Apart from the striking contrast of trekking in an arid cold desert valley, you get an outstanding view of Ladakh and Zanskar ranges, the 21,000 ft Kang Yissay and the 20,086 ft Stok Kangri peaks. The trek goes inside a beautiful Hemis National Park and involves two pass crossings- Gandala La (15,748 ft) and Kongmaru La (17,060 ft)

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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 cold semi-arid terrain of Ladakh. This being a ‘tea house trek’, expect accommodation in parachute tents at most of the villages enroute. And witness an unforgettable way of life of the devoted Ladakhis.
9 days.

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ITALY - TRAILS OF CINQUE TERRE
Known as Italy’s “Flower Riviera” the Ligurian Riviera is a delight for all the senses. Take in stunning views of rolling waves in an azure blue sea and terraced villages that cling to the steep hillsides as you walk along ancient walking trails that plunge dramatically to the sea. Marvel at the terraced vineyards and olive groves and savour the justly famed local cuisine and wines

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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 World Heritage Site.Each of the Cinque Terre villages has its own unique character and flavour: Monterosso with its seaside promenade and sandy beaches, Vernazza with its old port and vineyards in steep terraces, Corniglia with its its narrow streets and its churches high up on the cliffs above the sea, Manarola with its Via dell'Amore: "The Path of Love” and a church with its well-known rosette win-dow. And the last, Riomaggiore, with its medieval tower blocks and buildings that are all painted in bright pastel shades, complement the natural Mediterranean light.
7 days.

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PERU - THE COMMUNITY INCA TREK
Choose this unique and pioneering trekking route to Machu Picchu and you’ll be hiking unspoiled trails used only by the locals, avoiding the crowds that take the usual Classic route. Dragoman's Community Inca Trek takes you along a pristine mountain scenery, passing through Inca ruins and camping in remote villages as guests of the local communities

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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 host communities you travel through, by supporting education, income generation and environmental sustainability projects. After a comfortable overnight stay in Ollantaytambo on the fourth night, you arrive at the ancient citadel of Machu Picchu, the sacred site of the Incas that was hidden from the outside world for centuries.
5 DAYS.

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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 apples & delicious dark cherries and brightly painted houses. On this walk and exhilarating journey, you wander down from the forests and moorland above Voss to reach the deepest, most spectacular views of Hardangerfjord as it claws its way into the mountains of Hardangervidda.

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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 you are there is the Trolltunga, a spectacular spit of rock jut-ting out from a sheer face, about 700m above Ringedal lake in the Hardangerfjord re-gion.
7 DAYS.

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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 Australia's far south-east. Edging along the tops of cliffs that soar more than 300m above the howling winds of the Southern Ocean, the Three Capes track - an artwork created by Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service that is rivalled only by the landscape - is truly Australia's most intriguing bushwalk.

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