Walking holidays

There’s no better exercise than exploring a destination on foot, and holiday companies cater for all levels of fitness, from hikes in far-flung countries to more leisurely ambles in scenic surroundings closer to home. Here are some of the best…

NEPAL

Inntravel’s new holiday in Nepal features privately guided, non-group, village-to-village walking, in the mid-hills of the Nepalese Himalayas, staying at community guest houses. One night is spent at 2,950 metres in a safari-style camp. Walks take 4 to 5 hours each day, arriving at the next destination for lunch, with the afternoon free to explore. Nepal-Himalayan Panoramas, 1 October to 15 November, costs from £1,860 per person, including return flights, 10 nights’ B&B, many meals and a local walking guide.

01653-617000, www.inntravel.co.uk

PATAGONIA

Serious walkers will savour Walks Worldwide’s demanding 15-day Ultimate Patagonia Adventure, encompassing hikes in Chile and Argentina’s national parks, including Torres del Paine and Los Glaciares, plus a full day at the mammoth Perito Moreno Glacier. The guided trip costs from £2,295 per person, with all land transportation, 14 nights’ accommodation, some meals and tour leader. Flight-inclusive prices available.

0845-301 4737, www.walksworldwide.com

SCOTLAND

McKinlay Kidd offers a sevennight Car-free Island Hopping Holiday, from £885 per person, with the chance to walk in some of Scotland’s beautiful island locations, and a trip on the West Highland Line past Loch Lomond. Expect to see wild fl owers and rare birds, including sparrowhawks and buzzards on Iona, and woodland glens and long beaches on Mull. On Skye, you will stay in a lochside hotel with walks galore. The price includes B&B, some rail and ferry travel and hotel transfers.

0844-873 6110, www.seescotlanddifferently.co.uk

Marvel at Loch Lomond

SPAIN

Andalucia is a nature-lovers’ paradise, with wonderful wild flowers and wildlife. On Foot Holidays o—ffers a seven-night, self-guided hillside hiking trip in the Grazalema National Park, a Unesco biosphere reserve near Cadíz, taking in the region’s fabled White Villages and ending in Ronda. The walking – from four-and-a-half to six hours per day – is medium to hard. Priced from £645 per person, the trip includes B&B, one evening meal, five picnics and luggage transfers between hotels. Flights cost extra.

01722-322652, www.onfootholidays.co.uk

TURKEY

Exclusive Escapes’ new cultural walking week, led by Turkey expert Jeremy Seal, features two-to-four-hour guided treks taking in the Lycian Coast’s lesser-known sites, ending with lunch, a dip and a boat ride home. The holiday, 11 to 18 October, is based at Ece on Sovalye, the only hotel on the tiny, pedestrianised island. It costs from £1,500 per person and includes seven nights’ full board, return flights to Dalaman from Stansted, Heathrow or Manchester, transfers and sea cruises.

020-8605 3500, www.exclusiveescapes.co.uk

Contact Wendy at wendy.gomersall@lady.co.uk

Prices correct at time of going to print.