Walking tours are no longer just about getting someone else to read the map as you wander along a long distance trail like the Camino de Santiago. Today, it is not just hardened hikers and those looking for a spiritual awakening that put on their hiking boots and the tours have evolved into something more immersive. Whether you are looking to experience the food in Hanoi, the art in Florence, or the vinyards in Alsace there are walking tours to fit your needs and budget.
Here are six reasons why walking tours are increasingly popular with travellers around the world.
Immersion
Walking tours offer a unique intimacy that cannot be matched by a coach tour or reading about a place in a guide book. By walking the streets, you are truly immersed in the sights, sounds, and smells of a place and you are far more likely to strike up a conversation with a local or another traveller who would have some advice on other places to visit.
Local connections
By walking the streets and not being hidden behind the glass of a tour bus window you are far more likely to strike up a conversation with a local who might have a story to tell or a place to recommend. The travelling is more organic, with people far more likely to engage with locals and their culture when not on a bus or their head in a guide book rushing from one destination to another.
Hidden histories
There is the history written in history books and guide books, and there is the history that is below the surface – one that you would only uncover with time spent on the streets and talking to real people. It may be a personal story that interweaves with a major historical event, or a tale about how another person’s grandparents saw or heard the events in real-time. Social histories are not those of dates and great men, but of real people and their lived experiences and they add vivid colours to the histories we can all learn from a guide book or a quick browse on Wikipedia.
Natural connections
Walking tours are not only for those visiting towns and cities. They also offer a great opportunity for city-dwellers to reconnect with nature as they walk through the countryside. Travelling to new cultures has a real and important positive impact on our mental health, and slowing down to experience the nature around us – the greenery that still covers most of the planet – can give a sense of serenity. Add to this the physical benefits of getting up and doing a physical activity like walking, and a walking holiday in Swiss Alps is one that you may come back from actually refreshed.
Tours as unique as you are
As the popularity of walking tours has grown, so too has the number of tours available. No matter where you are travelling and what your interests might be, there is likely to be a tour that would be of interest. Whether you are a foodie looking for their next favourite recipe or a history buff looking to learn more about a specific period, you will be able to find a tour to match your tastes.
Exploration on a budget
Walking tours are a great way to explore a region without breaking the bank. For those on a tight budget, you can usually find a local guide for a day of exploration, or those who would prefer a longer trip with a little more luxury (and baggage transfers), specialised travel firms like Orbis offer a variety of tours ranging form seven-days in the Cotswolds to a longer exploration of the coastal trails in Montenegro.
If you are looking for a slower way to explore, maybe a walking holiday is exactly what you need.