The new bucket-list trip.
Sometimes, the best way to immerse yourself in a new destination is to slow down and stroll around. Walking trips offer a different style of multi-destination travel: No need to hop between airports, bus terminals, and train stations. Instead, you get to rely on yourself, explore at your own pace, and take in sights you might otherwise miss.
That said, a perfect walking trip requires extensive, detailed planning—from where to eat and stay to where to transfer trail-heads. That’s what I’m here for: No matter the destination, from a pilgrimage across Japan to a trek through the Dolomites, I can plan the perfect multi-day walking itinerary for your pace and comfort. I can also book you luggage transfers, storage, or shuttles, so you don’t have to lug your belongings down the trail.
Camino de Santiago, Spain
Few pilgrimages are as iconic as Spain’s ancient Camino de Santiago, a network of trails that all conclude at the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral. Some paths can start as far as Germany and Poland, but I suggest taking the ultra-popular Camino Francés, or the French Way. It starts in the French border town of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and briefly treks across the Pyrenees before passing through several quaint Spanish towns.
Along the roughly 500-mile walk, you’ll be immersed in small mountainous villages, pristine landscapes, and Spanish metropolises such as León and Burgos. It’s undoubtedly long (the full trek can take a bit more than a month), but I can plan for you to join closer to the Santiago Cathedral finish line, such as in Astorga.
With many routes and different paths to take, you can also opt to take the Camino Portugués, starting in Lisbon or Porto in Portugal; or the Camino del Norte (The Northern Way), starting in Irún, Spain.
Hut-to-hut in the Dolomites, Italy
One of the best ways to see the Dolomites is to go through them yourself. That’s what these hut-to-hut hikes are for: The mountain range is dotted with quaint lodges, making for a perfect multi-day, do-it-yourself trek through the dramatic peaks and picture-perfect valleys. Imagine waking up at the Rifugio Lagazuoi “hut,” which towers on the peak of Mount Lagazuoi, or at the quaint Re Alberto 1°, with sweeping views of the surrounding Rosengarten mountains.
I typically suggest a several-day hike, bookended by a few days of sightseeing around Italy’s Lake Como and Germany’s Neuschwanstein Castle. It’s great if you want to balance seeing tourist destinations with off-the-beaten-path destinations.
Hut-to-hut in Southern England
For a less mountainous trek, let’s plan for the southern coast of England. Your itinerary can include both remote destinations and tourist hotspots, from a visit to Stonehenge (with a driver) to a trek along Dorset’s Jurassic Coast. Keep an eye out for green woodpeckers near Lincombe, and make sure you have your camera charged for the view atop the Golden Cap, the tallest cliff on the southern coast.
Along the way, I’ll book you at authentically charming bed and breakfasts such as the harbor-front Sloop Inn, one of the oldest in Cornwall, and Old Vicarage, which offers a popular full English breakfast.
Chilean Patagonia
Pack your Patagonia for a trip to Chilean Patagonia’s Torres del Paine National Park. There, I suggest two hikes: the W Trek or the O Trek.
The five-day, approximately 50-mile W Trek will take you through Torres del Paine’s most scenic destinations: the granite peaks of the Base of the Towers, the glacial French Valley, and the bright blue Grey Glacier. Expect to see views of glistening lakes, towering mountains, and ancient ice fields along the way.
If you have more time, I suggest the more intensive eight-day O Trek, which takes you around the Cordillera Paine mountains. You’ll see the same iconic stops as the W Trek, but on a more physically demanding hike, deeper into nature, with fewer crowds and more pristine views.
Japan’s Pilgrimages
If you’re dreaming of Japan, I suggest the Nakasendo, Kumano Kodō, or Shikoku 88 Pilgrimage trails.
The Nakasendo, a scenic trail that connects Tokyo and Kyoto, allows you to visit Japan’s must-see cities on the same trip. The full route is about 330 miles, but I can plan a shorter segment, for example, from Magome to Tsumago. This glimpse back in time will bring you along centuries-old Jizo statues, ancient post towns, and lush bamboo forests. And I’ll make sure you pass by a few train stations, in case you start craving a shortcut.
For a spiritual mountain trek, I can organize a trip through the Kii Peninsula on one of Kumano Kodō’s seven ancient pilgrimage trails. You’ll be repeating the same steps of samurais and emperors of centuries past, with views of several spiritual relics—including the three Kumano Sanzan shrines—along the way.
If your main objective is to see as many temples as possible, I suggest the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage. As the name suggests, the almost 750-mile walk will take you across four prefectures and 88 temples, many of which are believed to have been founded in the 9th century by the Buddhist monk Kūkai.
It’ll take about six weeks, although I can plan a condensed version of the trip for you. Note that it’s tradition to wear a white robe on the trail—but no matter the trek, I’ll make sure to note all local cultural practices for you.