The best way to enjoy “slow travel” in Europe is to walk or hike, taking in the world one foot at a time. If you want to avoid places that are suffering from over-tourism, head into the wilds of Europe on a guided trip that promises incredible scenery, aerobic exercise, great meals and wine, with comfortable lodging at day’s end. It’s not only a special way to experience the Old World but ensures that crowds won’t be a problem. Here are five new walking trips for 2025 from some of the world’s most dependable companies.
Trek Travel is this new Dolomites hiking and walking tour, running from Val Gardena to Val Badia, exploring the stunning trails of Alpe di Siisi, Alpe Seceda and Sass Pordei. This six-day holiday is rated level 3/4 and explores the lush mountain pastures of Alpe di Siisi and Alpe Seceda, opposite the iconic peak of Sassolugo. The moon terrain of Sass Pordoi and lots of World War I history in the tunnels of the Lagazuoi Plateau. The Day hike leads to the cozy mountains or mountain rifugios, which offer a mix of rustic charm and trendy comfort. The lights come with lunch with a view in a classic mountain hut above Alpe di Seceda, a UNESCO World Heritage site. From the trail, walkers can enjoy a Michelin-starred restaurant. At the Suinsom dining venue at the Hotel Tyrol and enjoy the extensive Medium Wellness at the Hotel Fanes in San Cassiano.
Wilderness Travel is debuting its new Hiking the Moselle: Germany, France, and Luxembourg trip in 2025. It’s nine days of hikes in the Moselle Valley, where the Moselle River flows from Germany to Luxembourg and France. A former Roman trade route, it’s a setting of castles, half-timbered villages, and Gothic churches. This also is one of Europe’s oldest wine-growing regions, the bastion of the Riesling grape. It’s a magical place for hikes in the forest and along terraced riverside vineyards. Participants visit Eltz Castle, the village of Cochem, and Luxembourg City, ending the journey in the cathedral city of Metz, France. Highlights include ascending to the Calmont, the steepest vineyard in Germany, by Via Ferrata. Rated 3/5 for difficulty, the cost is $6,995 (per person, based on double occupancy, as are all prices stated here).
Portugal remains one of America’s favorite European destinations, yet the Portuguese island of Madeira is still an outlier. That’s what makes Backroads’ Portugal’s Madeira Walking & Hiking Tour intriguing. This six-day trip is a deep dive into an island where mountain ridges, waterfalls, and azure seas are part of an ecosystem with the world’s largest surviving laurel forest. Nicknamed the “Pearl of the Atlantic,” it’s a lush island of ferns, orchids, terra cotta-roofed fishing villages, and sunny beaches. Rated level 2-4/5 some of the walking is done on a 600-year-old system of levadas, aqueducts that crisscross this island. Hikers can expect a tour of a banana plantation, a local wine tasting, and a Michelin-starred dinner and discover Madeira’s seafaring history in its capital city, Funchal. From $5,299
The Mont Blanc massif of the Alps stretches across Switzerland, France and Italy and has 11 significant peaks. On the Chamonix and Courmayeur Alps hike from Mount Sobek with a Premier Accommodation tour, there are stunning perspectives of Mont Blanc and other ancient Alpine landscapes via the cable car. Hikes take place daily along ancient trails, set against a backdrop of pinnacles and glaciers. Walkers cross the Grand Balcon Nord route, from hut to hut in France and up the Grand Col Ferret in Italy. In the evening, return to town to explore the local culture of both countries, savor regional dishes and wine pairings, and relax in the herbal hot springs. night in picturesque annecy. The convenience point is as high as the peaks, with accommodation in four and five star properties. This eight-day trip is rated Level 3/5 and is priced at $8,745.
The walking routes are as English as the afternoon tea, and this novelty of Wilderness England called Wilderness Walking: The Lake District is as English as it seems. Here, in the land that stood out thanks to Wordsworth and Coleridge, whose meditative walks encouraged some of the most important poems of the romantic period, the walkers left for seven days. The direction is designed to explore the peoples, with a ship by the shiny waters of Derwent Water and a scale in Dove Cottage, the old Wordsworth house. Other outstanding aspects of this include exploring the Valley of Duddon, walking to Lingmoor Fell and walking through Lake Buttermere, one of the most beautiful and low city walks in the district of Los Lagos. With a 3/9 rating, the value starts at $ 3092.
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