How do you choose between seven hiking trips across five countries and two continents? Start here.
In 2027, we have seven walking and hiking adventures on the schedule โ from the red rock canyons of the American Southwest to the mountains of New Zealand’s South Island, with stops in Greece, Scotland, Georgia, Puglia, and a brand-new destination we’ve never taken a group to before. That’s a genuinely unusual range of destinations, terrain types, and difficulty levels, and the right trip for you depends significantly on where you are physically and what kind of hiking experience you’re looking for.
How We Judge Hiking Difficulty
Three factors matter most when assessing a hiking tour:
- Distance: How many miles per day, on average?
- Elevation gain: How much climbing is involved? Note that this is gross elevation gain โ how much you ascend in total โ which matters more than net elevation change (which is zero if you start and finish at the same point).
- Route flexibility: Is this a point-to-point tour where you must complete each day’s hike to reach the next hotel, or are there shorter options, shuttle support, or the ability to skip a day?
With those factors in mind, here’s how our 2027 hiking tours stack up.
New Zealand Walking Adventure
February 14โ22, 2027 | $5,550 | Easy to Moderate
- Average Daily Distance: 4โ8 miles
- Average Daily Elevation Gain: Generally under 1,000 feet; most days considerably less
- Type of Hikes: Loop and point-to-point with shuttle support; options available on most days
- Options for Short Routes: Yes โ most days have shorter alternatives; guides can help tailor each day to your energy level
The route: Christchurch to Queenstown across the South Island, through Arthur’s Pass, the West Coast glacier country, Hokitika Gorge, Wฤnaka, and Arrowtown. You’ll hike through ancient rainforest, alongside turquoise rivers and gorges, around glacial lakes, and up to viewpoints with those impossibly beautiful New Zealand panoramas.
Conclusion: This is the more accessible of our two New Zealand options. The emphasis is on variety and scenery rather than strenuous climbing. Most elevation gain on any given day is modest, and the focus is on experiencing as many different New Zealand landscapes as possible without demanding a high fitness level. You should be comfortable walking 4โ8 miles on uneven terrain โ some rocky paths and staircases are involved โ but no technical hiking experience is needed. If you want to experience New Zealand on foot without tackling serious mountain terrain, this is your trip. Difficulty: Easy to Moderate.
โ New Zealand Walking Adventure
New Zealand Hiking Adventure
February 24 โ March 5, 2027 | $5,750 | Moderate to Difficult
- Average Daily Distance: 5โ8 miles (with options to add more)
- Average Daily Elevation Gain: 1,000โ2,000 feet on most days
- Type of Hikes: Loop and out-and-back; van support available but hikes start and end at designated trailheads
- Options for Short Routes: Yes on some days, but this tour rewards those who do the full routes
The route: The same general Christchurch-to-Queenstown corridor as the Walking Adventure, but with a very different focus: longer hikes, more significant elevation gain, and some of the most rewarding viewpoints in the Southern Alps. Highlights include the Hooker Valley Track beneath Aoraki / Mount Cook, Lindis Peak (a hidden gem with 360ยฐ views of Central Otago), and the Sawpit Gully Track above Arrowtown.
Conclusion: This is a true hiking adventure, designed for people who want to be challenged and are rewarded by the kind of views that require effort to reach. You should be comfortable hiking 5โ8 miles per day with elevation gains of 1,000โ2,000 feet. No technical skills are required, but a solid base fitness level and comfort on rocky, uneven terrain are important. The shorter Walking Adventure is a great option if this sounds like more than you want to take on. Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult.
โ New Zealand Hiking Adventure
Southwest Parks Hiking Adventure
April 11โ17, 2027 | $4,300 | All Abilities
- Average Daily Distance: 2โ8 miles (varies significantly by day and route choice)
- Average Daily Elevation Gain: Modest on most days; Bryce Canyon has more elevation on the Queen’s Garden loop; Grand Canyon descent options involve more gain
- Type of Hikes: Mix of loop hikes, rim trails, and out-and-back; shuttle support throughout
- Options for Short Routes: Yes โ every day has shorter alternatives, and the Grand Canyon descent is entirely optional
The route: Phoenix โ Sedona โ Grand Canyon โ Page / Antelope Canyon โ Bryce Canyon โ Zion โ Las Vegas. Four of the most spectacular national parks in the American West, connected by some of the most dramatic desert driving in the country. Each park offers a completely different landscape: red rock Sedona, the vast layered geology of the Grand Canyon, Bryce’s otherworldly hoodoos, and Zion’s soaring canyon walls.
Conclusion: This hiking tour is genuinely suitable for a wide range of fitness levels. The key is that every single day has a shorter option, and you can always stay at the rim rather than descend. The terrain is rocky and there is some elevation change, so trail hiking experience is helpful, but the daily distances are manageable and the pace is not rushed. If you want to experience four iconic national parks on foot without committing to strenuous daily mileage, this is the trip. Difficulty: All Abilities.
โ Southwest Parks Hiking Adventure
Greek Islands Women-Only Hiking Adventure
April 24 – 30, 2027 | $4,150 | Women-Only | Easy to Moderate
- Average Daily Distance: 5โ9 miles
- Average Daily Elevation Gain: Varies by island and day; generally moderate, with some steeper sections on volcanic terrain
- Type of Hikes: Loop and point-to-point with shuttle support
- Options for Short Routes: Yes โ shorter options available on most days
The route: An island hiking experience, with hiking on trails that move through coastal scenery, volcanic landscapes, whitewashed hilltop villages, and ancient ruins. The itinerary is designed around great hiking available in an authentic location, rather than the most tourist-dense destinations.
Conclusion: This tour is designed for active women who want a meaningful hiking experience in one of the world’s most beautiful regions โ not a beach holiday that happens to include a few walks. Daily distances and elevation gain are accessible to most active travelers, and shorter options reduce the commitment on harder days. The women-only format creates a group dynamic that regularly surprises first-timers โ conversations go deeper, encouragement is genuine, and the pace reflects the needs of the group rather than any individual. Difficulty: Easy to Moderate.
โ Greek Islands Women-Only Hiking Adventure
Scotland Speyside Hiking, Whisky & Culture Adventure
May 5 – 12, 2027 | $4,800 | Easy to Moderate
- Average Daily Distance: 5โ9 miles (with shorter options every day)
- Average Daily Elevation Gain: Modest to moderate; the Speyside Way and Glenlivet Spur have some elevation but nothing demanding
- Type of Hikes: Day hikes departing from comfortable hotel bases; no inn-to-inn trekking
- Options for Short Routes: Yes โ every day has shorter alternatives, and activities can be skipped; this is a flexible tour
The route: Aviemore and Cairngorms National Park โ Grantown-on-Spey and Nethybridge โ Tomintoul and the Glenlivet Distillery โ Aberlour and the Speyside Way โ Dufftown โ Moray Coast โ Ballater and Royal Deeside. The hiking follows sections of the Speyside Way and the Glenlivet & Tomintoul Spur, through Caledonian pine forests, highland moorland, river valleys, and the ancient farmland of one of Scotland’s most beautiful and undervisited regions.
Conclusion: This is not a demanding hiking tour โ it is a hiking, whisky, and culture tour, and the emphasis is on all three in roughly equal measure. Daily walks are varied and rewarding rather than strenuous, and the flexible format means you can choose how much or how little to walk on any given day. A distillery visit awaits almost every day, which provides its own motivation. Hikers of a wide range of fitness levels will find this tour genuinely enjoyable. Difficulty: Easy to Moderate.
โ Scotland Speyside Hiking, Whisky & Culture Adventure
Georgia & the Caucasus Mountains Hiking Adventure
September 19โ28, 2027 | $5,375 | Moderate
- Average Daily Distance: 5โ8 miles
- Average Daily Elevation Gain: 600โ1,200 feet on hiking days; the Truso Valley is relatively flat; Gergeti Trinity Church involves more significant gain
- Type of Hikes: Loop and point-to-point; van support available
- Options for Short Routes: Yes โ shorter options available on hiking days
The route: Tbilisi โ Greater Caucasus Mountains (Stepantsminda / Kazbegi) โ Truso Valley โ Gergeti Trinity Church โ Cave Town of Uplistsikhe โ Kakheti Wine Region โ Sighnaghi. The hiking is concentrated in the Greater Caucasus, close to the Russian border, where the landscapes are dramatic and remote. Cultural and culinary experiences in Tbilisi and Kakheti balance the more strenuous hiking days.
Conclusion: The hiking on this tour is genuinely moderate โ more demanding than Scotland or the Southwest Parks, but not in the territory of the New Zealand Hiking Adventure. Trails are rugged rather than steep, and the Truso Valley in particular is a relatively flat walk through a landscape of extraordinary beauty. The bigger challenge here is simply the altitude and the remote nature of the Caucasus terrain โ good trail footwear and a reasonable base fitness level are important. Past travelers have consistently said the hikes were “worth every step,” and the cultural context of this destination โ the food, the wine, the people, and the history โ makes the non-hiking days equally memorable. Difficulty: Moderate.
โ Georgia & the Caucasus Mountains Hiking Adventure
Puglia Walking Adventure
Fall 2027 (dates TBD) | Easy to Moderate
- Average Daily Distance: 4โ8 miles
- Average Daily Elevation Gain: Minimal to moderate; Puglia is predominantly flat to gently rolling, with some coastal trail variation
- Type of Hikes: Day walks and coastal routes; van support; flexible daily structure
- Options for Short Routes: Yes โ every day has shorter alternatives
The route: Puglia, the heel of Italy’s boot, is one of our newest destinations โ a region of whitewashed hilltop towns, ancient olive groves, dramatic Adriatic coastline, and a food and wine culture that is as compelling as any in southern Italy. The walking combines coastal paths with inland routes through trulli villages, masseria farmland, and the Valle d’Itria.
Conclusion: This is a walking tour more than a hiking tour โ the terrain is gentler than most of our European hiking destinations, and the pace reflects the unhurried nature of Puglian life. Daily distances are manageable for most active travelers, the cultural and culinary experiences woven into each day are as much a draw as the walking itself, and the autumn timing puts you in the region during harvest season when the food, the light, and the energy of the towns are all at their best. Difficulty: Easy to Moderate.
Summary: Which Tour Is Right for You?
| Tour | Difficulty | Avg. Daily Miles | Short Route Options |
| NZ Walking Adventure | Easy to Moderate | 4โ8 | Yes |
| Southwest Parks | All Abilities | 2โ8 | Yes, every day |
| Greek Islands (Women-Only) | Easy to Moderate | 5โ9 | Yes |
| Scotland Speyside | Easy to Moderate | 5โ9 | Yes, very flexible |
| Puglia Walking | Easy to Moderate | 4โ8 | Yes |
| Georgia Caucasus | Moderate | 5โ8 | Yes |
| NZ Hiking Adventure | Moderate to Difficult | 5โ8+ | Some |
If you’re not sure which tour matches your current fitness level, we’re always happy to have that conversation. We’d rather help you pick the right one than have you show up underprepared (or overprepared) for the trip. Read more about our Ability and Difficulty Levels