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Self guided walking for families

You don’t need to be an ‘out on the hills every weekend’ sort of family to brave a walking vacation with your children. They are an adventure of a different kind, and vacations that revolve around self guided walking for families come in all shapes and sizes. Just like families. So check out the ones that we have on offer, talk to the tour operators about your concerns regarding children and their abilities, and imagine the freedom of walking in wild spaces with your family. No bags, no electronics, no car fights. Just space.

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Self guided walking for families

Walking through the Mercantour National Park for a week with my kids and a donkey. Nothing gets more bonding than that

It can sometimes be a hard sell persuading children to go on a walking vacation. However, throw in a donkey to carry your bags, a mountain yurt or a swim at the end of each day and they start to warm to the idea. Plus they are hassle free, with all the vacation company’s expert notes, itineraries and maps, accommodation and food organised. Which leaves you with little else to worry about except walking. And enjoying pure family time. Something that is pretty rare these days.

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Self guided walking
advice for families

Christine Kieffer, from our supplier Itinerance Trekking in the Mercantour National Park, France, is the perfect person to give self guided walking advice to families:
“Go with a donkey. These affectionate animals have been part of our family for as long as we can remember. Each one of them has their own individual personality, their own life, their own specific tastes. They love the company of humans, especially that of children, who they will encourage to keep on walking without sulking.“

Steve Clifford from our supplier Catalan Adventures gives good self guided walking travel advice:
“If you’re looking for a family walking vacation, all of the above applies, ensure you travel with a company that guarantees 24/7 local support, not a call center in the UK but someone on the ground that it is close to you that can speak the local language and is fluent in English. You’ll probably never need to use the support, however it’s a great peace of mind knowing that if you need a doctor for your children or having problems on a trail that you can make one call to get someone to come to your aid.“

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If you'd like to chat about Self guided walking or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help.

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1-866-821-6866

Call toll free

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Melanie McAnaw walking vacation expert from our supplier, Headwater:
“The flexibility on a single center self guided vacation is why families love them. If the kids aren't in the mood for walking then you can spend the day at leisure, maybe having a swim. If you are on one of our hotel-to-hotel self guided walking vacations for families, you have a ‘rest day’ every other day, so that the kids get the right balance of activity and splashing about in the pool.“

More about Self guided walking

Self guided walking travel guide

The biggest joy of self guided walking vacations is that everything is organised for you.

Why choose a self guided walking holiday

Why choose a self guided walking vacation

Self guided walking? Why go on an organised one when you could just go independently? After all, you want to hike alone? Because these walking companies are brilliant at what they do.

Self guided walking - Where to go

Many people think that walking vacations are all about walking with a guide and with small groups of other walkers.

Self guided walking activities

There are many things to complement self guided walking, activities such as wild swimming, swotting up on local history, bird watching and seeking out the best farm shops or markets.

Top 10 self guided walking vacations

From mountainous Italian vineyards to ancient Japanese trading routes – we lay out our top 10 self guided walking vacations.

Self guided walking advice

You might think you know it all, but have a quick read below at some our self guided walking advice.

Responsible self guided walking

There are lots of stories about people behaving stupidly when out walking or mountaineering, and one of the first steps to ensuring you engage in responsible self guided walking is to do so in the hands of an expert tour operator.

More relevant guides

Written by Catherine Mack

Self guided walking for families