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Southern Europe Walking Tours

Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain

Local Choice and Trusted Walks for South Europe

The walking tour companies we think you should consider first, because we’ve personally worked with them for our own trips or they offer the best overall experience and price for their destination.

Komovi Mountains and eco katuns in Montenegro

3e Travel Montenegro

There is much to love about 3e Travel Montenegro, a well-established Montenegrin company with a strong focus on responsible, sustainable travel. They offer self-guided and ...
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salerno italy village in front of mountains

Genius Loci Travel

Genius Loci Travel is a local tour operator based in Salerno offering self-guided and guided walking, cycling and kayaking trips throughout Italy. As their name ...
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green fields and mountains of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Green Visions

Green Visions is the kind of adventure company we get excited about! Locally owned and based in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this tour operator offers something ...
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helia travel slovenia walking holiday

Helia Travel

Helia Travel is a small Slovenian travel agency offering self-guided walking holidays in Slovenia. They also offer a guided climbing, multi-sport and family single-center tour. ...
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city skyline of Dubrovnik, Croatia, with sea and mountains

Huck Finn Adventure

Huck Finn Adventure is a family-run business in Croatia founded by Zeljko Keleman, an avid water sports adventurer. The Huck Finn Adventure team focuses on ...
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soca valley juliana trail slovenia

Juliana Trail

The Juliana Trail is a fairly new long distance trail in Slovenia that totals 205 miles (if you include additional stages). Most of the walk ...
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mandala tour italy walking holidays

Mandala Tour

Mandala Tour is an Italian based company specializing in self-guided and guided walking holidays throughout Italy. Their slogan is “responsible travels in Italy” and it’s ...
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man hiking in italy

Maremma Safari Club

Maremma Safari Club is an Italian walking tour company based in Tuscany. Founder Rudston Steward operates this small local company like a club, leading expertly ...
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no footprint walking holiday greece

No Footprint Eco Tours

No Footprint Eco Tours is a small Greek tour operator offering self-guided and guided walking holidays in Greece that focus on nature and wildlife. Most ...
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bridge in albania

Outdoor Albania

Outdoor Albania is a local operator offering self-guided and guided walking holidays in Albania and the Balkans region. Their focus is on cultural and active ...
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Walking tour companies that cover Southern Europe

switzerland alpenwild walking holiday

Alpenwild

Similar to Alpine Hikers, Alpenwild is a US owned company offering self-guided and guided walking holidays, focused entirely on the Swiss Alps. Due to the ...
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swiss italian alps walking holidays

Alpine Hikers

Alpine Hikers is a US owned company focusing solely on the Alps region of Europe. Their geographical coverage isn’t as large as Alpenwild, instead they ...
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spain walking holidays

Aragon Active

Aragon Active is a family run 17th century farmhouse in the Spanish Pyrenees offering small group vacations from one location. Trip options include self-guided, guided, ...
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yorkshire dales walking holiday

ATG Oxford

ATG Oxford is a well-established walking holiday company. Based in the UK, they focus on walking holidays and are experts at inn-to-inn walking trips. Their ...
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autour du mont blanc walking trekking holiday

Autour du Mont Blanc

Autour du Mont Blanc is a partnership between multiple countries, an association of lodging owners operating along the Tour du Mont Blanc, and the Espace ...
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caminhos de fatima portugal camino

Caminhos de Fátima

Caminhos de Fátima is the official site for two lesser known Portuguese inn to inn hiking routes, the Rota Carmelita and Caminho do Centenário which ...
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castle in England for review on Celtic Trails walking holidays

Celtic Trails

Celtic Trails is a small family-run company based in Wales offering tailored self-guided walking holidays. They were the first to offer self-guided walking holidays in ...
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active travel walking holidays country walkers

Country Walkers

Active US travelers will most likely be familiar with Country Walkers, one of the largest US based walking adventure companies in the world. They offer ...
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Distant Journeys

Distant Journeys is a US based company specializing in guided and customized self-guided hiking vacations, most of which are in the European Alps and the ...
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eurohike walking holidays austria

Eurohike

Eurohike is part of the larger Eurofun Touristik, an Austrian based company offering self-guided or guided inn to inn hiking and center-based walking and cycling ...
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Best inn to inn hiking routes in Southern Europe

The countries of southern Europe have some of the most popular inn to inn hiking routes in the world, and for good reason. From the welcoming posadas of Spain and Portugal to the sun-drenched villages of the Greek Isles, this region embodies a timeless blend of culture, relaxation, mouthwatering cuisine and ancient architecture. We can’t even begin to cover them all, so instead we’re highlighting our personal favorites.

red dirt walking path along coast on Portugal's Rota Vicentina inn to inn hike

Portugal & Spain

Portugal’s Rota Vicentina is top of the list for coastal hikes in southern Europe, as is Spain’s Cami de Ronda. For pilgrimage seekers, the Camino de Santiago is here as well as lesser known options like Caminhos de Fatima. For those who love rural villages, consider the Schist Villages route in Portugal, the villages of Sierra de Grazalema or Alajar region in Andalucia Spain, or any inn to inn hiking routes in the Spanish Pyrenees. If you fancy an island walk, look to Mallorca’s Dry Stone Route (GR221) or self-guided walking holidays in Tenerife or La Gomera.

Greece

While we walked it as a center-based route, the Sifnos Trails can be hiked from village to village and there are plenty of similar routes in the Greek islands. We love the Corfu Trail and Crete’s Vikos Gorge, both covered by Wild Rover Travel. On the mainland, the Pelion Peninsula offers inn to inn hiking through charming villages that are a completely different experience from the islands.

man and woman standing in front of vivid pink flowers in Sifnos Greece during a walking holiday
snow-capped mountains of Slovenia with hiking trail in the distance

The Balkans

The countries of the Balkan Peninsula along the Adriatic Sea provide a vast array of terrain and accommodations. While places like Slovenia and Croatia offer well-developed inn to inn hiking routes, countries like Montenegro, Albania and the others are just beginning to perfect their routes. Hiking in this region provides a cultural gateway to central Europe and off-the-beaten path experiences, along with some of the most pristine coastline and mountains that Europe has to offer.

Italy

Italy has some of the most diverse options for inn to inn hiking. There’s the ever popular Cinque Terre, where colorful coastal villages cling to cliffsides, offering breathtaking views of the Ligurian Sea at every turn. Wander along the timeless pathways of Tuscany’s Val d’Orcia, where vineyards, olive groves, and medieval towns paint a picturesque panorama. Those who don’t mind crowds will love the Amalfi Coast routes, but we prefer the quieter inn to inn hikes in the Puglia region which combine rural with large coastal cities. Further north lie the Italian Alps and Garda Lakes, all of which offer AMAZING inn hiking experiences!

hilltop village in Italy

The fusion of ancient cultures, diverse landscapes, rich history, open hospitality and savory delights makes inn-to-inn hiking in Southern Europe an unforgettable and immersive experience.

Walking guides and stories for Southern Europe

couple walking a street in Thailand

10 Easy Walking Holidays for All Ages

We often get asked to suggest easy walking holidays, which can be difficult to answer since there is no standard definition of “easy.” It depends ...
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Rosafa Castle with Albanian flag

Albania’s Hidden Gems: Epic Hiking Adventures in the Accursed Mountains and Beyond

Tucked away in the southeastern corner of Europe, Albania is a true hiker’s paradise that is still largely undiscovered by mass tourism. Flying into Albania, ...
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couple standing beach sifnos greek island

Best Destinations for Hiking the Greek Islands

While the Greek mainland is known for some truly amazing hikes (Menalon Trail, Vikos Gorge, Pelion Peninsula, Meteora and others), there is something special about ...
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Santa Barbara church on California Missions Trail

Camino Alternatives to Santiago Everyone Should Know

If you’re considering a camino but want to explore other options beyond the popular Camino de Santiago, there are PLENTY of other caminos around the ...
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Huanshan Beihai Hotel in the Yellow Mountains of China, hotel in the clouds

Center-based Hiking Lodges around the World

Imagine a cozy remote hiking lodge situated in a beautiful location where you can hike different paths each day and return for a hearty meal ...
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man hiking up a dune on a Michigan beach

Finding a Center-based Walking Holiday

Looking for ways to save money on travel and help save the planet? Does the idea of hiking different routes each day and returning to ...
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woman hiking Grebaje Valley Proklitije Montenegro

Montenegro on Foot: Unveiling Villages, Parks and Coastal Gems

For a country named for its mountains, it should not be surprising that Montenegro is a hiking paradise. This tiny country packs in a lot ...
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slackpacking north cascades washington

Slackpacking Beyond the US

What is slackpacking slackpacking = hiking with a day pack instead of a full backpack Not to be confused with day hikers, slack packers actually ...
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