Hiking trips for the luxury traveler? Though it sounds like a contradiction in terms, active travel is a growing segment of the luxury travel market. This is what a luxury hiking trip might look like:
The trip is based in the scenic countryside. You spend time in towns and villages where a slower, more traditional way of life is still the norm.
You stay in the best hotels and inns, often smaller, more intimate undiscovered properties.
Each day offers a different active adventure, a hike (or bike ride, or kayak trip) that brings you face-to-face with spectacular natural beauty. Someone who knows the area intimately has crafted each walk to match the kind of activity level you are comfortable with, and a great private guide in each destination is there for you.
At night, you get to dress up and enjoy a fine meal, sometimes in a Michelin-starred restaurant but often in a smaller, family-run establishment with unbelievable food and authenticity.
You never have to hassle with any of the logistics of travel. Your hotels, meal reservations, luggage handling, and transfers are all taken care of for you.
Though you are part of a small group (12 or less) of like-minded travelers (who enjoy luxury and love being active in the beautiful outdoors), you are totally free to customize your days, and adequate free time is built into the schedule. There’s never a sense of being herded around.
There are many companies who put together these kinds of trips, my favorites being Backroads and Butterfield & Robinson. They can even customize a trip for your family or group.