Walking Wonderlands

If your boots were made for walking we've got the holiday for you

1. LAKE DISTRICT

Irish walking holiday specialist Footfalls has a four day hike around England’s beautiful Lake District, beginning with an early morning pick up in Dublin, driving to Belfast, and on to Keswick, Scafell Pike, Ambleside and Grasmere – all the highlights. Stay three night’s B&B in guesthouse accommodation for €355 pps including ferry and all transport.

Walking Holidays, Trooperstown, Roundwood, Co. Wicklow, tel: 0404-45152, walkinghikingireland.com

2. CHATEAUX OF THE LOIRE

In an ideal world, every walk would end up at a Chateau and with Headwater’s Chateaux of the Loire route, every walk will. The week long package takes in the region’s most romantic confections: Chambord, Cheverny, Chaumont, Amboise and Blois, hiking through the historic hunting grounds of French royalty – just watch out for the wild boar. £739 (€925) per person, including meals.

Old School House, Northwich, Cheshire, UK tel: 0044-845 564 7156, headwater.com

3. SOUTH OF FRANCE

The south of France isn’t all movie stars and chic towns, there are sleepy villages and mountains trails too. This fully guided French Riviera tour starts at Villefranche and includes walks around Cap Ferrat, the back country behind Menton, Cannes, old town Nice and the untamed Luberon Hills – Peter Mayle territory – before finishing in Avignon. The eight day tour costs €1,530.

Walk Inn Provence, Avignon, France, tel: 0033-486 650 020 walkinnprovence.com.

4. COAST OF CATALONIA

Inntravel, “the slow holiday people”, has great walks for families, with child-friendly accommodation typically with its own pool or near a beach. Crucially, it will transport your luggage for you too. Its Coast of Catalonia is a gentle route taking in small coves and sandy beaches. A week’s walking is £935 (€1,170) per adult and £798 (€998) per child in high season.

Inntravel, Whitwell Grange, York, UK, tel: 0044-653 617 941, inntravel.co.uk

5. ZELL AM SEE

Ever wonder what happens to ski resorts in summer? They are inundated with walkers, offering, as you can imagine, some pretty challenging terrain. U Walk, part of Navan Travel, has a guided walk package in Zell am See in June, including five days trekking in the surrounding mountains, plus plenty of opportunities for water sports on the Zeller lake, priced at €759 pps, excluding flights.

U Walk, 1 Bridge Street, Navan, Co Meath, tel: 046-9068686.

6. LYCIAN COAST

Turkey’s Lycian Coast is idyllic and totally off the beaten track for walkers, so you’ll have the place to yourself. Responsible Travel has five day treks following old paths used by villagers between mountain settlements, through pine forests, olive groves, farmland and tiny villages.

Stay in small hotels and pensions, with the services of a local guide. Priced from £420 (€525) excluding flights.

Responsible Travel, Brighton, UK, tel: 0044-1273 600 030, reponsibletravel.com.

7. CINQUE TERRE

One Foot Abroad has a great value four day self-guided walking trip through Unesco World heritage site the Cinque Terre, five coastal, medieval villages in the Italian province of La Spezia. The villages, the coastline and the hillsides all make up one National Park, as do the tiny sandy beaches along the way, perfect for soothing tired feet. Prices from €290 in summer self catering.

One Foot Abroad, Guinness Enterprise Centre, D8, tel: 01-443 3972, onefootabroad.ie.

8. TUSCANY

If it’s scenery you’re after you’d be hard pressed to find more beautiful walking terrain than Tuscany. Given that its hills are of the rolling kind, it’s not too challenging either, nothing that a restorative chianti can’t deal with. Walking Ways has tours through the wine region, from Montepulciano to Siena, with an average daily hike of around 14 kms. Self guided from costs €830 pps.

Irishways, Belfield Bike Shop, UCD, Dublin 4, tel: 01-260 0749, Irishways.com.

9. EVEREST

Conquer Everest, or at least the Base Camp, with a walking tour from Exodus which allows you follow in the footsteps of the great climbing parties of yore, through Sherpa country, up to the Khumba Glacier, where a climb to the Kala Pattar (5545m) is a highlight, offering a breathtaking view of the mother of all mountains. The 17 day tour only price starts at €1,290.

Exodus, Abbey Travel, Middle Abbey St., D1, tel: 01-804 7153, exodus.com.

10. PERU

For a trip of a lifetime, UK walking tour specialist HF Holidays has guided walking tours of the Sacred Valley of the Incas in Peru, taking in Lima, Lake Titicaca, a trip on a restored Orient Express train across the Altiplano to Cusco, and then on to Machu Pichhu. The 12 day tour costs £2,295 (€2,870) without flights, departing July and October.

HF Holidays, Hertfordshire, UK, tel: 0044-208 7321 220, hfholidays.co.uk.