Wonderful walking holidays

Austria: Tirol

Take in the dramatic Austrian Tirol mountains on this long walk from east to west, or just do a section of it. Highlights include woodland paths and scenic strolls passing centuries-old glacial ice-flows, past caves and castles, secret villages and historic landmarks, dramatic mountain passes and picturesque meadows. The trip starts every Sunday, so there will be hosts and fellow walkers with you, but no professional guides, so you just walk at your own pace, with four to seven hours of walking daily.

Eagle Walk Hiking Trail

Tirolean Hiking Hotels (00 43 664 2215022, www.wanderhotels.at)

Details: A seven-day self-guided trip, with five days walking, potentially as part of a group.

Terrain: Mountains, Hills, Lakes.

Difficulty: Hard

Typical age group: 31-50

Accommodation: Mid-quality, point-to-point

When? May to October

From €609pp, half-board, with six hotels and one mountain lodge, luggage transfer, trail maps and a hiking bag, excluding flights and transfers.

Getting there: Nearest airport Innsbruck

By Jill Starley-Grainger 

Cornwall

Leave the tourists behind on an excursion along the dramatic Lizard coastline, taking in cliffs, coves, sand dunes, beaches, quaint villages, historic churches and the Helford river, with stops for locally made ice cream and visits to traditional pubs.

Lizard coastal walking holiday

Walk it Cornwall (0771 408 4644, www.walkitcornwall.co.uk)

Details: A five-day trip with four days of walking covering 38 miles, in a guided group.

Terrain: Coastal, hills

Difficulty: easy

Typical age group: 31-50

Accommodation: Mid-quality

When? October

From £445pp, half-board, excluding flights or trains, but including transportation throughout and pick-up from the local train stations.

Getting there: Nearest train stations: Truro, Camborne or Redruth.

Lake District

Explore the Western Lakes, the less busy part of the Lake District, which offers some of the region\'s best vistas. Walks vary daily, from easy to difficult, so choose to walk only on the days you like.

Vegetarians should ask about the vegetarian specialist weeks, offered a few times a year, usually in July and October. Vegetarian options are available year-round.

Hassness - the best of the Lake District

Ramblers Countrywide Holidays (01707 386800, www.ramblerscountrywide.co.uk)

Details: An eight-day trip with five to seven days walking, in a guided group

Terrain: Hills, lakes

Difficulty: Moderate

Typical age group: 51-65

Accommodation: Basic, centre-based

From £397pp, full board, excluding transportation.

Getting there: nearest railway station: Penrith (40 miles). Nearest bus station: Keswick (9 miles).

Finland: Eastern region

No experience needed for this snowshoe walk near the Arctic Circle. Glide through serene snow-capped forests and over quiet frozen lakes, keeping an eye out for wild reindeer, the tracks of wolf, lynx and elk, and the Northern Lights.

Taiga Snowshoe Adventure

Walks Worldwide (0845 301 4737, www.walksworldwide.com)

Details: A seven-day trip with five to seven days walking of four to six hours per day, in a guided group

Terrain: Hills, lakes

Difficulty: Moderate

Typical age group: 31-50

Accommodation: Mid-quality, centre-based

When? February

From £795pp, full board, including nightly sauna and airport transfers but excluding flights.

Getting there: nearest airport: Kuusamo.

Southwest Ireland

Jutting into the Atlantic, the Dingle Peninsula is filled with mountainous and rugged coastal scenery and more than 2,000 archaeological monuments going back as far as the Prehistoric era.

Dingle Peninsula Guided Holiday

SouthWestWalks Ireland (00 353 66 712 8733, www.southwestwalksireland.com)

Details: An eight-day trip with five to seven days walking covering 40 miles, in a guided group.

Terrain: Hills, lakes, moors, coast

Difficulty: Easy

Typical age group: 45-75

Accommodation: High-quality, point-to-point

When? Spring, summer and autumn

From €795pp, full board, including transfers, transportation and luggage transfers, but excluding flights.

Getting there: nearest airport: Kerry; nearest train/bus station: Tralee

Morocco: Atlas Mountains

Get a taste of the local life of the Berbers on this fairly easy trek through the Atlas Mountains, 90 minutes from Marrakech. The scrubby nature of these rocky mountains allows for nearly non-stop views. Nights are spent at guesthouses in the traditional villages.

Atlas Adventure

The Adventure Company (01606 720199, www.adventurecompany.co.uk)

Details: An eight-day trip with five to seven days walking, in a guided group.

Terrain: Mountains, lakes

Difficulty: Moderate

Typical age group: 31-50

Accommodation: Very basic, point-to-point

When? Year-round

From £699pp, half-board, including flights from the UK and transfers, and luggage transfers.

Getting there: nearest airport: Marrakech

Nepal: Annapurna

One of the most breathtaking routes in Nepal, highlights of the Annapurna region include freshwater lakes, rivers, waterfalls, snow-capped mountains, picturesque villages and Buddhist and Hindu shrines. Accommodation is in locally owned hotels and guesthouses so you get a taste of the traditional culture.

Annapurna Trek 

Tucan Travel (020 8896 1600, www.tucantravel.com)

Details: A 13-day trip with nine days walking, in a guided group.

Terrain: Mountains

Difficulty: Moderate to hard, with some scrambling

Typical age group: 31-50

Accommodation: Very basic, point-to-point

When? Autumn, spring

From £607pp, half-board, guided Kathmandu city tour, internal transportation, including local flights, but excluding international flights.

Getting there: nearest airport: Kathmandu

Isle of Arran

This holiday for solo travellers - no single supplement! - takes in the mountains and coastline of the Isle of Arran, known as ‘Scotland in miniature\' for its varied landscape. Look out for eagles, seals and red deer. There\'s a choice of walks every day, from easy to difficult, so go at your own pace, and evenings are spent sharing dinner and drinks with your fellow walkers, including a Scottish gala evening with haggis and bagpipes.

Guided Walking for Solos on the Isle of Arran

HF Holidays (020 8732 1250, www.hfholidays.co.uk)

Details: A three-day trip with two to four days walking, in a guided group.

Terrain: Mountains, hills, coast

Difficulty: Easy

Typical age group: 51-65

Accommodation: Mid-quality, centre-based

When? October, April, July and August

From £215pp, full board, excluding flights.

Getting there: nearest airport: Glasgow; nearest train station: Ardrossan Harbour

Thailand: Bangkok, Chiang Mai

On this Thailand nature and garden explorer trip, after spending a few days in Bangkok, you get off the beaten track and visit some of the gardens and forests of the countryside, staying in high-quality local guesthouses with friendly Thai hosts. Walks take place on five to seven days of the trip  in formal gardens on mountains and through tropical forests. Visits to orchid farms and river boat trips are included.

Gardens of Paradise

Tell Tale Travel (0800 011 2571, www.telltaletravel.co.uk)

Details: A 16-day trip with five to seven days east walking, on a private guided trip.

Terrain: Mountains, Hills, Jungle

Difficulty: Easy

Typical age group: Over 60s

Accommodation: Mid-quality, point-to-point

When? Year-round

From £1,600pp, half-board, including flights from the UK, transfers and transportation, guides for most walks and maps for optional self-guided walks.

Getting there: nearest airports: Bangkok, Chiang Mai

Wales: Snowdonia National Park

Learn the basics of scrambling and rock climbing, with the itinerary tailored to your needs. You\'ll tackle different areas of Snowdonia, with a mix of walking and scrambling over rocks. All safety equipment is provided, and there is a max of two people per one instructor. Non-scrambling Snowdonia guided walking holidays also available.

Classic Mountain Scrambling Weekend

Wild about Wales (01286 831559, www.wild-about-wales.com)

Details: A two-day trip with two full days walking and scrambling, in a guided two-person group.

Terrain: Mountains

Difficulty: Moderate to hard (optional)

Typical age group: 20-45

Accommodation: not included, but a range of options available to book on the site, from hostels to small hotels.

When? April to September

From £160pp for the weekend\'s instruction, excluding accommodation and transportation.

Getting there: nearest train station: Bangor