Unique experiences

Option to spend a night in the high mountains
During your stay, you might like to take the opportunity to spend a night in your hosts’ isolated retreat, Bella Vista, set in a secluded valley high in the mountains at 2,842 metres. (Usually available from late June onwards, subject to local conditions. Please organise and pay locally.)

This remarkably well-appointed chalet is a great base from which to explore the high mountains, where you will hopefully encounter the local marmots and enjoy unobstructed panoramic views of the fascinating landscape of snow and glacial ice.

You can reach the retreat on foot – it's a sustained ascent, but highly rewarding. Alternatively, to have more time to explore even higher, you could arrange a transfer by jeep.

All of our Canary Island walking holidays explore the quieter side of this ancient archipelago, but no island is more remote and unspoiled than El Hierro. It was regarded by early explorers as the ‘end of world’, and its varied landscapes – dense pine forests give way to volcanic cones and lava fields – as well as its rich folklore and abundant flora and fauna, mean that walking here today is still richly rewarding. One of the real highlights of our longer walking holiday on El Hierro is a privately guided excursion through the volcanic ‘badlands’ on the southernmost tip of the island, a chance to see some rare lava formations and gain insights into El Hierro’s fascinating geology and history.

Wine-tasting experiences are not exactly rare, but there are few better places to treat yourself to a glass of claret than in Bordeaux, capital of the wine trade and one of Europe’s most elegant cities. Bordeaux is home to a highly acclaimed wine museum – the Cité du Vin – where you can learn all about world wines before trying a glass or two yourself; and the surrounding countryside plays host to numerous vineyards, almost all of which offer tours and tastings. Our self-guided Bordeaux cycling holiday explores both the city and the wider Bordeaux region, and includes a visit to St Emilion, beating heart of the French wine scene.

Part of the feeling of adventure on this break comes from the northerly location. Occupying the same latitude as Alaska, the small Norwegian city of Tromsø boasts the world’s most northerly brewery and university. By day, you can choose from a range of activities, including dog-sledding, but the best part of the adventure comes at nightfall, when you join a local expert to go in search of the Northern Lights. Depending on the conditions, he’ll take you to a spot somewhere outside the city – sometimes as far as the border with Finland, if that’s where you have the best chance of seeing them – and, with luck, you will witness ribbons of green, pink, yellow and blue light swirling across the night sky.

Tradition is key in Mairena, a timeless mountain village tucked into the southern slopes of Spain’s Sierra Nevada. Our centre-based Mairena walking holiday – on which you stay at a charming rural hotel which has been lovingly restored by your hosts, David and Emma Ilsley – offers ample opportunities to immerse yourself in the culture and customs of local life, including – if your stay falls in December or January – the chance to join in with the village olive harvest. As you work together with the locals, knocking the olive tree branches with a sturdy stick to dislodge the stubborn fruit, you will enjoy the unique buzz that only animates these immaculate groves during harvest time.

Walking on the high paths beneath some of the Alps’ most revered peaks is undeniably challenging, with demanding ascents and descents each day, but is highly rewarding, too – enjoy incredible views of these humbling mountains and the great camaraderie that exists among fellow walkers when you pause at the mountain cafés dotted along the routes. (Fortunately, there always seems to be one just when you need it!) The highest point on the holiday is the Augstbordhorn Pass, at 2,893 metres, a fantastic spot from which to admire the vistas.

What is a Norwegian experience? Choose our walking holiday on Norway’s west coast and you will soon find out, for from the extremely pretty town of Ålesund you have easy access to a wide range of quintessentially Norwegian activities: boat trips along a choice of fjords – into which thundering waterfalls and steep-sided cliffs plunge; walking routes that command sublime views without the need for strenuous ascents; the chance to take to Ålesund’s waterways by kayak for a completely different perspective of the town’s elegant architecture; plus countless opportunities to delve into its intriguing history and emerging foodie scene in the many museums and restaurants.

Forget dry ski slopes and artificial winter fun – our snow holiday in Finnish Lapland is packed full of magical winter experiences that you will remember for a lifetime. As your base, we have chosen the very welcoming and beautifully decorated Hotel Ylläshumina, which is set on the banks of a frozen lake and is known for its many excellent cross-country skiing trails. Skiing is far from the only activity on offer here, however: you can experience the thrill of dog-sledding and snowshoeing; explore the serene wilderness on snowshoes; or try your hand at ice fishing or even the increasingly popular Nordic winter sport of fat biking…

The Glacier Express is not just one of the most panoramic train journeys in Europe, but anywhere in the world, and there is no time of year when its mind-boggling beauty cannot be appreciated. We happen to think the route is at its most dramatic during the winter months, when the rolling meadows, silent forests, deep lakes, and traditional villages are blanketed with snow, and the surrounding peaks glisten in the sunlight.
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