Go your own way: Why your next trip should be a self-guided walking or cycling holiday

Walking in Southern Montenegro. Image: The Natural Adventure

Yana Tudzharova, CEO of The Natural Adventure, shares how self-guided walking and cycling adventures benefit both travellers and the places they visit

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‘There’s a bison!’ The urgent, hushed whisper that came from the other side of my bedroom door pulled me from a heavy sleep, my legs still stiff from the long walk. We’d spent the previous day hiking in the Făgăraș Mountains, the highest peaks of the Carpathian Mountains – the first leg of a multi-day walking tour of Romania’s wildest landscape.

As we’d climbed up through the forests, we’d kept our eyes peeled for the wild bison that, after a 200-year absence, had been successfully reintroduced to the region. But while we’d spotted plenty of signs of life – pine marten and lynx scat, bear claw marks, and clumps of hair stuck to trees along the trail – if any animals had been nearby they’d kept well hidden.

‘Quick! Come and see!’ The call roused me fully. I hauled myself out of bed and crept out onto the veranda. Sure enough, a lone bison was grazing in the field, framed by the sweeping mountain vistas.

Hiking trails in the Carpathian Mountains, Romania. Image: Emily Marie Wilson

This was my first experience of a point-to-point walking tour, and it was no disappointment. We had the trails to ourselves, miles away from the crowded tourist hotspots and the easily accessible viewpoints where cars outnumber hikers, where we were able to feel truly immersed in the landscape.

When I spoke to Yana Tudzharova, CEO of The Natural Adventure – a tour operator co-founded by ex-UK Chief Scout and BBC Blue Peter presenter Peter Duncan, she explained that this was one of the main draws of their self-guided walking and cycling tours. ‘We focus on routes that feel authentic, and that usually means avoiding overcrowded areas wherever possible. So while our travellers can expect safe walking and cycling conditions – every route we offer has been fully mapped and vetted by someone – they can also find some really wild, natural landscapes.’

Yana Tudzharova in Essaouira, Morocco. Image: The Natural Adventure

Like me, Tudzharova – who worked in hotel management before joining The Natural Adventure – was unfamiliar with self-guided holidays at first, but she was quickly won over. ‘I was immediately struck by the independence it gives you; I was hooked.’ It’s a feeling, she says, that their travellers share.

‘We had a traveller who was supposed to be walking the West Highland Way as part of a group, but who, for various reasons, ended up doing the whole trip by himself. It was his first solo trip, so he had no idea what to expect. But he sent us the sweetest email afterwards, telling us about the friends he made along the way, the wonderful hosts he stayed with, and how happy he was to be able to complete the whole route from beginning to end by himself.’

Conic Hill on the West Highland Way. Image: Jurian Cuypers

While a self-guided walking or cycling adventure gives you the freedom to set your own agenda and explore the route at your own pace, Tudzharova explains that travellers are never alone. ‘As well as a map and a navigation app – which provides clear route notes and points of interest – you’re supported by our team of experts throughout.’ The Natural Adventure also offers luggage transfers from one accommodation to the next, so you only have to think about what you’ll need for the day’s walk or ride. ‘You’ll have plenty of options along the way, depending on what you want to see and do.’

Beyond being a more immersive way to experience a place, Tudzharova says that the benefits of a walking or cycling holiday extend far beyond the individual. ‘Especially the holidays we offer, because we focus on places that are more rural, more remote. In Bulgaria, for example, we visit mountain villages and isolated monasteries. In Ireland, we stay in guesthouses dotted along the scenic Donegal Way. And for travellers eager to experience an ancient pilgrimage trail, we offer tours of the quieter routes, such as the Cammino dell’Unione in Italy. These are less-visited areas that miss out on the benefits of responsible tourism, and where travellers can make a real difference by supporting local communities.’