Hiking · WORLDWIDE
Park days are mostly a transport problem: the trail is free, the getting there is not. These 15 compare pickup points, how much of the day is driving, entry fees, and how much walking you actually get.
Review of the San Francisco to Yosemite day tour with Giant Sequoias, five hours in the park, key sights, costs, tips, and honest drawbacks.
“Andy our driver/guide was fantastic. bus was old seats uncomfortable for such a long journey and could do with a makeover. Yosemite Park toilets are discussing not the fault of the tour operators but several could be classed a danger to health.”
Review of Skaftafell’s 5-hour Falljökull glacier hike, with safety tips, route details, costs, fitness advice, and who should book.
“Very great experience! We spent days trying to decide to hike the glacier or go on an ice cave tour. In the end we chose the glacier hike and i am so glad we did so! The tour was very enjoyable and fun with breathtaking view over the glacier, and would only recommend it to anyone! Our guide was very informative and made a great atmosphere during the whole hike and made sure we see everything on the part of the glacier where we hiked while also kept us safe! We also hiked up higher than most groups so they did not disturb us on the way. The price is…”
Explore the Everglades by airboat, nature walk, and Ten Thousand Islands cruise with a naturalist guide, lunch, wildlife, and hotel pickup.
“This was a great full day tour of the Everglades and the Great Cyprus areas. I was picked up and dropped off at my Miami hotel, so easy. The naturalist guide was very knowledgeable and friendly as was the group of people on the tour. The tour was a nice combination of an airboat ride, cruise of the 10,000 islands area, stops and wildlife viewing at multiple areas and a couple of manageable hikes. Had a nice lunch at a local restaurant. Saw a gator trap and try to eat a huge turtle! Also saw many birds, manatees, and jumping dolphins. Great tour!”
Review of Chiang Mai’s Doi Inthanon day tour, with Pha Dok Siew trek, pagodas, waterfalls, Karen village, lunch, and practical tips.
“What a wonderful day! The trail is so so beautiful with many waterfalls and viewpoints along the way. Our guide P’Chai was very funny, considerate and full of experience to impart to us. This tour wouldn’t have been so fun without him! Also our driver P’Bee was very patient and even went above his duties to drop off some members of the tour outside of drop off area for their convenience on the way home. Very kind! I really enjoyed my day with them, very grateful to them for everything! 🙏🏼”
Hike Marseille’s Calanques with a local guide, picnic, sea swim, striking coves, and practical tips on transport, heat, and difficulty.
“Great experience and wonderful service; an absolute must-do while in Marseille”
Review of the Calanques hike from Marseille, with rocky trails, a picnic, swimming, Blue Cave access, guide tips, costs, and fitness advice.
“Spectacular views, cute village with an amazing cove to swim midway through the hike. Bring lots of water (1.5L+), also an opportunity to pack a picnic for the rocky beach. Swimsuit, towel and water shoes are a bonus (also a small restaurant in the village). On the way out from the cove, we opted for a different path which was very steep and included a climb using an attached chain, probably a 20-25’ rock wall. The path out was much more difficult, but shorter, the nearly 90 degree weather added to the challenge. Overall, easy to moderate entry, hard exit and absolutely worth the effort. Total of about 4.5h with…”
Hike 10 km through Gerês National Park from Porto, swim in mountain pools, and enjoy a full nature day with a small group guide.
“I would highly recommend this trip! the meeting point is easy to find and starting at 8 meant we got to walk through porto without the crowds and see the sun coming up. our guide was brilliant, warm, friendly and fun. our group was small and a delightful bunch. the walk was gentle and beautiful, most had walking boots but I found comfy steady trainers just fine, and probably less hot on the feet. the lagoons were breathtaking, never seen anything like that before. the water was wonderfully cold. made for amazing pictures. the little village at the end had the most glorious water.”
Review of Kuala Lumpur’s Taman Negara day tour, with rainforest trekking, Orang Asli culture, lunch, river rapids, costs, and practical tips.
“This trip is one of the reasons why I wanted to visit Malaisia in the first place. What a better experience than a tour inside the most ancient jungle on earth? Both our driver and our guide were amazing and very informative. I highly recommend this activity. Don't forget to bring a change of clothes!”
Escape Helsinki for a small-group Nuuksio hike with forest walks, seasonal snowshoes, homemade soup, glögi, and Finnish nature.
“The hike was just the right length & difficulty, for a person who is not a frequent hiker. with the group not being so large it gave a nice and relaxing atmosphere too. David was a very nice guide and his mushroom soup & snacks were delicious:)”
Review of Cat Ba National Park’s half-day hike, caves, pagoda visit, guides, fitness demands, transport, and value at $22.
“My son and I had a really nice time trekking to the top of the hill in Cat Ba National Park. Tri's English was very good and he was very friendly and answered all of our questions. We saw several animals (mountain crabs, chameleons) and medicinal plants along the way, about which he was very knowledgeable. We then went to Trung Trang cave, which had wonderful stalactites and stalagmites, plus bats near the exit. Then on to the impressive hospital cave, which was a secret treatment centre for injured Vietnamese fighters during the Vietnam/US war. Tri's father drove us around, and he was also very friendly, and he kindly dropped…”
Review of the Mont-Tremblant National Park day trip from Montreal, with hiking routes, transport, guides, costs, practical tips, and honest drawbacks.
“Jean Francois was my tour guide professional, kind and very funny. This trip was excellent from the beginning to the end. Thank you Bonjour Nature ❤️”
Review of Cat Ba’s 9-hour hike, village cycle, Lan Ha Bay kayak and swim, with honest advice on fitness, value, and what to pack.
“Le trekking n’a pas eu lieu dans son intégralité car une tempête était attendue. Au lieu de nous prévenir la veille afin d’éviter de rester bloqués l’organisateur a indiqué que l’activité avait bien lieu. Ce qui s’est avéré faux. Après 4 heures au lRead more”
Review of Abisko’s relaxed winter morning hike, with snowy scenery, wildlife tracks, hotel transfers, guide tips, pricing, and practical advice.
“It was awesome experience and guide was really very helpful during the walk path … Being first time snow hiking for me I enjoyed a lot … guide explained everything very well and I made it successfully”
Review of Doi Inthanon from Chiang Mai, with a two-hour trek, pagodas, waterfalls, hill villages, lunch, and practical tips.
“The 2 hour trek was in a National Park so a real chance to be in the natural environment with wonderful views from the top. The path and stairs were well maintained but we were glad ( good walkers aged75) that we brought walking poles aRead more”
Review of Doi Inthanon from Chiang Mai, with waterfalls, pagodas, a seasonal forest trek, lunch, coffee, and practical planning tips.
“It was a wonderful day trip to Doi Inthanon National Park and this tour exceeded my expectations. Tour company provides hotel pick up and drop off after the tour, which was convenient. Our tour guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. We were not rushed at all locations and the timing was perfect. Lunch was around 3 pm but tour guide warned about it and we had a stop to buy snacks, besides there were plenty of shops and cafes at each tour locations. Also, it was no additional charges and all entry tickets were included into the price.”
By the kind of day you want, or the country you are standing in.
