Eastern Europe Trekking Hiking Trips

I loved the hikes on this trip, especially the gorge walk and the hike on day 6. Really enjoyed the week in the mountains with our group and spending the week in Arenas de Cabrales. Most hikes we did not see anyone so it was nice feeling we had the trails to ourselves. The gorge walk is very popular so there are other hikers, but it is a long walk so did not feel crowded. Really impressed with the hikes on the itinerary. I feel I could not do these hikes on my own and find some of these trails so being with an experienced guide with Exodus was the way to go.

Although the weather was challenging (very hot) our leader and our mountain guide made the most of the available alternatives. Our leader Gabi was sociable, extremely knowledgeable and always ready with a suggestion for activities or restaurants. The Penny Grand spa hotel was truly superb and I took the opportunity to have a foot and leg massage - heavenly!

Krakow is a beautiful city with a rich history and culture to explore. The Carpathian Mountains are just as good for walking as The Alps but not yet as visited.

Transylvania is a fantastic destination for hiking with stunning scenery, fabulous views, and so many wildflowers. The areas we hiked in felt remote and unspoilt. We saw very few hikers on the routes we took and even had one of the mountain huts to ourselves. As some of the other reviews say, this is a challenging week and requires a good head for heights (some parts are very exposed) and a good level of fitness. The days are long (8-10 hours of walking on the first three days, 6 hours on the last three days as the walks were cut short to avoid afternoon storms) which means little 'down time'. The terrain is varied (rocks and scree, pastures, meadows, forests). A significant amount of scrambling is required the first three days, and in particular the third when heading up to La Om. The other days don't require scrambling but are still demanding in terms of the terrain and elevation gain/loss. Two nights are spent in simple huts, with basic facilities (outside drop toilets), but the location of Cabana Malaiesti is spectacular as well worth it.

Poland is a lovely country to visit great food, transport, views, accommodation, very reasonable prices for taxis, museum tickets etc. The coutryside is not very busy with other visitors or hikers until you come to the mountain hsuts were the service is generally very efficient.

Hiking the Polish Carpathians was a very good experience. The only downside was the extreme temperatures (36 degrees) and humidity, both of which were outside the control of Explore. Gabi the tour leader was very good and gave great insight into Polish culture and history. The leader had to make a judgement call on the first hiking day when it was clear that some of the group would struggle to make the summit of the first hike, due to high temperatures and exposed approach to the summit, the leader opted for a lower elevation and shaded route. Some of the group were not happy with decision, but it was the right call and showed good leadership skills. I would recommend either arriving a few days early or staying on at the end of the tour to experience more of what Krakow have to offer. E.g excursions to Auschwitz, Schindler's Factory and Salt Mines.