South Asia Walking Trips

I loved this highlights of Albania tour and it was great way to see lots of different places and parts of this fascinating country. The trip includes the perfect mix of mountains, coast, towns, cities, nature and historical sights. Although it is classed as 'full on', we often had free time in the places we stayed and the starts were always at a very reasonable time, but ensured we made the most of the day. Our guide Dritan was excellent - he is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the country, as well as being fun and professional, ensuring the group's needs were met. I would recommend staying an extra day or two in Tirana at the start or end of the tour to independently enjoy everything that is there.

Our tour leader Bruno Randrianantenaina was excellent. It was his first tour with Explore. I would highly recommend him for future Explore tours. He is extremely knowledgeable, has a great and kind personality. The local guide for the hiking was very good too. His name was Filbert. I didn't enjoy The Artisan Hotel very much. The rooms were very dark.

What an amazing and accessible holiday—easy flight, no time difference, and very affordable. The Kennedy Hotel was comfortable, with a lovely pool and a great massage service. A few members of the group had minor niggles during the stay, but everything was sorted. It was conveniently located for both the airport and the old town, and Jardin Majorelle was within walking distance too. As a solo traveller, I felt completely comfortable exploring on my own, even in the evenings. The walking itself was stunning. The first three days took us through valleys and over passes on the way to base camp, and at the beginning of June the landscape still felt wonderfully fresh, with flowers and butterflies everywhere. We often walked in the cool shade of orchards filled with apples, walnuts and cherries just right for picking. Along the way we stopped for tea, freshly squeezed orange juice and picnic lunches. It was spectacular —snow-covered peaks, fresh green passes, yellow mountainsides full of flowers, and colourful stripes of rock and soil running across the mountains. The supporting team were great. Hicham, our guide, was generous, attentive and knowledgeable, and he made the holiday more than I had expected. Omar’s food was fantastic—plentiful and included a birthday cake. Our porters and their mules joined us on the third day, after Eid, and kept everything running smoothly. Then came summit day. We started at 4am, with a short walk to the refuge in the dark for final preparations before setting off uphill. It was a tough beginning, crossing scree and snow, with a line of head torches ahead of us and the nearly full moon lighting snow pockets in the peaks. The hike up great but was demanding and needed concentration. Stopping to look back was just stunning the path winding through the valley, hemmed in by the dramatic mountains. The rocks were incredible—every colour imaginable and patterned with fossil. Nearing the top, the views opened out to mountain ranges stretching as far as I could see. The final scramble and snow bridge to the summit were exciting and then sheer drops with diving crows, endless mountains in one direction and flat plains in the other. The descent was steady, with a few slips into the softer snow, but all part of the adventure. A finals day walk retraced out steps away from Toubkal then dropped us right into bottom of the valley along the river. Our group was small—just five of us and we all made it to the top together. It included an inspiring couple celebrating a 70th birthday on their first hiking trip! Loved this trip and still buzzing from being in the mountains!!

Only one small reservation: we didn't need as much free time fitted into the itinerary. Otherwise, all good. Jougas was a superb tour leader -- effective in practical terms, and able to convey so much historical and cultural knowledge. Transport was fine. Fine places to eat. Good plan to have a group dinner in each new place. Lots to see and do. Very good communication with Explore leading up to the trip.

Got to see some beautiful cities, lakes and the ocean. Made some stops in tiny cities I would have never seen otherwise! The Budapest to Croatia leg of the trip doesn’t have too many long drives, the longest was 4-5 hours but the average long trip was 2 hours or so, very manageable. Great opportunities for free time and exploring if you want to break apart from the group for a few hours

This was a most excellent tour, both in terms of the itinerary which took us to a variety of gorgeous outdoor settings (including a gorge!) and in terms of its leadership by a Croatian guide. Our tour guide, Ivo, was exceptional. He was friendly, knowledgeable, safety-conscious and sensitive to the local communities and natural environments through which we traveled. He was very patient and empathetic to the needs of our diverse group of tourists, while fostering a sense of community among us throughout the tour. I would highly recommend this tour!