Cross the rolling hills of the Tarn et Garonne region between the historic towns of Cahors and Lectoure. Traverse the centuries of time and the borders of Europe on the medieval pilgrim trail. In the 9th century, the tomb of the apostle St James was unearthed in Compostela. The site became the focus of a pilgrim trail beginning in France, and crossing northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela. This journey, along the Via Podensis, the French Way of St James, takes pilgrims from Le Puy en Velay to the Pyrenees at St Jean Pied de Port. The route passes a multitude of churches and monasteries, resembling a travelling museum of Romanesque art. Six stages of this historic trail are included in our self-guided walking program in France.
This part of the journey takes you across limestone plateaus cut by small valleys, then on to the plain of the Garonne. The trail is lined with ancient stone walls. After Moissac the landscape changes to rolling hills and lush valleys where fields of corn and sunflower are intermingled with plum orchards.
Walking tours
Tour Type
Private Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Guest House
Age Range
18-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Lectoure, The Way of St. James
Lectoure, The Way of St. James, Cahors, Lascabanes, Lauzerte, Moissac, Auvillar, Flamarens
Very enjoyable holiday. Sadly unstable weather meant we could not walk the Samaria gorge but the alternative walk was great and the walk in the Zaros gorge at the end of the week was stunning.
Walking tours
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
We had a spectacular trip. We did a self-guided trip in Piemonte and Tuscany/Umbria. The hotels were much nicer than we expected. Very comfortable and the owners/proprietors were so helpful. The transfer of luggage each day was seamless!
The routes were generally well marked and the app was very good. We didn't need anything more than the app. Only got lost twice which I'd say is pretty good. The routes were a bit more challenging than we expected. We choose two hikes which were marked as 'Introductory - Moderate' which were tougher than we expected. So just pay attention to this. At home, we would consider ourselves quite capable of moderate+ trails, but the classification in Italy is a bit more demanding.
Glad we wore hiking pants as we went through a lot of grasses so never had a concern about tics. Also were very happy we had hiking sticks with us. Invaluable on many of the trails.
I would definitely recommend them to anyone considering a hiking trip. And absolutely no problem doing the self-guided version.
Thank you!!
Griffy and Marg
We walked the Camino Norte which was spectacular and challenging some days. Overall we were very satisfied with UTracks. Their accommodations were basically good, sometimes we were pleasantly surprised and sometimes they were less than we hoped. We would consider booking again with UTracks.
Walking tours
Tour Type
Private Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Resort
Age Range
18-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
San Sebastian, Santiago De Compo
San Sebastian, Santiago De Compostela, Noja, Galizano, Santander, Santillana Del Mar, Comillas, San Vicente De La Barquera, Bustio, Picos De Europa NP, Ribadesella, Colunga, Getaria, Villaviciosa, Gijón, Aviles, Soto Del Barco, Soto De Luiña, Cadavedo, Luarca, Navia, Ribadeo, Deba, Mondonedo, Abadín, Vilalba, Reguela, Sobrado Dos Monxes, Arzúa, Rua, Markina-Xemein, Gernika, Lezama, Bilbao, Castro Urdiales, Liendo
The Via Degli Dei is a fantastic walk - 2 great Italian cities and stunning landscapes every day which made the tough climbs worthwhile. They dealt with everything once we arrived, the accommodation was good and varied which added to the appeal of the trip. It's helpful to have some basic Italian as a couple of places did not speak English but everyone was so friendly. Will use them again - we are already planning next year's trip!
Walking tours
Tour Type
Private Tour
Accommodation
Hotel
Age Range
18-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Florence, Bologna, Sasso Marconi
Florence, Bologna, Sasso Marconi, Monzuno, Bruscoli, San Piero A Sieve, Olmo, Fiesole
This was an amazing trip. Our guides were fantastic, especially Hamid. The food, the hike, and the mountains were wonderful. The stops to visit locals also great. I did have a very disappointing experience with the pre/post hotel. They stored our bags while we were on the hike. Typically hotels tag your bags. They did not. When we returned from the hike my bag was missing. The Kennedy hotel manager sort of shrugged his shoulders and said someone must have taken it by mistake. I said, why don’t they tag the bags so that doesn’t happen. No answer nor did they ever once check in on me again. Not their problem. I remembered that I had put in an Apple AirTag in my bag and found it was actually in Milan. No one had reported taking the wrong bag the whole time we were gone. Hamid took it upon himself to use the Milan address I had, to google around and find the tour group who might have taken the bag. He found the bag and coordinated with me discussing with the other party to get it sent to Spain where I was to continue my holiday with my wife. The hotel was absolutely useless and I would not recommend them. I asked if they knew someone who could wash my hike clothes and they did that for me. Then tried to charge me for the washing at checkout. Hamid continue to check in with me several days later as the bag took nearly a week to arrive. After being such a wonderful guide throughout the trip sharing personal experiences and taking the time to make sure everyone made it to the top. So Hamid needs to be called out for going above and beyond. According to the guy who had the wrong bag the Hotel just loaded up all of bags and it wasn’t their fault either. Clearly problems with hotel processes and management.
Active and outdoor
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
This tour will open up your appetite and invite you to sensory pleasures. The vines may provide a beautiful setting, but they also produce an excellent wine that can be enjoyed all along this trip.
From Dijon to Beaune the walks provide a wonderful balance of quiet country lanes, vineyard tracks and woodland trails taking in sleepy, unspoilt villages, and majestic vine-clad hills. Sample fine wines in 13th century cellars and enjoy lunch in a selection of medieval towns including world-renowned Nuits-St-Georges. Walk the historic streets of Dijon and Beaune, hunt for truffles, taste local cheese in a rural manufactory, learn about blackcurrant liquor and enjoy a wine tasting at the majestic wine estate Chateau Clos Vougeot.
In this region known for its epicurean finesse, you can really enjoy fine dining. There will be excellent local dishes such as Beef Bourguignon, Oeufs en Meurette, Poulet de Bresse a la Creme, Perche aux Noix and of course exquisite cheeses like the pungent Epoisses de Bourgogne, to pair with the region's incredible Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines.
This tour will stimulate all your senses.
Bert was a fantastic guide - nothing too much trouble, very patient, knowledgeable and organised. He even made sure we got our boat tickets to visit another part of the island on the rest day - which was above and beyond his responsibilities. The hikes were great, island very beautiful and good variety of landscape. We also had bonus of the wonderful Ester - a trainee guide of very high caliber. Group camaraderie was fab - it’s a holiday I will always treasure
Walking tours
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Resort
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Tenerife, El Medano, Tenerife, L
Tenerife, El Medano, Tenerife, Los Cristianos , Tenerife, San Sebastián de La Gomera, Chejelipes, Alto De Garajonay, Agulo, San Miguel De Abona