Self-guided hiking & walking holidays

Self-guided hiking & walking is for individuals, couples, friends & family groups who enjoy exploring on their own terms. The rhythm of a hiking & walking trip offers the perfect balance of achievement, curiosity and relaxation.
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Walk Inn to Inn

Self-guided inn to inn hiking is a great experience; giving you a sense of discovery and journey. You’ll stay at a selection of country inns on route, all selected by the Foot Trails team. Your luggage taken ahead of you, you can relax and enjoy your hikes.
 
Self-guided hikes include all your accommodation, luggage transfers and an expertly curated walk & explore pack. 
 
For each of your daily walks you will have a trail guide, researched and written by Alison & David Howell, Foot Trails founders. The guide includes step by step directions, as well as history and stories to enjoy along the way. For the more experienced we include local maps with routes highlighted. We design our walks to be screen-free 🙂
A hiker stops at a gate to read instructions on his self-guided walking trail guide

A typical day

We like to treat each day as a mini adventure, weaving variety, interest, stories, and comfort into each daily hike.

3 hours to walk & wander in the morning, a nice place to pause for lunch or a historic site to call by, and then a couple of hours to walk in the afternoon. Arrive, or return to, your country inn and enjoy refreshments, local ales & ciders and great food.

Self-guided & independent, the pace is set by you. So there is plenty of time to stop, explore a gorgeous village, enjoy the views, listen to the birds and take photos.

Distances & walk grades

We would describe our trips as ‘easy moderate’, except for our coastal trips which due to the terrain are ‘moderate’. A Foot Trails experience is best for those that feel comfortable walking at least 7 miles (11 km) over a whole day.

We offer a range of walks from 7 to 9 miles (11 to 14 km), and for those that wish to go further hikes from 10 to 12+ miles (16 or 19+ km). Your Foot Trails itinerary consultant can help to find the most suitable walks & hikes for you.

Food & Accommodation

Foot Trails was created with the belief that each day’s walk should lead to a cosy place to stay; bedrooms with creature comforts, authentic to the area you are exploring, and good food on offer in a relaxing environment.

Find out more about food & accommodation →

Explore these featured ideas and start your adventure here...

Scene showing a gran Cotswolds church and country house in the background. Fields stretch out in front of the buildings with sheep grazing.

Journey Across The Cotswolds →

Perfect for 6, 7 or 8 nights / 7, 8 or 9 days
Our signature inn to inn walking & hiking trail through the heart of The Cotswolds. Walking from village to village on local paths away from the busy trails, you’ll discover peaceful & crowd-free countryside bursting with Cotswolds character.
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Wild Exmoor, Coast & Moor →

Perfect for 6 or 7 night stays / 7 or 8 days
Explore a unique landscape of moor, woodland and coast on an inn to inn trail that celebrates the ancient, evocative countryside of north Somerset and Exmoor. Journey from deep in the moor to the dramatic coast of the Severn estuary, following wooded river ravines and crossing wild moors, all steeped in history and tales.
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Kings and Kingdoms →

Perfect for 6 to 11 nights / 7 to 12 days
Wonderfully crowd-free, you can enjoy a wide variety of landscapes through your tour, from peaceful river valleys to inspiring views. Not forgetting tales of Kings & Knights and some of the most charming villages in South West England (it’s home, we’re biased!).
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Country houses & Gardens →

Perfect for 6 or 9 nights / 7 or 10 days
Gardens and historic sites woven into your itinerary. Time to enjoy the countryside, views and villages, and time to visit the sites of interest too. See the South West's greatest gardens on this memorable Foot Trail.
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Coastal Seascapes of Dorset →

Perfect for 7 to 11 nights / 8 to 12 days
This is where the rolling green landscape of Dorset meets the south coast. With little modern development, it offers inspiring hiking, and views upon views. Famed world wide for its geology & fossils, Alison & David have explored this area over 3 decades, a favoured escape with their children.
Sigrun, Norway
“I’ve tried three different companies for my walking trips in England, and I have to say, Foot Trails truly stands out. Their itineraries are excellent, the accommodations are beautiful, and they were incredibly responsive and helpful as we explored different regions and trail options.”
Andy & Kay, USA
“We had a lovely and challenging time! The views in Dorset were everything we hoped they would be and the adjustment to 10 miles per day worked for us. We would recommend your services to anyone who wanted an active vacation but still wanted someone to arrange everything.”
Molly, USA
“So many of the paths felt like secret passageways into a simpler time. The variety of landscapes we passed through was nothing short of amazing.”
Jacquelyn, USA
“Slam dunk! Home run…out of the park…FABULOUS! This holiday went well beyond our expectations–it was so well organized from start to finish.”
Stacey, USA
“The entire trip was filled with delightful inns, charming towns, and incredible scenery. We enjoyed exploring the churches and other suggested stops along the way. Our routes were peaceful, and each day’s itinerary offered just the right amount of time on the trail.”
Michelle, USA
“Wonderful holiday of rambling through gates, stiles, paths, and magnificent countryside, and beautiful old quaint villages.”
Ann & Mark, USA
“This was our third Foot Trails adventure. We keep returning because it is a great experience. It’s great to walk on the foot paths, experience the different villages and talk to the local people. We love the varied landscapes and natural beauty of the area.”
Beth, USA
“It was a perfect walking holiday for a family of 4… tailored to our desires. It was great. Very informative communication. Adopted the plan to our family. The inns were lovely.”
Stu, USA
“An active and relaxing and supported immersive experience of a way of life different from our own. Unpredictable, in a good way. Unusual opportunity to connect with each other.”
Katy, Australia
“We had a wonderful experience in Wiltshire and on the foot trails walk that was especially designed for us. We also had a great experience with our guide David who had a wealth of historical knowledge.”
Krista, Canada
“It was very clear to us that the routes organized by Foot Trails were significantly more interesting (and significantly less busy) than the “national” trails, and a lot of local knowledge and love of the countryside must have gone into planning them.”
Devrey, USA
"Perfect way to disconnect and see the beauty of England. We saw views, locations, and areas that only locals know. It was truly spectacular to walk along a path and all of the sudden there is a tremendous view or a castle. It really was a tremendous vacation.”
Stephen, Canada
“This family owned company went above and beyond to make our entire trip so worthwhile. We handed them a wish list of exactly what we wanted – small, high quality inns, some with multiple night stays, mile limits/walking day, off the beaten track experiences, diverse trail experiences, worthwhile points of interests, not to mention great pubs and lunch options along the way. And they checked off every box for us.”
Julie, USA
“The inns chosen by Foot Trails are charming, well-appointed and very comfortable. The food at each inn was without exception superb, and the staff were friendly and helpful.”
Mark, USA
“Clear written directions matched with maps for our daily walks, efficient transport of our luggage from inn to inn, excellent overnight accommodation and quality food selections in quintessential English pubs made this trip to southwest England among our very favorites.”
Melanie, Canada
“It was fantastic. Foot Trails is a quality, well-organized, and highly customer-oriented service. I felt taken care of long before I even arrived in the UK! The country inns were beautiful and epitomized everything I think about when I dream of English country hospitality and style.”