Take a look at our collection of unique walks in the UK

Following a glorious summer in 2025 with lots of gorgeous walking weather, now is the time to look at a walk in the United Kingdom for 2026! From strolling through fields of gambolling lambs in May, to striding out across the moors in summer or exploring autumnal woodlands, this diverse land has so much to offer.

Our approach to creating walking routes in the UK has been to seek out something truly unique. You won’t find yourself just following the same long-distance trails as everyone else – we’ve found the best local experts to put together imaginative and inspiring holidays that avoid the busier places and take you to lesser-known delights.

We’ve carefully selected the most rewarding walking days and spectacular landscapes, and woven them together with hand-picked hotels, B&Bs and inns to create experiences second to none.

Many of our UK routes make ideal short breaks too, perfect for a quick getaway. Look for our 3-night versions – and on some of them you can even bring your dog to join the fun!

Find your dream walking holiday in England or Wales here

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The spotlight recently fell on northern Italy, as the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics arrived in Milan and the mountain resorts of the Dolomites. The slopes were glistening with fresh snow, and the villages buzz with news of sporting endeavours.

Of course the peaks always look completely fabulous in their winter clothes, but they’re just as beautiful in their summer attire!  Do you fancy walking through pastures dotted with wildflowers and gentle cattle? How about a night in the cosy camaraderie of a mountain refuge, enjoying dumplings with goulash and swapping tales from the trails with fellow hikers? Here’s some inspiration for your alpine adventure.

Our summer route in the Dolomites could be just the thing – but don’t leave it too late to book, as the season is short. Hike from San Candido through mountain peaks and alpine meadows to Cortina, which hosted some of the Olympic events.

Kranjska Gora, at the start of our Slovenian Highlands route, is a popular winter sports venue, but switches to hosting walkers after the snow melts. Our walk is graded Medium, getting you into the heart of the mountains with modest effort!

The mountains of Arcadia in the central Peloponnese are popular for winter breaks, with snow-shoeing, skiing and snowmobiling on the menu. In the warmer months, our walkers on the Menalon Trail enjoy the same great views and stay in some lovely stone-built villages.

The Picos de Europa and Cantabrian hills of northern Spain are busy with sporting activity in winter, but On Foot hikers can use the cable car at Fuente Dé to get up into the peaks with no skis needed! Just relish the gentle walk down from the rocky slopes into a lush green valley.

Skirt round the slopes of Mt Tahtali on your way to the coast in Lycia – this is an unconventional winter sports area, with ‘wild’ skiing and a mountain-top bungee catapult for the brave!  We suggest you keep your feet on the ground…

And for a surprising link to the Olympics – the little town of Much Wenlock, just a few miles from the start of our Welsh Borders walk, was host to a forerunner of the modern Olympics. The first competition in 1850 included athletics and traditional country sports – and a race on penny-farthing bicycles!  Baron Pierre de Coubertin visited the games in 1890, and was inspired to create the International Olympic Committee and the Games as we know them now.

Search here to find the perfect walking holiday for you.

If our new walking route wasn’t enough of a reason to hike through The Southern Cotswolds to the gorgeous city of Bath, there are plenty more!

In the honey-coloured streets, it’s easy to imagine bumping into the novelist Jane Austen round every corner. She lived in the city from 1801 to 1806, and though she grew weary of the superficiality of the social scene, the fashionable spa town appeared as the backdrop to parts of her novels Persuasion and Northanger Abbey.

The architecture of the city today is still very much that of the Georgian town that Austen would have known, with elegant crescents, parks and busy shops. The social scene, however, is now a little different – gone is the rigid class structure centred around dances at the Assembly Rooms, replaced by a more relaxed and inclusive stylishness, with plenty to ‘divert the visitor’ (as Jane might have said).

Visit medieval Bath Abbey in the centre of the town, taste the waters at the Pump Room beside the Roman Baths, relax with a cream tea or a ‘Sally Lunn Bun’. Or just wander the streets and alleyways to take in Pulteney Bridge with its little shops above the river, the stately Royal Crescent, or Sydney Gardens where Austen would have looked for inspiration among the fashionable young people out for a stroll.

There’s lots to see in Bath, for Austen fans and everyone else too!
See what’s happening in Bath here
Austen fans might like to try a guided tour, or drop into the Jane Austen Centre
Bath Abbey
Roman Baths and Pump Room Restaurant
The Holburne Museum
No 1 Royal Crescent

Other entrancing places to visit for echoes of Jane Austen and her characters

Bath is the final destination of our walking holiday, The Southern Cotswolds, but is not the only place on our English routes where you’ll find echoes of Jane Austen and her much-loved characters.

Walk through the luscious green landscapes of Dorset to Lyme Regis on the famous Jurassic Coast. This pretty seaside town sits above a sandy beach leading to a little harbour protected by ‘The Cobb’ – a wide seawall that was the setting for a pivotal scene in Persuasion. Take care on the stone steps, as you won’t want to fall as Louisa Musgrove did – there’s unlikely to be a gallant naval Captain ready to catch you!

Visit stately Chatsworth House, probably the grandest house in Derbyshire, while hiking our Peak District route. It is widely assumed that the home of the Dukes of Devonshire is the model for Mr Darcy’s ‘Pemberley’ in Pride and Prejudice. Indeed, the 2015 film adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel starring Keira Knightley was partly filmed at the house. Austen visited Chatsworth while staying at nearby Bakewell in 1811, and called the town ‘Lambton’ in the novel.

See all On Foot routes in England and Wales

More literary inspiration