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Each journey may begin with a single step, but some require a few more steps than others. 

Here’s the idea: we provide you with expert trail guides, accommodation and porters (where necessary); you bring your legs and a sense of adventure. From the frosted peak of Kilimanjaro and Patagonia’s windswept trails to a more sedate stroll through the rice fields of Vietnam, there’s a calf-stretching trip to suit every level of fitness and expertise. All you have to do is put one foot in front of the other.

Our walking and trekking trips

Trip Name Days From AUD
Kilimanjaro: Marangu Route

8

4420

Thailand Hilltribe Trek

5

645

Patagonia Wilderness

15

8250

Everest Base Camp Trek

15

2090

Annapurna Base Camp Trek

15

1540

Everest Base Camp & Annapurna Circuit Trek

30

3920

Inca Trail Express from Lima

8

2055

Inca Trail Express

7

1565

Sabah Adventure

12

2940

Nepal Family Holiday with Teenagers

11

2410

Serengeti & Kilimanjaro

15

6980

Kilimanjaro & Serengeti Adventure

15

7615

Chiang Mai Adventure

4

540

Mount Toubkal Trek

7

825

Sapa Adventure

5

430

Trek the Cradle Mountain Overland Track

6

1913

Trek the Larapinta Trail

5

2350

Sri Lanka Expedition: Village & Tea Treks

14

2595

Portuguese Camino

10

2420

Walk the Peak District

3

625

Hike Abel Tasman & West Coast Rainforests

8

3225

Walk the Cornish Coast

4

915

Hike Aoraki (Mt Cook) and the Southern Alps

7

3285

Walk the Mornington Peninsula

5

1995

Victoria’s Great South West Walk

5

1995

Walk Hadrian’s Wall Highlights

7

1720

Walk the Cairngorms in Winter

5

1525

Walk the Great Ocean Road

4

1625

Kilimanjaro: Rongai Route

8

4580

Kilimanjaro: Machame Route

9

5255

Trek Armenia: The Transcaucasian Trail

10

2320

One Week in Nepal
Ages 18 to 29

8

815

Epic Everest Base Camp Trek
Ages 18 to 29

15

1913

Walk the East Coast of Tasmania

4

1620

Walk Bruny Island & the Tasmanian South Coast

6

2336

Highlights of Patagonia

8

4315

Safari to Kilimanjaro - Machame Route

17

7860

Walk the Bay of Fires

5

1976

Walk the Wicklow Way

6

2265

The Kokoda Track

10

4630

Walk the Cairngorms in Summer

5

1455

Trek Patagonia

10

5850

Sunshine Coast Walking Winter Adventure

5

1955

Trek Jordan

8

2120

Walk the Jurassic Coast

5

1334

Hike the Pembrokeshire Coast

6

1960

Sacred Land of the Incas

15

4160

Annapurna Homestay Trek

5

540

Sulawesi Expedition: Tana Toraja Trek

11

1805

Broome to Perth Overland

10

2145

Annapurna Circuit Trek

15

1950

Kathmandu Valley Trek

4

555

Everest Base Camp & Gokyo Lakes Trek

19

2750

Tamang Heritage & Langtang Valley Trek

15

1680

Walking vs trekking

Walking

If conquering mountain peaks and fighting the elements sounds a tad extreme for what is, essentially, a holiday – never fear. We’ve got a range of walking trips designed to stretch the legs without making them feel like they’re about to fall off. Hike the grasslands of northern Thailand, wander through rice paddies in Mai Chau or amble along Turkey’s famous Lycian Way. It’s a simple recipe: fresh air, the wild outdoors and not a basecamp in sight.

Trekking

When does a walk become a trek? Probably somewhere between your first yak sighting and that moment when you realise all this mist is made of clouds. Our trekking trips cover some of the most famous routes on the planet – Kilimanjaro, Annapurna, Basecamp, the Inca Trail – but that doesn’t put them out of reach for the eager novice. All you need is a sturdy pair of boots, a bit of pre-trip training and the best guides in the business. That’s where we come in.

Popular walks and treks

Machu Picchu

Kilimanjaro Trek

Mount Toubkal

Everest Base Camp
Annapurna Base Camp

Annapurna Ranges

Essential info

On all of our hikes, your accommodation is pre-booked and your luggage is transferred from one point to the next. All you have to carry is a daypack that contains water, any snacks or gadgets you may want and a few layers to keep you dry and warm. This means you get to enjoy the best of hiking without any of the hassles.

We offer an extensive range of both small group and self-guided walking itineraries all over the world that cover everything from one-day hikes through to itineraries spanning 37 days. Armed with route notes and maps, self-guided walks allow you to explore at your own pace and are perfect for those wanting more independence. Or, if you want to concentrate more on the scenery, join a small group and explore with new friends. All your accommodation will be pre-booked, and your main luggage will be transferred between properties – so all you have to do is strap on your daypack and enjoy the walk!

We have walks ranging from relatively easy to rather challenging. But no matter what degree of difficulty or distance you choose to walk, we recommend that you have a reasonable level of fitness to ensure that you get the most out of your walk or hike. Try to commit to some type of physical training program around six weeks before you depart. Here are some suggestions: Long walks: go on some long walks of 3-6 hours duration before you leave, wearing the boots you’re taking and carrying a small backpack to get comfortable with carrying your gear for long stretches. Aerobic exercise: running, distance cycling and the various aerobic classes offered at gyms (like pump, spin, zumba and circuit classes) all help to give you fitness and stamina. Strength training: doing body weight training like pushups, squats, dips, lunges, etc. helps to build up your muscle strength, which is needed for the steady climb up a mountain if you’re embarking on this type of hike (bootcamp sessions are perfect for this type of training).

You’ll need a comfortable daypack to walk with during the day and another piece of luggage (preferably not too large) for the rest of your gear to be transported or carried by porters or Sherpa (this depends on the walking trip you choose). Sturdy, good quality and well-fitted hiking shoes will make the difference between a great trip and terrible time – make sure you break them in before you go to minimise blisters. For some tips and ideas about what to take, check out Intrepid’s Ultimate Packing List – you won’t need half of what’s mentioned but things like wet-weather gear, a hat, layers of clothing, head torch, bandaids for blisters, water bottle and sunscreen are essential.

On some of our hikes you will encounter high altitudes. When climbing above 2,800 metres (9,200 feet), it is common for travellers to experience some adverse health effects due to the altitude, regardless of your age, gender and fitness. It even happened to Sir Edmund Hillary!

There’s no real way to tell how your body will react to the rigours of altitude trekking, so it is important that you monitor your condition and discuss any prevailing symptoms with your guide. If you have any pre-existing conditions that could be exacerbated by high altitudes, be sure to get them checked out by a doctor before you leave.

But above all, try not to worry, most of our travellers shake off the effects of altitude pretty quickly and enjoy a safe and rewarding trek.

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