5 New European Hiking Adventures For 2025

Adventure travel companies have just rolled out their new European trips and destinations for 2025. Based on the current travel season, which has seen large numbers of Americans heading off for active vacations in the “Old World,” it’s not too early to plan and sign up now for next year’s travels. Here’s a look at five new trips.

Classic Journeys

Classic Journeys has unveiled the Dolomites Cultural Walking Tour for 2025. In a mountain landscape that can be challenging, the company says that it has “drawn on the knowledge of our exceptionally well-connected local guides to curate a unique walking and hiking experience, where you can be inspired, not intimidated.” They amend the walks with ski lifts and gondolas to access easy to moderate trails. Hikers get the same alpine meadows and views “but without the hut-to-hut overnights or the need to clip into a cable.” Daily mileage options range from three to nine miles per day, The trip is priced from $6,095, based on double occupancy, as are all trips mentioned here.

Wilderness Scotland

Highlights of Shetland and Orkney from Wilderness Scotland is a 10-day exploration of the two island chains that lie off the northern coast of Scotland. It’s all about cliff walks, sea stacks, and dramatic ocean vistas. It’s a land of vast colonies of sea birds, including guillemots, fulmars, puffins, and kittiwakes. It’s a trip that includes exploring sea caves and nature reserves and a boat trip between the island chains. This is a “Green” graded trip, so easy walks and hikes. It is priced from $4,394.

Backroads

Backroads’ 2025 trips include the debut of Home Base, a new category of active luxury adventures offering the ease of unpacking just once at a single property specially chosen for its picturesque location, plush amenities, and access to incredible hiking. England's Cotswolds Home Base Walking & Hiking Tour is a five-day trip centered at Estelle Manor, a glorious country house hotel set on 60 acres in Oxfordshire and featuring Roman-inspired baths and a spa. Daily walks are rated between Levels 1 and 3 (out of 5) and priced from $5,199.

Wilderness Travel

Wilderness Travel has created the Ultimate Haute Route for avid hikers, a 12-day immersion in the Alps that begins in Chamonix, France, the mountaineering capital of Europe at the foot of Mont Blanc, and concludes in the Swiss resort of Zermatt, Switzerland. This is the Haute Route pioneered in the mid-19th century by the British Alpine Club and remains one of Europe’s favorite long-distance hikes. Wilderness Travel’s “ultimate” version offers 11 hiking days, with two overnights in remote hike-in lodges, the better to savor alpenglow on the high peaks. Rated 5+ Strenuous, the most challenging rating of their trips, distances range from seven to 10 miles per day, with 2,500 to 3,000-foot altitude gains and losses. The trip is priced from $7,795.

Trek Travel

Trek Travel, long a leader in bike tours, got into the walking and hiking business in 2024 with their first four trips. For 2025, they’re offering a French and Italian Alps Hiking & Walking Tour. The six-day walk gives you a taste of the famed Tour du Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest peak and most famous circuit walk. The walk includes traveling through the French Alps and into the Italian Alps, walking in the famed Col de la Seigne, crossing the border by gondola from Chamonix to Courmayeur via the Aiguille du Midi, and exploring the challenging Beaufortain region. Rated 4 (out of 5) for difficulty, the trip is priced from $4,399.