Sample trips

Routes to start from

Five routes we have run before, each rebuilt around your dates and your budget: Portugal by rail, a Japan temple week, the Norwegian fjords, Morocco and an Alpine crossing.

These are starting points rather than packages. Each one has been run before, and each gets rebuilt around your dates, your budget and how much sitting still you want.

Portugal by rail, twelve days

Lisbon, Coimbra and Porto with the Douro valley as a day trip, all by train plus one driver for the valley. Two nights minimum in every city, so the trip is not a series of check-outs. Best from March to June and again in September and October.

Japan temple week, ten days

Tokyo, Kanazawa, Kyoto and a single night in the mountains, connected by rail with luggage forwarded between hotels. November for the maples, late March for blossom, and the first week of May avoided because of the holidays.

Norwegian fjords, eight days

Bergen, the fjord crossing at Flam and a night on the far side, with the mountain railway back. Short driving days, long light and room for a weather change. July and August only.

Morocco in nine days

Casablanca, Fes, one night in the desert and Marrakech with the Atlas road between them. A driver throughout, a guide in each city, riads inside the old medinas and two days left unplanned on purpose.

An Alpine crossing, six days

A walking route over three passes with bags moved between valleys, hut beds booked months ahead and a guide for the exposed sections. September, when the huts are still open and the schools are back.

Every route is quoted for your own dates before anything is booked, and the pacing is the first thing we change if the group mixes walkers with people who would rather look at the view from the road.