Small-group adventure company Wilderness Travel is inviting travelers to explore Europe’s most captivating corners as well as the Himalayas with a lineup of new itineraries for 2026. The European collection brings together remote mountain ranges, hidden coastlines and vibrant cultures across the continent. Then, in India, Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan, journeys blend breathtaking trekking routes with meaningful cultural immersion.
Mediterranean Marvels
“Hidden Treasures of Crete” is an 11-day Mediterranean journey that uncovers the island’s “mythic past and wild interior”—exploring mountains with sea views, ancient footpaths, tiny villages full of character and seaside gorges.
Looking west from Crete to Sicily’s northeast coast, you’ll find the seven Aeolian Islands, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is the setting for Wilder Travel’s nine-day “Volcano Trails of the Aeolian Islands & Sicily” tour, combining volcano hikes and coastal walks with Old World cuisine.
The company’s brand-new nine-day “Ultimate Corsica” adventure takes travelers along sections of the GR20, a 112-mile hiking trail across the island’s rugged interior and one of the most challenging multi-day mountain trails in all of Europe. Wilderness Travel combines this hiking itinerary with various multi-sport opportunities, including cycling, kayaking and canyoneering.
Northern Adventures
In Europe’s northern reaches, the company’s new 13-day “Coastal Walks in Denmark & Sweden” trip is a walking adventure that explores medieval towns, Viking heritage, nature reserves and sandy beaches below towering cliffs. The journey includes Roskilde’s 11th century Viking ships, the 18th-century lanes of Aero Island, Møns Klint and medieval Visby, before wrapping up in Gotland.
Further east, history and heritage take center stage on the brand-new “Exploring the Pearls of the Baltics” walking trip, a 13-day itinerary that journeys through Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Largely untrodden by most travelers, each of these three European gems offer medieval villages, hilltop castles and biologically diverse national parks.
The U.K.’s northern islands are also rich in culture and heritage, and on the new 10-day “Hiking Scotland’s Northern Isles: Orkney & Shetland” tour, travelers will explore these islands’ wild trails and natural treasures along coastal walks and across moorlands.
Central Europe’s Trails & Traditions
For those drawn to the heart of the continent, the 10-day “Hiking the Carpathians: Budapest to Kraków” adventure will take travelers across Hungary, Slovakia and Poland by foot through the great Carpathian range, Europe’s second largest mountain chain. Starting in Hungary, hiking through limestone mountains and rich beech forests, the trip then crosses the border into Slovakia on foot. It goes on to explore a UNESCO-listed cave system as the group makes its way to Poland along the alpine terrain of the High Tatras, the highest part of the Carpathians. The trip ends in Kraków, one of the best-preserved medieval cities in the world.
The Western Himalayas
Awe-inspiring Ladakh is a vast moonscape of 20,000-foot peaks that surround stone-built villages and an ancient cultural heritage. In this Buddhist realm in the Western Himalayas, this small-group guided adventure includes hikes to traditional villages, visits to the grand hilltop monasteries of the Indus Valley and explorations of the once-forbidden Nubra Valley. Guests will also watch the sun set atop a massive statue of the Maitreya Buddha and witness the Phyang Tsedup Festival and its pilgrimage.
This 12-day “Hiker’s Journey to Ladakh” is well-suited to culturally curious and active travelers who are prepared for moderate to strenuous daily activity. Elevations on this trip range from 10,680 to 17,580 feet, and average hiking/walking times each day are between two to four hours on moderate trails that can be rocky and rugged.
Sacred Himalayan Mountain Kingdoms
From the chanting of monks at Buddhist temples to snow plumes trailing from high peaks to the traditions of Kathmandu Valley, the 15-day “Treasures of the Himalayas: Tibet, Nepal & Bhutan” cultural hiking journey brings you up-close with the sacred cultural heritages of these Himalayan Mountain kingdoms.Starting in Chengdu, China, with a visit to the panda breeding center, guests then head to Lhasa, Tibet’s holy city, to walk alongside pilgrims. Next, the itinerary takes guests to Nepal to explore Kathmandu’s narrow lanes, and then on to Bhutan to visit its iconic sites, including the “Tiger’s Nest.”
This trip is rated easy-to-moderate and while it’s not physically strenuous, elevations range from 4,000 to 13,700 feet and some travel days can be long and demanding.
