Walking Holidays: The Slow Way to See the World

What exactly is a walking holiday? At its heart, a walking holiday is a travel experience built around moving on foot—day by day, mile by mile—through landscapes, villages, forests, hills, and byways. Instead of hopping between hotels and major attractions, you traverse the terrain, allowing your senses to deepen, to slow down, and to absorb subtle details around you. Walking holidays are about journeying through rather than arriving at.

When done well, they offer more than just vistas and steps: they are an immersive, local, and sustainable way of exploring a region. You carry your pace; you carry your curiosity.

Knowhere Travel Co

Founded in 2019, Knowhere Travel Co. curates sustainable properties and immersive experiences that focus on ecology, heritage and indigenous culture. By supporting local communities and being more conscious about their carbon footprint, they hope to make people rethink the way they gain new experiences in new places.

In the burgeoning world of experiential travel, they stand out for their commitment to run responsible, grounded, and meaningful journeys. Their walking holidays aren’t just about ticking off trails—they are built on a philosophy of community, context, and care.

Walking Holidays with Knowhere Travel Co

The season for both their flagship walking holidays have just begun. Conceived as the perfect balance of active holidaying, nature therapy and cultural immersion, these experiences are like no other.

The Binsar Forest Trail

Set in the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttarakhand, this walk winds through oak, rhododendron, and pine forest at altitudes between roughly 1,500 and 2,500 meters. The sanctuary is rich in biodiversity and is home to more than 200 species of birds, wildlife, and many hamlets tucked among forested valleys.

The walk starts at Kathgodam, and guests move from village to village inside Binsar sanctuary and stay at one of the many guesthouses managed by the local communities that retain local architecture.

The walking distances are kept moderate, with gentle terrain for most portions so that a wide range of travellers (ages 6–65+) can participate.

Highlights for the Binsar Forest Trail include

• The villages are not just stops but hosts: the lodging, meals, and guiding are all run locally, sharing economic benefit.
• Ecology is front and centre: wildlife, birding, forest ecology, flora/fauna are woven into the walk. Guides are from the local region, trained to interpret the forest, its species, and culture.
• Enjoy traditional Kumaoni cuisine throughout the journey.

This is a 7D 6N walk with fixed dates running through the season,
19 October - 25 October
02 November - 08 November
16 November - 22 November
24 December - 30 December
26 December - 01 January.

Sweet Valley Crossing

Traverse over the valleys of Saryu and Pindar, a 4-hour drive from Almora, Uttarakhand, almost within touching distance of the great Himalayan summits.

On this 8-day journey, experience superlative mountain scenery, traditional Himalayan lifestyles, pristine forests, colourful villages, authentic food, and splendid wildlife across varying habitats between altitudes of 2000m to 3400m above sea level.

Highlights for the Sweet Valley Crossing include

• A mix of style: traditional guesthouses, tented camps, and heritage properties. You get both rustic charm and high-altitude magic with views of peaks, alpine meadows, and valleys converging with river corridors.
• Deep cultural immersion: villages in the Saryu and Pindar valleys retain traditional lifestyles (agriculture, weaving, local crafts, etc.). Guides and hosts are locals. The food is cooked over a wood fire using farm-fresh produce.
• Ecology & challenge: because of higher altitudes, some steeper walks, and more rugged camps, there is a need for better fitness and acclimatisation, but the reward is high in scenery and solitude.

Altitude is a consideration for this holiday; the base altitude of 2000m shouldn’t cause any problems, but the tented camp is on a ridge at 3100m. A good level of fitness is required - the terrain should suit anyone who enjoys fairly energetic day walks at home or has done a long trek or two in the past.

This is an 8D 7N walk with fixed dates running through the season,

19 October - 26 October
02 November - 09 November
30 November - 07 December

Responsible practices with Knowhere Travel Co

Their holidays aim to remain responsive to the changing nature of the fragile Himalayan ecosystem and its people. They conceptualize holidays that focus on the preservation of the forest and traditional livelihoods. This is augmented with low-key tourism experiences that do not intrude on the lives of the communities. This is why we encourage small groups of no more than six guests at a time.