Walking holidays have undergone a remodel. Gone are the ramshackle refuges that have historically peppered Peruvian peaks, Italian alps and Norweigan fjords and in are tranquil treehouses, country cabins and luxury lodges complete with spas and outdoor hot tubs. We’re dubbing this luxury trekking trend ‘boot-iquing’, and it comes with a swathe of new and refurbished boutique hotels that line some of the world’s best walking trails and national parks. Instead of ending long days in cramped bunk beds and blowup mattresses under precarious-looking tents, kick off your boots beside cozy log burners and wash away walks in salubrious standalone bathtubs. Read on to discover our favourite trails and ‘boot-ique’ properties.
Peru
Go against the grain on the seven-day Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu. Longer and more challenging than the popular Inca Trail, Salkantay is Machu Picchu’s more authentic alternative. But we promise there won’t be a tent in sight. Instead, we recommend breaking up your trek with four indulgent mountain lodges, each boasting contemporary design, gourmet food and outdoor hot tubs. Ease into your first day with a gentle three-hour trek via the Quillarumiyoc archaeological site to your first boot-ique lodge, which comes with stunning, unobstructed views of the majestic Salkantay mountain peak. Next, tackle the challenging seven-hour trek up the Salkantay River Valley to Wayra Lodge, a cosy and remote mountain refuge with a restaurant serving Peruvian-fusion cuisine. Day four will take you into the Cloud Forest to Colpa Lodge, where you’ll spend the night before your six-hour hike along the Santa Teresa River; while your last lodge (before you reach the ancient civilisation of Machu Picchu, and actual civilisation of Aguas Calientes) will place you smack bang in the middle of a lush avocado orchard at the edge of the Amazon. Charming and contemporary, Lucma Lodge is the treehouse of Disney dreams. Enjoy nights by bonfires and early mornings, before beginning your final five-hour stretch to the Llactapata Pass, with locally-sourced coffee and seldom-seen views of the world’s most famous Inca site.
Image by Kevin Faingnaert
Sri Lanka
When you think of walking holidays, Sri Lanka probably won’t be the first place that comes to mind. But it should. Boasting a 37-mile-long trail through tea plantations and forest adjacent to the Knuckles Forest Reserve, a trip here promises to deliver in every sanguine camera shot and description you’ve read in travel books and online. Start at Kandy's 100-acre Ashburnham Estate, where you’ll have plunge pools, waterfalls and high tea atop high hills at your fingertips, before winding your way to Madulkelle Tea & Eco Lodge. Home to just 19 secluded eco lodges and a spa so serene you’ll be at risk of falling into a coma, it’ll feel like a welcome retreat after a hilly five-hour ramble. Then it’s onto Santani, which comes with another sigh-inducing spa, and Rangala House, a converted tea-planters bungalow. Each walking day you’ll cover around 12 miles, with packed lunches and luggage porterage all included.
Italy
Italians are all about la dolce vita, so it makes sense that their contribution to boot-iquing combines cavernous mountain passes with art galleries, spas and Michelin-starred restaurants. On a four-night hike from Val di Fassa, the part hotel part art gallery, Locanda degli Artisti, is the suitably sophisticated starting point for one of the most spectacular footpaths in the Dolomites: the Viel del Pan (Way of the Bread). Trace the footsteps of flour and bread merchants on the seven-mile walk to your second stop and the only refugio of the trip – albeit a refugio with a difference (we’re talking a wine cellar stocked with more than 700 wines). From here, it’s another day in the Dolomites before a quick car ride to your next stay, Hotel Gardena. A Relais & Chateau property, you can guarantee you’ll be in for a good time with its one-of-a-kind spa and Michelin-star culinary creations. Once you’re feeling suitably soothed, it’s a nine-mile hike to Alta Badia and the super-chic Ciasa Salares, the only luxury gourmet hotel in the heart of the Dolomites. With the choice of five restaurants, a lounge bar, cheese and wine cantinas, a chocolate room and a candle-lit wine cellar, you’ll be spoilt for choice. But you’ve earned it, so we recommend going for it all.
Header image by Pia Riverola