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Very challenging trekking holidays

A choice of challenging treks from specialist operators. For these trips we recommend previous experience of trekking, preferably at altitude. You will need to be fit, have very good stamina, and be confident that you can to trek for many days without a break. Further information on our walking classifications here

Very challenging trekking holidays
Everest base camp trekking tour
Breathtaking mountain panorams of Everest, from £1065 (16 days) ex flights
Annapurna base camp trek in Nepal
A fascinating insight into the modern hill life of Nepal, from £866 (16 days) ex flights
High Inca Trail trek in Peru
Machu Picchu, Inca fortresses and cloud forest, from £2299 - £2599 (16 days) inc UK flights
Kilimanjaro climb, Rongai route
Ascend Mt Kilimanjaro's Rongai Route, from £2069 - £2749 (10 days) inc UK flights
Snowman trek in Bhutan
The ultimate Bhutan trekking experience, from £4690 (27 days) ex flights
Mont Blanc climbing holiday
The exhilaration of summiting an alpine peak, from £1450 (7 days) ex flights
Annapurna circuit trekking holiday
One of the world's most spectacular treks, from £1188 (23 days) ex flights
Everest trekking holiday, Everest Circuit
3 week trek of Gokyo Lake & Everest Base Camp, from £1595 (22 days) ex flights
Annapurna Sanctuary trekking holidays
One of the very best alpine treks to Annapurna Base Camp, from £1699 - £2229 (16 days) inc UK flights
Everest Base Camp trek & Kala Patar
Savour brilliant, close-up views of Mt Everest, from £855 (18 days ) ex flights
Karakoram Mountains & K2 trekking holiday in Pakistan
Trek the mighty K2, from £2695 (24 days) ex flights
Trekking with Sherpas  in the Everest region
Bespoke Trek in the foothills of the mightiest mountains., from £888 (11 days) ex flights
Huayhuash circuit trek in Peru
The Huayhuash Range, richly glaciated, steep and dramatic, from £2679 - £2999 (22 days) inc UK flights
Patagonia trekking holiday
Trek on the Patagonia Ice Cap, a stunning expedition., from US $2200 (9 days) ex flights
Kokoda Track trekking holiday in Papua New Guinea
Join a challenging walk through WWII battlefields, from £2245 (11 days ) ex flights
Mount Toubkal winter climb, Morocco
Venture into the heart of the High Atlas, from £779 - £939 (8 days) inc UK flights
North Vietnam trekking holiday, Vietnam
Reach for the top of Indochina: Mt. Fansipan in 4 days, from US $294 - US $370 (4 days) ex flights
Guatemala trekking holiday
Traditional Indian villages, coffee plantations and cloud forest, from £2099 - £2199 (16 days) inc UK flights
Rongai Route Kilimanjaro climb and Tanzania safari
Kilimanjaro via the little used Rongai Route, from £2849 - £3529 (13 days) inc UK flights
Trekking holiday in Oman, the SAS route
Retrace the routes of the SAS, from £1895 (8 days) ex flights
Everest Base Camp & Island Peak trek in Nepal
A wonderful trek into the heart of the Khumbu, from £2799 - £3049 (22 days) inc UK flights
Kilimanjaro Machame route climb
Climb Kilimanjaro via the Machame route, from £1620 (7 days) ex flights
Aconcagua ascent climb in Argentina
Climb the highest peak in the world outside the Himalaya, from £4899 - £5239 (22 days) inc UK flights
Chomolhari trekking holiday, Bhutan
An intimate wilderness trek, from £2376 (12 days) ex flights

81 reviews for Very challenging trekking holidays4 star overall rating

These full and frank independent Very challenging trekking holidays reviews are from travellers who have booked directly through responsibletravel.com. They are not edited by us or any of the companies we work with. Find the real story, from real travellers below.

Everest base camp trekking tour
Seeing and interacting with the people who live in the Everest/Himalaya region was the most memorable part. (more)
From £1065 excluding flights
Kilimanjaro climb, Rongai route
Most memorable will be reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro, not without the expert help from the guides, especially Dae. The team were fantastic, helpful, professional, considerate, and made everything as comfortable as possible, they were brilliant.  (more)
From £2069 - £2749 including UK flights
Annapurna Sanctuary trekking holidays
Excellent; an enlightening and refreshing experience... The overall experience of being surrounded by the mountain ranges was truly indescribable. (more)
From £1699 - £2229 including UK flights
Annapurna circuit trekking holiday
The trekking was absolutely amazing! The views each day were breathtaking and the scenery changed by day - we went from lush green paddy fields to rocky morane and isolation to dessert - it was awesome. (more)
From £1188 excluding flights
Trekking with Sherpas  in the Everest region
Words don’t describe what an incredible experience it was for us... but we also had a guide and porter who loved to run like we did, and they had a great sense of adventure and fantastic sense of humor... so it was a blast.  (more)
From £888 excluding flights
Mont Blanc climbing holiday
I think the attempt to reach the summit of Mont Blanc and in spite not having made it due to bad weather conditions it was still nice to have been to the Dome de Gouter. Other moments were the stunning landscapes. (more)
From £1450 excluding flights
Tailormade trekking in Annapurna region
The jungle tour in Chitwan’s national park was fantastic. We enjoyed elephant rides through the jungle, came close to wild rhinoceros and crocodiles and learned about the local wild life, plants and culture. The accommodation was second to none. (more)
From £500 - £1500 excluding flights
Cordillera Huayhuash trekking holiday
The scenery was fantastic and some great days walking/climbing. The optional climb of Diablo Mudo towards the end was tougher than expected but very rewarding - don't miss it!  (more)
From US $2360 excluding flights
Shira route trek up Kilimanjaro
The most memorable part of the holiday was being on top of Kilimanjaro. It was so hard getting there but the beauty at the top made it worthwhile. I would give this holiday 4 stars. I had a brilliant time!  (more)
From £2283 - £2835 including UK flights
Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, tailor made
The most memorable and exciting part of my holiday was Kilimanjaro - reaching the summit despite the cold! (more)
From £1295 excluding flights
Chomolhari trekking holiday, Bhutan
The best experience was caused by a mistake. On one night of the trek we lost our horses & luggage! Our clean socks & toothbrush went one way & we went another. Our guide rescued the situation by arranging us to stay in a yak-herders hut. (more)
From £2376 excluding flights
Hiking holidays in Scotland
Everything that can be recycled or reused is, but yet at the same time this doesn’t effect the quality of the service offered and I feel this certainly adds to the whole experience and ambience of the lodge.  (more)
From £326 - £578 excluding flights
Climbing Kilimanjaro, Machame Route 7 days
The whole trip was wonderful. I was passionate about wanting to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and got 2 friends to agree and with the added incentive of raising money for a charity...Just do it! It is an experience and if you like trekking it is absolutely fantastic....would love to do it again. (more)
From US $1895 - US $2820 excluding flights
Remote trekking holidays in Nepal
The holiday was a good combination of trekking which was some times challenging and sometimes easier. It was a quiet route so not ruined by over crowding. The scenery was exceptional and weather was wonderful.  (more)
From £1425 - £2135 excluding flights
Inca trail holiday, Peru
I would never book with this operator again. Could you pick worse hotels if you tried? (more)
From £1135 - £1250 excluding flights

Holiday Reviews

You can trust responsibletravel.com reviews because, unlike many other schemes, reviews can ONLY be written by people who we have verified have been on the holidays. In addition, we don't run these holidays ourselves - our only interest is giving you the best independent advice.

Read our review policy

Unedited reviews from other travellers

5 stars
I am reborn! Simply the best holiday I have ever been on
4 stars
Some great stories to tell the grandchildren. Would recommend to a friend
3 stars
Very enjoyable
2 stars
It was OK
1 star
A bit disappointing really

Walking holiday classifications

We organise our walking holidays by difficulty & the number of hours you walk each day to help you find the right walking holiday for your level of fitness.

Introductory walking
You do not need previous experience for these trips, but you do need to be in reasonably good health. If you enjoy walking, and will be able to walk for 4-5 hours per day then these trips will be for you. Although these trips are not at higher altitudes, and will have time for rest, remember that the walks will not be flat and that you'll enjoy them even more if you've built up a little stamina!
Moderate walking
If you have walked in the hills at home and are reasonably fit you will enjoy these trips, which will typically involve 5-8 hours walking per day. These trips might involve a day or two of harder and steeper walking, but generally walking conditions will be good.
Strenuous walking
Fitness is important for these trips, and you'll need to improve your stamina before you depart. You should expect to walk in mountainous terrain, usually at significantly higher altitudes than at home, for between 6 to 8 hours per day. You will either have trekked before, or be confident of your fitness.
Very challenging trekking
We recommend previous experience of trekking. You will need to be fit, have very good stamina, and be confident that you can to trek for many days without a break. You will be able to cope with difficult underfoot terrain such as scree, snow or difficult paths on steep mountainsides. Extremes of altitude and weather may also be encountered and walking days can be from 6 to 9 hours.
High altitude trekking
If you want to get away from it all and up into some of the highest and most spectacular mountain ranges in the world then here are some awesome treks for you! As you will be at altitude you will need to be in good health, and have good stamina and fitness for those uphill days. You should expect some long days, cold temperatures, high altitudes, and some tough terrain in simply spectacular scenery.
Climbing
A choice of climbing holidays from specialist operators. For these trips we recommend previous climbing experience, preferably at altitude or the confidence to learn as you go. You will need to be fit, have very good stamina, and be confident that you can climb in demanding conditions.
Wilderness trekking
We've selected these treks for you based on their remoteness and beauty. If you prefer to enjoy the solitude of the mountains away from too many other people then these treks are for you. You'll need a reasonable level of fitness and you will enjoy walking, but these trips are more about enjoying the surroundings than searching out really tough treks.
Walking safari
There is no better way of really experiencing wildife and wildlife habitats than getting out on foot to see and track game. Your safety will be paramount and you will be accompanied by expert guides. It might involve anything from a 3-4 hour walk from camp, to a mobile safari over several days moving from camp to camp. You'll will simply need to be able to walk for 3-4 hours.
Self guided walking
If you prefer to avoid groups and guides, or want create your own group, then a self guided walk is for you. No previous experience is needed.
Charity treks
Charity treks are ideal for people who don’t only want to travel responsibly, but also want to give that little bit extra and help contribute towards a favourite charity. All of our charity treks are either run by charities, or contribute a significant proportion of the cost of the holiday to a good cause.
Summer walking
Want to enjoy the fields, meadows and mountains in the summer sunshine? No previous experience required, just an enjoyment of walking and the outdoors.
Winter walking
Are you looking to get away during the winter months to enjoy an invigorating winter walk? No previous experience required, just an enjoyment of walking and the outdoors.
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