Hiking & Walking Tours: Ratings 2, 3, 3-4
Levels 1, 4, 5 apply to custom tours only. When planning a custom tour let us know what kind of terrain and daily distance you are looking for.
Activity Level 2 – Easy to Moderate: You should enjoy walking and feel comfortable walking for 2-3 hours a day on packed dirt trails, wooden boardwalks or cobblestones, for 3–6 miles with elevation gains/losses of up to 1,000′ for several days in a row. To maximize enjoyment of trip activities and to avoid sore muscles, we recommend you prepare your body by exercising regularly for a couple months prior to your trip departure. All exercise is helpful, but we recommend walking (in your boots, or trail shoes), jogging, cycling and/or swimming.
Activity Level 3 – Moderate: You should enjoy hiking, and feel comfortable spending 4–6 hours on a trail for several days in a row and come to your trip prepared to spend about half of the day hiking. The length of daily hikes averages 5–10 miles. Some days might involve some elevation gain / loss, steeper terrain or hiking on rocky trails or in loose sand.
To maximize enjoyment of trip activities and to avoid sore muscles, we recommend you prepare your body by exercising regularly for 3 months prior to your trip. All exercise is helpful, but we recommend hiking on hills (in your boots, or trail shoes, with poles if you use them or are getting accustomed), jogging, cycling, swimming and even doing weight training.
Activity Level 3-4 – Moderate Plus: You need to be in good physical shape to best enjoy the trip activities and to avoid sore muscles. We recommend you prepare your body by exercising regularly for 3 months prior to departure. Hike with a daypack and poles (if you use them or are getting accustomed) and break in new boots before you travel. Regular walking, running, cycling as well as cardio and weight training will all be beneficial. The better shape you are in, the more you’ll enjoy everything your tour has to offer. In some cases, Terracotta Journeys tours are Level 3 (Moderate), with optional sections for those who want more challeging Level 3-4 (Moderate Plus) activity.
