Here's a RoadScholar hiking trip I did and really enjoyed. Unfortunately the single slots have filled up for this year. I might call and put myself on a waiting list.
Close to home, so a good trial for you.
https://www.roadscholar.org/find-an-...ondacks/dates/

If you want walking tours, check out Country Walkers -
https://www.countrywalkers.com/find-...urn=2026-12-31
They have self-guided and group walks. That's the link to the group tour options.

There's really something for everyone. A friend since the 80s has been doing equestrian tours in France and just took another one.

That link above includes the Camino.

If the Camino interests you in any way, Sean Dietrich just blogged his experience on the Camino.

Several friends have done the Camino and everyone does it a bit differently, from truly DIY style to preplanned overnights with vans taking your gear to the next night's stop. One friend did it from Paris, with the France section before the Spanish section. HIs blog was fascinating. Evidently signage is horrendous in the French part of it. If I were to do a group walking tour, I'd want to find out how much flexibility there is. The guide for the Normandy tour that I didn't love got very impatient with the two slow walkers in our group, just in small villages. I would hate to be on a week long walking/ hiking tour with that particular mix of people. It's fascinating to read Camino blogs where pilgrims reappear and disappear along one's walk and night stays along the journey.

Add me to the glad to see you, tom42. What worked for me after Rhody died was setting my own agenda, then looking for tours for individual venues. Having enough 'alone' was a need for me.

The mother of a friend fell and broke her hip on a Road Scholar trip in Greece; their evacuation insurance through RS got them stellar care.

Looking forward to your report.

Nice to see you too. And that’s a good idea about getting to your destination and then looking for tours of specific venues. Elberkos mention of the Adirondacks led me to research it a bit. I found a nice hotel right on Lake Saranac. I’d guess there are guided hiking tours available. I’ll look into that. I’m currently in the middle of a total kitchen renovation so I’m looking to get away sometime in July or August.

Hi Tom. I don't really have anything to add that hasn't already been posted.
I just want to say how wonderful it is to hear you are planning on traveling again
Baby steps.

If you are looking for hiking guides, this may be a good resource -
https://www.lakeplacid.com/do/outdoors/guides

If you are looking for ways to get out into the outdoors and maybe also meet people, volunteering at events at the NY/ NJ trail conference may be a good option -
https://www.nynjtc.org/events/?_paged=2
There are workdays, ongoing long term trail projects, tours and talks available.
(A family member used to work for the conference)

Good to see you, Tom!

Several people we know—couples and singles—are very happy with their experiences with OAT—Overseas Adventure Travel.

My husband and I most often do independent travel and will sometimes book guides for day trips or special tours. On the few Road Scholars trips we have done, the day’s activities were planned for the entire group—talks, meals, bus rides, walking tours, venues. Free time and very few meals are left to your own discretion. With very few exceptions, everyone was congenial and welcoming to all the other group members.

Only a little off-topic: As you no doubt know, the Erie Canal is 200 years old this year. If you do drive to Saranac Lake, you may be following the route of the canal part of the way. I’d check to see if there are any special events to plan for. (Or you may be getting enough of the celebrations without leaving home!)

Oh wow. You guys are great.

julies- thank you for taking the time to write such a comprehensive post. Such good tips for me. And it inspires me (although you are way more adventurous than me!).

k_marie- I’m a little embarrassed to say that I did not realize it was the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal, even though I walk on it at least four times a week. I haven’t heard of any special events in my area but I’m sure there will be.

tom42, I am sorry we won't get to meet you on our Costa Rica trip but took forward to hearing about the adventure you choose.

It's nice to see you here again, Tom, and all these responses illustrate Fodorites at our collective best,

After my first wife passed away, I went on two ancient-history-themed tours to Turkey and Jordan with Andante Travels, a UK-based company that specialized in that sort of thing. As a single traveller (and I was not the only one), I felt welcomed and comfortable. Those tours were highly informative and well organized. But that was 15 years ago, so I have no idea what they are like now.

I can, however, make one additional suggestion about small-group guided hiking. While my wife and I prefer self-guided long-distance walks (typically supported with luggage transfers and pre-arranged accommodation), we did book with a company called Wilderness Scotland. We were part of a group of eight, three from the UK, two from the U.S, and three from Canada. Four of the group were couples, the others were solo travellers. We spent a week hiking in Cairngorms National Park, enjoying a variety of trails of varying lengths and difficulty. Our guide was extremely personable, extremely knowledgeable, and very thorough in making us all safe and comfortable, and that included choosing the daily walks to fit our collective abilities (and to dodge the rainiest weather ).

Wilderness Scotland (https://www.wildernessscotland.com) has two companion companies called Wilderness Ireland and Wilderness England. Amongst the three of them, they offer a host of magnificent walking (cycling, too, for those that want) at various grades of difficulty.

If your heart ever leans towards long-distance self-guided walking, just sing out. There are some excellent companies who offer that sort of thing, and I could recommend three of them.

I forgot to mention that you really should choose a couple areas you are truly interested in visiting. Then google small group adventure company hiking or walking (hiking is considered more strenuous) tour. The other thing you need to figure out is if you want a trip that is solely nature-based and hiking/walking or if you want a mix of activities and also want to do some sightseeing.

Here is an example of northern Spain using the company Yellowwood Adventures.

https://yellowwoodadventures.com/countries/spain

Of the three different available tours, I chose the one with a level 3 which is considered entry level. "You need to be in good physical health to enjoy your active holiday, but you don’t need to be an experienced hiker. These itineraries offer a mix of sightseeing and easier walking for around 2-4hrs a day, with the emphasis on sights and cultural experiences. Walks will be well marked or on defined pathways, and often around sites of interest. The expected amount of descent/ascent will depend on the landscapes of the destination, but will not exceed 400m/day, and will often be much less. Walks are at low altitude (below 3000m). You will not be required to carry more than a day sack with water and essentials."

One of the tours in this area is rated as challenging. This is their definition of challenging:
"You need to have a good level of fitness with previous experience of trekking. Extra training before your trip will ensure that you get the most out of your adventure. Areas will be remote and terrain uneven. Expect to walk for 5 – 8 hours a day, not including breaks, with some very steep ascents and descents. You will be walking at altitude (over 3000m but not higher than 5000m)."

So, figure out where you want to go, your fitness level, and your desired amount of exertion. That should help you narrow down your choices.

When we traveled independently, we always designed trips that were a mix of various activities, and I have been trying to replicate that style as much as possible in the tours I have taken.

I see my thread has been moved out of the Lounge. That's unfortunate. But for the loungers who also check travel tips, I give the following update. I decided not to pursue any small group tours at this point. Instead, I booked three nights at the Inns of Aurora, which is right on Cayuga Lake (one of the Finger Lakes). It looks amazing and has everything I want for this trip - walking and hiking trails, kayaks, a spa, and a restaurant that is supposed to be very good. And it is only a 2.5 hour drive from me. I am going July 6-9. Thanks for all the input on tours. Even though I decided against it now, the information will be helpful in the future.

You have to do what is best for you and this trip sounds perfect.
I hope you have an enjoyable time.
I'm happy you are moving forward. Baby steps.

thanks schmerl.

No way to know how you feel about group travel til you try it. We started with a five day Road Scholar one and got hooked.

So easy. Better food and hotels than expected. Enough free time for me…some trips have more than others.

No waiting for slow pokes. no stopping for shopping. Solo travelers welcomed warmly. Nice people.

Group size has ranged from 22-26.

I can relate to what you’re looking for. I used to travel more independently, but recently I tried small group tours in Morocco with a local company, and it completely changed the way I experienced travel. I’ve gone twice now once with friends and another time with family and what I really appreciated was how they balanced culture with nature. We hiked in the Atlas Mountains, explored valleys and oases, and even spent a night under the stars in the Sahara.

It felt very immersive, but also stress-free, since everything was well organized. That’s what I think makes small group tours special: you get the depth of local insight and the companionship of fellow travelers, while still enjoying plenty of nature.

I don’t have direct experience with Road Scholar, but if you’re drawn to natural landscapes and want something different from Europe’s city trips, I’d definitely recommend considering Morocco or a similar destination. Having a reliable tour guide made all the difference for me, it turned the trip into something meaningful and memorable.

I have taken 2 active (cycling) trips with Road Scholar in Europe. Clients are self-selecting and make for an interesting, dynamic and curious group to travel with. I especially appreciate the no shopping or stopping in factories, workshops etc. aspect of their tours.