AARP Hearing Center
Did you ever want to take an organized tour but wished that it provided more independence and the ability to customize the experience? Then a self-guided tour, also known as inn-to-inn walking, may be for you.
A hot new trend among American travelers (though it’s been popular in Europe for years), these tours allow participants to follow a detailed itinerary and stay at prebooked accommodations arranged by a company that transports their luggage from hotel to hotel. Tourgoers travel on their own — typically by hiking or biking — rather than with a guided group, so they have more control over their trip and can blend in more easily with residents. Best of all, they don’t have to plan their routes or make their own travel arrangements.
“Travelers are increasingly searching for authentic and immersive experiences, where they have the freedom and confidence to go on their own adventure, at their own pace, without a group or guide slowing them down, hurrying them along and dictating what they can or can’t do,” says Neil Lapping, founder and CEO of Macs Adventure, which offers self-guided hiking and biking trips in 26 countries. Searches by American travelers for such tours surged by 80 percent compared with last year, he says. “We’ve enjoyed a 40 percent increase in bookings.”
“Older people, in particular, are more active than ever,” he adds. “They want to make the most of their health and see the world in a way that feels good for their mind and body.” That sentiment could be applied to retiree Sandy Mattucci, 60, from Newington, Connecticut, who walked Spain’s Camino de Santiago with Macs. “I like the solace and serenity of walking solo,” she says. “With a solitary trek, you find new ways of discovering yourself.”
“It’s … much more personal,” Lapping says. “Group travel … (isolates) you from the place, as the guide is the primary interface, and as a result, group travelers tend to interact more with their own group.”
Unlike Macs, most tour companies offer both guided and self-guided options. Take Country Walkers, which introduced self-guided walking trips 10-12 years ago, then sister company VBT Bicycling Vacations started them in 2021, says Cammy Richelli, VBT’s worldwide director of tour development. “You’re very independent but have the backup of a local host just a phone call away.”
San Francisco retiree Kelly Lowry, 66, chose a VBT self-guided biking trip to Italy’s Dolomites with two friends because “I like to wake up on my own and have my mornings free and … move at my own pace,” she says. “I loved that we were able to stop whenever we wanted.”
Like Lowry, older travelers are taking more hiking and biking trips than ever. According to the Adventure Travel Trade Association, people 45-65-plus make up a staggering 75 percent of clients on adventure trips like those offered by Macs, VBT and Country Walkers. Adventure tour operators prioritize travelers 50-plus, who are tied for the second most important demographic category.
Self-led travel is less expensive than traveling in a group. “It’s more affordable as you are not paying for services such as guides and vans,” Lapping says. Country Walkers’ seven-day self-guided tour “Maine: Portland, Camden & Acadia National Park” starts at $2,045 per person compared with the six-day guided “Maine: Acadia National Park” for $4,095 per person, double occupancy.
Technology makes self-guided tours much easier. “Advances in mobile technology, such as GPS-enabled smartphones and digital mapping, have made the outdoors far more accessible, ensuring ease and safety for all travelers, including older (ones),” Lapping says.
