Woman standing on the summit of Ben A’an in Central Scotland, overlooking Loch Katrine and surrounding hills on a clear, hazy morning
Central Scotland

A New Path for Adventure

Rethinking the Way We Travel

Travel is one of life’s great freedoms. Yet freedom comes with responsibility — to tread lightly, to protect the places we love, and to ensure that adventure enriches more than just ourselves.

Self Guided Travel was born from this belief.

We are a publisher and search engine dedicated to sustainable adventure tourism. Our mission is simple: to inspire travellers to slow down, travel lightly, and discover the world with care.

In an age of hurried itineraries and overcrowded destinations, we exist to offer another way — a slower way, rooted in landscapes, local culture, and connection.

What We Do

At Self Guided Travel, we create content designed to inspire meaningful journeys and make them easy to find.

We publish stories and guides about walking, hiking, and cycling holidays across the UK and Europe — the kind of adventures that move at human speed, leaving space to notice, reflect, and connect.

We feature low-impact outdoor activities like kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, and other nature-based pursuits that work with the land and water rather than against them.

We showcase locally owned places to stay — small inns, guesthouses, and cottages rooted in their surroundings, often found along long-distance trails, in National Parks, or near National Landscapes.

Every listing on our platform is chosen for its care for place, people, and planet.
We do not feature mass tourism, chain hotels, motorised sports, or high-impact activities.

Our guiding principle is simple: low-impact travel. That means journeys that leave little trace — nature-focused experiences, active travel once you arrive, and stays that sustain communities instead of exploiting them.

Why It Matters

Modern travel has made the world smaller — but it has also placed pressure on the very places we seek out. Overtourism erodes landscapes and displaces local culture. Communities are too often reduced to backdrops for fleeting visits.

Self Guided Travel stands for the opposite.

We believe adventure should support the places it touches. When you walk from village to village, cycle between coast and hills, or stay in a family-run inn, you keep traditions alive, sustain local economies, and deepen your connection to the places you pass through.

This is the quiet power of slow, self-guided travel: it leaves more behind than it takes.

Our Mission

  • Inspire travellers to explore at their own pace
  • Promote local businesses that care about people, place, and planet
  • Build a trusted platform for sustainable, self-guided adventures

Every result you see on Self Guided Travel supports a better way to travel — one that enriches landscapes and communities instead of depleting them.

Our Vision

We believe the future of travel is slower, lighter, and more meaningful.

Self Guided Travel is building the first dedicated platform for sustainable walking, hiking, cycling, and outdoor adventures — combining inspiring stories with powerful search to connect travellers and local businesses through trust, care, and a shared love for the landscapes we explore.

We are not just showing places to go. We are shaping a movement: a shift away from speed and consumption, and toward presence, connection, and care.

A Publisher and a Platform

We are two things at once:

  • A publisher, sharing stories that inspire — stories of trails and villages, of nature and heritage, of people and places worth knowing.
  • A search engine, built to connect travellers directly with the local businesses who bring these experiences to life.

This combination is our strength. Inspiration brings people in; trusted search helps them take the first step.

Our role is not to own these experiences, but to amplify them — to make it easy for travellers to find self-guided holidays and locally rooted stays, and to choose them with confidence.

Looking Ahead

The world does not need more travel. It needs better travel.

Travel that slows down.
Travel that listens.
Travel that gives more than it takes.

This is the path we walk — and the path we invite you to walk with us.

Because the future of travel will not be measured by how far we go, but by how well we care for the places that carry us.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Self Guided Travel?

Self Guided Travel is a publisher and search engine for sustainable adventure tourism. We feature walking, hiking, and cycling holidays, low-impact outdoor activities, and locally owned places to stay across the UK and Europe.

What makes Self Guided Travel different from other travel sites?

We only feature low-impact, locally rooted experiences. No mass tourism, no chain hotels, no high-impact activities — just carefully chosen adventures that respect landscapes and support communities.

How does Self Guided Travel support sustainability?

We promote slow, active travel and locally owned stays, helping to spread tourism more evenly and reduce environmental pressure. Every experience on our platform is selected for its care for place, people, and planet.

Where does Self Guided Travel operate?

Our platform currently focuses on the UK and Europe, with plans to expand gradually. All our content is designed for self-guided travellers seeking meaningful, low-impact adventures.

Who is Self Guided Travel for?

Anyone who wants to explore on their own terms — walkers, cyclists, nature lovers, and adventurers who value independence, connection, and sustainability.

SELF-GUIDED HIKING HOLIDAYS
FRANCE | PROVENCE
LUBERON & HILLTOP VILLAGES
Hilltop village in the Luberon, Provence, France — classic scenery for self-guided hiking holidays with High Point Holidays.
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High Point Holidays
www.selfguidedtravel.com > explore > high-point-holidays
High Point Holidays | Self Guided Travel

Hilltop villages, vineyards & mountain foothills define southern France — High Point creates self-guided hiking holidays with route notes, local stays & baggage transfers across Provence and beyond.

SELF-GUIDED WALKING HOLIDAYS
SCOTLAND | EDINBURGH
WEST HIGHLAND WAY
Path above Loch Lomond on the West Highland Way, Scotland — classic scenery from self-guided walking holidays with Absolute Escapes.
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Absolute Escapes
www.selfguidedtravel.com > explore > absolute-escapes
Absolute Escapes | Self Guided Travel

Lochside paths, Highland glens & long-distance trails define Scotland — Absolute Escapes creates self-guided walking holidays with planning, stays & luggage transfers, including the West Highland Way.

SELF-GUIDED WALKING HOLIDAYS
IRELAND | GALWAY
WILD ATLANTIC WAY
Cliffs and coves near Dunquin Harbour on the Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry — a highlight of self-guided walking holidays in Ireland with Hillwalk Tours.
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Hillwalk Tours
www.selfguidedtravel.com > explore > hillwalk-tours
Hillwalk Tours | Self Guided Travel

Atlantic headlands, mountain trails & island routes shape Ireland’s west — Hillwalk Tours offers self-guided walking holidays with local stays, route notes & luggage transfers.

SELF-GUIDED WALKING HOLIDAYS
WALES | MONMOUTHSHIRE
WYE VALLEY WALK
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Celtic Trails Walking Holidays
www.selfguidedtravel.com > explore > celtic-trails-walking-holidays
Celtic Trails Walking Holidays | Self Guided Travel

River gorges, woodland trails & border-country paths shape the Wye Valley — Celtic Trails offers self-guided walking holidays with hand-picked stays, route notes & luggage transfers.

SELF-GUIDED WALKING HOLIDAYS
SOUTH WEST ENGLAND | CORNWALL
SOUTH WEST COAST PATH
Steps above turquoise waters at Porthcurno, Cornwall — part of the South West Coast Path, popular with self-guided walking holidays from Encounter Walking Holidays.
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Encounter Walking Holidays
www.selfguidedtravel.com > explore > encounter-walking-holidays
Encounter Walking Holidays | Self Guided Travel

Sea cliffs, surf beaches & coastal lanes frame Cornwall — Encounter offers self-guided walking holidays with accommodation, planning & luggage transfers on the South West Coast Path.

SELF-GUIDED WALKING HOLIDAYS
NORTH WEST ENGLAND | CUMBRIA
LAKE DISTRICT NATIONAL PARK
Scenic view over Windermere in the Lake District, with a stone wall and wooden stile along a hillside walking trail — a classic setting for walking holidays in Cumbria, England.
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Mickledore Walking Holidays
www.selfguidedtravel.com > explore > mickledore-walking-holidays
Mickledore Walking Holidays | Self Guided Travel

Fells, lakeshore paths & classic Lakeland valleys define Cumbria — Mickledore creates self-guided walking holidays with route notes, stays & luggage transfers in the Lake District.

NATIONAL PARK STAY
North Wales | Gwynedd | Blaenau Ffestiniog
ERYRI (SNOWDONIA) NATIONAL PARK
Plas Weunydd Hotel at Blaenau Ffestiniog, set against wooded hillsides in Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park, Wales.
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Plas Weunydd Hotel
www.selfguidedtravel.com > explore > plas-weunydd-hotel
Plas Weunydd Hotel – Snowdonia National Park Stay | Self Guided Travel

Slate hills, mountain paths & industrial heritage frame Blaenau Ffestiniog — Plas Weunydd offers a stylish, adventure-ready stay for walkers exploring Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park.