Tour Styles

Each of our tours has been labelled with both an activity and a tour style, to help you understand how the trip works and what to expect.

Our tours come in many shapes and sizes! And in addition to things like the activity level (how easy or challenging the trip will be) and the accommodations level (what to expect from your accommodation) the actual format of the trip itself can vary a lot.

Self Guided

Self guided vacations are at the heart of the Macs Adventure ethos as we believe the best way to explore the world is on your own terms. Choose from our active adventures walking or biking from destination to destination or our discovery tours focusing on exploring an area’s stunning views, history, culture and food while driving or catching the train to your destinations. We deal with the logistics, book your accommodations, transfer your bags (on active tours) and map your route on our user-friendly smartphone app. All you need to do is walk, bike or drive to the next stop and have a great time. There is no guide, no set time to get up and going, no group to keep up with, just you and everything you need to make your trip a rip-roaring success. Try the West Highland Way, the Alpine joy of the Tour du Mont Blanc, pilgrimages across Spain to Santiago de Compostela or explore Scotland on a self-drive Grand Tour.

Private Guided

Our aim is to make every trip as personal and immersive as possible. We want you to get the absolute most out of your experience and on some of our trips we offer personal, private guides so that you have the experience of completing the journey with a trusted leader at your side. Sometimes you need a guide because the route is too wild to travel alone. Alternatively, there are some areas where a local guide can show you the hidden gems and give depth and context to your experience. We can accommodate a variety of group sizes into our privately guided trips. Whether you want to get a group together to get up to Everest Base Camp, or you want to go solo to reach Annapurna Sanctuary, we will escort your adventure in style.

Small Group Guided

There are some parts of the world where travel as part of a small guided group is the only way to go. For example, if you want to walk the Inca Trail, local regulations stipulate that you hike with a qualified and registered guided. Wherever we offer small-group tours, we maintain the Macs ethos of flexible travel by ensuring we choose the best available local guides and we try to offer as much independence as possible. The porters and guides who transport your packs along the Inca Trail are invaluable, and your guide on the Laugevegur Trail in Iceland will keep you safe and share their knowledge of the wilderness with you.

Independent Adventure

Choose the best of both worlds! Our Independent Adventures offer a mix of self guided freedom and the added insight of a guide. You will still enjoy flexibility and independence, but some activities and visits will be guided to enhance your experience and enable you to visit remote areas or take part in fun but technical activities. For instance on our Cotopaxi Trails tour in Ecuador, you are free to walk on your own and at your own pace, however on the first day we will take you on a guided tour of Quito to introduce you to this amazing city. On the last day, we will arrange for a guide to take you up to the snowline on Cotopaxi, the highest mountain in Ecuador and an active volcano!

Activity

Drive & Hike

Enjoy the best of a large region by car and on foot. Day hikes in the best places and itineraries usually inn to inn, with mapping provided. No bag transfer. Car hire offered as an option or included.

Rail & Hike

Mix the joys of travel by train with the best walks accessible from the rail-line. Travel inn-to-inn by train and enjoy hikes from each stopping point. Allows you to see more of the destination as you are traveling overland but also on foot. A very sustainable way of traveling. Rail fare included - no luggage transfers as you can take bags on the train.

Pilgrim Trail

Follow a traditional pilgrimage trail, usually inn-to-inn in classic Macs style with luggage transfer. For many a spiritual experience rather than an active adventure as the aim. History and camaraderie of other pilgrims is often a highlight. The most famous of all pilgrim trails is the Camino de Santiago.

Inn to Inn

The classic Macs Adventure style - follow a route/trail by walking or biking from place to place each day, over-nighting in characterful accommodations, which is usually a small hotel or guest-house style of lodging (see more about our accommodations levels here). Your luggage will be transferred each day (unless otherwise specified), leaving you to enjoy the day's activity at leisure.

Hut to Hut

Usually in remote mountain areas - hike from hut to hut (often known as "refuges"). Luggage transfer is sometimes included but this is often not available on some days, due to the remote locations. Your itinerary will always specify this. Facilities are often shared, and rooms may be dormitory style. Generally these are harder hikes and suited for experienced hikers in stunning alpine terrain.

Multi Center

Classic Macs Adventure style, very similar to Inn to Inn, but lingering in the best places - staying 2 or more nights in each accommodation to enable more exploration. More relaxed style of walking or biking vacation as you could opt to skip a day's activity, but this format still offers a sense of journey.

Single Center

Stay in one comfortable lodging - no re-packing needed! A relaxed option which will include day walks or bike rides from your hotel, so you can change the order of the daily activities, or spend the occasional day resting in the hotel or exploring the town. Great for less experienced adventurers, or those who want relaxation or flexibility.

Camp to Camp

Move daily from place to place, but with a cook and camp crew who will set up tents each night and provide food and camaraderie. Usually guided.

Bike & Boat

Stay on a comfortable river barge, your floating hotel for the duration of the trip, which means no packing and unpacking as your cabin follows you along the bike path! Ride on a mix of dedicated bike paths and low to medium traffic roads. Often (but not always) these vacations offer a guide.

Road Biking

Routes designed to be ridden on road bikes - all on tarmac, the majority or all of the riding is on roads used by vehicles, longer distances with more ascent and descent.

Mountain Biking

Routes designed to be ridden on mountain bikes - Often on off-road tracks and trails, some of the riding may be technical so experience and skills are required, occasional on-road sections.

E-Biking

Leisure biking routes where we offer the option to hire an e-bike - Enjoy an extra power boost from the battery to assist on hills and if you are feeling tired!

Multi-Activity

Multiple activities will be available to enjoy! This might include kayaking, horse riding, or sailing.

Multi-Centre Discovery

On this discovery tour spend a mix of multiple nights in more than one location, but on some tours this may be combined with only one night in a place too.

Single-Centre Discovery

The accommodation on this discovery tour is in one main location, which means you can unpack your bags for the duration of your trip. A very sustainable way of travelling.

Self-Drive Discovery

A tour where you can travel from A to B at your own pace exploring the sights en-route.

Discovery by Rail

A very sustainable way of travelling. Explore by train, sightseeing at each place you stop and overnight. See the views from the train as you relax.

Inn to Inn Discovery

A classic discovery tour staying in a different location each night.

Search for Your Ideal Adventure!

Use our tour search to find a route or destination of choice and use the filters to narrow down your search to the ideal activity and tour style.

Anonymous 20/05/2022

Communication was difficult. We were 5 people spread across 2 countries. Macs should have set us up as individuals travelling on the same independent tour however they set us up as a "group tour" which did not work at all and made everything more difficult. They would not change this arrangement for some reason that was never explained to us - even after repeated emails from us to tell them that this arrangement was not working and that we were individuals who didn't even all know each other. From initial confirmations, to payments, to delivery of information packages, to delivery of our necessary travel information, to emails with the wrong names - NOTHING was easy with Macs. It was our worst experience with a travel agent for this type of independent trip.
Anonymous 19/05/2022

Efficient, well organized, as advertised.
Mrs Katharine Caldwell 18/05/2022

It was helpful to have a contact in the US prior to our departure. The hotels were fantastic, as was the on the ground team through Portuguese Adventure travel. However, it was extremely difficult to try to manage both the Macs Adventure app, the Portuguese app, plus the booklet information, and other on- line materials. Our group suggests that the materials should be coordinated in one location. Also, having to look at one’s phone all day for routes took away from the joy of simply walking. It would be good to have a printed map option along with a narrative description of the walk.
Anonymous 17/05/2022

Hi there, Have traveled with two other times with Macs before and always had a good experience. This time email responses were very slow, requests for additional services or information required two or three additional emails reminders to get a response. We had an issue with an aggressively rude lodging host, who had messed up our booking, and when we requested a room that matched our reservation (two beds) he went so far as to suggest that we sleep outside. When emailed Macs afterward got a kind of . . .meh . . .whatever reply. Sounds like your staff is over stretched. Tee Travel did a great job of getting our bags to where they needed to be every day on time.The hotels chosen were generally good, and in good locations. Some hotels were extraordinary. However, one day the hotel booked was pretty far out of town, at a uninspired golf resort (???). An option closer to town or in town would have been kinder to foot weary hiking guests who had already put in many km's by the time we arrived to the hotel. After a long day with sore feet, wasn't up for another walking another km into town get dinner. Generally a good experience would book with Mac's again.
Ms Christine Johnson 15/05/2022

Accommodation good - bag transfer good. Some of information provided is no longer current - eg. bag collection at premier inn is now 8 am not 9 am. Taxi fare from airport to Milngavie now 30 pounds plus - not 18 pounds! Post Covid, with people eager to travel - these details - meal availability and packed lunches; bag transfer; alternative transport - buses; taxis; availability of public toilets,etc. needs to be reviewed urgently. The trail itself needs maintenance and upgrade - better signage; and wooden steps on bridges rotted out and broken. Exposure to the elements and high traffic on this trail. Most of us fell more than once! Distances were consistent - though this trail is not for the feint hearted - and customers need to be aware that the terrain can be very challenging in parts! Weather was superb and scenery spectacular!
Mrs Hilary Lowe 14/05/2022

Excellent service from start to finish apart from our last accommodation which had changed from what we and our luggage handlers were instructed which caused a few anxious moments at the end. Once we had received a response to our telephone message and knew where we were staying, all was fine. Wouldn’t put me off booking with Mac again.
Mrs Natalie Towle 14/05/2022

Excellent communication before and during the trip. We cancelled a transfer then reinstated it, and also altered another one. Always quick to answer the phone and get back to us speedily with new plans. Slightly out of date with the pick up point in cold Ashton. The café was called Cold Ashton Café, now has reopened as Ell's Café but opening hours are only until 3pm. It was fine weather when we were there, but would have been tricky waiting for a taxi in the rain if after 3pm. But I don't think there is an alternative venue for pick up in Cold Ashton. Even the taxi didn't know the new name. It's a small point! Generally the service, from our initial enquiry, through booking, planning, and during our trip, was excellent! In general, we prefer small B&Bs to larger hotels. They are more personal and you get to meet other walkers. I know we booked late so guess the choice wasn't so wide.
Anonymous 14/05/2022

Our experience of Mac was riddled with issues sadly on the lead up from booking to travelling eg billing overcharged , lack of confirmation regards hotel in Compostella, failed promises of returned calls and so on and worst of all poor planning which left us with a daily walk twice the maximum distance we requested. However when we did arrive at Sarria the Camino was a great experience, accommodation was acceptable, bags were moved as expected and wine awaited us in the room on first night by way of an apology from Mac. I would hesitate to use Mac again simply because they market themselves as expert self guided tour operators but in our experience their lack of knowledge about distances and geography was poor .
Dr. Melissa White 13/05/2022

Well organised route, hotels, luggage service. Suggest more en route contact and follow up.
Anonymous 12/05/2022

We just got back from hiking the Stevenson Trail, a fantastic adventure! Thanks to Cara and her colleagues for helping us plan the trip, coordinate all the accommodations and baggage transfers, and provide some mid-trip help. Everything went as planned. We made our decision and paid our deposit kind of late in the game, but Cara and staff made it happen. It is a challenging and fun hike through gorgeous country, where you will meet friendly, fun hikers and hosts. The Stevenson Trail has some difficult parts, but entirely doable, even for those of us over 65. We loved it! A couple words of caution: we didn't encounter much English which was ok for us, but some people might want to brush up on their school French. Also, several accommodations did not have bathrooms and/or toilets in the room. That was ok for us, but some folks might not want to walk down the hall to use the to toilet. This could have been a function of our late booking of the trip, but did not detract from the trip a bit. All in all, a great trip. We will use Macs Adventures again. Thanks!
Anonymous 12/05/2022

With the Camino in style we could focus on the walk and know we had a warm bed and good food waiting for us at the end of each day’s hike. Be sure to look at the mileage each day beforehand- our trail was a little aggressive for us although we made it.
Mr Brian Tedders 11/05/2022

Good app. Efficient luggage transfer. Mostly good accommodation. Disappointed having to waste a day in montefalco which was almost deserted of tourists. Half the shops closed. The main square was completely deserted at 9 pm. Unable to buy a cup of coffee in MontefalcoThe 1st 2nd and last walks were the best. The 3rd and 4th walks were through pleasant rural farm land, but were too easy . The meal in Poreta was the best Italian meal i ever had. The accommodation and breakfasts provided in all locations bar montefalco were excellent
Mr Alan Toft 11/05/2022

Classic Provence was a great trip - all the accommodations were superb and the countryside (and the wine!!) awesome!! I did feel that I had to ask the same question several times to get a clear answer - but all’s well that ends well! We had a great time!! 😀
Anonymous 10/05/2022

Everything was great except they missed one of my requests for transfer
Mrs Marilyn Harris 10/05/2022

We thought the last section of the Via Francigena into Rome was wonderful. A huge different adventure every day. The first few days were very difficult and longer than was described and also the instructions were not that great especially at the start of the walk every day to find the starting point. It would also be good to let you know that on some of the walks there are no food or water stops for many kilometres. Having said that we found the bed and breakfasts/hotels all great and different. We met lots of interesting people and the towns we stopped in were amazing. Every day was different. Transferring of the luggage was great and everything went to plan. Thanks to all the team at Macs Travel. This is our 4th walking tour and we will be back again next year.
Anonymous 10/05/2022

Would definitely use them again. Was my second time with them in Scotland - they chose for me great places to stay in with great hostesses. Reliable service and good recommendations for food on the way.
Mrs Anne-marie Andre 10/05/2022

Professional,reliable,flexible , friendly .it was the first time I used their services and I have been extremely happy . I will definitely use them aga8n and recommend them to friends.everything went exactly as planned. No surprises.so well done Team.
Mr Westol Slater 10/05/2022

The hotels we were provided, in particular, the Seal Bay Inn, we’re all very nice. We had assistance for anything we needed. marie was always there for questions or directions
Mr Brent Winant 10/05/2022

This was my first time using a service like Macs Adventure. It went very well. Had a question about a transportation issue while on the trail. Called Macs and they made the fix happen.
Anonymous 10/05/2022

Great, honest and easily accessible whenever needed, both on phone and via email.