If you are seeking the perfect hiking holiday that offers gentle trails and breathtaking scenery, ideal for beginners and those who are just seeking a nice easy-going experience our highlighted trails are exactly what you’re looking for. We’ve curated a list of some of the best hiking trails for easier and beginner-friendly hikes, offering unforgettable hiking experiences in Ireland, Scotland, England and Spain.
For beginner hikers, the Camino Frances offers gentle daily hikes and charming villages while the Antrim Glens and Causeway Coast provides easy hiking trails through scenic terrain and along stunning coastlines. In Scotland, the Speyside Way & Cairngorms is a great introduction to hiking while the Great Glen Way offers a scenic flat route between Fort William and Fort Augusatus. The trail passes through some of the most famous Scottish lakes such as Loch Ness where you can try your hand at finding Nessie, its infamous monster. If you are looking for an easy hike in England the South Downs Way rolling hills and open fields is a perfect for novices. Hadrian’s Wall Path faithfully follows the defensive Roman wall and delivers panoramic views on a mostly leisurely hike in northern English countryside. St. Kevin’s Way and Glendalough in Ireland offers a peaceful hike through picture book Irish landscapes and early Christian settlements.
We have created this extensive list of tours that we believe are perfectly suited for those searching for the best trails for easier and beginner-level hiking. These trails have been selected to provide an enjoyable and stress-free introduction to the world of hiking.
The Camino Frances is part of the historic Camino de Santiago pilgrimage routes and is widely regarded as on of the best hiking trails in Europe. Spanning the last 160km of the Camino Frances, our tours provide easy hiking routes along well-maintained paths and gentle terrain, making it an excellent choice for those new to hiking. With our unique route notes this trail takes you through a variety of scenic landscapes, including woodland paths, gentle terrain and charming historic villages. As with all Camino routes no matter where you start it all leads to the famous shrine of St. James in Santiago de Compostela. Complete the last 100 kms of the pilgrim path and you can get your famous Certificate at the end of your hike. For many, walking the Camino has become a popular bucket list experience and attracts people of all ages and abilities from around the globe. This makes it an ideal hiking holiday for those hiking for the first time. It offers the perfect blend of shared experience and validation with your certificate. The route being very gentle is not a very physical challenge making it very approachable for beginners.
Our Antrim Glens and & Causeway Coast tours, located in Northern Ireland in the northeast of the island of Ireland, offer some of the best hiking trails in Europe for beginners. Starting from Glenariff, known as the Queen of the Glens, the path covers the scenic Glens of Antrim, leading to Ballycastle on the north coast. Along the way, walkers can explore the Causeway Coast Way, which connects Ballycastle to Portstewart. This terrain is not very challenging to complete and is thereby a great beginner-friendly trail with stunning coastal views. Overall, this trail features a gentle terrain throughout with well-maintained paths and visits to iconic sites such as the Giant’s Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, Rathlin Island and Game of Thrones film locations which are unique to this part of Ireland. Easy hiking makes for a great choice for those seeking an easy and enjoyable hiking experience.
The Speyside Way & Cairngorms is one of the best hiking trails for beginners, offering easy hikes through the stunning landscapes of the Scottish region. This 116km trail stretches from Buckie on the Moray Firth coast to Aviemore and Kincraig on the edge of the Cairngorm Mountains. This easy hiking route features walking along old railway lines, riverside tracks, and woodlands rich with wildlife. With its clear paths and accessible terrain, the trail is perfect for beginners seeking a scenic and enjoyable hiking experience in the heart of Scotland.
Hadrian’s Wall Path is a 135km National Trail in northern England that can be walked in either direction east or west. It stretches from Wallsend on the east coast to Bowness-on-Solway on the west coast. In fact if you follow the route you can hike from the North Sea to the Irish Sea. As one of the best hiking trails in the UK for beginners it is very accessible and easy to navigate. It follows the ruins of Hadrian’s Wall, a huge defensive structure built by the Romans in 122AD to mark the northern limit of their empire in Britain. This UNESCO World Heritage Site offers a journey through history passing Roman settlements, forts and stunning countryside views. There are exhibitions, replicas and museums along the route. Hadrian’s Wall Path is an excellent option for walkers of all abilities. Anyone looking for a gentle hike that combines history and iconic scenery cannot do much better than this.
The Great Glen Way & Loch Ness is another top hiking trail in Scotland for beginners, offering easy hikes through the Scottish Highlands along famous Lochs. This 127km route stretches from Fort William on the Atlantic coast to Inverness on the North Sea. This tour is a great introduction to walking in the Highlands. Enjoy spectacular surroundings minus the climbing as most of this relatively gentle hike keeps to lower levels of the Great Glen. In addition to its accessibility, hikers are treated to the stunning views of Loch Linne, Loch Oich and the legendary Loch Ness. Key highlights include Neptune’s Staircase, the longest staircase lock in Britain, the historic Urquhart Castle and the chance to spot the Nessie, the mysterious Loch Ness Monster. Like most Scottish trails, this beginner-friendly route beautifully combines nature, history and adventure.
The South Downs Way is another one of England’s top easy and beginner-friendly hiking trails stretching across the scenic South Downs National Park. Beginning in Winchester and culminating at the striking chalk cliffs of Beachy Head near Eastbourne, this National Trail offers gentle walks along a chalk escarpment with sweeping views over the English Channel. Along the way, hikers can explore flower-filled meadows, charming villages like Amberley and Alfriston as well as historic landmarks such as Whinchester Cathedral. With accessible paths and breathtaking vistas, the South Downs Way is perfect for those seeking an unforgettable easy hiking holiday.
St. Kevin’s Way & Glendalough is one of the easiest hiking trails in Ireland for beginners, offering a short yet scenic journey through the Wicklow Mountains to the valley of Glendalough. This ancient pilgrimage route through the Wicklow Gap is dedicated to 6th century Saint Kevin. Along the way, hikers will discover the celebrated Glendalough Valley, home to iconic monastic ruins, rich archaeological sites and some of the best natural beauty Ireland has to offer. Easily accessed from Dublin it is the perfect trail you can fit into a longer holiday.
Match the type of hiking adventure you are looking for by reading through our ‘Best For’ guides below.
Hillwalk Tours has over a decade of experience in organising self-guided hiking holidays. We take pride in specialising & crafting unique and unforgettable hiking tours across Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Spain and Portugal. Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or a beginner, we have a huge range of tours to match all fitness levels and interests, ensuring a walking holiday with Hillwalk Tours will be an experience of a lifetime.
Furthermore, our core purpose at Hillwalk Tours is to “create experiences that make people happy”, and we strive towards fulfilling this purpose in everything we do. The following are just some examples of what you can expect with Hillwalk Tours as standard:
