Slow Travel in Nature: 12 reasons why we love hiking trips

Whether you are a walking fanatic or simply appreciate a beautiful view, hiking trips are accessible to anyone. They are a truly rewarding way of traveling. From grand hiking projects to small day hikes, walking in nature is always a free, immersive and memorable experience. You can set your own pace – take it slow or push your limits. Indeed, it is a flexible and adaptable movement. We believe hiking trips really do enhance any travel experience. Read ahead for the reasons why.

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   Hiking trips are free

Travelling can be expensive. Moving from place to place usually requires money. But cheap travel is entirely possible if the right choices are made. One way to travel for free? Hiking trips! True, if you are camping, you might have to buy a tent. And food will always cost you a bit of money. However, getting from A to B by foot is completely free. Ultimately, hiking trips offer the best value for money possible – beauty and adventure without spending a penny.

2. No city life frustration

City life can be frustrating. The constant buzz and busyness inspire a love/hate relationship. This urban energy can be exciting and addictive. Yet it can also create a lot of stress. Especially traveling, seeing so many tourists and being rushed along the same routes can become exhausting and disheartening. On hiking trips, any pressure is part of the adventure of being in nature. Fewer people, less stress. It is possibly more rewarding – provoking fulfillment rather than anxiety.

3. Become immersed in nature

On hiking trips, you immerse yourself in nature. On a train or in a car, noise might scare away wildlife or disturb the peace of the area. While walking, you are part of the scene. You can see habitats close up and experience the immediacy of natural life around you. Hiking also gives you the opportunity to see rare features. Perhaps a hidden archaeological or historical site that is not commercialized for the public. Either way, you are lost in the wilderness and truly immersed in it.

4. Slowness

Hiking trips are an excellent way to practice slow travel. The pace of nature is fundamentally slower. And walking is the slowest mode of transportation. In such slowness, small moments receive greater value. You can appreciate the beauty around you without rush or agenda – rather, just for the pure experience. Make sure to bring a camera with you. Hiking trips can create great original pictures. And photography is the perfect way to slow down and capture the moment.

5. Little concentration

Especially compared to driving, hiking requires little attention. Although you still have to navigate and focus on difficult terrain, it is ultimately a calm and relaxing activity. While driving, you are so concentrated on the road that the beauty around you can often be lost. Hiking is so slow and immediate that the experience of nature is fully absorbed.

6. Hiking trips are good for you

Hiking trips are the perfect healthy way of traveling. You gain the fresh air of nature, the benefits of exercise and avoid the junk food of cities. It is rewarding on many levels. Hiking inspires a satisfying type of tiredness. You know you have worked hard, tested your body and proven its abilities. If you are feeling unhealthy while traveling, take time for even a short hike, and it will make you feel a lot better.

7. Unrestricted

There is no right route to take when you are walking. Hiking trips are the most versatile way of traveling. Although it is always wise to stick to a single path, going by foot allows you adaptability. Walk through streams, follow tiny paths, and climb through hedges and over fences. It is much easier to explore an area deeply without a road dictating your direction.

8. Travel less mainstream places

Although big towns and cities are great milestones at which to ground yourself, they are also tourist hubs. They show up on the map, immediately drawing you in with things to do, and places to see. Cities can be great – dynamic and diverse. Yet eventually, most people crave some fresh, open space. Hiking trips take you to less mainstream places. You can find yourself in the middle of nowhere, in the raw, authentic nature of a country. Instead of going to another location that many have been to, you mark original spots on the map, following paths that few others have taken.

9. Grounded in the present moment

Hiking trips inspire immediate experience. The moment is enough because it is all-encompassing. You immerse yourself in the simple, beautiful reality around you, making it easier to avoid distractions. Although walking gives the great opportunity to take some time and think, the simplicity of the action keeps you grounded. You literally focus a step at a time. Your mind is set in thinking about the brilliance of walking – just moving forwards. The simplicity is calming and natural.

10. Hiking trips help you meet people

Rather than an isolated act, hiking trips can be a very sociable experience. Especially if you travel by a group, the fresh air and open road is a great experience to share. You have much time to talk and get to know each other. Usually, you are with people of a similar mind, who enjoy the simplicity and beauty of nature as much as you do. Walking along, you can also meet others along the road. Strangers always seem to be friendlier in nature than they mostly are in a city.

11. Hiking engages all your senses

Because you integrate into the natural scene around you, hiking involves all of your senses. Hiking trips allow for totally sensual experiences. You can not only see the beauty around you but also hear, smell and touch it. The natural world is there – just waiting for you to engage with it. Absorb everything around you. Feel the trees you walk past and identify the surrounding sounds and smells. There is twice as much to experience as there is to see from a train or car window.

12. You earn the beautiful views

Witnessing a beautiful view is always a rewarding experience. Yet there is a strange phenomenon – it seems to become even more impressive if you have earned it. Sitting on tired legs at the top of a mountain feels so much better than if you have taken the bus. Finally relaxing and taking the time to appreciate how far you have come and how hard you have worked adds another layer of gratitude to an amazing view. Not only is the view magnificent, but also your perspective is fuller. You have earned the beauty of the moment and the moment gives back to you.

Preparing for your next travel trip? Be sure to incorporate hiking trips into your plans. Regardless of fitness or abilities, they are always worthwhile. Everyone loves some gorgeous scenery and being in nature makes this beauty constantly accessible. Join a hiking tour, or hit the road solo. Either way, hiking trips are the perfect way to satisfy your travel desires: see the world and immerse yourself in it.