Fitness Requirements
Tour pace and activity levels vary, so travellers should select a program suited to their mobility and comfort.
Five Tour Styles
To provide clear guidance on the fitness requirements of each tour, we classify our itineraries into five Tour Styles. Each tour in our program is assigned a Tour Style, which is clearly indicated on its webpage and detailed itinerary.
As our tours vary considerably in destination, pace and daily activities. We encourage all travellers to review this information carefully as it helps ensure a safe, comfortable and enjoyable experience for every member of the group.
Tour Style 1
Journeys by Land
Our most common tour style, featuring multi-city travel with structured days that include moderate-paced walking tours and regular visits to museums, archaeological sites and historic town centres.
These itineraries travel primarily by private coach, with occasional short flights where required, and typically include three- and four-night stays that allow time to experience each destination in a meaningful, well-paced way.
Core Fitness Requirements
Manage full-day itineraries involving scheduled touring, breaks and group activities.
Participate in moderate-paced walking tours of up to three to five hours each day, with minimal breaks, navigating a mix of surfaces such as cobblestones and uneven paths and steps.
Stand for up to two hours during guided museum or site visits.
Use coach steps several times daily.
When required, manage short economy flights, including security procedures and boarding aircraft.
Possible Additional Requirements
Traverse hilly or uneven terrain at archaeological, medieval or hilltop sites.
Attend evening cultural events, such as concerts, theatre or opera, leading to later finishes.
Manage longer walking distances, where large historic centres or pedestrian-only zones require extended walks to reach key sites.
Use public transport occasionally, including trains, ferries and taxis where required.
Tour Style 2
Residential Stays
Our long-stay programs, typically based in one or two cities, allow you to unpack once and explore at a considered pace.
Although the schedule is often less rushed, these tours typically involve more daily walking, excursions to nearby towns or sites, regular use of local transport, and navigating historic city centres, where narrow streets, stairs and pedestrian-only zones are common.
Core Fitness Requirements
Manage daily programs with scheduled touring and opportunities for independent exploration.
Undertake moderate-paced walking tours totalling three to five hours across the day, navigating a mix of surfaces such as cobblestones and uneven paths.
Stand for extended periods in museums, churches and historic sites.
Board and disembark local transport, including trains, trams, buses or watercraft.
Walk up and down stairs, noting that some historic buildings and small venues may lack lift access.
Navigate the city centre independently to access essential services such as supermarkets, pharmacies and local cafés.
Possible Additional Requirements
Navigate bridges (e.g. Venice), with frequent staircases and narrow crossings.
Undertake day excursions, which may involve longer walks, extended standing or varied terrain.
Attend evening performances, resulting in later returns to the hotel.
Tour Style 3
Active Expeditions
Our most physically demanding tour style, designed for travellers comfortable with longer walking days and travel in remote regions where infrastructure may be limited.
These itineraries often involve challenging landscapes, variable weather conditions and extended overland travel, requiring a higher level of mobility and resilience. Accommodation may differ from typical Western-style hotels.
Core Fitness Requirements
Manage full-day itineraries involving scheduled touring, breaks and group activities.
Participate in more strenuous walking tours, up to three to five hours across a day, occasionally encountering uneven, sandy, rocky or unpaved terrain.
Stand for extended periods at archaeological, cultural or natural sites without seating.
Tolerate longer road journeys, including stretches on rough or unsealed roads.
Use coach steps several times daily.
When required, manage short economy flights, including security procedures and boarding aircraft.
Stay in accommodation where standards and amenities may differ from Western-style hotels, reflecting local conditions and availability.
Move confidently and independently in remote settings where assistance may be limited.
Manage a diet that may differ from typical Western food, with local dishes, ingredients and meal styles varying by region.
Manage variable weather conditions, which may include heat, cold, wind or dust.
Possible Additional Requirements
Navigate border crossings, involving walking, queuing and extended waiting periods.
Manage high-altitude regions, requiring slower walking and awareness of changing conditions.
Cope with remote locations where services may be limited.
Embark and disembark ships, tenders or small boats, sometimes using narrow or moving gangways.
Board and step off boats, tenders or zodiacs in coastal, river or archipelagic environments.
Navigate steps, moving decks and confined interior spaces on vessels of various sizes.
Tour Style 4
Small Ship Journeys
These hybrid itineraries combine land-based exploration with small-ship, coastal or expedition cruising.
These tours involve regular shore excursions, movement between vessels and land transport, and the need to navigate gangways, steps and moving surfaces.
Core Fitness Requirements
Manage full-day itineraries involving scheduled touring, breaks and group activities.
Participate in moderate-paced walking tours of up to three to five hours each day, with minimal breaks, navigating a mix of surfaces such as cobblestones and uneven paths.
Stand for up to two hours during guided museum or site visits.
Embark and disembark ships, tenders or small boats, sometimes using narrow or moving gangways.
Navigate steps, moving decks and confined interior spaces on vessels of various sizes.
Maintain balance and stability on wet, uneven or shifting surfaces, both on land and at sea.
Participate in shore excursions that involve walking, standing and occasional inclines.
Use coach steps when required during transfers or excursions.
When required, manage short economy flights, including security procedures and boarding aircraft.
Possible Additional Requirements
Cope with remote locations where services may be limited.
Handle variable coastal weather, including wind and rain.
Tour Style 5
Short Breaks
Compact, event-based programs centred on museums, performances and curated city experiences.
These itineraries typically involve moderate walking within urban precincts, regular standing during guided visits and movement between venues across short distances — an ideal short break built around a single, well-located base.
Core Fitness Requirements
Manage mixed itineraries that combine scheduled touring, scheduled events and free time.
Participate in moderate-paced walking tours of up to two to three hours each day within urban centres.
Stand for up to ninety minutes during museum visits, gallery tours or site talks.
Use public transport or short coach transfers, including boarding steps and navigating busy city environments.
Move comfortably through venues with mixed access, including stairs, lifts and occasional narrow passages.
Possible Additional Requirements
Attend consecutive evening performances with later finishes, particularly during festival programs.
Tolerate seasonal weather conditions, including heat, rain or cooler evenings.
Unsure Whether a Tour Is Right for You?
If you have any questions about the fitness or mobility requirements of a tour, we encourage you to speak with our team. We can provide further information about the pace, walking distances and other physical demands of an itinerary to help you make an informed decision.