Fitness Requirements

In order to get the most from your travels and keep up with the group, a reasonable level of fitness is required.

three grades

Our tours have many active components, from walking tours (sometimes in historic towns with poorly paved streets), standing around for lengthy periods at sites or in museums, and climbing stairs / negotiating slopes on uneven terrain. More usually, the day involves walking from one place to another, and getting on and off a coach several times a day.

We grade each tour based on the fitness requirement for you to maximise your experience. To help guide you on the fitness requirements of each tour, we have graded them from one to three, with three being the most demanding.

Joining a tour

As our tours are group events, the presence of even one person who is not fit enough to cope can potentially impact the experience for everyone else. We therefore ask that all group members carefully review the above requirements against a tour of interest.

If you have any concerns of meeting the below requirements, please get in touch >

Grade One

This tour is appropriate for travellers in good health with good mobility.

You should be able to:

  • comfortably participate in up to three hours of physical activity per day, including walking at an easy pace, sometimes on uneven terrain, with only short breaks

  • keep up with the group at all times

  • stand for one to two hours in galleries and museums at a time without a break

  • negotiate stairs and bridges

  • get on and off a coach, train, ferry or boat with steep stairs unassisted

  • use a combined shower/bath (please note that we cannot guarantee walk-in shower facilities at all hotels)

  • manage your luggage at hotels as porterage services have become unavailable in most cities

Grade Two

This tour is designed for people who lead active lives.

You should be able to:

  • comfortably participate in up to five hours of physical activity per day, including walking at an easy to regular pace, sometimes on uneven terrain, with only short breaks

  • keep up with the group at all times

  • negotiate challenging historic and archaeological sites, which are often uneven and unstable

  • negotiate stairs and bridges

  • stand for one to two hours in galleries and museums at a time without a break

  • get on and off a coach, train, ferry or boat with steep stairs unassisted

  • use a combined shower/bath (please note that we cannot guarantee walk-in shower facilities at all hotels)

  • tolerate a more demanding tour schedule with the occasional one-night stop or internal flights

  • manage your luggage at hotels as porterage services have become unavailable in most cities

Grade THree

This tour is among our most physically demanding.

You should be able to:

  • comfortably participate in up to five to seven hours of physical activity per day, including walking at an easy to regular pace, sometimes on uneven terrain, with only short breaks

  • keep up with the group at all times

  • have a reasonable level of physical and respiratory fitness

  • negotiate challenging historic and archaeological sites, which are often uneven and unstable

  • negotiate stairs and bridges

  • stand for one to two hours in galleries and museums at a time without a break

  • get on and off a coach, train, ferry or boat with steep stairs unassisted

  • use a combined shower/bath (please note that we cannot guarantee walk-in shower facilities at all hotels)

  • tolerate exposure to high altitudes

  • tolerate varying climatic conditions such as humidity and heat

  • tolerate a diet that can be significantly different from a typical Australian diet, and where some dietary requirements cannot be met

  • tolerate a more demanding tour schedule, sometimes travelling long distances, with one-night stops or several internal flights

  • manage your luggage at hotels as porterage services have become unavailable in most cities

Touring FAQs

Our most commonly asked questions and their answers.