Pace guide

Our slowest and most leisurely tours. You’ll only need to unpack once as our holidays in this grade will be based at just one hotel for the entire holiday. A combination of fascinating included excursions and free days makes this ideal for those seeking a relaxed experience. Inclusions may consist of sightseeing tours, visits to museums, landmarks and cultural sights, as well as gentle boat cruises or short train journeys. We’ll aways include rest time after each included activity. 

A minimum requirement for included tours is being able to embark and disembark coaches, trains and boats without assistance, walk unaided at a steady pace or stand up to 30 minutes at a time, negotiating steps, and uneven, but mainly flat ground, including cobbles. You can opt to remain and the hotel and enjoy the facilities if you prefer.

Our holidays in this grade will stay in between one and three locations, usually with multiple nights in each location. Itineraries include a mix of included activities and free time to relax or explore on your own. These holidays are perfect for those who want to take it easy but also want to enjoy longer-day excursions, including guided walking tours, that really get to the heart of the destinations you’ll visit. There’ll usually be rest time after an included activity (please refer to the itinerary). 

You’ll need to be able to walk unaided for up to one hour on walking tours, negotiating steps, gradients and uneven ground, particularly cobbles. Tours with safari elements may be in this grade and you’ll need to be able to embark and disembark safari vehicles without assistance. Safaris will normally have early morning starts, but we’ll ensure regular rest stops are in place. 

A good level of fitness is required. You’ll be staying in multiple locations on your escorted holiday, in destinations around that world that have varying standards and climates. From cold and icy to hot and humid, you’ll need to be comfortable in a variety of conditions. 

Some activities will take all day and may include extended walking tours. We may also have activities on consecutive days. Terrain will vary dependant on your destination and could be rough, especially when exploring archaeological sites, national parks or coastal areas. 

We’ll also include free time for you to recharge or to explore independently, and we’ll always include rest breaks on longer activities. You’ll need to be able to undertake several hours of activities each day on varied terrain, with prolonged periods of standing, and there’ll be some early starts and later finishes and consecutive one-night stays. These holidays are not suitable for those with significant mobility issues, although you may be able to abstain from activities on certain tours if you choose to do so. Small ship cruises also fall into this category due to the steep steps onboard, the requirement to walk across ships when in dock; and the included walking tours.

Some of our most active holidays are at this grade. Similar to Grade 3, these holidays may also include areas of sustained higher altitude. If you enjoy active holidays and are prepared to be on your feet walking and standing for extended periods on potentially challenging terrain, including longer walks and hikes, then this grade is suitable for you.   

Some destinations may be relatively remote, meaning support might be a little further away. There’ll be free time too, but the focus on these tours is to see more and do more. Be prepared for an increased number of early starts and later finishes, and more one-night stays on consecutive days. 

Please note: This is a guide only. Please be aware that for each level you should also be comfortably able to manage the requirements set out in the lower levels. For cruising, this guide refers to the onboard experience and included excursions only. For more information on whether a holiday is suitable for you, please call our travel advisors on 0800 988 5800.