Why I Said Yes to a Walking Holiday
A close friend of mine had done long-distance hikes before, and she knew I’d always been curious about the idea of a walking holiday.
Not camping.
Not backpacking in the extreme outdoors.
But the kind of long-distance hiking that’s more common in Europe — where you walk from village to village during the day and stay in inns or B&Bs at night.
There was something about it that fascinated me.
The simplicity of it.
The challenge.
The idea of seeing a country slowly instead of rushing through it.
So when she mentioned hiking Hadrian’s Wall across England and asked if I’d want to join the adventure, I immediately felt pulled toward it — even though I honestly had no idea whether I’d actually enjoy walking that many miles day after day.
But that uncertainty was part of the appeal.
Hadrian’s Wall is an 84-mile National Trail stretching across northern England, following the remains of the Roman wall built nearly 2,000 years ago by Emperor Hadrian.
The route winds through countryside, tiny villages, rolling hills, sheep pastures, Roman ruins, and some of the most beautiful landscapes in England.
And unlike many people assume when they hear the word “hike,” this kind of trip didn’t involve sleeping in tents or carrying heavy packs across wilderness terrain.
Instead, it introduced me to an entirely different style of travel — one that felt adventurous without needing to be extreme.
And somewhere along the way, it became one of the most meaningful trips I’ve ever taken.
What a Walking Holiday Is Actually Like
Before this trip, I think part of me imagined long-distance hiking as something reserved for ultra-outdoorsy people with trekking poles, dehydrated meals, and a tolerance for sleeping on the ground.
This was… not that.
We stayed in small inns and B&Bs along the route. Our luggage was transferred ahead each day, so we only carried what we needed while walking. Most evenings ended with hot showers, hearty meals, sore feet, and an almost embarrassing level of excitement about getting into bed early.
Honestly, one of the biggest surprises was how approachable this kind of travel can be.
Challenging? Absolutely.
But miserable? No.
That said, there were definitely moments where I questioned my life choices.
There were long uphill climbs.
Blisters.
Rain.
Mud.
Days where my legs felt heavy before we’d even started walking.
And there’s something humbling about waking up sore… only to realize you still have another 10 miles ahead of you that day.
But strangely, that rhythm became part of what made the experience so rewarding.
Wake up. Eat breakfast. Walk. Stop in tiny villages. Visit historic sites. Walk some more. Find the next inn.
Repeat.
Life became incredibly simple.
And after a few days, I realized how rarely modern life feels simple anymore.
The Mental Shift I Didn’t Expect
This was the part of the hike I never could’ve understood until I experienced it myself.
At home, my brain constantly feels split in twenty directions at once.
Work.
Notifications.
Emails.
Schedules.
Content.
Responsibilities.
The pressure to always be productive.
But on the trail, all of that slowly started fading into the background.
There’s something about walking hour after hour through open countryside that quiets your mind in a way normal vacations often don’t.
You stop thinking about ten things at once.
You start noticing things again.
The sound of sheep in nearby fields.
Wind moving through the grass.
Ancient stone walls cutting through the hillsides.
Conversations that somehow become deeper simply because you’ve been walking side-by-side for hours.
By around day four, I noticed something had shifted mentally.
I felt calmer.
More present.
Less rushed internally.
And honestly, I think many of us are craving that more than we realize.
Walking Through History Feels Different
One of the most surreal aspects of Hadrian’s Wall is that history never feels far away.
You aren’t just reading about Roman history in a museum for an hour.
You’re walking through it for days.
The wall was built beginning in 122 AD as the northern frontier of the Roman Empire, and parts of it still stand today stretching across the English countryside.
At times, the ruins appear almost unexpectedly — ancient stone remnants sitting quietly among sheep pastures and green hills.
And there’s something oddly grounding about walking beside structures that have existed for nearly two thousand years.
It has a way of shrinking modern stress down to size.
The Challenge Was Part of the Reward
There’s something deeply satisfying about covering an entire country on foot.
Not quickly.
Not efficiently.
Not from a train window.
But step by step.
You feel the terrain change.
The weather shift.
Your body adapt.
Your confidence grow.
And by the end, there’s this quiet sense of accomplishment that’s hard to explain unless you’ve experienced it.
Not because you “conquered” something dramatic.
But because you committed to something difficult and kept going every day.
That feeling stays with you.
Why This Kind of Travel Matters
I love beautiful hotels.
I love airport lounges.
I love points and miles and all the strategy that allows me to travel more comfortably and more often.
But this trip reminded me that meaningful travel doesn’t always come from luxury.
Sometimes it comes from slowing down enough to fully experience where you are.
Some of my favorite moments on this trip were incredibly simple:
laughing with my friend after a hard hiking day,
seeing endless green countryside unfold ahead of us,
stopping in tiny villages,
sharing meals at local pubs,
or just walking quietly for miles with nothing demanding my attention.
No fancy itinerary required.
And honestly, that simplicity is probably why this hike stayed with me long after it ended.
More Women Should Consider Adventures Like This
I really believe that.
Especially women who may feel curious about adventure travel but assume they’re “not outdoorsy enough” or “not athletic enough” to do something like this.
Because this kind of trip isn’t about being extreme.
It’s about curiosity.
Movement.
Resilience.
Presence.
And being willing to try something outside your normal routine.
You do not have to become a hardcore backpacker to experience adventure.
You just have to be willing to start.
A Few Practical Things I Learned
If you’re considering Hadrian’s Wall yourself, here are a few things I learned quickly:
- Pack lighter than you think you need.
- Good socks matter more than you realize.
- Luggage transfer services are absolutely worth it.
- Train for consecutive walking days — not just distance.
- Weather in England likes to keep you humble.
- Small villages and local pubs end up becoming some of your favorite memories.
- And yes… your feet will probably hurt at some point.
I also loved using points and miles to help make portions of this trip possible because it’s exactly the kind of meaningful experience I want my travel strategies to support.
Not just flashy travel.
Experiences that genuinely stay with you.
Final Thoughts
When I came home from Hadrian’s Wall, I felt physically exhausted but mentally clearer than I had in a long time.
And weeks later, I still found myself thinking about the simplicity of those days.
Just walking.
One step after another.
Across history.
Across countryside.
Across conversations and quiet moments and changing landscapes.
In a world that constantly pushes us to move faster, do more, and stay endlessly connected, there was something incredibly refreshing about a trip that asked almost nothing of me except to keep walking.
And maybe that’s why this experience stayed with me long after it ended.
Not because it was flashy.
But because it felt real.
If you’d like to see more of the journey — including the realities of the hike, the logistics, the scenery, and what the experience actually looked and felt like day-to-day — I documented the entire Hadrian’s Wall adventure in a three-part YouTube series on my channel at flyGIRL LLC YouTube Channel.
