How Guided Trail Walking & Island Hopping Holidays will adapt after lockdown

What to expect on an Island Hopping or Guided Trails Walking Holiday after Lockdown

On some of our UK Guided Trail Walking Holidays and UK Island Hopping Holidays, our guests stay at partner hotels. These holidays also require us to transport guests between various places using private or public transport. We’re closely monitoring the latest government advice about Covid-19 and working with our partners to keep you and the communities we visit, as safe as possible. We’ve collated the information below to show what we’re doing to reduce the risk of spreading Covid-19, and how you can help too, when we restart Trails and Island Hopping Holidays in September. The first departures will be.

• The Best of Hadrian's Wall, departures in September & October
• The West Highland Way, departure in September
• The Great Glen Way, departure in September
• The Norfolk Coast Path, departures in October
• Orkney & Shetland Island Hopping, departure in September

What we are doing

• Routine enhanced cleaning focus, particularly on ‘high-touch’ areas, in accommodation and on transport
• Processes to allow for physical distancing in public areas, for example during the check in process, in lifts and in public seating areas
• Enhanced standards for food preparation including training, use of face masks if required, superior cleaning for areas that are involved in meal preparation, and replacing restaurant buffets with table/waiter service.

We are also

• Reviewing our group sizes to ensure we allow for official recommended distancing on walks, transportation, as well as in the accommodation. Our group sizes will be small enough to us to remain as one small ‘bubble’ and thus keep the risk to a minimum
• Highlighting any extra policies of each accommodation partner in our final dispatch letter, so you’re aware of these before travel
• Briefing your HF Holidays leader about any changes to advice and procedures so that they can then keep you up to date during the holiday
• Equipping your HF Holidays leader with extra personal protection equipment, for example face masks, disposable gloves, hand sanitiser, should they need them. You will need to bring your own too.

How you can help

You can help by:

• Travelling with us only if you have no Covid-19 symptoms and have not been in contact with anyone who has Covid-19 symptoms within the last 14 days
• Wearing a face mask/covering while on transport
• Using the same seat for all journeys on transport in any one day
• Carrying/using hand sanitiser
• Washing your hands frequently with soap and water when possible
• Covering your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve when you cough or sneeze
• Avoiding passing round objects such as cameras, phones, bags of sweets etc
• We recommend that you purchase travel insurance that includes cover for Covid-19, Coronavirus, or any pandemic illness
• Informing us straight away if you develop any Covid-19 symptoms during the trip or within 14 days of finishing a trip.

In the unlikely event that your group needs to self-isolate, we will offer support throughout. We will help arrange accommodation and food and help to organise medical care and liaise with your insurance provider. In the unlikely event that the HF Holidays leader contracts Covid-19, they will be replaced as soon as possible.

Further information

If you would like further details of the current travel and transport guidance:

For holidays in England visit

For holidays in Scotland visit

We can’t remove all risk, but we can reduce it, and with your help, we can ensure a superb holiday experience for everyone.