This company arranges excellent walking holidays, to carefully chosen locations and walks that are a combination of challenging and enjoyable. The guides are good at assessing the capabilities of the group and took us to some beautiful places. Our group consisted of people with ages ranging from late 50’s to early 80’s. We walked together, ate together and laughed together! New friends!
Slovenia; Splendid Gorges, Mountains and Lakes, September 2026
An excellent team organized my walking guided tour. It was an amazing experience, and enabled review self personal strength potential within mind as well as body fitness. After thought that I may like to choose in future for ‘flat’ surface after my first expedition of the guided walking experience.
Secret Places of the Southern Lake District, September 2026
Enjoyed it very much. Simon took care of me as I can be clumsy walking in the muddy and slippery path. The path/trails we walked offer amazing view. I had a lovely holiday hiking in the woods of Lake District. I got to meet people who are friendly.
Secret Places of the Southern Lake District, September 2026
This must be one of the best holidays offered by Secret Hills. The walks provided a varied experience of gentler slopes and woodlands to dramatic mountain paths.
Tristan is an exceptionally competent guide. He goes above and beyond to make sure his clients are comfortable and he is so natural he looks like he is enjoying himself as well. He is incredibly patient and encouraging. I felt that my fitness and ability improved hugely over the week.
This is not just a walking holiday, it is an adventure which is truly inspiring.
Discover the Dolomites, September 2026
Secret Hills is, in my experience, unique. Not only does it go to lovely places, it supports locally run hotels, uses local guides of high quality and you will receive the personal care and attention of the owner (Alan) whose enthusiasm is infectious.
Slovenia; Splendid Gorges, Mountains and Lakes, September 2026
Walks were fabulous. Amazing and well planned. Challenging terrain that added to the experience. I personally would have liked more days of ascents and longer walks but was always happy to go with the pace of the group. Excellent. Rapid response to all enquiries. Informative answers. All made the whole experience relaxed and fun “Excellent experience on this trip to Italy’s Dolomite region. Stunning scenery with challenging walks, all led by our fantastic and very patient guide Tristan. The experience from start to finish was wonderful and the area was like nothing I have ever walked previously. Secret Hills is just so well organised that you can just relax and take in the whole experience without having to worry about anything. So enjoyable.
Discover the Dolomites, September 2026
Simon and Nina were brilliant; Lunch on 3rd day was unavailable the cafe was closed. Simon was excellent dealing with this. Excellent scenery in Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire Coast and Tenby, September 2026
Excellent walks. Nina and Simon were great. A few minor glitches but I know this was the first time the trip has run. Beautiful coastal walks based in the picturesque town of Tenby.
Pembrokeshire Coast and Tenby, September 2026
Excellent, I have met Simon and Nina on a previous trip. All good, a few bumps to iron out as this was the first time for this trip. Cafe at Marloes let you down, but problem was overcome. Good social guided walking with nice hotel and food.
Pembrokeshire Coast and Tenby, September 2026
The views were fantastic to look at especially walking up around the Long Mynd and the Clee Hills.
Shropshire Ten Peaks Challenge, August 2026
This was my first holiday of this kind and, with my children becoming more independent, I was experiencing a bit of empty nest syndrome and felt quite apprehensive about going away on my own. However, I needn’t have worried. It was a really friendly group, and we all bonded very quickly. There was always plenty of interesting conversation but equally the freedom to enjoy some quiet time in your own company.
The guides were excellent and everything was very well organised, so I could simply relax and enjoy the experience. The walks took us through some stunning scenery, and I came home feeling much more confident and keen to do another holiday like this.
Shropshire Hills Ten Peaks Challenge, August 2026
Victoria House , very comfortable, friendly staff and fantastic breakfasts Breakfast 10 out of 10 Well organised, everything went to plan Great walks, fantastic guides , super company and meals . No complaints. Yip, would do Shropshire again.
Shropshire Ten Peaks Challenge, August 2026
Excellent Hotel, food and staff, meals were excellent A good variety of walks with great guides Very good organisation and a well run holiday. “A great variety of walks and scenery. A good group of walking companians.
Ironbridge and Shropshire Hills, July 2026
Well chosen walks. Small group and excellent guiding. Nothing to fault! Small friendly group walking, as always. Not just the walking, but the whole experience – felt like having a holiday with a few good friends. Secret Hills has never failed to deliver the “We meet as strangers and depart as friends” description.
Shropshire Ten Peaks Challenge, August 2026
Well looked after hotel with all the team focused on great customer service . Very experienced guide who knew the area well. Very well focused on getting walkers out who are single and getting them mingling with others, without making a big deal of it
Experience Exmoor, July 2026
The walks were lovely and met the expectations of “moderate”. My favourite was the trip to Lynton as there was a lot of variety in the scenery. Organisation was great. Loved that we could participate in a well earned drink at the end of each walk. The group was a small but friendly group of 6 (including the guide). The walks were well planned and the scenery (on 2 of the 3 walks I did) spectacular. I enjoyed the easy relaxed and social atmosphere of the whole weekend.
Experience Exmoor, July 2026
Thanks for a great holiday!
Very much enjoyed the guided walking. Tina was a great leader and the walks are very varied and interesting.
Excellent hotel room and friendly staff. There could have been more vegetarian choices but staff were flexible and made vegetable curry as requested and then had Nut roast Easter day which was appreciated.
(Helen is a repeat customer)
Easter in the Lake District, March 28th – April 1st 2024
Thank you for arranging such a wonderful holiday.
Guided walking – Yes, very much enjoyed. We were a small group with 2 walk leaders and we all seemed to get on very well, so it really did end up feeling like walking with a group of friends. The leaders were kind and patient, as well as friendly and interesting and were able to move the walks to take account of the different weather so we had the best experience each day. Hotel – Really lovely. The people who run the hotel and so kind and friendly, and had to make a very special effort for me as the only vegetarian in our group, and did it all with a smile. They really added to the whole holiday experience. The breakfasts were amazing . The evening meals were always home-cooked, and tasty and we had some authentically Spanish dishes that I’d never come across before. Yes I would reserve another holiday with Secret Hills. Yes I would recommend SH holidays to others, if their walking ability was about right. Jill and Pete (walk leders) were exceptional, and really gave 100% on this trip.
(Jane is a repeat customer)
Costa Blanca, March 28th – April 4th 2024
We have made three highly successful bookings with secret Hills Walking.
Very straightforward reservation. Pre-Holiday information was very helpful and effective.
Hotel fabulous, typical Spanish hillside country small hotel; very clean and comfortable; hosts were very friendly, courteous, considerate, hard-working – and the service and food was top-class – and very Spanish. (Did you enjoy the Guided walking experience?) Enormously! All days were varied and suited to weather conditions, terrain and my walking ability; the two guides were great company, considerate, friendly and understanding.
(How well did we organise your walking Holiday?) Perfectly! Not a single hitch. Transfers worked like a dream.
(Would you reserve another holiday with Secret Hills Walking, and would you recommend our Holidays to others?) Definitely yes and yes.
(Andy is a repeat customer)
Costa Blanca, March 28th – April 4th 2024
Wonderful, excellent leaders who are so much more than walking leaders, they care about you, and look after you. Hugely grateful to Pete and the UK office staff – thank you…grateful to Jill for sending links and explaining how to get into Alicante. Wondered about such a small group…it was a lovely group of people. Hotel couldn’t be better, lots of variety, healthy, home cooked, traditional, huge amounts.
(Angela is a repeat customer)
Costa Blanca, March 28th – April 4th 2024
Guided walking – it was a pleasure to walk with a knowledgeable guide and not have to find my own way. A special thank you to Tina (walk guide)!
She went above and beyond…She was also very friendly, supportive and made me feel very much part of the group. Hotel excellent.
Easter in the Lake District, March 28th – April 1st, 2024
The guided walking experience was fantastic. It was so great not to have to worry about the route, or getting lost, and to have other people to walk with and eat breakfast/dinner with. The guide (Tina) was perfect, and my fellow walkers were all lovely and interesting people. The walking experience couldn’t have been better. Overall, a very positive experience! Thank you Alan 🙂
Easter in the Lake District, March 28th – April 1st, 2024
Excellent holiday, good leadership, truly enjoyable.
Easter in the Lake District, March 28th – April 1st, 2024
Your organisation of the trip was (as usual) excellent…brilliant guiding by Jill and Peter – very knowledgeable, helpful, well organised, lovely people who really made the walking trip an absolute pleasure.
Gran Canaria, March 2024
Very nice hotel, well run and in a very nice location. Guided walking – Super! Jill and Pete (walk guides) put together a very interesting walk programme, and being flexible about it to suite the changing weather. From arrival at Gran Canaria airport to departing from there, everything in-between ran smoothly.
Gran Canaria, March 2024
This is my 4th holiday with Secret Hills. A great hotel, good facilities, food excellent and staff very helpful. Couldn’t have been better, great walking and guides very knowledgeable of the area. Weather on the first day not helpful but alternative walk excellent.
Gran Canaria, March 2024
This was my first Secret Hills holiday and it exceeded my expectations.
I would highly recommend to others who enjoy group walking at a decent standard.
Our leaders (Jill and Pete) were excellent, for their knowledge, experience, consideration to us, flexibility to different abilities etc. Special thanks to them both for leading a walk on their day off. Very well organised. Jill and Pete made great decisions about which walks best suited the weather conditions.
Hotel was lovely and lived up to your description. The staff were friendly, helpful and attentive… I particularly enjoyed the dinner menu featuring local dishes and Gran Canarian wine. Also, all our meals were taken around a large round table, which enabled us to mix and chat whilst dining together as a whole group. My room was quiet and very comfortable with fantastic views.
Gran Canaria, March 2024
I enjoyed the guided walking experience very much as we had lovely countryside and Tristan was a brilliant guide; he was so knowledgeable and just a lovely presence.
Cotswolds Beauty, February 2024
…a good week in great company. Very well organised. Definitely enjoyed guided walking. Keep up the good work.
Madeira, February 2024
Reservation – Straightforward and helpful, liked the personal touch. Guided walking very well led by Honorio. Organisation of holiday very good.
Madeira, February 2024
Very much enjoyed guided walking, Honario was a very good guide. Seamlessly put together…did not want to go back home. Am already considering another holiday and I am always recommending you. Thanks for a good holiday.
Madeira, February 2024
Guided walking excellent – Honorio (walk leader) was very knowledgeable and marshalled the group well. A really good experience – great walks and location, excellent guide and a friendly group of fellow walkers. Excellent organisation at every stage. Well done to everyone involved!
Madeira, February 2024
The guided walking was excellent. Tristan (walk leader) was brilliant and had thought through the walks for each day to give us a slightly different experience on each walk. The group was small but they were all great.
The whole thing was very well organised.
The hotel gets 10/10. The room and, best of all, bed was very comfortable. Food was great.
I’d like to say thanks to the Secret Hills team, and in this instance to Tristan in particular. Fantastic walk, 10 out of 10 for the whole experience!
Cotswolds Beauty, February 2024
The Hotel was good. Rooms clean, had all the basics, staff helpful. Very well positioned for Funchal centre and Old Town. Great to be able to just walk everywhere.
The guided walking was great. So good to have a local guide with so much knowledge and with a great sense of humour too. The pace of walking was geared nicely to the whole group. The minibus and driver were very much appreciated, as were the morning coffees in little local bars and drinks stops on the way home.
The holiday was exceptionally well organised from start to finish.
I have already reserved another holiday and recommended to friends.
Madeira, February 2024
Dear Alan,
Just back from the walking trip in the Cotswolds.
It was a lovely trip. The leader, Tristan, was excellent and felt we were in safe hands. We were also lucky with the weather.
I’ll certainly book another trip.
Kind regards,
Susan Holding
Cotswolds Beauty, February 2024
Hi Alan,
A most enjoyable break in the Shropshire Hills. Hotel and food very good.
Alan and his team of experienced walk leaders looked after our group very well, providing interesting walks, even though the weather wasn’t good.
The holiday is well organised, with a nice personal touch, and I would thoroughly recommend anyone to use this company.
Regards,
Mark Ward
Beat the Xmas Pud December 27th – 30th 2023.
I very often talk to friends about my experience with Secret Hills.
Guided walking – Alan, Ing, Gail, Ian and John looked after us very well. Excellent organisation.
Thank you very much for a lovely holiday – I look forward to seeing you again in 2024.
Beat the Xmas Pud, December 2023
Reservation very easy and simple. Guided walking – I enjoyed it to the fullest. It seemed like a good team with good experience. I will be booking another holiday very soon and will gladly recommend it to others.
Thank you very much for all the support received from the team, especially Craig and Carol.
New Year Cotswolds 2024
Pre-holiday information… I was able to look at the areas on an OS map and so gained some knowledge of the terrain to be covered. The guided walks were good. Very well organised.
Beat the Xmas Pud, December 27th – 30th 2023.
Hi Bev
This is my fourth holiday with Secret Hills.
Really enjoyed the Walking and I must give gold stars to both Jill and Pete (walk leaders) for being so friendly and very knowledgeable!
I am already recommending Secret Hills to friends.
Thanks for a great holiday.
Barry
La Palma, November 2023
I had an amazing week – with the help of two super leaders – their quiet, confident approach enabled me to start each day with confidence and end the day feeling I’d achieved something. Thank you, Jill and Pete. It’s good to know that once booked, everything that is promised will happen or if change is needed it will be done in the best way possible. Would recommend SH Holidays to others. Thanks for the opportunity to have another great holiday.
Madeira, November 2023
Good organisation of holiday. Really enjoyed. Yes (would recommend and reserve again).
Madeira, November 2023.
Did you enjoy the guided walking?
Yes, especially the mountain walks. Great walks with nice people.
Would you reserve another holiday and would you recommend?
Yes to both.
Madeira, November 2023.
Hi Alan/Bev
Holiday was enjoyable as always and the walking/guiding was great.
Hotel was pleasant and breakfast/ packed lunch was good.
Reservation process and pre holiday information was good and already booked on another holiday
Thank you Anne Dawson
Madeira, November 2023.
Hi Bev,
I heard about Secret Hills via the advert in Ramblers magazine.
The Reservation and Pre Booking process was smooth.
The hotel and food was most enjoyable, and the staff very welcoming and friendly….i would recommend staying there.
The holiday was well organised and i would certainly recommend Secret Hills to friends.
A special mention for Bridget, our Walking Guide. She was absolutely brilliant. Very welcoming and friendly throughout. She led excellent varied Walks.
This was my first Solo holiday and I shall be looking to book again with Secret Hills.
Mark
Sea to Sky, October 2023
It was great and I will definitely recommend Secret Hills to my friends and will return to visit other areas with you.
The guided walks were fantastic. Alison had gone to a lot of trouble to plan routes that were interesting and varied. She is incredibly knowledgeable about the area and able to share her passion with us. She is also good at judging when to just let us enjoy the experience for ourselves, which I think is important too when you are in such a wonderful place. It was a joy to be able to walk in this beautiful area of England with such a lovely group of people. The organisation was seamless, thank you.
South Downs, October 2023.
Dear Bev and Alan. I truly like Secret Hill’s concept. An introductory walk to meet our guide and group is an asset for all. The Fighting Cocks provided excellent food and staff. The accommodation was comfortable and suited my needs. But, overall, Bridget (walk leader) deserves high praise. Her instant relaxing approach to greeting us set the tone for the days ahead. Knowledgeable, great sense of humour and very much a team member. I would certainly recommend Secret Hills and will definitely book another holiday.
Best wishes Catriona
Sea to Sky, October 2023
The basic recipe for these Secret Hills Walking holidays works really well, if you have a good comfortable base, good friendly company, good well organised walks and supportive enthusiastic group leaders. This was certainly the case in the Alpujarras so the total holiday experience was very enjoyable. For me the walking was spot on as in parts it was challenging, the descents rather than ascents, but had plenty of relaxing stretches to interact with fellow walkers. Expertly guided as ever by Jill and Pete.
The hotel was very good, with comfortable rooms, good facilities and grounds.
Spain, Alpujarra’s October 2023.
Organisation of holiday excellent. I am looking forward to future holidays with you.
Wales, Lakes – October 2023.
So glad I made this booking, absolutely everything went superbly. Slovenia is a beautiful country with so many fabulous walking opportunities. The hotel does everything right, and then some. We were blessed with glorious weather; and the group were super bunch, we had so many laughs and so much fun. Thoroughly enjoyed the guided walking. Mika was an excellent guide, the walks were of a well thought variety, to showcase the beautiful Slovenian scenery.
Slovenia, September 2023
A very enjoyable holiday with a lovely group of people who got on right from the start. It was lovely to have people in the group from outside the UK.
The guided walking was excellent and varied. Our guide Miha was fun, knowledgeable, and made the whole experience very enjoyable. He constantly made sure we were okay. The walks were in varied terrain and challenged us without taking away the enjoyment.
The organisation was excellent from start to finish.
Slovenia, September 2023.
As usual I really enjoyed the holiday.
The Hotel Alcadima was lovely. The room was comfortable, very quiet, spacious with effective air conditioning and great shower.
The walking was very enjoyable. Jill and Pete (walk leaders) had compiled an interesting programme in an area of ‘secret’ hills.
All aspects of the holiday were taken care of. The visit to The Alhambra Palace on our non-walking day was a great added opportunity.
Spain, Alpujarra’s September 2023.
Can I say a massive thank you for the wonderfully well organised holiday we all had in Slovenia. I was bowled over by the beauty of the place, and your local knowledge and detailed briefs made it all a breeze. Miha (walk leader) was wonderful, with endless patience. In fact, all in all, I have never been so well looked after on any holiday. I will definitely be up for another one.
Slovenia, September 2023.
Hi Alan,
Jean Pollard here…I have just been on your Devon/ Dorset trip…. It was great to see you in person.I had a great time and the holiday was exactly as I had hoped it would be….it was an excellent ‘first holiday on my own’. To have my day already planned for me was such a treat and to be able to walk good distances on consecutive days was spot on. Peter (walk leader) was an excellent companion/guide and it was good to meet the rest of our group. The whole 5 days were so well organised ……all credit to your company. Later today, I will be looking to see where I can go next…with Secret Hills obviously!
Best wishes, Jean .
Dorset & Devon, October 2023
Great holiday, great scenery, great people! Guided walking: Excellent. Jill and Pete are fantastic guides, very informative and very good at communicating in advance both route options and lunch arrangements. Excellent hotel, it was everything I was promised in the holiday info. Yes I would reserve again and recommend to others.
Spain, Alpujarra’s October 2023.
was an amazing leader, planning the route according to everyone’s ability. The weather wasn’t great but to have a positive energetic leader encouraged us all…the company of the group and leaders made it a hugely enjoyable holiday. Hotel was great…food was great…amazing jacuzzi. The organisation was great. I would reserve another holiday.
Guided walking holiday: I very much enjoyed it, the guides were excellent, well organised and made the walks interesting with historical and nature facts along the way. The group was about the right size. It was very well organised. The guides went out of their way to be helpful, including giving me a lift to the pub on my final day to make
A first rate break Alan! Thanks so much. Hotel very good. Excellent food and good local beers. Guided walking was brilliant! All your guides and the walking routes were first rate. The Shropshire Hills is a great area. my return journey easier, which was much appreciated.
service. Extremely well organised. The hotel was very good, absolutely nothing adverse to report. The walking in Madeira was superb and offered great variety with wonderful views. Roberto and Miguel were first class guides. A thoroughly enjoyable holiday, Madeira is an excellent walking destination. Another most enjoyable holiday, Alan, Well done and thanks.
Did you enjoy the guided walking?
Yes, especially the mountain walks. Great walks with nice people.
Would you reserve another holiday and would you recommend?
Yes to both.
Madeira, November 2023.
I enjoyed the guided walking experience very much as we had lovely countryside and Tristan was a brilliant guide; he was so knowledgeable and just a lovely presence.
Cotswolds Beauty, February 2024