An A-Z of HF Holidays

Holidays in our country houses are full board. There is plenty of choice available at breakfast, a choice of sandwich fillings to go with a generous picnic lunch and a choice of up to four options in our three-course evening meals, using locally sourced ingredients and regional dishes wherever possible. We can cater for most special diets too, including vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free.

We offer free places and excellent personal service to Groups looking for a walking or special interest holiday. If you have a group of 10 or more adults holidaying in the UK (8 or more overseas), you could qualify for some great savings and benefits. Get a group of 30 or more adults together and you can even enjoy exclusive use of our UK country houses.

HF was founded in 1913. We’re one of the UK’s longest established travel companies and one of the first overseas tour operators, so we’ve got a huge amount of experience behind us! In that time we’ve stuck to our vision and during a century of changes, the ethos at the heart of our holidays has remained the same as it was then - exceptional walking experiences in beautiful locations.

Islands remain dream destinations for holiday-makers looking for splendid isolation. The feeling of leaving everything behind as you cross the water to an island is one of irresistible freedom and drama. The waters around the UK boast some wonderful island chains, each bursting with great walking, history and iconic destinations, which you can explore on our Island Hopping holidays.

We’ve a list of walking routes you just have to tackle. These journeys on foot range from classic hikes to our favourite treks, from easy strolls to tough terrains and from UK routes to trails overseas. Lace up your boots for these essential walking holidays and see how many of the A-Z of HF Walks you’ve done.

On UK Family Adventure Holidays. If you're an active family who enjoy spending time exploring the great outdoors and having fun together, you've come to the right place! We've a fantastic collection of family holidays that will stretch legs, open eyes and broaden minds. While the focus of our holidays is walking - with a choice of options – there’s lots of time to enjoy fun activities as part of a group, or to go off and make your own discoveries. And the best bit? Under 18s go free on our UK Family Adventure Holidays!

Our friendly team of walking leaders and local guides are handpicked by us, chosen for their expertise, knowledge and personality. They are friendly, patient, generous and enthusiastic. They’ll take care of daily logistics, add insight to your enjoyment and enhance your overall experience. Essentially, they make our holidays truly rewarding and memorable.

HF is a Co-Operative Society. This means that we’re run both by and for you, our Members. Join us and you'll be joining a community of over 42,000 like-minded Members with a love of the great outdoors. We make decisions with your best interests in mind and all surplus is reinvested in the business to make your holidays better, to the benefit of all. There are different levels of membership, each enjoying a range of discounts and benefits.

Enjoy the many wonders provided by Mother Nature on a guided walking holiday. Britain is bursting with all manner of wildlife in a fabulous array of habitats. Join us to unravel the mysteries of the night sky, seek out wildflowers, mammals, insects and birds or make sense of millions of years of geological history. Expert leaders will use their knowledge to help find elusive species and provide insight into the natural world.

We're best known for our UK Walking Holidays but with HF Holidays the world is at your feet, and you can go round the world in 80 ways. From exciting treks to walking and sightseeing in enthralling landscapes, we offer an incredible breadth of choice. Explore your pick of six continents in the company of fellow guests for a truly memorable holiday experience.

Our Pathways Fund has, for many years, provided assisted holidays to those who could not otherwise afford one. In addition, since 1998, the fund has helped to protect and improve the countryside where HF Holidays’ guests walk. This is achieved through generous donations from HF Holidays’ members and guests.

Our dedication to providing high quality holiday experiences and excellent customer service has been officially recognized by us winning many industry-leading awards over the years. Although we’re thrilled with these accolades, rest assured that we have no intention of resting on our laurels and will always endeavour to exceed our guest’s ever-increasing expectations.

We've always been committed to acting as a responsible tour operator. As an organiser of walking holidays and outdoor breaks, we recognise our commitment to the environment and know that to continue to allow our guests the luxury of enjoying the outdoors we must protect it too. We’re all well versed in ‘leave no trace’ but we wanted to do more to protect the countryside that we love to explore. The result is our range of low impact, transport-free Tread Lightly UK Guided Walking Holidays, with walks right from the front doors of our country houses.

Go solo, but never alone. With HF you can enjoy the authenticity of solo travel and the sociability of a small group environment. We run a series of trips especially for solo walkers and people travelling on their own, with no extra charges for sole occupancy at our UK country houses, where you can walk and socialize each day with other like-minded, adventurous guests in a similar position.

We love our Trails holidays, which let you walk long distance paths and classic trails across some of the finest scenery in Britain and around the world. Whether it’s the classic Coast-to-Coast crossing, or the complete Hadrian’s Wall traverse, a walk on the West Highland Way or an exploration of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, we’ve a guided route that’s the perfect blend of challenging and inspirational.

Go find your somewhere. With 17 country houses across England, Scotland and Wales, we’re well set to explore some of the UK’s finest landscapes. And where we don’t have our own base, we tackle national trails and long distance routes, and explore the archipelagos surrounding the mainland on island hopping holidays using hand-picked partner hotels, so you can uncover the very best of Britain on foot.

Our Guided Walking Holidays in the UK, Europe and Abroad are led by Volunteer Walk Leaders. These experienced, enthusiastic and sociable walkers help deliver exceptional holidays, actively participating and ensuring the guests have an enjoyable and memorable time away. In return, our Leaders get to make new friends, walk in amazing places and know that they’re helping people. We couldn’t do it without them.

So, who’s HF for? We’re delighted to accommodate everyone at our country houses. Our holidays are for the young and the older, the single and the married, the friends and the families. They have sociability at their heart, and we’ve places to stay that are right for each type of traveller. So, if you’re a wild family, adventurous couple, two friends ready for some adventure, a solo traveller hoping to meet new people or a grandparent looking for a holiday with your grandchild, we’ve got you covered.

Ok, we cheated here but we’re great value, just look at what’s included. In the UK you get high quality, full board, en suite accommodation with excellent food, the service of experienced leaders and a choice of up to three different grade walks. In Europe there’s half board accommodation in handpicked accommodation and a choice of two different grade walks, all transport to and from walks and the services of experienced leaders, and on long haul holidays you’ll get full board en suite accommodation, most sightseeing and entrance fees plus tips, all on-trip transport and the services of our Leaders or local guides.

We have single and twin/double rooms available in each UK country house. There is no single supplement to pay on our single rooms, so they tend to sell out quickly. You’ve also the choice to upgrade to a ‘Better’ or ‘Best’ room, which are slightly larger and have the best views. You’ll also get bathrobes, slippers and a more luxurious mattress for a great night’s sleep. See what we did there?