Trip Types
Should you hike with a guide or go on a self-guided tour on your own without a guide? Should you pick an itinerant, semi-itinerant or central based trip? Grand Angle is here to help you choose the type of trip that's right for you!
In all cases, the common denominators of our trips are discovering remarkable natural environments and deep cultural exploration of the regions we traverse.
Guided or Self-guided? Two types of trips for different tastes!
Please Note:
- You can regularly alternate between these two forms of travel in many of our offered destinations.
- Some of our tours are available in both versions, but usually the itineraries are not exactly the same.
Self-Guided Travel
Grand Angle is one of the pioneers of self-guided travel dating back to the 1980s. You will be dealing with an adventure recreation specialist who knows the terrain inside and out in the areas we operate our tours.
Guided Travel
Hiking with a guide is the genesis of Grand Angle, a team of mountaineers amazed by the beauty of the world, its nature and heritage, all driven by the desire to share this wonder with our guests from around the world.
Itinerant, Semi-Itinerant or Central Based Trips
| Itinerant Trip | Centre-Based Trips | Semi-Itinerant Trips |
|---|---|---|
| Every day, you change accommodation. Your itinerary traces either a linear traverse or crossing, or a loop that takes you back to the starting point. Itinerant travel is a Grand Angle specialty and allows for day after day of new surroundings and spectacular scenery. | You are based in a single accommodation for the duration of your stay. You're free to settle in and explore a region in depth. We organize short local transfers so that you don't always start from the same place. | You stay at least 2 nights in each accommodation: a good compromise for those who hesitate between the comfort of a central based stay and the appeal of roaming. |
FAQ
I want a more relaxing hike, is it better to book a central based trip?
Not necessarily. An itinerant trip gives you a change of scenery; it's up to you to choose an easier itinerary that suits your daily physical activity desire. A central based tour, on the other hand, allows you to "settle down" easier without the extra steps it takes to pack up and move day to day or every few days. It all depends on what you're looking for out of your hiking holiday.
Is a central based trip's accommodation more comfortable?
Not necessarily, but often, as it's difficult to book rooms for two people or for a group for just one night in many accommodations. So that limits the hotels we can use on our itinerant trips.
Is it guaranteed I can get a single room in a central based trip's hotel?
Like itinerant and semi-itinerant travel, single rooms are limited in number for a group, but yes, it's often easier to confirm a single room on our centre-based trips.
Is an itinerant trip more difficult than a central based trip?
Not in any way, shape or form, for any given level of difficulty. Both trip types have the same difficulty levels generally available.
Is it complicated and exhausting to re-pack every day on an itinerant trip?
Not really, because you only have one bag; if you don't like packing, a semi-itinerant trip is a good compromise.
Compare trip difficulty levels, check the practical trip details, then follow how to book a tour when you have chosen your itinerary.