2023 Is the Year of the Long Walk

The idea of a walking holiday — a long-distance journey on foot, during which you lodge overnight and carry just enough clothing, food and water for each day’s stretch — has long been popular in Europe. But within the last few years, these pilgrimage-style walks have sprung up all over the world.

After the pandemic years, embarking on a pilgrimage has new meaning, whether you’re seeking discovery, a sense of purpose or to learn what you’re capable of. “What might have seemed like a luxury before feels like a necessity now,” said Dorji Dhradhul, director general of Bhutan’s tourism council and chair of the association behind the new Trans Bhutan Trail, about the rising popularity of long trails. While taking a week or more off for a long walk might have felt like an indulgence before, Mr. Dhradhul believes more people are using travel to slow down and reflect.

The real power of traveling on foot is that it encourages interaction. “Many of us will go to great lengths to avoid speaking with strangers, and this behavior has spilled over from our daily lives to the way we travel,” said Robin Lewis, who has walked the entire length of the Michinoku Coastal Trail, a 637-mile route that traverses Japan’s northeastern Tohoku region. “These experiences remind us that the best way to know a place is through its people.”

As you’re preparing for your next trip, plan for spontaneous encounters. Pick a starting point and an end, line up a few stops and stays along the way, and let the rest follow. Here are seven new treks to keep in mind.

The Pekoe Trail, Sri Lanka