To be guided or not to be? That is the question many (especially starting) hikers ask themselves before a trip that lasts more than one day. I’ve been on both sides and tried both ways: in Peru I took guided trips, while in the European Alps I tried independent hiking.
In this blog post, I’ll share the pros and cons of a hiking trip with a group versus hiking independently. Then we’ll see which type of hike is best for you.
Hiking with a tour company
- Pros:
- Lightweight: you only need to carry your day pack with snacks and any extra's you might need during the day.
- Convenience: you don't need to cook or set up a tent. Your sole focus of the day is to walk, admire the views, eat and sleep.
- Peace of mind: a guide will make sure you don't get lost or will take care of you if you get sick. The guides know the terrain and they can assess the risks for you better than you. Most of the time they also come from the area you're trekking in, so they speak the language and know how to get around.
- Meeting new people: hiking with a tour company most often means hiking in a group, which is an easy way to meet random people from all over the world. You are kind of forced into socializing with different people and getting to know them closely within a few days. I consider it as an advantage, but I get it if you see it the other way around.
- Education: besides leading you through the trail, the guide will also tell small stories about the local culture, flora and fauna of the area. You'll learn a thing or two about the area from a local.
- Cons:
- Cost: this whole convenience comes at a price as someone is taking care of the trip for you. Besides paying for the services and gear, a portion of the cost will go to the company, so by default, it'll always be more expensive to hike with a company than to do it on your own.
- Dependence on the group: unless you go on a private guided tour, there will be other people to keep in mind. The tempo of the group will be defined by the slowest member (been there, both as the fastest and the slowest member of the group...). Besides, you're stuck for a few days with people whom you maybe don't like or don't get along with.
- Lack of freedom: you have no say on the itinerary, e.g. where and when to eat lunch or how long you should stay in a particular place. The guides have a strict plan and they want to make sure the group "executes" it without any big changes.
- Tipping: after our trips in Peru we were always "highly encouraged" to tip the staff. The guides would tell stories about low wages (which probably is true) and the high effort everyone puts in to make the trip a success, implying that we should support them. Maybe it's a problem in certain countries only, but I hate to pay extra when I already paid. I'd rather have a clear amount agreed upfront instead of a fuzzy "tipping" system, which seems like a win-lose situation. In any case, either you tip too much or too little.
In a nutshell, guided tours tend to be more expensive and very structured, while providing comfort and peace of mind during the trip. Independent hikes to some extent are the opposite. Let’s look at their pros and cons.
Hiking independently
- Pros:
- Freedom: it's in the name, right? 🙂 When you're hiking independently, you can decide where to stay and when. If it's bad weather, you can change your plans or if you came across a beautiful mountain hut that happened to have a free bed, nobody is there to tell you that you need to go somewhere else.
- Custom itinerary: similar to the point above, as you are responsible for planning the trip, you get to decide how it will look like. Even if you follow a defined trek, as we did with TMB, you can still add alternatives or visit places that are not necessarily part of the trek.
- Awareness and hiking skills: this one will be like a double-edged sword, so let me point to the bright side first. As you hike on your own, you pay more attention to the trail and make more decisions. I remember my independent trips much better because I had to constantly check where I am, where I need to go etc. That's when I learned how to set up a tent or navigate on the trail
- Cost: Independent hikes most of the time are much cheaper than organized ones. You determine how expensive you want to make the trip, which accommodation you want to choose, or where you want to get your food (e.g. supermarket or a restaurant).
- Sense of accomplishment: only after completing my first independent trip I realized how proud I was of myself. I did it, all by myself! Nobody carried me or my stuff up that mountain. Of course, in guided tours, I also felt a great sense of accomplishment, but it was for other reasons (like making it through the 4730m pass while suffering from altitude sickness). An independent trip starts before you hit the trail as you are thoroughly researching the trip, so finishing it after all the preparations is extra sweet.
- Cons:
- Time investment & planning: you've probably seen it coming from the pros section 🙂 Yep, it takes quite some time to plan a multi-day trip on your own, especially in another country. How to get to the trek, what gear you need (or not), where to sleep - all those things are up to you to figure out. Your project management skills will be challenged when planning a trip on your own.
- Responsibility: remember my remark about the double-edged sword? Here's the dark side 🙂 You need to trust yourself to make the right decisions on the trail, e.g. how can I cross this river? Where is the best place to pitch a tent? Is there a thunderstorm coming? Nobody is there to assess the situation for you (unless you come across experienced fellow hikers at the decision-making moment) or to tell you you're on the wrong path.
- Weight: if it's a multi-day trip, you will be carrying all your stuff with you, which might easily explode in weight, especially if you camp. That weight will most probably sit on your shoulders for the rest of the trip.
So which type of trip is best for you?
Both of the ways have their sweet and bitter side. It is not that one is way better than the other, it’s just different. It all depends on what matters to you and what helps you enjoy the trip.
Go for an organized trip if you:
- Want to relax and enjoy the trip without worrying about the logistics
- Like being surrounded by people
- Have money for it
- Want to learn about the area besides hiking it
- Do not trust your skills in the terrain or country you’ll be hiking in
Go for an independent trip if you:
- Like making plans and doing research
- Prefer freedom and flexibility on the trip
- Want to save money and look for cheaper hiking options
- Want to improve your hiking skills
- Want to challenge yourself beyond just walking the route
I hike independently since 2019 mostly because of the freedom and flexibility aspect. Does it mean I’ll never go back to organized trips? Hell no, I would not go on a jungle trek without a guide.
Still in doubt? Check out my experiences with both types of trekking:
- Independent trip: Tour du Mont Blanc
- Organized trip: Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu