This summer, Ramble Worldwide, the original walking holiday specialist with a charitable ethos, is offering a programme of free guided walks across England and Scotland to celebrate its 80th birthday.
*All details correct at time of publish (20 April 2026)
Launched in 1946 as Ramblers Association Services, the holiday-planning arm of the Ramblers’ Association, the organisation was founded at a time when access to the countryside was limited.
Its mission was simple yet powerful: to open landscapes, mountains and coastline routes to people who longed to explore at their own pace, supporting walkers by providing assembled tours and guest house stays.
What started as post-war rambles quickly evolved as Ramble Worldwide became a pioneer of the package holiday, with the first tours exploring eastern Denmark, the Baltics, Alps, Arctic Lapland and Portugal, involving a week of challenging hikes.
The tours expanded to more accessible walking holidays with the introduction of its airline subsidiary Wings in 1955, offering packaged holidays with hiking grades of all levels. Over the last 80 years, over 1.5 million explorers of all abilities have discovered the world with the walking holiday specialist.
Now, Ramble Worldwide offers over 300 tours to 52 countries, including 78 tours in the UK, welcoming around 10,000 walkers each year to join tours graded from easy to challenging.
Solo travellers, couples and friend groups come together through a choice of four unique collections: Classic (iconic trails for adventurers), Discover (combining nature and culture), Adagio (easier pace with cultural experiences) and Self-Guided (independent breaks).
The founding goal of connecting people with nature, on foot, remains at the heart of the business today. Operating with a wholly charitable ethos, Ramble Worldwide is committed to making the outdoors more accessible for more people from all communities.
As a for-purpose business, surplus profits support nature conservation, community wellbeing, and education projects across the UK through the Ramble Worldwide Outdoor Trust, established in 1962.
Funding walking and environmental initiatives that promote responsible outdoor experiences, widen access to nature, and help protect it for future generations.
Hundreds of national and small regional charities have been supported by the Trust over the last 64 years, including supporting the creation of new rights of way across the UK, protecting natural landscapes,and education and wellbeing projects.
The Trust works to preserve public access to the countryside by funding essential signposting and wayfinding key paths. It supports inclusive outdoor challenges for people with disabilities, contributes to mountain rescue initiatives, promotes mental well-being through charity walks and retreats and much more.
Wayne Perks, Managing Director of Ramble Worldwide, commented: “Across eight decades, generations of walkers have crossed alpine passes, traced ancient pilgrimage routes and wandered through remote villages and wild shorelines, guided by our expert leaders along with like-minded companions.
“In recent years, the appreciation for the physical and mental well-being benefits of reconnecting with nature on foot has significantly grown, with rambling now hugely popular with those of all ages.
“We are passionate about making the great outdoors more accessible to people from all walks of life, so to celebrate our 80th anniversary, we want to give more people the opportunity to try a guided walk, to meet our expert guides and other outdoors enthusiasts, to discover the joy of walking and the beauty of the natural world on our doorstep.”
FREE GUIDED WALKS THIS SUMMER
Ramble Worldwide has created a special programme of free, short, guided walks throughout August in 12 locations across England and Scotland, offering over 400 walkers the chance to discover their local surroundings from a fresh perspective.
The easy graded walks span a variety of regions, including Norfolk, East Sussex, Hertfordshire, Yorkshire Dales, Lake District, Warwickshire, and the cities of London, Canterbury, Durham, Bath and Glasgow.
Each walk, of two- to four-hour duration, will be led by experienced guides, offering participants the chance to immerse themselves in local nature and heritage and connect with like-minded people in a relaxed and sociable setting.
To book a place on the free, circular guided walks, visit: | Ramble Worldwide
