04 Jun 2025
Tags: pilgrimage, Pilgrimages, Pilgrimage Routes, Kumano Kodo, Japan, Chimi Lhakhang, Bhutan, Via Francigena, Italy, Ladakh, India, muktinath, Nepal, small group tours, small group holidays, group travel, group tours, solo travel, Escorted Tours
Michael Edwards, Managing Director of Explore Worldwide, on pilgrimages
“Pilgrimage walks are not just for the devout – they offer something for anyone looking to reconnect with themselves and the world around them.
“We're seeing a growing number of travellers seeking spiritual journeys that are as meaningful as they are memorable, and our curated guide gives travellers the opportunity to explore these lesser-known sacred landscapes with expert guidance, cultural context and a sense of community.
“These experiences are sure to stay with those who embark on them long after the walk is over, off ering not just memories, but a lasting sense of perspective, connection and calm for years to come.”
One of only two pilgrimage routes in the world designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kumano Kodo is revered trail network winds through the lush Kii Peninsula, offering a profound journey along sacred paths walked by emperors and ascetics for over a millennium.
Hikers are immersed in an ethereal landscape of ancient cedar forests, where the soft interplay of sunlight and leaves, known as komorebi, creates a deeply meditative atmosphere. Along the way, pilgrims encounter the revered Kumano Sanzan: the trio of grand Shinto-Buddhist shrines – Hongu Taisha, Nachi Taisha, and Hayatama Taisha – each nestled within breathtaking natural surroundings.
Explore offers a dedicated 12-day walking trip along this historic trail, that begins with a walking tour of Tokyo and concludes in Osaka.
For a pilgrimage walking tour with a difference, head to Bhutan to witness the Chimi Lhakhang fertility ritual. Beginning in the village of Sopsokha, where homes are famously decorated with bold phallic murals symbolising fertility and protection, pilgrims embark on a gentle walk through rice paddies and traditional farmland to reach the hilltop Chimi Lhakhang Temple.
Known as the Temple of Fertility, this revered site honours Lama Drukpa Kunley, the “Divine Madman” of Bhutanese legend, whose unorthodox teachings and playful approach to Buddhism still influence local beliefs. Couples wishing to conceive make the pilgrimage here to be blessed by a resident lama, who performs a ritual using a wooden phallus to bestow fertility. Expectant mothers also visit to receive a spiritually chosen name for their unborn child.
Explore's unique Festivals of Bhutan excursion includes a visit to Chimi Lhakhang, as well trips to Paro to visit the iconic Tiger's Nest Monastery, and an overnight stay in the ancient city of Kathmandu.
Tracing a route from Canterbury to Rome, the Via Francigena is one of Europe's oldest pilgrimage paths, steeped in history and cultural richness.
The San Gimignano section in Tuscany offers an especially enchanting stretch, where wide gravel tracks guide walkers past rolling vineyards, cypress-lined hills, and centuries-old rural hamlets. Along the way, pilgrims encounter Romanesque churches, quiet cloisters, and timeless views that feel unchanged for centuries.
Beginning in Pisa, Explore's Tuscany Walking and Wine tour traces parts of this ancient pilgrimage trail, giving travellers the opportunity to experience best food and drink the area has to offer while observing the breathtaking surroundings.
High in the rugged Himalayas of Ladakh, India, the ancient ritual of Kora offers a pilgrimage unlike any other. This deeply spiritual practice involves the circumambulation of sacred Buddhist sites, usually performed anticlockwise, and is considered both a physical journey and a form of moving meditation.
Pilgrims and visitors alike circle sacred mountains, stupas, and gompas, absorbing the stillness of the landscape and the rhythmic chanting of mantras. Walkers will traverse high-altitude passes, witness intricate murals and spinning prayer wheels and are said to feel the powerful energy that surrounds these ancient sites.
Over the course of 17 days, Explore's expert tour leaders and local guides takes modern-day pilgrims on an extensive tour of the mountainous landscapes of Northern India, giving travellers the opportunity to witness this sacred site and experience its rituals.
Perched at over 3,700 metres along the Annapurna Circuit, Muktinath Temple is one of the highest and most spiritually significant pilgrimage sites in the world. Revered by both Hindus and Buddhists, this remote sanctuary nestled in Nepal's Mustang region draws devout pilgrims and trekkers alike, all seeking blessings and inner peace amidst the majestic Himalayan peaks.
Believed to be the only place on Earth where all five elements of nature – earth, fire, water, air, and sky – coexist, Muktinath holds deep cosmic significance, with pilgrims purifying themselves by bathing in the temple's 108 freezing waterspouts, believed to cleanse sins and bring salvation.
The journey to Muktinath is physically challenging yet profoundly moving, with panoramic vistas of snow-capped peaks, winding trails, and moments of spiritual reflection.
The 18-day Annapurna Circuit Trek is one of Explore's more challenging pilgrimage tours, offering travellers the opportunity to experience this bucket-list adventure with the guidance of expert local leaders.
