One of the most relaxing ways to appreciate the culture and natural beauty of a new location is to take a walk through the countryside. Observing people as they go about their day and getting “behind the scenes” details of historical sites enhances the entire travel experience.

Sometimes there are opportunities to get into interesting conversations with residents, but usually it is more fun and informative to walk with a local guide or hiking expert who can provide commentary about the surroundings. Hiring a guide also reduces the risk of getting lost or having any unpleasant encounters along the way.

Some great walks and hikes that I would recommend to travelers are described here along with some travel tips.

Sorrento, Italy: Located high on a cliff, Sorrento provides an excellent base to visit the ruins of Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius, the Isle of Capri and the entire Amalfi Coast either by using the local ferries or driving along the narrow roads that cling to the hillside.

One of my best memories of Sorrento was walking over the mountain on ancient donkey trails that originally were built to link the many villages of the region. My plan was to follow the stone trails and walk markers to the inland village of Massa Lubrense and return along the coast road on an air-conditioned bus. It was a steep climb on a hot day, but the trek provided some spectacular views of the Bay of Naples and some shade from the numerous lemon orchards. At one point in my journey, I heard footsteps behind me on the trail and was surprised to see an elderly Italian woman dressed entirely in black following me. She cheerfully said “bonjourno” and briskly passed me while carrying a large bag of groceries back to her village. It was then that I realized that strenuous walks are a great form of lifelong exercise.

Guide services are not required for the walk, but the trail markers are confusing and I had to retrace my steps several times.

Difficulty level: Moderate.

Jinshanling at the Great Wall of China: Millions of people visit the Great Wall every year and marvel at the 2,500-mile barrier that stretches from Manchuria on China’s eastern coast to Mongolia in the west. The vast majority of tourists visit the restored Badaling and Mutianyu sections of the wall, 45 miles north of Beijing, where you can walk up or ride a cable car to the top of the wall and ride a cart back down to the parking lot.

To capture the true majesty of the wall, however, one should get a guide and drive an extra hour from Beijing early in the morning to the more remote Jinshanling or Simatai sections.

At Jinshanling, after a difficult hike up the mountain by steps and a trail, you can walk for miles virtually alone on an unrestored section of the wall across the tops of the nearby mountains and see for miles in all directions. Constructed of brick, stone and dirt, the wall included towers and guard posts every quarter mile or so, where soldiers and archers were stationed to watch for intruders and signal other guard posts in the event of an attack. The Jinshanling section is noteworthy since it was at this location that the Ming Dynasty defended its territory and kept the Mongol hordes at bay in 1554.

Guide services are highly recommended. “Great Wall Hiking” provides a driver and guide for small groups or private walks for a reasonable price.

Difficulty level: Moderate to hard.

Lycian Way: In ancient times, the southern coast of Turkey along the Mediterranean was settled by fascinating people known as the Lycians. For more than a thousand years, the Lycians resisted domination by the Greeks, Persians, Rhodes and Cilician pirates before becoming independent allies of the Romans around 167 BC. Today, the shoreline of southern Anatolia in Turkey is known for its blue waters, secluded beaches and the ruins of places like Myra, Patara, Xanthos and Tlos. Another legacy of the Lycians are their temple tombs, which are cut into the rock face of coastal mountains and inland hills.

Remarkably well-preserved, hundreds of these majestic rock-cut tombs and other monuments and ruins can be viewed in the area running from the popular Olu Deniz beach in the west to Kemer in the east. One way to see these sites is to hike for a day on a portion of the Lycian Way, which is a series of trails that extend for about 350 miles in this area. Considered by many to be one of the most beautiful hikes in the world, the Lycian Way is a marked route consisting of footpaths and mule trails, some of which date back to the time of Alexander the Great or Julius Caesar.

I saw some of Lycia’s splendor on a 14-hour adventure with a guide in 2012 that included driving to several mountaintop ruins and walking along the Lycian Way. One group of tombs we sighted near Limyra sparkled like gold in the sun on top of a nearby ridge. We considered climbing up for a closer inspection like Indiana Jones, but warnings of snakes in the underbrush from local farmers deterred us from any further adventure for the day.

Guide Services are highly recommended. Aykut Altinisik from Antalya is an English-speaking guide who offers tours and hikes to this area.

Difficulty level: Moderate to hard.

Caution: The Lycian coast is a considerable distance from Syria and other hot spots so many European and Russian tourists still visit the area. Guided day trips rather than an overnight hike or unguided hike are recommended.

Briksdal Glacier: The town of Geiranger in Norway is well-known for offering stunning views of a majestic fjord and surrounding mountains. It is a frequent stop for visitors to Norway and Baltic cruisers. Most tourists also travel inland through the mountains to the Jostedalsbreen National Park to see the Briksdal Glacier, which is the largest glacier in continental Europe.

Some people ride up to the glacier from the visitor’s center on “troll cars,” but hiking there provides wonderful views of waterfalls and a raging river that cascade from the glacier down through the valley. After walking for 45 minutes or an hour up a wide trail with a slight incline, you see the blueish ice of the glacier protruding down between two peaks into a green lake. The size of the glacier is difficult to appreciate until you realize that the spots at the foot of the glacier are people undertaking a special walk outfitted with boots and poles. Despite the popularity of Briksdal, the fresh air and peaceful setting there make it a worthwhile place to visit and contemplate the power and beauty of nature.

Guide services are not required for the walk.

Difficulty level: Slight.

Glenn Carberry of Norwich is a local attorney who practices in New London. A frequent world traveler, he has visited more than 50 countries and more than 100 world heritage sites. He writes for The Day about the places to which he has traveled with his wife, Kimberly.