By JB Bissell
By J.B. Bissell
We’re strong advocates for skipping all calorie counting and macros mapping while on vacation. There’s just too much flavorful food to experience in the world. But that doesn’t mean you have to abandon all your healthy habits. A simple morning stroll is an easy way to stay active — and a good start to working off last night’s tomahawk steak drizzled with cowboy butter and side of lobster mac and cheese.
If you’re interested in taking “staying active” a few — ahem — steps further, while still focusing your attention on your vacation, try building a sightseeing itinerary around attractions that can be navigated on your own two feet. Theme parks, countrysides, and urban centers all offer endless strollable routes of discovery. And getting your daily steps in doesn’t feel like exercise at all when you’re rewarded with a new thrill ride, an off-the-beaten-path scenic view, or a famous movie location every so often.
Here are some of the coolest things to do and see while stepping up your next Interval vacation.
Orlando, Florida
If you’ll be chasing kids — or your own inner child’s whimsy — around any of the major Orlando theme parks, chances are good that you’ll easily surpass the popular 10,000-steps-per-day fitness goal. There’s very little official mileage information available about Walt Disney World®, Universal Orlando Resort, or SeaWorld® Orlando, but a quick internet search (try “how many steps will I get in Orlando,” if you’re curious) reveals a number of park enthusiasts who are happy to share their self-curated Fitbit findings.
According to a very semi-scientific review of some of the available information, it appears as though it’d be relatively easy to average somewhere between 15,000 to 20,000 steps per day by exploring the parks. And here’s one interesting note: There seems to be some general consensus that wandering around Epcot provides the best opportunity for setting your own walking-vacation personal steps record if you’re interested in that sort of thing.
With those kinds of numbers, you won’t just be staying active in Orlando, you’ll be logging true fitness mileage.
Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
Home to 12,188-foot-tall Mount Teide — a stratovolcano and the highest point in all of Spain — Teide National Park is a must-visit attraction on Tenerife. More importantly, according to Spain’s official tourism website, the “best way to get around the park is on foot.” Some 41 hiking trails crisscross the park, ranging from shorter nature strolls to adventurous treks toward the pyramid-shaped peak (you’ll need an access permit, available through the national park’s reservation website, to truly summit Mount Teide).
Pick whichever route you’re comfortable with, pack sunscreen and water, and then simply hike, because the natural scenery — including about 20 different types of birds and 212 species of flora — combined with those extra vacation steps makes any route here worthwhile.
Tenerife is also known for its wine production, and while you probably won’t get quite the same workout visiting a vineyard as you do traipsing up Mount Teide, there are some producers where a brief walking tour is offered before the tastings begin. Guides at Bodega El Lomo, for example, lead guests on an informational jaunt through the on-site garden and organic orchard to show off the Canarian varietals on the vines prior to offering the final product in a glass.
Lake Tahoe, California and Nevada
Hiking the entire 165-mile Tahoe Rim Trail during a weeklong stay is a bit ambitious, but tackling a segment (or just part of a segment) is certainly manageable — and an ideal way to enjoy some serene scenic views of the lake. The Kingsbury South Connector to Big Meadow section stretches for about 23 miles and includes marches through a red fir and white pine forest, a stop at picturesque Star Lake, and various meadows peppered with colorful wildflowers. It’s also situated at the southeast corner of the lake, with both trailheads conveniently located near South Lake Tahoe.
A visit to Vikingsholm, Lake Tahoe’s famous Scandinavian castle, is a more mellow journey and a sneaky way to work in a few hours of “exercise.” For starters, you’ll need to trek along a 1-mile path from the parking lot down to the shore of Emerald Bay to see the lakeside structure up close (and, of course, 1 mile back to your car at the end of the visit). Daily tours of the residence are available from approximately June to September. Highlights include original furnishings, antique artwork, and intricate Scandinavian architectural details — not to mention plenty of walking around the 38-room house.
Austrian Alps
For a lot of people, a casual mention of the Austrian Alps sparks images of Julie Andrews singing and dancing her way across mountain meadows in The Sound of Music. As it happens, 2025 is the 60th anniversary of the musical film, and a perfect opportunity to explore some of the movie’s most popular locations during a day-trip to Salzburg.
A number of guided excursions are being offered, including the Original Sound of Music Tour® by Panorama Tours via bus, the Sound of Salzburg with Fräulein Maria’s Bicycle Tour, and various small-group outings that travel by van. If you’re serious about getting those steps in, though, be sure to focus on the available walking tours.
The SmartGuide app — the “platform that turns every phone into a private guide” — offers a program called On the Trail of “The Sound of Music” (available for download for both iPhones and Androids) that leads listeners on a narrated 90-minute outing to nine sites over the course of a nearly 2.5-mile walk. You’ll see Mirabell Gardens, Nonnberg Abbey, Mönchsberg Terrace, and more.
For an even more in-depth encounter, consider Salzburg Experience’s exclusive Salzburg Walking Tour With Elisabeth von Trapp. You’ll visit most of the same places as the other tours, but the stories you hear will come straight from the granddaughter of the family that inspired The Sound of Music.
Entre Ríos, Argentina
Just north of Buenos Aires, the Entre Ríos province is famous for its natural hot springs, which is good to know for travelers who are trying to add a bit of vigor to their vacation. Simply put, it’s tough to beat a rejuvenating evening soak after a day of activity. Which brings us to the other thing for which Entre Ríos is famous: fishing.
The Uruguay River forms the province’s eastern border and thanks to clear visibility and regulated water levels, especially below the Salto Grande dam near the town of Concordia, this is prime territory for hooking the region’s signature large dorado. Favorable environmental conditions help ensure that the fish population is plentiful. Landing one, though, remains a fun challenge. These fish can weigh between 20 and 40 pounds, and dorado are known for their fight, often running and jumping with your bait before being successfully reeled in.
As for your walking, fishing from shore here can be just as productive as using a boat, so you can wander up and down the riverbank — or along smaller streams and tributaries — in search of your own secret fishing hole.
Krabi Province, Thailand
The easiest way to stay active during a visit to Krabi Province is to choose a nearby stretch of sand, kick off your flip-flops, and start walking. One of the most fascinating places to do this is a short boat ride from Krabi known as Thale Waek. It’s a seasonal attraction where the daily low tide reveals postcard-perfect sandbars that make it possible to wander between the three small islands of Ko Kai, Ko Thap, and Ko Mo. Just don’t cheat yourself and plop down at the first perfect strand you find. Walk a little farther — to the next island, perhaps — and then marvel at the Andaman Sea views for a while before making your way back across the sandy footbridges.
For a different type of excursion, consider visiting the Ko Klang village just outside of Krabi. The local residents here have maintained a more traditional way of life and take pride in demonstrating different trades and customs when visitors arrive. Explore the island community (on foot, of course) to see how Sangyod rice and other organic produce is farmed, learn about batik fabric, and watch boats being built. (Insider tip: Enjoy some of the very fresh seafood while you’re meandering about.)
