We're calling this pilgrimage a work-in-progress - a waypath that's been in the works since approximately 1360. Largely forgotten about until The British Pilgrimage Trust rediscovered it on the Gough Map, Britain's oldest road map, the Old Way, runs between Southampton and Canterbury. It is now being replotted and reused, skirting away from noisy thoroughfares (old pilgrimage routes form the foundations of many of today's main roads) and passing through rolling hills, undulating downs and historic urban centres as it snakes across the south of England via holy places and spiritual sites. Head to the trust's website for more information, including rest spots, route ideas and guided walks.

Upon a hilltop in Magreglio, not far from Lake Como, sits a chapel flocked by pilgrims. Only, the devout here aren't carrying staffs or blessings; instead, they're wearing Lycra and chomping on energy bars. By virtue of its position at the top of a dramatic cycling route peppered with screensaver-perfect views out over Lombardy, the chapel of Madonna del Ghisallo has unofficially become a place of secular pilgrimage for ambitious Italian cyclists peddling their way from Rome. Inside, offerings of neon-coloured jerseys sit alongside walls stacked with old bicycle frames. It's absurd but intriguing.

This storied European pilgrimage is having a revival: around 400,000 people traipsed their way through northern Spain in 2022, the most ever recorded on these meandering holy paths. The official starting point of the Camino de Santiago is disputed, but most people tend to lace up their boots at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in southwestern France and then pass through Spain - over mountains and through vineyards - before climaxing at the towering Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. You needn't do the full length of this month-long trail, though. Head straight to Galicia and embark on a more manageable long weekend or one-week jaunt. And knowing your Hail Marys isn't a prerequisite; many take to the walk fuelled by wanderlust rather than religious fervour.

This pilgrimage doesn't require any hiking poles or isotonic energy gels, and provides a fascinating insight into the idiosyncrasies of the Greek Orthodox Church. On 15 August each year, pilgrims get down on their hands and knees and crawl from the azure harbour of Tinos up through the city to the Panagia Evangelistria Church at the island's apex, where a bejewelled icon of Mary awaits. It's deeply moving to watch, but we'd recommend waiting a day or two before enjoying a less-crowded (very) short walk from the coast to the church.

While the total length of this pilgrimage looks measly - the 8km trail in County Mayo typically takes around four hours - this is known as one of Ireland's most treacherous climbs, in part due to the moody miasma of cloud and fog that routinely descends on the peak of Croagh Patrick. Catholic pilgrims looking for the wobbly chapel perched on top ascend en masse on the last Sunday of July (a tradition that started 1,500 years ago). We don't recommend hoiking yourself and a rucksack up this crag in the depths of winter, though. Head over in August for temperate, uncloudy weather.

The Rila mountains - a fuzzy forest-covered range that cushions Sofia - are scored with hiking routes, and while we can't confirm the existence of any official pilgrimage paths through the peaks, many trails pass the fortress-like, Byzantine Rila Monastery, the largest Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria. Book ahead (via phone) to spend a night; rooms are - unsurprisingly - austere, but you'll be bedding down to the monastic chants of compline prayers, surrounded by some of the country's most enchanting frescoes.

If you want a looming shrine or architectural colossus waiting for you at the end of your trek, scroll on. This pilgrimage culminates in a sunken patch of earth, a spot believed by some Buddhists to bear the sacred footprint of Buddha himself. Snake through whispering plains of long grass, up centuries-old concrete passages and through sticky, humid jungle on this five-hour trek. Pilgrimage season lasts from December to April. Bring layers: Sri Lanka's low-lying land might be balmy enough for bikinis, but the climate shifts dramatically as you edge farther from sea level.

Once traversed by samurais and emperors, Kumano Kodō is a messy threadwork of paths weaving through the forests, waterfalls and temples of Wakayama, south of Kyoto. Some still stroll these hushed forested paths seeking spiritual enlightenment - most, however, are following the ghosts of pilgrims past and seeking to understand the rituals and romance of the region's former inhabitants and visitors. Pilgrims of yore devised routes of varying difficulties, so today you can pick and choose how you explore, passing shrines, small towns and excellent local restaurants en route. You'll catch us meandering towards the epic Nachi-no-taki, Japan's tallest waterfall, and Kumano Hayatama Taisha, a blood-red sacred temple that can only be reached by paddling out in a flat-bottomed boat.

We've included this one as a more manageable option - an aperitif to longer, meatier alternative pilgrimages. Start in the quaint Scottish town of Melrose (the supposed birthplace of St Cuthbert, a prior allegedly responsible for spreading Christianity through the north of England), then pass through a breadcrumb trail of villages and over the River Tweed on your way to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, just off England's Northumberland coast. Those keen to go the whole hog will need to wait for low water and navigate the tidal flats to the isle using the ancient waymarkers stuck in the mud. You'll find a smattering of hotels on the way, so there's no need to lug camping equipment and, providing you plan a summer trip, you might even catch a few rays.

This short but gruelling three-day journey over the desolate hills of Mount Kailash is known as one of the world's most challenging pilgrimages. It forms a loop, beginning and ending in Darchen, which takes in the Dirapuk and Dzultripuk Monasteries en route. The landscape is not completely barren - there are guesthouses along the way - but being 5,000m above sea level provides challenges for even the fittest, most peppy hikers.