Annie Hawkins

Annie Hawkins, born and raised in a small village in Burgundy, is a passionate world traveler and one of our most enchanting Trip Leaders. After studying art history in Provence, Annie moved to California, where she led adventure tours in the American Southwest and realized that leading adventure trips was her vocation—nothing would keep her inside an office again! She has led exclusively for Wilderness Travel since 1995 and has helped us create journeys in France, Spain, Sri Lanka, Morocco, Niger, and most recently, Angola. “As a Trip Leader, I see myself as the personal ambassador to a place. In France, I love introducing the products of the “terroir” such as wine or cheese, or in southern Spain, taking the group to my home to share a paella with them. And in the Sahara, I have a passion for the wind-created landscape I call “the yellow circle” and the ingenuity of the people who live in this place of extremes. I'm also fascinated by the friendships that people forge while traveling together day after day. I remember how six guests become lifetime friends after our trip in Niger—this warms my heart!” While scouting our trip in southern Spain in 1999, Annie bought a 300-year-old house in a village clinging on the flanks of the highest mountains in Spain. It took her three years to transform it into the home she calls La Casa del Milagro. She married in 2006 and now divides her time between Europe and San Francisco, where she lives with her husband.

Upcoming Trips:

Southern Spain to Morocco, April 28-May 9, 2010
Granada to Sevilla, May 28-June 4, 2010
Great Alpine Traverse, July 2-17, 2010
Hiking in the Cortina Dolomites, July 19-26, 2010
Mont Blanc to the Mediterranean, August 1-14, 2010
Tour du Mont Blanc, August 15-22, 2010
Hiking the French Pyrenees, September 3-11, 2010
Southern Spain to Morocco, September 15-26, 2010
Corsica and Sardinia, October 2-12, 2010
The Lost World: Roraima to Angel Falls, October 15-30, 2010
Medieval France: The Lot Valley, May 14-22, 2011
Medieval France: The Lot Valley, October 8-16, 2011

Client Testimonials:


Once again Annie proved her competence with graciousness and charm. You are so lucky to have her. We will travel with Annie again! J. Rosbach, Bainbridge Island WA Annie is everything a guide should be and even more. She is your best ‘advertisement!" E. Dubbs, Claymont DE Annie was incredibly excellent! Bill Uhlik, Mechanicsville, VA
Hiking the Haute Route Annie is a great leader, a great person to be with. She was always able to convey a complete understanding of the place in its physical sense as well as its culture, which made it even more interesting. Maria Almeida, New York NY
Hiking the Haute Route Annie took my breath away. She could not have been more caring, fun, concerned. What a joy she is to everyone. Pamela Ramsey, LA Jolla CA
Great Alpine Traverse Annie was by far the best leader we’ve ever had, and we’ve had a lot of excellent leaders with Wilderness Travel Hugh and Wendy Kendrick, Anacortes WA
Great Alpine Traverse Annie was first rate. She charmed everyone, her knowledge of the area was superb, and she handled all the logistics and contributed to a very enjoyable trip. Larry Schlicht, Boise ID
Great Alpine Traverse
Annie was such a superb guide. Her love of the places we visited was evident in her enthusiastic nightly briefings. Angela Smith, Wrightsville Beach NC
Great Alpine Traverse Annie Hawkins was terrific, outstanding in every way. She is so lovely and we had total confidence in her leadership. We hope to do another trip with her some day. Linda and Ira Goldman, West Hartford, CT
Hiking in the Cortina Dolomites Annie Hawkins is a marvelous Trip Leader in every way. She is a delightful personality and charming company. She oversaw all the details and added her own special touches that made our adventure really superb. Hala Araj, Oakland, CA
Niger: The Wodabe Gerewol Festival Annie is better than excellent! She is professional, competent, and absolutely enchanting. We will plan another WT trip with her schedule in mind. Julie Rosbach, Bainbridge Island WA
Tour du Mont Blanc Annie was terrific! A key part of the wonderful memory I have of this trip. Marrie Campbell, Marblehead MA
Tour du Mont Blanc