diff --git a/pandas/io/pytables.py b/pandas/io/pytables.py
index ea0a59ce2ab31..c44a3feff7d57 100644
--- a/pandas/io/pytables.py
+++ b/pandas/io/pytables.py
@@ -1038,6 +1038,38 @@ def groups(self):
                  g._v_name != u('table')))
         ]
 
+    def walk(self):
+        """ Walk the pytables group hierarchy yielding the group name and dataframe names
+        for each group.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        A generator yielding tuples (`path`, `groups`, `frames`) where:
+
+        - `path` is the full path to a group,
+        - `groups` is a list of group names contained in `path`
+        - `frames` is a list of dataframe names contained in `path`
+
+        """
+        _tables()
+        self._check_if_open()
+        for g in self._handle.walk_groups():
+            if (getattr(g, '_v_name', None) is None
+                or getattr(g._v_attrs, 'pandas_type', None) == 'frame'):
+                continue
+
+            groups = []
+            frames = []
+            for child in g._v_children.values():
+                pandas_type = getattr(child._v_attrs, 'pandas_type', None)
+                if (getattr(child._v_attrs, 'CLASS', None) == 'GROUP'
+                    and pandas_type is None):
+                    groups.append(child._v_name)
+                elif pandas_type == 'frame':
+                    frames.append(child._v_name)
+            yield (g._v_pathname, groups, frames)
+
+
     def get_node(self, key):
         """ return the node with the key or None if it does not exist """
         self._check_if_open()
diff --git a/pandas/io/tests/test_pytables.py b/pandas/io/tests/test_pytables.py
index b4f1e6a429198..aff1762fd5eed 100644
--- a/pandas/io/tests/test_pytables.py
+++ b/pandas/io/tests/test_pytables.py
@@ -4813,6 +4813,41 @@ def test_read_nokey(self):
             df.to_hdf(path, 'df2', mode='a')
             self.assertRaises(ValueError, read_hdf, path)
 
+    # GH10143
+    def test_walk(self):
+        with tm.ensure_clean('walk_groups.hdf') as filename:
+            store = HDFStore(filename, 'w')
+
+            dfs = {
+                'df1': pd.DataFrame([1,2,3]),
+                'df2': pd.DataFrame([4,5,6]),
+                'df3': pd.DataFrame([6,7,8]),
+                'df4': pd.DataFrame([9,10,11]),
+                }
+
+            store.put('/first_group/df1', dfs['df1'])
+            store.put('/first_group/df2', dfs['df2'])
+            store.put('/second_group/df3', dfs['df3'])
+            store.put('/second_group/third_group/df4', dfs['df4'])
+
+            expect = {
+                '/': (set(['first_group', 'second_group']), set()),
+                '/first_group': (set(), set(['df1', 'df2'])),
+                '/second_group': (set(['third_group']), set(['df3'])),
+                '/second_group/third_group': (set(), set(['df4'])),
+            }
+
+            for path, groups, frames in store.walk():
+                self.assertIn(path, expect)
+                expect_groups, expect_frames = expect[path]
+
+                self.assertEqual(expect_groups, set(groups))
+                self.assertEqual(expect_frames, set(frames))
+                for frame in frames:
+                    frame_path = '/'.join([path, frame])
+                    df = store.get(frame_path)
+                    self.assert_(df.equals(dfs[frame]))
+
 
 class TestHDFComplexValues(Base):
     # GH10447