I return from a proper travel adventure with an extra spring in my step. Meeting new people, pushing myself to try activities out of my comfort zone and seeing destinations from a different perspective resets me.
But big adventures can take a lot of planning to get right. And, as the designated organiser for my friends and young family, I have limited time to make all of the grand plans I’d like to. Which is one reason I love the luxury of guided tours where itineraries are set for me and someone else plans the logistics.
And I’m not the only one. The adventure travel company Explore Worldwide had its best ever year in 2023 and big operators are adding more tours to their repertoires to meet demand. Intrepid Travel, which runs responsible, ethical small-group adventures, has launched more than 100 new trips and experiences for 2024.
• A beginner’s guide to escorted tours
• Best tours for families
From eating your way around Sicily to travelling from the east to west of Costa Rica, these are some of the most exciting new tours this year.
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UK
1. Sip and stroll through the South Downs
The South Downs on the southeast English coast is one of Britain’s newest national parks but its chalky soils have been used by winemakers since Roman times. On this self-guided trip, where you’ll have your luggage transferred between hotels plus maps and route information, you can sample award-winning sparkling wines from the Wiston, Ridgeview and Rathfinny estates while sauntering along the South Downs Way. Landscapes range from woodlands and river valleys to sea views from the Seven Sisters cliffs. Accommodation is in B&Bs, hotels and guesthouses in traditional towns and villages.
Details Seven nights’ B&B from £1,095pp (macsadventure.com)
2. Walk among wildlife on the Northumberland Coast Path
From the 62-mile Northumberland Coast Path, you can admire huge stretches of golden sands, spot birds and seals, drop into coastal villages for cake or a pint and walk in the shadows of centuries-old castles. You’ll tackle the whole route from Cresswell to Berwick-upon-Tweed over six days on this guided trip, which will allow time to explore top sights such as Holy Island. Your accommodation is in Alnmouth, in one of HF Holidays’ country houses, a 36-room 18th-century former granary. The hassle-free walking holiday formula by the British brand includes three meals a day, transport to the start of every section and evening entertainment.
Details Seven nights’ full board from £1,045pp (hfholidays.co.uk)
Europe
3. Eat your way around Sicily
Sicilians take food seriously and on this culinary journey around the island, you’ll see why. Sample deep-fried arancini and panelle chickpea fritters at street food markets in the capital Palermo, sweet cannoli in the town of Corleone known for its mafia past, and granita in baroque beauty Noto. There’s wine, oil and chocolate tasting too, plus a cooking lesson with a nonna (grandmother) at a masseria (large farmhouse estate) where you’ll also stay. There’s also time to visit the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento and to discover what makes Sicilian tomato sauce so special.
Details Seven nights’ B&B from £1,879pp, including some extra meals (explore.co.uk). Fly to Palermo
4. Get under the skin of Georgia
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Part of Wild Frontiers’ Adventures with Purpose collection, this tour will help to get under the skin of the country at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. The itinerary combines a stay in the capital Tbilisi, learning about the city’s food, architecture and culture, with overnights in family-run guesthouses in remote villages where you’ll explore the gobsmacking scenery of the Tusheti and Kazbegi National Parks and visit social enterprises and workshops preserving traditional Georgian crafts. You’ll find out about Georgia’s traditional winemaking methods too with a day in one of the world’s oldest winemaking regions.
Details Twelve nights’ B&B from £2,595pp, including some extra meals (wildfrontierstravel.com). Fly to Tbilisi
5. Take the Portuguese Camino
Discover a quieter pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela with the Portuguese Camino. You’ll hike on a combination of its Central Route and Coastal Route with a detour onto the lesser-known Spiritual Variant, which is said to be the original way taken by Saint James. Starting in Porto, daily walks average about 14 miles. Highlights include views along the Atlantic coastline, a stay in the medieval city of Viana do Castelo and a boat trip that follows the 17 crosses of the coastal Translatio Route. There’s the option to swap flights to Portugal for the train too, via slow travel specialists Byway.
Details Eight nights’ B&B from £2,199pp, including flights (exodus.co.uk)
6. Go back in time with the kids in Greece
Bring your children’s history lessons to life on a National Geographic Family Journey with G Adventures, hopping between Athens, Paros and Crete. Travel back in time during interactive visits to the Acropolis, its museum and the Agora of Athens and watch your kids learn through play while testing out ancient Greek games, completing a scavenger hunt in Heraklion and making Parian (from Paros) food in a cooking class. Downtime after big hitters such as Knossos Palace could be swimming and snorkelling or add extra excitement with a Land Rover safari along an ancient Minoan route.
Details Eight nights’ B&B from £3,149 per adult and £1,699 per child, including some extra meals (gadventures.com). Fly to Athens
7. Switzerland’s splendour by train
Once you’ve experienced a panoramic train journey in Switzerland — with views of snow-covered peaks, pretty villages and picture-book meadows out of wraparound windows — you’ll wonder why you ever bothered with any other form of transport. This eight-day rail trip includes journeys on the Mont-Blanc Express across the Alps to France and the GoldenPass Express from Montreux on Lake Geneva to Interlaken with its dramatic backdrop of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains. There’s time outside of the carriages, too, for lake cruises and to tour postcard star Château de Chillon.
Details Seven nights’ B&B from £2,560pp, including Eurostar travel and some extra meals (greatrail.com)
• Best rail journeys in Europe
Long haul
8. Culture and cuisine in South Korea
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Travel to South Korea has just become easier because until the end of 2024, UK passport holders no longer need to apply for a Korea Electronic Travel Authorisation (K-ETA) for visa-free entry. On this tour you’ll learn about the history of Korean cuisine during a cooking experience with Daniel Gray, a food expert who worked on Netflix’s Street Food: Asia. You’ll also meet a haenyeo on Jeju Island (a local female diver who gathers shellfish, with some in the community doing this into their eighties) and stay in the Haeinsa Temple on Mount Gaya, chatting over tea with local monks and meditating.
Details Eight nights’ B&B from £3,630pp, including some extra meals (intrepidtravel.com). Fly to Seoul
9. Coast-to-coast Costa Rica
If the thought of travelling with strangers fills you with dread, this small group private tour allows you to tailor a trip to the wildlife haven of Costa Rica to your idea of adventure. Travelling from its east to west, you’ll spot hummingbirds, sea turtles, monkeys and more. Complement these encounters with wild swimming in jungle lagoons, surfing on its wild Pacific Coast and hiking at the base of the Arenal Volcano. With a knowledgeable local leading you, you’ll dip in and out of cultural activities to help you understand what makes the small country tick, from cooking experiences to craft workshops.
Details Fourteen nights’ B&B from £2,699pp, including some extra meals. (notintheguidebooks.com). Fly to San Jose
• 19 of the best Costa Rica tours
10. The big five and more in South Africa
In recent years, the Asia specialist Wendy Wu Tours has branched out to offer trips to other parts of the world. And on its first South African tour, you’ll be able to tick off bucket-list experiences such as searching for the big five in Greater Kruger National Park, spotting penguins on Boulders Beach and exploring cosmopolitan Cape Town. A highlight will be an eco-experience in Knysna on the Garden Route where you’ll cruise across its lagoon and stroll through coastal forests. Outdoor pursuits are complemented by an indulgent journey through the Cape Winelands, plus a Bo-Kaap Malay cooking demonstration.
Details Fourteen nights’ B&B from £4,590pp, including flights and most extra meals (wendywutours.co.uk)
11. Explore southwest America’s national parks
With desert scenery, glowing red rock formations and an unforgettable natural wonder, America’s southwest is a dream adventure location. This tour covers its highlights, starting in glam Palm Springs before heading into Joshua Tree National Park to see its striking, twisty trees. An optional Jeep ride through Arizona’s high desert from Sedona is followed by the Grand Canyon — add on a helicopter ride for an extra treat. After tours of Monument Valley, Canyonlands and the Arches National Park, finish by relaxing in Glenwood Springs and the “Mile High City”, Denver. Or, add on a two-day journey on the Rocky Mountaineer from Moab to Denver.
Details Ten nights’ room-only from £3,240pp, including flights. From £4,998pp with a Rocky Mountaineer add-on, including two nights’ B&B with additional meals (newmarketholidays.co.uk)
12. Tour India from north to south
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Spanning 18 days, this tour packs a lot in, travelling from Delhi and the Golden Triangle circuit in India’s north to the southern cities of Bangalore, Mysore and Cochin. You’ll explore Paharganj in central Delhi with former street children, now working with charity Salaam Baalak Trust, who can provide unique stories about city life. There are also two safaris in Ranthambore National Park looking for tigers. The end is a relaxed affair, aboard a houseboat in Kerala’s backwaters for a night and then two nights at a spa hotel in the beach resort Marari.
Details Sixteen nights’ half board from £2,899pp, including flights and some extra meals (travelsphere.co.uk)
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