Get Out of Your Comfort Zone on an Adventure Travel Tour - Full-Time Travel

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone on an Adventure Travel Tour

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone on an Adventure Travel Tour

By Esme Benjamin

If you want more out of travel this year – if you want to return home with new knowledge, engaging stories and the kind of confidence boost that comes from pushing beyond your comfort zone – then it’s time to consider an adventure travel tour. From a culinary escapade through Mexico to rare wildlife spotting in Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest, these adventurous trips will be some of the stand-out travel experiences of your life. 

A foodie adventure from the Amazon to Machu Picchu 

Hiking the Inca Trail | By Kyle Frost

Peru is famous for two things: its globally beloved cuisine and the incomparable lost city of Machu Picchu. This trip from Peruvian tour company Inca Experts combines the two to create a 10-day gastronomic adventure through the country’s urban and wilderness highlights. The journey begins with a meal at Central (considered one of the best restaurants in the world) in Lima, before taking you to the Amazon for wildlife spotting and a taste of indigenous ingredients from the jungle. Then it’s on to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu for a guided tour, followed by dinner at lauded restaurant MIL for a multi-course parting meal you’ll never forget. 

Book: Foodie Tour from the Amazon to Machu Picchu

Go heli-skiing in the remote Icelandic highlands

Ski the remote Icelandic highlands | Jordan Rosen Photography

When it comes to destinations that pack a lot of once-in-a-lifetime sights and experiences into a relatively small landmass, Iceland tops the list. Although touristy attractions like the Golden Circle and soaking in the country’s famous Blue Lagoon are certainly worth it, the most adventurous way to escape the crowds is with a heli-skiing trip. Stoke Broker’s tour will take you up to the remote Icelandic highlands, where few people venture, to immerse in the country’s famous rugged nature and ski alongside active volcanoes and icy tundra. It’s a part of Iceland few have seen before – and that includes the locals. 

Book: Heli-skiing in the Icelandic highlands

Sail, hike and chase the northern lights in Norway

Chase the Northern Lights in Norway | Courtesy of Much Better Adventures

 As one of the most mesmerizing and illusive natural wonders, the northern lights are a true bucket-list experience. Seek them out on this three-day trip with Much Better Adventures, which takes you out into the wilderness of Norway. Spend your days hiking the fjords, watching wildlife from the deck of a catamaran, or exploring cozy hangouts in the city of Tromsø. After dark, turn your attention skyward and cross your fingers and toes for a glimpse of the dancing Aurora Borealis. 

Book: Chase the northern lights

“Get Lost” on a survival-style trip to a surprise location

Get Lost in a secret location | By Janis Opplinger

The ultimate adventure trip is not for the faint of heart. Black Tomato’s “Get Lost” takes travelers on a customized journey into the unknown, dropping them in a surprise, remote location and charging them with navigating their way through it (don’t worry, all equipment and any necessary training will be provided before go-time, and a support team will keep an eye on you from afar). Inspired by the adage that “sometimes you have to get lost in order to find yourself,” Get Lost aims to help travelers disconnect from the internet and engage in the present while building confidence through self-reliance. If you’ve always thought you’d be handy in a survival situation, this trip will really test your mettle. 

Book: A Get Lost adventure into the unknown

Wakeboard in Orlando with former world champion Shaun Murray

Wakeboard with Shaun Murray | Courtesy of Adventure IO

Whether you’re a wakeboarding enthusiast looking to improve, or a curious newbie who’s ready to give the sport a try, you’re guaranteed to pick up some tips (and have a lot of fun) with legendary wakeboard champion Shaun Murray. Your day starts in Shuan’s own backyard with a warm up on Ninja Warrior obstacle course (did we mention he was also a competitor on several seasons of the show?), before taking to the water in a Super Air NautiqueG23 Paragon wakeboard boat (the best of the best). Regardless of whether you acquire a new trick, it’ll be a day you’ll never forget. 

Book: Wakeboard with Shaun Murray

Go on an expedition through Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest

Glimpse the rare spirit bear | By James Thompson

Few experiences are as thrilling as a rare wildlife sighting, and on this trip to Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest – the largest intact coastal temperate rainforest in the world – your odds of a spellbinding encounter are pretty good. Travelers live on a schooner for a week, stopping off to explore fjords, beaches and ancient forests, and spotting sea lions, “salmon forests,” whales, and more. Keep your eyes peeled for a glimpse of the white spirit bear, which is native to the rainforest and found nowhere else on Earth.

Book: An expedition through Great Bear Rainforest

Camp, cycle, hike and raft on a camping trip through iconic Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

See the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone | By Laila Skalsky

Though not America’s most visited national park (The Smoky Mountains claims that accolade), Yellowstone is one of the most diverse. From wide grassy plains dotted with black bison to the vivid hues of the Grand Prismatic Spring – it’s full of mind-boggling beauty. Join outdoor outfitters REI on this six-day trip cycling, hiking and rafting through the park, before heading to nearby Grand Teton National Park to experience more of Wyoming’s distinctive wilderness. REI’s experts will even set up camp each night so you can sleep in comfort without fumbling to assemble tent poles.

Book: A trip through Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

Taste the best of Mexico on a journey from Mexico City to Huatulco

Take a taco tour of Mexico City | By Christine Siracusa

Fantastic food is one of the pillars of great travel, and on this trip through Mexico you’ll be spoiled with delicious things. Join Intrepid on a journey from Mexico City through ​​Puebla and Oaxaca all the way to the coastal town of Huatulco, sampling tacos, camotes (sweet potato lollies), mezcal, barbecued meats, chapulines (grasshoppers!) and so much more. While food forms the backbone of this trip there will also be time to check out cultural musts like Lucha Libre wrestling and Frida Kahlo’s house. 

Book: A taste-the-best-of-Mexico journey

Experience the highlights of America’s last frontier 

Experience beautiful Alaska | By Hari Nandakumar

America’s least visited state is also one of its most adventure-filled. Join Backroads on a 6-day tour of Alaska’s highlights, from a wildlife cruise on Prince William Sound and hiking trails in Kenai Fjords National Park, to cycling the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail and Kayaking around Yukon Island. You’ll cover glaciers, mountains, lakes, fjords and coastal towns on this trip, and you won’t have to share the experience with throngs of other tourists. 

Book: Experience America’s last frontier

Blend yoga and art in Morocco 

Mix yoga and art in Morocco | By Paul Macallan

If a wellness retreat is sounding pretty good to you right now, then SoulJourn’s Yoga and Art trip to Morocco should be the first trip you book this year. A replenishing mix of yoga sessions, gallery and artisan visits, hammam breaks, and sightseeing, the trip takes travelers from buzzy Marrakesh to the remote Atlas Mountains and back again. What’s more, SoulJourn is actually a non-profit, so your journey will help support Education For All (EFA), an organization that provides secondary education and housing for rural girls from the High Atlas Mountains.

Book: A yoga and art trip to Morocco

Read Next: Inside the World's Most Extraordinary (and Expensive) Adventure Trips

A lucky snorkeler watching a MASSIVE fever of Mobula Rays glide past him during a trip with @bajarawtours. The Mobula migration is in full effect right now in Baja. Every year from April to June, you can witness huge congregations of these animals along the shores of the peninsula. It`s truly an incredible thing to see.

Reel: @wandering.westerner
...

421 3

Quang Phu Cau Incense Village is a traditional craft village located in Quang Phu Cau Commune, Ung Hoa District, Hanoi, Vietnam. The village has a long-standing history of producing high-quality incense sticks, and it is considered one of the oldest and most famous incense-making villages in the country.

Reel: @travelmina_
...

100 1

An English fairytale in Canterbury. A wonderful spot for a picnic especially when the sun is shining.

Reel: @pocketwanderings
...

258 3

As the only Hindu region of the predominantly Islamic Indonesian archipelago, Bali is an island rich with festivals and spiritual rituals – many of which visitors are welcome to respectfully participate in. After rinsing yourself under the holy spring water which cascades through a series of waterspouts, you will emerge feeling cleansed in body and soul.

Reel: @lksjohan_ljc
...

350 1

Our team & @sassafranski just finished a whirlwind road trip throughout the state of Kentucky visiting some of the best museums and cultural destinations in the state. Below are some of our favorites stops that should be on your list next time you visit.

🚘 OWENSBORO, KY
Stop 1: @bluegrasshall
Stop 2: @owensboromuseumoffineart

🚘 PADUCAH, KY
Stop 3: Paducah Floodwall Murals
Stop 4: Guided Tour of Metropolitan Hotel

🚘 BOWLING GREEN, KY
Stop 5: @downing_museum
Stop 6: Bowling Green Murals

🚘 LOUISVILLE, KY
Stop 7: @flame_run_gallery
Stop 8: @frazierhistorymuseum
Stop 9: @oldlouisvilleky Walking Tour
Stop 10: @speedartmuseum

Visit @kytourism for your next trip to the Bluegrass state! #TravelKY #partner
...

77 19

A hidden gem in Saudi Arabia, AlUla is a place where ancient history meets modern luxury. Reel: @hobopeeba ...

350 1

Welcome to Season 4 of The Trip That Changed Me! Our first guest of the new season is @lauriewoolever, writer, editor, public speaker, a graduate of the French Culinary Institute (now the International Culinary Center) in New York, and former assistant to @anthonybourdain, with whom she co-wrote several books.

In this episode, Laurie shares memories from Sri Lanka, where she joined Bourdain (or “Tony,” as she affectionately calls him) on a shoot for the TV show “Parts Unknown.” For Laurie, this trip was part business and part pleasure; an opportunity to explore the lush island nation with her friend and mentor while working on a story about Sri Lankan home cooking, but it was especially significant because she was newly sober. Navigating triggers and travel rituals that involved alcohol was challenging, but the experience shifted Laurie’s perspective. To her surprise, the world was bigger and better without the booze.

🎧 Link in bio to listen to an interview full of wonderful, personal anecdotes about Anthony Bourdain the traveler, plus loads of insider tips that food-obsessives will appreciate.

Cover Art: @nelsonknatalie
...

186 3

This enormous staircase took 200 years to complete. With 691 steps, it has nine decorated levels with pyramids and statues called the Courtvard of the Kings. It crosses the hill to reach the Santuário Nossa Senhora dos Remédios.

Reel: @bokehm0n
...

167 2

Morning swim @borgobastiacreti

Reel: @victorsfitz
...

240 3

Surround yourself in a picturesque scenery of cherry blossoms, tulips, pansy, viola and more at the rainbow colored flower field at Hinoyama Koen Park.

Reel: @1min.traveller
...

524 4

Town between the mountains 🌊

The settlement of Ponta do Sol was founded around 1425, shortly after the discovery of the island by Portuguese settlers coming from Minho, the Beiras and the Algarve.

Reel: @ilya.somewhere
...

525 2

From the picturesque canals of Friesland to breathtaking Flevoland, and the stunning Weerribben-Wieden National Park, there`s so much to explore in The Netherlands.

Reel: @kuhrmarvin
...

668 2

Known for its colorful houses built on steep cliffs overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, Positano is a small town located on the Amalfi Coast in southern Italy. Some people might consider it overrated because of its popularity and high prices. However, others might argue that its beauty and charm are worth the cost and crowds. Tell us, what do you think about Positano as a summer destination?

Reel: @rflcpl
...

273 1