Adventure Travel
It doesn’t matter if you’ve mountain-biked in Kyrgyzstan, conquered Patagonia in a pair of hiking boots or scaled the sleek rock arches of the Colorado Plateau—even the most experienced travelers can still find new adventures. In this Adventure Travel Web Guide you will find vacation ideas and trends, travel agencies, information about gear and safety, flight search tools and training tips to help you get physically fit before your trip. You’ll gain inspiration for a high-energy getaway with help from our Adventure Travel Web Guide.
Expand All Guide SectionsAdventure Travel Agencies
Your adventurous odyssey should be the perfect mix of spontaneity and structure; enter the adventure travel agency. The online agencies in this section can help you find a trip that suits your interests and experience level.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Adventure travel agencies offer guided adventure tours, often including accommodations. Typically, these agencies will suggest appropriate gear, and sometimes, they’ll let you customize your own adventure tour.
- Consider using these sites as a way to compare prices: before you book a trip, see if a competing agency offers a similar package at a better value.
- If you’re not an experienced adventure traveler, it’s wise to use a travel agent of some kind—or at least connect with a guide once you arrive at your destination. If none of the online agencies suit you, consider calling an independent travel agent.
- Before you look for an adventure travel package, consider some of the top trends, including yoga retreats and roots vacations, which put people in touch with their ancestry. USA Today’s “Travel” section outlines additional options.
Dulcinea's Picks
For a variety of adventure tours …
iExplore
offers adventure tours all over the world. To select a trip, click on any continent on the world map. From there, an index of countries will appear. Trips are rated by “Difficulty,” “Comfort” and “Exclusivity.” The company offers traveler’s insurance and information on practical topics like food and weather. Also find links to “Visa and Health” information for each country.
Gordon's Guide
Gordon's Guide is an extremely thorough adventure travel resource that has been included in Forbes' Best of the Web for nine consecutive years. Gordon's Guide acts as a reference source for adventure tourism companies, allowing users to plan an excursion to almost anywhere in the world, suited to a particular interest, price range and athletic ability. Photos and "Featured Adventures" offer inspiration.
For mountaineering …
Alpine Ascents International
is a premier mountaineering company that offers guided treks and expeditions, as well as a mountaineering school with classes for climbers of all backgrounds. Find detailed expedition information with itineraries, gear lists, fitness guides and slideshows. The cybercast feature allows people to follow the progress of tours as they're happening, or to visit an archive to read up on previous treks for preparation.
For group adventure travel …
World Expeditions
offers many pre-made group trips, but will also tailor experiences to individual needs—you can even put together your own group with advance notice. Visit the “FAQs” section for answers to many adventure travel queries.
Adventure Center
specializes in organizing group travel excursions to exotic places. The site is helpful whether you know precisely what you’re looking for, or just want to browse options. The “Adventure Finder” search tool finds trips for you based on region, type of trip or price range.
G.A.P. Adventures
can help you find a group adventure. Visit the “Destination Guide” section for all available locales. This organization also offers a moderated forum called “The Watering Hole” where travelers can post on a variety of issues regarding their trips.
For senior adventure travel …
ElderTreks
is an adventure travel tour operator for people 50 years of age and over. They offer a huge variety of adventure trips in every corner of the world, including extreme destinations such as Mt. Everest and Argentina's Patagonia. For each tour they provide a detailed itinerary with photos, FAQs and testimonials.
50plus Expeditions
is another tour group dedicated to adventure travel for seniors. Don’t be put off by the primitive look of this site—there’s lots of helpful information here. Trips vary in difficulty from easy to demanding. This gives travelers in peak physical shape, who want more than a conventional sightseeing tour, the chance to hike through the Austrian Alps or take a bike tour of the Czech Republic.
Adventure Travel Requirements and Safety
If you are planning an international adventure, this section of the guide can help you arrange some of the most important elements of your trip. Find out how to get visas and passports, traveler’s insurance and the necessary vaccinations and inoculations before you take off.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Before you plan a trip, consider researching how long the process takes for obtaining a visa to the country you intend to visit. In some cases it can take the better part of a year. If you book a trip three months from now but don’t receive your visa for another six months, you’ll be stuck at home and disappointed.
- Traveler’s insurance is a great idea: there are lots of issues beyond your control that could derail your trip and cost you money. Some common issues handled by insurance are missed connection flights due to flight delays, lost luggage or last-minute cancellations due to illness or other emergencies.
- Many destinations require vaccinations. Check out this guide to see which countries require which treatments. Try to go to your regular physician when you get inoculated—he or she will have the best knowledge of your medical history.
Dulcinea's Picks
For official documents and general health and safety …
The U.S. Department of State
offers crucial travel information on document requirements, registration with embassies and current topics in international health. Visit this site to obtain a passport and read up on current travel warnings or announcements. Also link to country-specific travel information and warnings.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
has a checklist detailing everything you need to know before you take a big trip. Use the clickable map to learn about all of the health issues relative to that location.
Immunization Action Coalition
is a directory of resources on travel vaccinations. Visit this site for information on the kinds of vaccinations you need and where you can get them. See the “Journal Articles” section for in-depth discussions of health issues abroad.
Preparing for Adventure Travel
Whether you’re climbing mountains or holding yoga poses, the right gear and level of fitness can enhance your experience. This section helps adventure travelers find proper equipment and get in shape before a trip.
Dulcinea's Insight
- If you have arranged to travel through a trip provider, be in touch with them for information on the equipment you’ll need on your trip.
- Some adventure travel agencies list required gear on their Web sites, which can help you form a preliminary packing list. A basic guide can be found at WorldClassGear.com, a site that recommends brands in each category and has links to purchase them.
- If your trip has exceptional physical requirements (if you’re planning to summit a mountain, for example) consider working with a personal trainer during the months before your trip. Read the findingDulcinea Personal Trainers Web Guide for tips on what to look for when hiring a trainer and many other helpful resources. If you’d prefer to go it on your own, consult the findingDulcinea Fitness Web Guide.
Dulcinea's Picks
For basic preparedness …
Nomadik
is a guide to outdoor life. This section of the site offers a series of short articles that outline practical information regarding what to know before you go on an adventure trip—links within each article take you to more in-depth explanations. Some ads appear within the text, but the advice is worthwhile.
For equipment reviews …
Outside Online
is the Web site of Outside magazine. Use the “Gear” link to read product reviews and see basic gear questions answered. Lists of products and buyers’ guide reviews are a good source for researching the latest travel accessories.
National Geographic
offers user reviews of gear for various types of adventure travel including camping, hiking and climbing. Click “more” (as in “more socks” or “more jackets”) to see additional items from many different brands.
For purchasing and renting gear …
The Outfitters
has an extensive selection of products to buy or rent for different adventure trips, as well as gear specifically for men, women and children. Kayak tours are also available.
Backcountry.com
has extensive product lists for men, women and kids. In addition to gear like jackets and footwear, there are also specific categories such as “Camp/Hike,” “Climb,” “Trail Run” and “Travel,” for example.
BentGear.com
has products geared specifically toward adventure travelers. Find ice axes, helmets, slings and cords, and ski and snowshoe accessories, along with other general items like apparel and sunglasses.
For fitness advice …
WebMD
's fitness articles address a variety of exercise concerns, myths and theories, and provide doctor-verified advice. If you're experiencing workout-related pain, you'll find pertinent information in one of more than 1,000 fitness-related articles in the archive. Use the search function to wade through it if you have a specific concern.
eMedicineHealth
has a comprehensive introduction to strength training. Learn the benefits of lifting weights, as well as types of strength training, dietary considerations and common injuries.
For training tools …
Traineo
helps you get fit through outside motivation: create an account and pick friends or relatives to be your "motivators." Those selected will get weekly progress reports to stay updated on your exercise. Traineo has plenty of fitness and exercise information, and tools like graphs and logs to help you manage your training.
The Lawrence Berkeley Lab
has an online mileage log for running and cycling that keeps a tally of your total mileage and treats it as if you're running across the United States. As you trace the trans-American route from Virginia to Oregon, you're supplied with pictures of the road at different routes to simulate the experience—a great way to get excited about your upcoming adventure.
For seniors and kids fitness …
The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
provides a 36-page PDF guide for kids ages 6–17 that explains the basics of physical fitness and offers a sample exercise regimen to assist them in shaping up for the President's Challenge, a five-event primary school fitness test. The workout program places emphasis on flexibility, aerobic activity and muscular strength.
The National Institute on Aging
provides an 88-page exercise guide for anyone seeking advice on senior fitness. Find information on safety, motivation, exercise programs and nutrition. It also supplies printable charts to help you keep a record of your activities.
© 2009 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
