TripSavvy Outdoors The 7 Best Adventure Travel Companies of 2023 Here's a selection of the very best tour operators in the business today. By Jessica Macdonald Jessica Macdonald Facebook LinkedIn King's College London Jessica Macdonald lives in South Africa's Eastern Cape province and has been TripSavvy's Africa Expert since 2016. She also covers travel products and has written about everything from camping knives to climbing chalk. TripSavvy's editorial guidelines Updated on 11/14/22 Fact checked by Sean Blackburn Fact checked by Sean Blackburn LinkedIn Sean is a fact checker and researcher with experience in sociology and field research. TripSavvy's fact-checking Share Pin Email We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. If you’re wondering what the best travel company for your style of adventure is, look no further. Whether you want to backpack across a unique landscape, try out your first cruise, or experience wildlife in a new way, an adventure travel company can make it happen. Adventure travel companies help provide structure, community, and access to travelers seeking journeys that will let them live out their travel dreams. We’ve curated a list of seven companies, both long-standing and new, that have thoughtfully designed adventure experiences for a range of travel styles. The 7 Best Adventure Travel Companies of 2023 Best Overall: G Adventures Best for Women: Adventures in Good Company Best for Cruises: UnCruise Adventures Best for Seniors: Intrepid Best for Nature: Natural Habitat Adventures Best for African American Women: Black Girls Travel Too Best for Families: Thomson Family Adventures The 7 Best Adventure Travel Companies of 2023 View All The 7 Best Adventure Travel Companies of 2023 Our Top Picks G Adventures Adventures in Good Company UnCruise Adventures Intrepid Natural Habitat Adventures Black Girls Travel Too Thomson Family Adventures See More (4) Final Verdict Methodology Best Overall : G Adventures G adventures Inc. See Rates on Gadventures.com Why We Chose It G Adventures provides a wide range of itineraries that make overseas travel available and affordable to all types of travelers. Pros and Cons Pros Broad variety of options for every type of traveler Change/cancel a trip up to 45 days before departure Roamies trip partnership with Hostelworld Cons Travel credit redemption is confusing Company Overview G Adventures focuses on providing travelers with transformative, uniquely designed, and budget-friendly travel experiences. It organizes its tours into 13 different travel styles, ranging from Classic and Family to Active and Wellness, offering travelers incredible variety. One highlight is the Local Living option, which gives participants the opportunity to stay with families in Italy, Ecuador, or Croatia. The use of local guides, small group sizes, and the ability to change or cancel a tour up to 45 days before departure are meant to reassure travelers that they’re in good hands with G Adventures. Importantly, G Adventures trips are also incredibly affordable. You can take a quick three-day trip through Hanoi, Vietnam, for just $249 or an active 12-day trip in Tanzania for $3,899. The company offers trips across the globe, giving travelers plenty to choose from. Best for Women : Adventures in Good Company Adventurous ladies traveling through Bhutan. Adventures in Good Company See Rates on Adventuresingoodcompany.com Why We Chose It Adventures in Good Company has designed a variety of active adventure experiences specifically for women. Pros and Cons Pros Tours ranked 1-5 by activity level Small group sizes Single rooms occasionally available at an additional price Cons May be difficult to accommodate special dietary needs Company Overview Community is at the heart of Adventures in Good Company. Founded in 1999, the organization provides women travelers with a space to embrace adventure and push their limits. Adventurers can search for trips by activity level (1-5), season, and type of activity. Women who enjoy active trips can participate in things like hiking, backpacking, rafting, and dog sledding. The company even offers highly active adventures that require additional training. Many trips visit national parks such as Bryce Canyon and Zion, and there’s a hiking and backpacking journey in California’s Death Valley. There’s even a majestic trek from Anchorage to Fairbanks, Alaska, that includes time in Denali National Park. One of the organization’s standout features is its Find Your Adventure tours, trips that would be difficult to design and organize on your own. Best for Cruises : UnCruise Adventures Courtesy of UnCruise Adventures See Rates on Uncruise.com Why We Chose It UnCruise Adventures is consistently recognized as one of the best cruise operators by its peers. Pros and Cons Pros Smaller ship sizes Travel insurance available REI Co-op membership discounts Cons Short window to request refunds Not for budget travelers Company Overview UnCruise Adventures has received a lot of recognition for its tours, including being ranked in the top five for both Best Adventure Cruise Lines and Best River Cruise Lines in the 2022 USA Today Readers’ Choice awards. The company has a fleet of nine ships that host anywhere from 22 to 86 guests. The relatively small group size and the fact that you’re traveling with like-minded adventurers are keys to UnCruise’s journeys. Tours cater to various travel styles — solo, family, adventure — and visit some incredible destinations. Whether you’re looking to explore the Galapagos Islands or Hawaii, there’s a cruise for you. In 2023, there will even be a trip to Belize to view an annular eclipse. If you prefer winter travel, UnCruise offers a winter journey that combines an Alaska cruise with skiing. Best for Seniors : Intrepid See Rates on Intrepidtravel.com Why We Chose It Intrepid is a long-trusted operator and offers both budget and higher-end tours. Pros and Cons Pros Tailor-Made option offers customized experiences Lots of destinations Premium option available on some trips Cons Trips can be somewhat expensive Company Overview If you’re an older traveler looking for age-agnostic adventure travel spaces, Intrepid may be the company to book your next trip through. It has hosted travelers for more than 30 years, and the company embraces the joy of travel while fostering positivity and thoughtfully engaging with the communities it visits through initiatives led by its Intrepid Foundation. In 2022, Intrepid was named among B Corp’s “Best for the World.” Intrepid travels to every region of the globe, even Antarctica. Trips are divided into 18 themes, including Urban Adventures, Wildlife, and Short Breaks, which are great for folks seeking an impactful experience but who have a limited amount of time. Intrepid offers four travel styles for its guests, ranging from Basix, for budget travelers, to Premium. The Premium option makes adventure travel more comfortable for seniors, as it includes luggage porterage, breakfast, tipping for smaller expenses, and 24-hour in-destination support. Best for Nature : Natural Habitat Adventures Watching polar bears safely during a Natural Habitat Adventures trip. Steve Morello/Natural Habitat Adventures See Rates on Nathab.com Why We Chose It Natural Habitat Adventures puts conservation at the heart of its travel experiences. Pros and Cons Pros Broad range of adventure choices Trip extensions available for some excursions Small groups Cons Hard to recoup deposits on late cancellations Some itineraries are expensive Final payments typically due 120 days before departure Company Overview When exploring the natural world, it’s imperative to do no harm. Natural Habitat Adventures partners with the World Wildlife Fund to create thoughtful, unique excursions that aim to foster “conservation through exploration.” Founded in 1985, Natural Habitat Adventures leads the way in creating eco-friendly travel experiences, and in 2021, it won Newsweek’s Future of Travel award for Trips and Tour Operators. Natural Habitat Adventures lets travelers choose from South American journeys, African safaris, and Arctic adventures, to name just a few. Trips can also be selected by area of interest so you can take part in a Climate Change Departure to see how climate change is impacting the planet, a Great Migrations tour to watch animals on the move, or a Rain Forest Tour to explore the jungle. Natural Habitat Adventures trips are great for the adventurer who prefers to explore in a small group, as the average group size is just nine people. Best for African American Women : Black Girls Travel Too See Rates on Blackgirlstraveltoo.com Why We Chose It This up-and-coming adventure company designs immersive cultural experiences for its guests. Pros and Cons Pros Focus on community Smaller groups Payment plans available Cons Few itineraries No outdoor-focused adventures Company Overview Black Girls Travel Too focuses on creating safe, welcoming travel experiences for Black women to help them explore the world. The most exciting aspect of BGTT is how it’s helping to build a larger community of travelers. The company creates a warm atmosphere for African American women seeking an elevated travel experience and provides them with thoughtful explanations of what to expect on their tours. Groups are kept small, and professional photographers are an integral part of the trips, taking photos of the guests each day. BGTT’s menu of trips is small but provides good diversity. Tours range from a 12-day tour of South Africa that includes a safari and Zulu language class to an eight-day trip to Barbados to experience the country’s Crop Over festival. BGTT also runs a voluntourism trip to Barbados and journeys in India and Thailand. Best for Families : Thomson Family Adventures Courtesy of Thomson Family Adventures See Rates on Familyadventures.com Why We Chose It Thomson Family Adventures continues to stand out as one of the best companies for family travel. Pros and Cons Pros Staff member dedicated to children’s experience for large groups Pen pal program for children High prioritization of safety Cons Only six travel styles Miscellaneous expenses not covered by trip cost Company Overview Named one of the World’s Best Tour Operators by Travel + Leisure in 2021, Thomson Family Adventures continues to be one of the best for family travel. Founded in 1998, the company serves families in all their unique compositions. It offers tours geared to several different travel styles, including Cultural, Multi-Sport, and Wildlife, with destinations in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Some of TFA’s most popular tours are its Azores Family Adventure, Galapagos Multi-Sport Adventure, and Perfect Family Safari, in Tanzania. If you’re looking to get the extended family together for something different, you can organize one of TFA’s Family Reunion adventures. Other offerings are geared specifically toward solo parents, teens and young adults, and multigenerational groups. The company also offers several custom adventures. Perhaps the company’s most unique feature is its Friends Across Borders program, which arranges meetings with local families, letting young guests hang out with kids from different cultures. Final Verdict Travel should be accessible to everyone, and that’s why we chose G Adventures as our Best Overall pick. It’s surprisingly affordable, hosts trips in almost every locale one could think of, and offers a wide variety of journeys, from wellness-focused trips to Jane Goodall-endorsed adventures. We also love Adventures in Good Company and Black Girls Travel Too for their work to make travel more accessible, to say nothing of their excellent tour offerings. And if you’re looking to plan a family trip, Thomson Family Adventures remains a trustworthy partner. Methodology To select the best adventure travel companies of 2022, we began by reviewing previous “best of” lists to see which adventure travel companies stood out from the crowd and what made them unique. We researched numerous companies for each category, looking for organizations that created thoughtfully designed experiences for their particular clientele. Finally, all companies had to reflect and communicate a spirit of adventure. Klaus Vedfelt / Getty Images Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Share Pin Email Tell us why! Submit