A gorilla poses against the backdrop of the misty mountains of Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda on a gorilla trekking itinerary with Natural Habitat Adventures (photo courtesy of Natural Habitat)

7 High-Adventure Tours for Your Thrill-Seeking Clients

From tiger safaris to polar expeditions, these epic tours will wow your most daring travelers.

Nicole Edenedo Published November 24, 2025

Having life-changing experiences has never been more important to travelers. From adrenaline-pumping safari drives to braving the Drake Passage on a polar voyage to Antarctica, travelers are increasingly seeking out moments they will remember forever.

A new Mastercard Economics Institute travel trends report found that travelers who prioritize meaningful experiences are choosing adventurous and nature-based trips. Some of the most popular countries for travelers currently include Nordic countries for their expansive network of forests and fjords, established wilderness hotspots like South Africa and Zambia, popular hiking destinations in Argentina and Canada and quests for stunning landscapes in Japan, New Zealand and Malaysia.

Whether your thrill-seeking clients are looking for adventure in far-flung destinations or want to be wowed a little closer to home, here are a few adventure travel trips curated by industry leading tour operators.

National Parks

Intrepid Travel: Hiking the Great Land of Alaska

There’s no better place for an adventure-curious traveler to start an epic journey than in a national park in the U.S., where parks like Yosemite National Park and Great Smoky Mountains National Park are consistently voted the best in the nation. But for a truly memorable national park experience, travelers can look to the rugged terrain of The Last Frontier.

Intrepid Travel offers a number of national park itineraries, particularly in the Western United States, that include sporty activities, from hiking and kayaking to white-water rafting and exploring the landscape by private van.

Travelers can bike and hike scenic routes through Denali National Park on Intrepid's eight-day Hiking the Great Land of Alaska tour (photo by Ryan Bolton courtesy of Intrepid Travel)

On the eight-day “Hiking the Great Land of Alaska” itinerary, for example, guests take scenic hikes through Denali National Park, where they can expect to be surrounded by snow-capped mountains and an abundance of local wildlife before settling down each night in amenity-rich campsites. The roundtrip itinerary from Anchorage includes stops in Seward and Homer, guided kayaking, scenic drives and a water taxi ride across Kachemak Bay to spot whales, seals and eagles. Departures for 2026 run from May through August, with fares starting at $2,595.

Backroads: Norway’s Fjords Multi-Adventure Tour

Travelers are increasingly choosing the cooler climes of Northern Europe during the summer, and the Nordic countries of Norway, Sweden and Finland are atop their lists.

Backroads — the international biking, hiking and walking tour operator — offers an active, “choose-your-adventure” style itinerary through Norway’s fjord country, including one of the country’s most scenic national parks. On the six-day “Norway’s Fjords Multi-Adventure Tour from Voss to Bergen,” travelers explore river valleys by bike, kayak, ferry and private boat for a rich view of Norway’s coastal terrain. Guests hike through Folgefonna National Park and Hardangervidda, with waterfalls and sweeping vistas, and bike through quiet villages like Bjørnafjorden and Osøyro. Departures run year-round, with fares ranging from $5,649 to $6,299.

Travelers booked on Goway's India itineraries that visit Ranthambore National Park can look forward to early morning game drives to catch sightings of majestic Bengal Tigers, along with primates, deer, wild boar and other wildlife in the park (photo courtesy of Nicole Edenedo)

Into the Wild

A guided African safari is a classic adventure option for any traveler, offering early morning game drives and evening wildlife treks that expose the inner workings of some of Earth’s richest habitats. But there’s more to a safari than heading for the grasslands of Africa: There’s also plenty to explore in the jungles of South Asia.

Goway Travel: India Deluxe Golden Triangle and Ranthambore

Bespoke tour operator Goway Travel offers luxurious tours of India that blend adventure with comfort. On the eight-day “India Deluxe Golden Triangle and Ranthambore” itinerary, travelers enjoy guided safaris through Ranthambore National Park for Bengal tiger sightseeing. Following the safari, guests are shuttled back to unwind at royal retreats like Sawai Madhopur Lodge, once host to Queen Elizabeth II, or the Tigress Ranthambore, a heritage lodge home to luxury villas. Fares begin at $1,720.

Natural Habitat Adventures: Ultimate Gorilla Safari

Want a next-level African safari experience? Go gorilla trekking. This intensive wildlife-viewing expedition involves scaling steep, narrow footpaths while an experienced tracker leads you on a hike through dense jungles. Gorilla trekking tours offer intimate viewing experiences, and travelers often rate them as life-changing experiences.

Natural Habitat Adventures, the official tourism arm of the World Wildlife Fund, offers a 13-day “Ultimate Gorilla Safari” trip to both Uganda and Rwanda that takes guests into the rainforests of Kibale Forest and Volcanoes National Park to see mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, golden monkeys and other primates. Travelers explore Murchison Falls National Park, bird watch, drive across the Savannah to see elephants, buffalo and zebras and cruise the Victoria Nile and Lake Albert Delta by private boat for additional safari views. Space is limited to 12 travelers, with departures running between February and December. Fares begin at $17,995 per person.

The Scenic Eclipse, one of Scenic Luxury Cruises' high-end Discovery Yachts, sails through Neko Harbor in the Antarctic Peninsula (photo courtesy of Scenic Eclipse Antarctica)

Polar Expeditions

An expedition cruise to Antarctica during The White Continent’s summer promises to be anything but ordinary. A range of tour and cruise operators, from premium to ultra-luxury, now make Antarctica more accessible than ever.

Typically, voyages needed to cross the infamous Drake Passage — an oceanic mixing bowl where the Atlantic, Pacific and Southern oceans converge, causing powerful currents and epic waves of up to 40 feet — by ship to and from Antarctica. Today, many opt for fly-and-sail itineraries or direct flights that bypass the Passage altogether.

National Geographic: Lindblad Expeditions

National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions, a pioneer in Antarctic expeditions, recently launched its new 10-day “Antarctica Direct: Sail & Fly the Drake Passage” itinerary, which operates aboard the 148-passenger National Geographic Explorer. Guests begin and end their expeditions in Patagonia, sailing out of Ushuaia, Argentina on the way down and flying into Puerto Natales, Chile on the way back. You can help make the most of your client’s trip by convincing them to extend their stay for a pre- and/or post-cruise stay in Ushuaia and Puerto Natales, which both offer glacial views and breathtaking hiking opportunities in Tierra del Fuego National Park and Torres del Paine National Park, respectively. Departures for Antarctica itineraries typically operate from November through February. Fares for Lindblad’s Sail & Fly itinerary start at around $12,700.

Scenic Luxury Cruises: The Eclipse

Scenic Luxury Cruises offers expedition cruises to the eastern Ross Sea in Antarctica, which can be reached from New Zealand. Aboard Scenic’s ultra luxury Eclipse, guests will travel to The White Continent in comfort aboard a 200-passenger high-tech yacht. Outfitted with two private helicopters for overland rides, a submersible vehicle for undersea dives and several Zodiac vessels for intimate explorations with trained expedition leaders, guests have access to a remarkable way to explore this lesser-traveled side of Antarctica.

Travelers on the Coastal Pacific train with Great Journeys New Zealand will traverse the country's rugged coastline between Picton and Christchurch (photo courtesy of Kiwi Rail)

Rail Journeys

Great Journeys New Zealand: New Zealand Up Close

From its diverse terrain of dramatic glacial mountain ranges and volcanic plateaus, it’s no wonder New Zealand has earned the longtime distinction as an adventure film location for fantasy epics like The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Avatar films. On a cross-country rail trip with Great Journeys New Zealand, travelers can discover all that the country has to offer for themselves.

Great Journeys New Zealand, a vacation rail packager and rail tour operator for New Zealand rail service Kiwi Rail, offers itineraries on three rail lines — the Northern Explorer, Coastal Pacific and TranzAlpine trains — that span the entire country, allowing travelers a comprehensive tour of New Zealand.

On its signature “New Zealand Up Close” itinerary from Auckland to Queenstown, travelers will experience all three trains over 17 days, during which they’ll have time to explore the ancient forests of Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari in Hamilton, savor fresh Kiwiana fish and chips in Kaikōura and traverse the scenic roads of the Haast Pass on the way to Queenstown. Available departures are between September 2025 and April 2026, with fares starting at $9,030 per person.

Originally appeared in the Fall 2025 issue of The Compass magazine

Nicole Edenedo

Nicole Edenedo is a travel journalist, primarily covering the tour operator and river cruise industries. She also covers sports tourism, rail travel and winter destinations. Nicole was most recently a senior editor for Travel Weekly. She also contributes to AFAR, Cruise Critic, ASTA Magazine, and Apartment Therapy.