Many of Intrepid’s new trips and experiences for 2026 dial up the action, inviting you to paddle, pedal and push your limits in the world’s most inspiring places.
Track chimps through Uganda’s wild Kibale Forest, flow through yoga poses on a paddleboard in the Philippines, hike Sri Lanka’s community-led Pekoe Trail or summit a Guatemalan volcano at sunrise. Whether it’s swapping the Inca Trail for the solitude of Salkantay in Peru or embracing Norway’s friluftsliv tradition, these new experiences redefine active travel. They connect you to people, places and the planet – and promise the kind of adventure that stays with you long after the hiking boots come off.
1. Embrace the joy of friluftsliv in Norway
For many Norwegians, the good life is about embracing friluftsliv, the ritual of being in nature and the great outdoors. The Norway: Hike, Bike & Kayak trip, new for 2026, is all about that. Picture yourself cycling alongside goat farms and glacial streams, walking mountain trails with views of fjords and paddling to nooks and crannies found only by kayak below towering cliffs. You’ll stay the Norwegian way, spending nights in cosy cabins, refuelling on locally sourced food and waking to mountain air so fresh it feels fictional.
2. Find your flow in the Philippines
Trade the yoga studio for a paddleboard and a jungle-fringed river on the new Essential Philippines escape for 18 to 35s. You’ll take a stand-up paddleboard out onto the Loboc River, floating alongside palms as you stretch into downward dog. After class, paddle to shore for a riverside lunch. Spend your days hopping between nearby islands for hikes and sipping local treats like coconut wine. Cap it all off with a visit to the three-tiered Cambugahay Falls.
3. Track chimpanzees in Uganda
Follow expert trackers deep into the Kibale, a tangled, evergreen rainforest that’s home to communities of more than 1500 chimps. You’ll hit muddy trails, following fresh signs of activity through the canopy in search of encounters with gorillas and chimps. The chimp-trekking experience, exclusive to Intrepid’s new Essential Uganda and Gorilla Trek for 18 to 35s, will leave you breathless in more ways than one. When you finally spot chimps swinging and chattering, all that effort (and the mud) will feel worth it.
Read more: 15 new ways to get closer to nature
4. Sleep under the stars in Guatemala
If you’re short on time but hungry for action, this new four-day Acatenango Volcano Hike & Antigua Short Break is made for you. Kick it all off in colourful Antigua with local coffee, a walk through town and a visit to a women-led farming project before learning to press tortillas by hand. Then lace up your boots for two challenging treks up Acatenango volcano. The first will see you reach base camp, where you’ll spend a tented night under the stars. At sunrise, you’ll then press on to the summit for sweeping views stretching from Fuego volcano to the Mexican highlands that border Guatemala.
5. Take a quieter alternative to Machu Picchu in Peru
Swap Peru’s busier Inca Trail for a route through the country’s cloud forest and high mountain passes. Intrepid’s new Salkantay Trek is every bit as awe inspiring, but without all the crowds, so you’ll feel like you have this part of the Sacred Valley to yourself. Cap off your trek with a climb up Machu Picchu mountain itself. Few travellers tackle this climb: the summit rises 620 metres above the ruins and the peak stands 3051 metres above sea level. The reward is an unforgettable, panoramic view of the ancient Inca ruins.
6. Pedal and paddle Iceland’s Westman Islands
A remote archipelago off Iceland’s south coast, the Westman Islands are where puffins outnumber people and volcanoes rise from the sea. You can see this region by boat with Intrepid on the Iceland Circumnavigation trip. But now you can explore by land, cycling past sea cliffs and puffin colonies on the new Iceland: Hike, Bike & Kayak adventure. You’ll also hike glaciers, canyons and waterfalls, and kayak through a glassy lagoon in the fishing village of Stokkseyri.
7. Cycle by the sea in Baja California, Mexico
Saddle up for something totally new with the Baja California: Hike, Bike & Kayak trip, Intrepid’s first-ever adventure in this desert-meets-ocean playground. You’ll kayak to El Arco (Cabo’s iconic arch), bike mountain trails through the Sierra de las Cacachilas and hike to canyon pools and cool off with a swim. Between these active pursuits, unwind in laid-back regional capital La Paz and feast on Baja’s best: think fish tacos paired with a gentle sea breeze and epic sunset.
8. Steep yourself in Sri Lanka’s tea trek
On the refreshed Essential Sri Lanka trip for 18 to 35s, Intrepid’s added something special for 2026: a walk along the acclaimed Pekoe Trail. Named one of TIME Magazine’s World’s Greatest Places, this trail champions sustainable, community-led travel. Intrepid has partnered with the Pekoe Trail Organization to support responsible tourism along the way. After your hike, you’ll grab lunch and tea with a local family.
9. Walk the Zapotec paths of Oaxaca, Mexico
On the new Hiking in Mexico: Oaxaca’s Indigenous Highlands trip, you’ll trek between Zapotec villages that are part of the Pueblos Mancomunados ecotourism project, supporting community-led travel in the Sierra Norte mountains. Meet Dona Martha, a local villager who’ll show you how to make pulque (agave wine) and tepache (a fermented pineapple drink) using native fruits and age-old techniques. Along the way, share stories with fellow travellers and locals, and enjoy mountain views that tourists rarely see.
Read more: 11 new ways to experience Indigenous culture
10. Go off-grid in Kyrgyzstan’s Tien Shan
Few travellers make it here, which makes the new Kyrgyzstan: Trekking the Tien Shan Trails trip one of Intrepid’s most exciting. You’ll hike past alpine lakes, wildflower meadows and snowcapped peaks with barely another soul in sight. Follow nomad trails, gaze into the Milky Way from camp and swap stories over the crackle of a fire. With expert local guides handling the logistics, all you have to do is take it in.
11. Cross the Albanian Alps on foot
Tread a path most people haven’t on the Hike the Albanian Alps trip, a brand-new journey through the heart of the Accursed Mountains. You’ll hike from Theth to Valbona, crossing two national parks where no roads run and the only way through is on foot. Lose yourself to rugged peaks and experience warm mountain hospitality. This is a seemingly untouched part of Europe, that’s unexpectedly wild and peaceful.
12. Explore Madeira’s coastline trails and mountains
Touch down in a new destination for Intrepid on the Hiking in Madeira trip. Climb Pico do Ruivo (the island’s highest peak) and trace seaside trails between small villages. When you’re not hiking, swim in volcanic rock pools, lounge on black-sand beaches and refuel with grilled seafood and a glass of poncha (local rum). It’s just the right mix of ocean air, altitude and island charm.
13. Step into storybook Transylvania
Wander a trail that brings history and legend to life on Intrepid’s new Hiking in Romania: Via Transilvanica Trail adventure. You’ll hike sections of a 1400-kilometre route past monasteries, wooden churches and storybook villages where local hospitality runs deep. Visit Bran Castle, said to have inspired Dracula’s tale, and meet the communities keeping Transylvania’s traditions alive. Maintained by Tasuleasa Social Association (a partner of The Intrepid Foundation) – this is offbeat travel with real purpose.
Find out what else is new for 2026 with The Goods – a collection of new trips and experiences to inspire a year of adventure.
