Explore the path less travelled, with fewer crowds and the chance to connect with local communities on these new Intrepid trips that go beyond the norm.
Fresh footprint-free mountain trails, ecotourism projects run by Indigenous people and spice-laden souqs in lesser-visited towns await you on these new Intrepid trips for 2026. On these adventures, travel isn’t about ticking off the big sights, it’s about human connection and the chance to give back, whether you’re meeting a female chief in Sierra Leone, staying with remote reindeer herders in Mongolia or mixing up traditional drinks in Mexico.
1. Take in the Flower Route of Central America
El Salvador’s Ruta de las Flores made it onto Intrepid’s Not Hot List for 2026, for good reason. The ‘Flower Route’ – so called for its roadside wildflowers – is the highlight of the nine-day Discover Guatemala, Honduras & El Salvador adventure. Over the course of one afternoon, you’ll drive to a parade of colourful villages, stopping to take in coffee fincas, markets and murals. Even further off the typical trail, you’ll have the option to cruise the Jaltepeque Estuary, spying kingfishers and herons among the mangroves.
2. Visit the birthplace of baklava in eastern Turkey
There’s much more to Turkey than Istanbul. On the Eastern Turkey Explorer trip, you’ll dig into a home-cooked lunch made by local women at Nahil Guesthouse in Sanliurfa. You’ll also learn to make baklava in Gaziantep: a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy and the birthplace and creation centre of the country’s famous flaky pastry, which has protected status here. Wandering its streets, you’ll peel back layers of Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman history, too.
3. Tackle the Tien Shan mountain range in Kyrgyzstan
Of the central Asian ‘stans, Kyrgyzstan – which is 90 per cent mountainous – remains one of the most mysterious. Step into its epic landscapes on the ten-day Kyrgyzstan: Trekking the Tien Shan Trails trip, where you’ll follow the nomads’ trail through the foothills of the Terskey Ala-Too Range. With a local guide and support crew, you’ll marvel at alpine lakes, meadows and frost-tipped peaks, looking out for golden eagles and mountain goats. At night, you’ll sleep in traditional yurts under the glittering Milky Way.
4. Escape to the far-flung Faroe Islands
Too often overshadowed by their Nordic neighbours, the Faroes are new to Intrepid in 2026. On the five-day Explore Faroe Islands trip, you’ll start in Torshavn – one of the world’s smallest capital cities – and wander its 14th-century streets, record stores and cafes selling handmade treats. Outside of the city, you’ll witness nature at its most unspoilt, forging a path up Mount Slaettaratindur and taking a ferry to Kalsoy and Bordoy islands. Kalsoy was featured in the 2021 Bond film No Time to Die, its northern part doubling as devious villain Lyutsifer Safin’s (aka Rami Malek’s) lair.
Read more: 13 new European trips and experiences
5. Get a taste of Indigenous life in Mexico
The Pueblos Mancomunados (Commonwealth of Villages) are eight remote villages in Oaxaca, connected by more than 100 kilometres of rural paths and protected by a community ecotourism project. On the new five-day Hiking Mexico: Oaxaca’s Indigenous Highlands trip, you’ll meet the Indigenous Zapotec people, learn about their way of life, and marvel at caves, canyons and waterfalls along the route. You’ll also meet Dona Martha for a workshop on using local plants to make pulque and tepache – two traditional Mexican drinks.
Read more: Hike through Zapotec villages in Oaxaca
6. Uncover Transylvanian curiosities in Romania
Transylvania – the spiritual home of all things spooky – is already an unconventional holiday destination. But the ten-day Hiking in Romania: Via Transilvanica Trail trip dives even deeper into its quirky history. You’ll be setting out on the Via Transilvanica trail: an ancient long-distance route maintained by Intrepid Foundation partner, the Tasuleasa Social Association. On the way, you’ll see the Moldavian murals of the UNESCO-listed Sucevita Painted Monastery, and admire fine embossed details at the Painted Egg Museum in Vatra Dornei.
7. Witness the total solar eclipse in Greenland
Few things have the social (or social media) clout of seeing a total solar eclipse. On 12 August 2026, totality will occur at Scoresby Sound, a large fjord system of the Greenland Sea. It’s so remote that very few will see it – except you and a handful of others on the epic 17-day Iceland to Greenland: Total Solar Eclipse in Depth cruise, aboard a luxury Arctic ship with two Jacuzzis, a sauna, Zodiacs for on-land excursions – and Michael Zeiler, an author and eclipse expert.
8. Live with reindeer-herding families in Mongolia
Tired of tech? It doesn’t get much more off-grid than living with the Tsataan reindeer herders of Mongolia. The 14-day Mongolia Expedition: Reindeer Herders trip includes three days with the Tsataan, sleeping in an ortz (similar to a teepee), singing songs and helping with daily camp activities such as herding, preparing firewood, fetching spring water or milking reindeer. After your adventure, you’ll have earned a couple days’ relaxation at the pristine Khovsgol Lake.
Read more: Stay with Mongolia’s reindeer herders
9. Swerve Inca Trail crowds on Peru’s Salkantay Trek
The Salkantay Trek at the heart of Intrepid’s seven-day Salkantay Trek & Machu Picchu trip, is the lesser-known, more challenging alternative to the Inca Trail, rising to the Salkantay Pass. It’s breathtaking not only for its high altitude (4650m) but for the snow-cloaked mountains, plunging valleys and cloud forests you’ll see on the way. On the penultimate day, you’ll see Machu Picchu from a distance, a view not many get to witness. And once there, you’ll have the chance to scale the towering Machu Picchu mountain for a unique perspective.
10. Help Indigenous tribes with conservation in Indonesia
Of course, you could go backpacking in Bali, but why not be original? On the new 12-day Indonesia Expedition: Sulawesi & Toraja Tribes adventure, you’ll go trekking on the island of Sulawesi, through emerald rice paddies and bamboo forests, meeting members of the Indigenous Toraja tribe. In Toraja villages, you’ll share homemade meals, stay overnight at a traditional boat-shaped Tongkonan house and learn about burial traditions. At the Putondo community project, you’ll also get hands-on with mangrove conservation or seaweed harvesting.
Read more: 10 new ways to connect with Indigenous culture
11. Meet a female chief in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone has emerged from the shadow of civil war to become one of West Africa’s most exciting destinations. On the eight-day Sierra Leone Adventure, you’ll visit the newly UNESCO-listed Tiwai Island: home to more than 1000 plant species and mammals such as the African forest elephant and pygmy hippo. And in Boma, you’ll meet one of the country’s few female chiefs and learn fireside dances.
12. See another side of Saudi Arabia
On the new Saudi Arabia Expedition – Asir Adventure, you’ll discover riches of the cultural and natural kind in the province of Asir (also known as Aseer). You’ll wander among heaped spices and woven bags at the Souq Al Thulatha, or Tuesday Market, in the city of Abha, and then dig into a home-cooked meal, with local dishes like haneeth: slow-roasted, fall-apart-tender lamb in spices. Out in the wild, you’ll also pass waterfalls, juniper and pine forests on the trails around the town of Tanomah.
Find out what else is new for 2026 with The Goods – a collection of new trips and experiences to inspire a year of adventure.
