Maximise your annual leave with these idle-free Intrepid escapes that make every moment count for those with less time to spare.
People are busy these days. With limited annual leave, family commitments and squeezing in a social life, travel can often fall by the wayside. But what if four to six days could actually feel like a proper adventure?
That’s the idea behind Intrepid’s new Short Breaks. Led by local leaders, these trips pack in the kind of moments usually reserved for the big trips. Like hiking volcanoes in Guatemala. Or stepping beyond the tourist trail with time in the Czech spa town of Karlovy Vary. Not to mention sharing meals with local families and meeting new people who’ll shift your perspective. Got a long weekend coming up? These are the short breaks worth making time for.
1. See Fuego light up the night in Guatemala
Trek over 1000 metres to your base camp on the Acatenango Volcano Hike & Antigua Short Break, where the nearby Fuego volcano sends sparks into the sky every 15 to 20 minutes. Watch this light show from the camp (where you’ll stay the night) and, after an early morning hike, reach the summit for even more fiery views. But there’s more than lava to look forward to on this short break. On day one, you’ll stop by a women-led regenerative farm where locals are reviving indigenous plants on the brink of extinction.
2. Cycle to the Tankah community in Tulum
Yes, on the four-day Tulum to Chichen Itza Short Break, you’ll visit Chichen Itza – one of the seven wonders of the world – but the real magic happens before that. Share a farm-to-table dinner with your group at Meli Melo, a regenerative garden surrounded by fruit trees and herbs. Next day, after swimming, ziplining, canoeing and snorkelling your way through four cenotes, you’ll join the women of Tankah community village for a wood-fired lunch to hear stories about daily life.
Read more: 13 new active trips and experiences
3. Make Maya specialties in Guatemala
Keep your eyes (and ears) alert for howler monkeys, crocodiles and turtles as you explore Yaxha-Nakum-Naranjo National Park on the Tikal, Guatemala and Belize Short Break, where it’s estimated that over 90 per cent of the flora remains unstudied. After a morning among the ruins, spend the evening taking part in a group cooking class to learn how to make pepian – a traditional meaty Maya dish.
4. Unwind the local way in Costa Rica
Start with the Costa Rican staples of coffee, sloths and rainforest on the Costa Rica Short Break: La Fortuna – based in the country’s adventure capital and gateway to the Arenal volcano – and end with something a little more unexpected: dinner at a family-owned hot spring. With volcanoes all over Costa Rica, hot springs come naturally – and locals have turned them into relaxing places to unwind after a day of wildlife-spotting in the jungle. Once you’ve dipped in the different pools, tuck into a traditional Costa Rican dinner.
Read more: 14 new food and drink experiences
5. Ride through the home of prosecco in Treviso
If prosecco is your drink, consider the Venice and Treviso Short Break your happy place. Take the train into Italy’s prosecco region, then hop on a bike to explore the vineyards with local producers who’ll show you how biodiversity shapes every bottle. Finish with a tasting of five wines and a well-earned charcuterie board. You’ll also explore Venice’s sights and backstreet bacari scene on a cicchetti and wine tour with Urban Adventures.
6. Peruse the pyramids in Mexico
One of Mexico’s mighty pyramids looms large on the Mexico City Short Break. In between walks around the capital’s cucumber-cool Roma Norte and La Condesa colonias, you’ll venture out for a day trip to Teotihuacan – once one of the largest cities in the world – to spy ancient temples that predate the Aztecs. Listen to stories about this intriguing civilisation as you walk between the pyramids of the sun and moon, then refuel with lunch in a local family’s home.
7. Hike between Zapotec communities in Oaxaca
On the five-day Hiking Mexico: Oaxaca’s Indigenous Highlands, you’ll follow trails between remote Zapotec communities in the Sierra Norte mountains (featured on Intrepid’s Not Hot List this year, for good reason). Get truly off the grid with visits to community farms, shared meals made from native crops and a masterclass in making traditional Mexican tipples with drinks artisan, Dona Martha, who’ll school you on the ways of creating pulque and tepache, using agave sap, pineapple rinds and corn.
8. Chase fairytales beyond Prague
Any place that’s been used as a backdrop for Narnia – C.S Lewis’s magical world in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – is a place worth visiting. On the Prague Short Break, you’ll hike through Bohemia to reach Pravcicka Gate with your leader, exploring the 90-million-year-old sandstone arch, featured in the 2004 film adaptation. Then, you’ll head to Karlovy Vary for a slower pace and a well-earnt soak in its thermal pools. Your wardrobe/window to this fantasy world awaits…
Read more: Hike through Zapotec villages in Oaxaca
9. Raise a glass to Vienna’s sweet side
You’ve probably eaten strudel, but have you ever tried making it? On the Vienna Short Break, learn the art of Austria’s favourite pastry in a local class spent stretching dough, layering apples and taste-testing your masterpiece. Then escape the city with a train ride to Durnstein in the Wachau Valley, a UNESCO-listed stretch of the Danube, known for its Gruner Veltliner and Riesling grapes.
10. Remember history on the shores of Normandy
Travel from the cafes of Paris to the coastlines of Normandy on the Paris and Normandy Short Break. Visit the D-Day Beaches with a local guide and take a quiet moment at the American Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach – the final resting place for nearly 9400 American soldiers who died in World War II. It’s a powerful reminder of how much history can live in a single stretch of sand. There’s also time to raise a glass in Pont L’Eveque, the birthplace of calvados, and nights spent in the seaside commune of Deauville.
Find out what else is new for 2026 with The Goods – a collection of new trips and experiences to inspire a year of adventure.
