Trekking Eastern Iceland
Steer away from the well-trodden tourist areas and experience the drama of Eastern Iceland on a six-day hike with G Adventures. This demanding hike rewards travellers with fjords, thundering waterfalls, and quaint fishing villages. Live like a local in a small fishing community, hear tales of the magic village elves, witness the beauty of the Deitfoss waterfall and feast on nightly farm-to-table dinners. This demanding trek starts and finishes in Egilsstaðir and is priced from £1,699pp. Gadventures.com
Cycle Northern France
Take in northern France on two wheels on this cycling holiday with Exodus. Beginning in Rennes, cyclists will taste the region’s local shellfish in Dinan, explore the walled city of Saint-Malo, cycle the Emerald Coast, taste oysters at Cancale, and visit the Benedictine Abbey on the unique UNESCO-island of Mont St Michel. And travellers will cycle to Omaha Beach – one of the five D-Day landing beaches. The seven-day guided tour is priced from £2,199pp. exodus.co.uk
Ramble across Crete
Explore Greece’s largest island with a seven-night walking tour with small group escorted tour operator Jules Verne. The group will ramble to ancient villages, passing dramatic gorges and spending time on the island’s golden beaches. Other highlights include visiting a family-run olive oil producer, stopping for a refreshing dip in the Balos Lagoon to cool off, and a scenic boat trip to the coastal port of Skafia. A seven-night tour is priced from £2,295pp. vjv.com
Snowshoe Romania’s winter wonderland
Discover a winter wonderland in Romania on this eight-day walking adventure. Highlights of the trip include snowshoeing across the silent Carpathian Mountains, visiting Dracula’s home of Bran Castle, seeking out bear and wolf tracks in the wilderness and spending time with welcoming local people, many of whom still live a traditional lifestyle. Guests will also visit enchanting ‘Kalibash’ villages and enjoy hearty local food. The tour is priced from £1,249pp. exodus.co.uk
Explore Croatia by water
This small group trip with Responsible Travel, who support local communities and nature projects, explores Croatia’s inland idylls, including Plitvice Lakes National Park and Mreznica Canyon, with an option to extend to include kayaking around Krk Island. The group is based on the Mreznica River with the opportunity for water-based fun including rafting, swimming and jumping into waterfalls. The tour is a great budget option, with eight-days priced from £706pp. responsibletravel.com
