The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
With more travelers turning to adventure experiences in 2026 than ever before, an epic tour is worth planning for. From hiking Peru’s Inca Trail to rolling through the fields of the Netherlands during tulip season and island-hopping bridges in Japan to cycling the French countryside alongside cycling pros during the actual Tour de France—EF Adventures recommends 10 experiences that separate a good year from an unforgettable one. Tours in these destinations come with a focus on wellness, community, and lifelong learning.
That perfect pyramid mountain on Toblerone bars? That’s the Matterhorn. On hiking tours in the Alps across Switzerland, Italy and France, you’ll climb to Hörnlihutt at 10,700 feet—the actual basecamp where mountaineers prepare for summit attempts. Standing there with the Matterhorn’s north face looming 4,000 feet above is completely different from admiring it from the town of Zermatt. You’re at the threshold of something massive, in the exact spot where serious climbers stand before they commit to one of the Alps’ most legendary ascents. And the panoramic views of the mountains around you aren’t so bad either.
In Peru, hike the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. You don’t just see Machu Picchu—you walk the final 6.3 miles of the Inca Trail on stone pathways the Incas built without wheels or iron tools. When you arrive at Inti Punku (the Sun Gate), Machu Picchu reveals itself below, framed by peaks and often wrapped in mist. That view is yours to remember for the rest of your life. You earned it. You didn’t take a bus or train. You walked the route the way the Incas designed it to be walked.
Keukenhof blooms for only eight weeks each spring—7 million tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths creating what might be the world’s most extravagant flower show. And while on a bike ride in Belgium and the Netherlands, touring through the towns of Ghent and Gouda, you get a front row seat. After taking your time to wander the gardens, you’ll hop on a bike and cycle through the fields that supply these special bulbs worldwide, where the landscape transforms into horizontal rainbows—vivid reds, golden yellows, deep purples stretching to windmills on the horizon.
Neuschwanstein inspired Disney’s Sleeping Beauty castle, but most visitors only see this famous fortress from the tour bus stops below. On this hike in Germany and Austria through Bavaria, Tyrol and Salzburg, you’ll hike a few miles to less-crowded viewpoints tucked into the forested hills where Ludwig II’s white limestone palace sits dramatically against alpine peaks. King Ludwig built this castle to fulfill a medieval fantasy, and from these hiking-only vantage points, you understand why millions have been captivated by this fairytale castle.
The Douro Valley in Portugal produces port wine on hillsides so steep that all the work—harvest, pruning, crushing—still happens by hand. When hiking through Sintra and the Douro Valley, the Rota do Vinho trail takes you down through working vineyards, where you’ll taste port and table wines in the actual cellars where they’re made, not a visitor center. This valley is UNESCO-protected not just because it’s beautiful, but because the landscape represents an unbroken winemaking tradition that’s shaped the region’s entire identity.
The Shimanami Kaido connects six islands via suspension bridges soaring hundreds of feet above the Seto Inland Sea—impressive engineering that happens to be Japan’s most celebrated bike route. On this multiadventure tour in the Japanese Alps and Shikoku, you’ll pedal across spans that seem to float above turquoise water. One moment you’re riding through a traditional fishing village, the next you’re suspended above open water with islands spreading in every direction. It’s genuinely spectacular and truly unforgettable.
Lake Bled is Slovenia’s postcard—a glacial lake with a church on a tiny island and a medieval castle on the cliff above. Most visitors photograph it from shore. When on an adventure trip in Slovenia and Croatia in Istria and the Julian Alps, you’ll paddleboard across reflective water so clear you can see 40 feet down. From your board, you’re close enough to the island church to appreciate the details, and you can hop in the water whenever you want. The water stays cool year-round from mountain snowmelt, making it refreshingly crisp even in summer.
While hiking in Spain and Portugal, the final stretch of the famous Camino de Santiago trail leads you into Santiago de Compostela — and the experience is nothing short of moving. You don’t need to walk the entire Camino to appreciate what pilgrims experience when they arrive in Praza do Obradoiro. You’ll see people who’ve been walking for weeks crying, laughing, embracing strangers who made the same journey. Some carry shells tied to their packs, others lean on walking sticks worn smooth from hundreds of miles. The accomplishment transcends the physical distance. Something shifts when you complete even a portion of a walk that millions have made before you.
The Château de Mazan once hosted French nobility and belonged to the Marquis de Sade’s family. Now restored as a stunning hotel, this is just part of our adventure experience while biking in Provence, France, at the base of Mt. Ventoux. The combination works beautifully: historic grandeur (restored gardens, aristocratic dining rooms) meets modern comfort (pool, spa, refined Provençal cuisine). Returning to an 18th-century palace after riding through lavender fields and vineyards all day feels appropriately indulgent.
Three weeks of racing. 2,000 miles. And it all comes down to one sprint beneath the Arc de Triomphe. On this bike tour, the Tour de France is the bucket list moment you will remember forever. You’ll stand on the Champs-Élysées as the world’s best riders complete what many consider sport’s hardest test. The energy is electric and chaotic—team cars everywhere, champagne spraying, national anthems, riders collapsing into their teams’ arms. This isn’t something you watch on TV. You’re in it.
There are a thousand ways to spend your time and money in 2026. But if you’re reading this, chances are you’re someone who wants more from travel than just checking boxes. These 10 adventure experiences are just the start. They’re the ones that actually stick with you—the hikes that leave you awe-struck, the bike trip filled with moments that remind you what wonder feels like, kayaking or doing yoga in the places that shift something inside you.
Here’s to making your 2026 count.
This story was produced by EF Adventures and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
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