What is Adventure Travel?

What is adventure travel? It’s the most epic way to see the world! Adventure tourism activities combine tourism with cultural immersion, physical activity, and getting down and dirty in nature—the adrenaline rush is just a bonus.

What does “adventurous” look like for you?

Adventure travel is the opportunity to explore your favorite destinations while discovering new skills, passions, and lifelong friends. It is physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging in the best way possible. It’s climbing the highest peaks, learning local languages, shredding down powdery mountains, diving deep into history, and plunging headfirst into the depths of the ocean.

If you’re the kind of traveler who loves to push themselves to the limits and collect new experiences, adventure travel is a must on your travel bucket list.

What is adventure travel?

Adventure travel embraces the concept of exploration. Adventure activities often appeal to adrenaline junkies, but you don’t necessarily have to be keen to jump out of an airplane or swim with sharks to be an adventure tourist. Sometimes being in an unfamiliar place and pushing yourself out of your cultural comfort zone can be enough of an adventure in itself!

Adventure tourism activities range from anything that gets your blood pumping to anything that allows full immersion to the local culture. Often, this includes some type of physical activity and the chance to connect with nature, but most of all it’s the opportunity to challenge yourself and push your limits to allow for personal growth and the ultimate travel experience.

What is the importance of adventure tourism?

You’d be surprised how capable you feel after summiting a mountain!

Adventure tourism offers the opportunity of growth, both for yourself and the destination.

On a personal level, adventure tourism activities are often physically stimulating. They get your blood pumping, endorphins running wild, allowing you to reduce stress, burn calories, and feel a sense of accomplishment.

Adventure travel allows you to connect with nature, improving your mental state so you can feel your best in every sense. And sharing an adventure with locals or other travelers is always the perfect way to bond quickly over incredible experiences and make fast friends.

Not only does adventure tourism benefit our health, but there is an importance of adventure tourism to the local economy. Many of the top destinations for adventure tourism are also some of the poorest countries in the world.

When we take part in adventure activities and eco-tourism, we have the ability to help develop the country’s infrastructure, support local community development, and contribute to eco-initiatives to preserve land and natural resources.

It’s always a good idea to travel with eco-friendly programs and providers that are responsible, sustainable, and who benefit the local community.

11 best types of adventure tourism activities

So what are the best types of adventure travel? Whether you’re a lover of mountains or ocean, sun or snow, adrenaline-pumping activities or cultural immersion, there are countless types of adventure tourism activities to suit every traveler.

Here are the best types of adventure activities to satisfy your mind, body, and soul.

1. Backpacking

Living out of a backpack is an essential travel skill.

• Why? Backpacking is one of the best ways to do adventure travel. With almost no luggage, backpacking lets you reach unique travel destinations that other travelers may not be able to access—whether that’s the depths of the jungle or tiny beach towns with nothing but pedestrian access.
• Whether you want to spend a week or several months abroad, backpacking is one of the most flexible and cheapest types of adventure tourism, and one of the best ways to make friends with fellow travelers.
• Where? Australia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Thailand, Vietnam
• Recommended program: Australia Adventure with Gapforce

2. Climbing

• Why? If you want to truly push your limits to the extreme and see the world from a new perspective, climbing is one of the best types of adventure travel. With the ability to scale cliffs and sit atop the tallest mountains, climbing will give you access to extreme terrain and some of the most legendary views.
• As a sport, climbing is one of the most physically and mentally challenging, giving you both an adrenaline kick and a sense of accomplishment. What better way to fall in love with a new land?
• Where? Nepal, New Zealand, Tanzania, Thailand
• Recommended program: 12 Weeks Adventure Guide Program in Queenstown, New Zealand with Pure Exploration

3. Heritage Tours

• Why? Have you ever felt the desire to dive deep into your ancestral roots? Heritage tourism is one of the most unique types of adventure tourism, taking you on a journey to connect with your ancestral roots and experience a new country and culture that is deeply ingrained in your own personal history.
• Connect with the places, traditions, and stories of your ancestors for a one-of-a-kind adventure abroad that will leave you with a deeper understanding of your identity.
• Where? France, Mexico, Italy, UK, Japan, India
• Recommended program: Maya Day of the Dead Experience in Quintana Roo, Mexico with Na'atik Language and Culture Institute

4. Homestay

Homestays can push you out of your comfort zone while immersing you in different cultural norms.

• Why? Living with a local family abroad is the best possible way to have a culturally immersive travel experience. There is only so much you can learn from traveling on your own or with other travelers. By participating in a homestay abroad, locals will become family. You’ll eat home-cooked meals, have your own local social circle, and take part firsthand in cultural traditions.
• Homestays will push you outside of your comfort zone, but this adventure allows you an inside peek at your destination that you won’t find anywhere else.
• Where? Denmark, Italy, Japan, South Africa, Sweden
• Recommended program: Exploration and Adventure Travel Program in Europe with Putney Student Travel

5. Rafting

• Why? White water rafting is one of the most common adventure tourism examples, and for good reason. It is the epitome of adventure travel, combining anticipation, natural beauty, and fun.
• Rafting allows you to appreciate nature on a new level—the power of the river, the lushness of the forest around you, and the depth of the world’s grandest canyons. Splashing through white water rapids is a great way to use your muscles and have a blast while you’re at it.
• Where? Australia, Costa Rica, Fiji, Nepal, New Zealand
• Recommended program: Surf, Scuba, Raft & Hike in Costa Rica & Panama with Outward Bound Costa Rica

6. Scuba Diving

• Why? Test the limits of being human by exploring an entirely new world under the sea. Scuba diving teaches you to relax, communicate, move slowly, and appreciate the ocean's ecosystems.
• Whether you want to go for a day trip, a scuba tour, or earn your diving certification so you can explore the depths of the ocean solo, scuba diving is one of the best adventure activities if you want to be one with the sea.
• Where? Caribbean, Great Barrier Reef, Malaysia, Philippines
• Recommended program: Caribbean: Marine Biology Voyage with Broadreach

7. Skydiving

This exhilarating adventure tourism activity isn’t for the faint of heart!

• Why? There’s nothing like jumping out of an airplane and free falling from the sky at 10,000 feet. It’s the ultimate adrenaline rush, the most epic adventure you could imagine.
• Skydiving gives travelers the opportunity to see the world from a totally different angle while pushing you completely out of your comfort zone. With endless types of adventure tourism activities, skydiving is the only one that will allow you to appreciate the world’s beauty from above.
• Where? Fiji, Hawaii, New Zealand
• Recommended program: Warriors Gap Year Experiences

8. Snowboarding & Skiing

• Why? Fresh powdery snow, cozy fireplaces, and stunning white peaks are just a few of the reasons hitting the slopes is one of the most fun adventure activities. Whether you’re a skier or a snowboarder, a beginner or a black-diamond expert, there’s nothing like embracing your inner snow bunny in a winter wonderland.
• If you want to gain experience in tourism and hospitality while shredding powder, you can even consider becoming an instructor, transforming adventure travel into an internship or job abroad.
• Where? Canada, France, New Zealand, Switzerland
• Recommended program: Become a Ski Instructor in Canada with EA Ski & Snowboard Instructor Training

9. Surfing

• Why? Prefer basking in the sunshine and salty air? Surfing is more than just bumming on the beach. It’s the chance to engage with local instructors who teach you not only how to ride the waves, but also how to blend into island life in your destination—living, eating, and speaking like the locals.
• Surfing challenges your physical ability and brings euphoria. There are equal moments of thrill as you search for the perfect wave, and peacefulness as you become one with the ocean. And the best part? You’ll have access to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
• Where? Australia, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Sri Lanka
• Recommended program: Learn to Surf in Peru with Maximo Nivel

10. Trekking

Trekking is a fun way to experience beautiful natural landscapes.

• Why? Trekking is one of the best adventure tourism options if you want to venture off the beaten path. From the jungle trails of South America, to European pilgrimages, to the highest peaks of Nepal, trekking pushes your boundaries and offers a unique cultural experience.
• Whether you want a short-term group hike or a long-term solo adventure, trekking allows the opportunity to spend your days in nature and your nights in small villages where you can eat, sleep, and speak with locals for full cultural immersion.
• Where? Argentina, Chile, Italy, Nepal, Spain, Tanzania
• Recommended program: Mexico, Guatemala & Costa Rica Gap Semester with Pacific Discovery

11. Yoga

• Why? Yoga offers a different kind of adventure—an adventure of the soul. You won’t necessarily get an adrenaline rush through ashtanga and deep breathing, but yoga challenges you physically, mentally, and emotionally, while allowing you to connect with the culture of a new place.
• Practice your language skills or learn about the local history of yoga. Combine your practice with volunteer work for a true cultural immersion and feed your soul in more ways than one.
• Where? Costa Rica, India, Nepal
• Recommended program: Kindergarten Volunteering in Bali with International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ)

Get matched with 5 adventure travel programs abroad for FREE

Ready for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure abroad?

Don’t shy away from an adventurous lifestyle!

If you have big dreams of traveling the world, why not make it into a grand adventure? With so many different types of adventure travel opportunities, you’re guaranteed to find adventure activities to suit your own personal desires.

Whether you crave that adrenaline rush, the glorious natural world, or want to drench yourself in a new way of life, adventure travel offers once-in-a-lifetime experiences that will transform travel for the better.

Explore ALL Adventure Travel Opportunities on GoAbroad.com