Backroads is well-known for their top-notch cycling tours and in recent years they’ve added a large number of hiking and multi-sport tours all over the world (including active cruises). Walking/hiking tours are guided groups (up to 20 guests) with pre-scheduled dates and the option for private tours of groups 6 or more. Covering 50+ countries (including the US where they are based), Backroads is one of the few large tour companies that doesn’t sub-contract their tours, which means better quality control and a consistent experience regardless of destination. The drawback of this is that they don’t use local guides, so you won’t get as much of an immersive experience as you will with other companies. They are a luxury tour operator, so expect higher prices than many other companies on our site, but the quality of accommodations, guides and experiences match the prices. If budget isn’t your top priority, Backroads is an excellent option.
Review of Backroads
Backroads has a fantastic website and they still send print catalogs, making it easy for anyone to find a good tour with this company. You can search by Destination, Type of Traveler (women-only, 3 age categories for families), and Activity Type (bike, multi-adventure, walking & hiking, easygoing, cruises, safari, culinary, lodge-to-lodge & snow). Multi-adventure tours may include kayaking, snowshoeing and more. You can filter searches by Activity Level, Accommodation type, and E-bike only. Under Featured, you’ll find their Last-Minute Trips if you’re ready to hop on a plane now.
Their itineraries include all the important details, including daily distances, elevations and accommodations by name. We especially love that they list the Activity Options for each day, showing just how much flexibility each tour provides. They have an excellent Help Center, answering questions you probably wouldn’t think to ask.
Things to like about Backroads
- Consistent high quality accommodations, guides & services; well-designed itineraries
- 44+ years experience operating adventure tours
- Most tours include multiple daily options, giving you more flexibility
- All-inclusive, including all meals, snacks & beverages, gratuities at hotels & restaurants, entry fees, activities & equipment, luggage transfers & more
- Offers great selection of family-friendly tours, making them a top contender for multi-gen hiking trips
- Actively supports Adventure Travel Conservation Fund, Outdoor Afro, Trust for Public Land, and World Bicycle Relief
- Consistent 5-star reviews on Google, TripAdvisor and
Backroads does NOT make airport transportation arrangements for you but they CAN connect you with a travel agent who does — like us! Trips to Walkabout is always happy to help with flights and booking pre/post departure accommodations. Visit our Travel Planning Services page for more details.
Route Types
- Center-based hiking
- Inn to inn hiking
Destinations include
Hiking tours only (they cover more countries):
- Argentina
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bhutan
- Botswana
- Cambodia
- Canada
- Chile
- Colombia
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- Morocco
- Namibia
- Nepal
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Peru
- Portugal
- Spain
- Switzerland
- Turkey
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Vietnam
- Zambia
Note about Large Tour Companies
While we love and support Backroads for their exceptional travel leaders and high-quality experiences, we will always encourage you to try and book directly with local tour operators within the destination you are visiting. Booking directly with them keeps more money at the local level and often saves you money. Use our search tool on the home page and filter by Special Category–Local Choice or Company Type–Local Operator to find these hidden gems.
Compare Backroads’ walking tours with Country Walkers or Mt Sobek, which share a similar target audience and price point, but Backroads tends to put more emphasis on physical activity vs cultural immersion.
Great Choice for
- Anyone seeking luxury guided active adventures with groups
- Women-only hiking and multi-adventure group tours
- Families and multi-gen active adventure tours
- Groups of 6 or more seeking high-quality private adventure tours
- Luxury travelers who prefer groups and prefer to stick with one company for multiple trips
Established in 1979
last reviewed June 22, 2024
