Today trekking across the tundra no longer means having to forgo 1,000-thread-count sheets and in-room spa treatments. To prove the point, we asked ten top adventure outfitters to recommend their most luxurious trips, in the categories of tried-and-true classics, newest itineraries, and forthcoming expeditions. The resulting 30 options provide that rare balance of real exploration and true comfort.
Abercrombie & Kent
Est. 1962, specializing in customized global travel.
800-554-7016; abercrombiekent.com
Classic
East African Hemingway Safari A 14-day journey through the Serengeti, across Laikipia Plateau, and beyond
Highlights Visiting Masai villages
Accommodations Canvas tents
Intensity Moderate
Next departure September 13, 2008
Cost From $11,930*; $2,250 for internal flights
*per person, unless otherwise noted
New
Seeking the Ultimate Thrill A ten-day trip to South Africa
Highlights Diving with great white sharks; test-driving an A1-type race car
Accommodations From top hotels to mobile tents
Intensity High
Next departure November 10, 2008
Cost From $12,725; $930 for internal flights
Next
Nine World Wonders A 26-day globe-trotting adventure by private jet
Highlights Touring the nine Wonders of the World, from Angkor Wat to Machu Picchu to Petra
Accommodations A 52-seat jet by day; hotels like Peru’s Hotel Monasterio in Cuzco and Siem Reap’s Raffles by night
Intensity Low
Next departure March 9, 2009
Cost From $89,800
Butterfield & Robinson
Est. 1966, specializing in deluxe walking and bike tours anywhere in the world.
866-551-9090; butterfield.com
Classic
Vietnam Rediscovered—By Bike An 11-day excursion into the heart of Vietnamese terrain and culture
Highlights Biking alongside rice paddies and water buffalo; lunching with monks in the monastery at Hue
Accommodations High-end hotels such as Six Senses Hideaway
Intensity Moderate
Next departure November 13, 2008
Cost From $7,000
New
Two-Wheeled Tango A seven-day bike ride along rural northwestern Argentina’s newly built roads
Highlights Relaxing at a wine spa; pedaling through a foggy, mossy “cloud forest”; taking a 100-mile “century ride”
Accommodations Patios de Cafayate and other top hotels
Intensity Moderate
Next departure October 19, 2008
Cost From $5,000
Next
Indochina Grand Journey Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia over 15 days.
Highlights Exploring the temples at Angkor Wat
Accommodations Four Seasons and Amanresorts, among others
Intensity Moderate
Next departure January 13, 2009
Cost From $52,500
CC Africa
Est. 1991, specializing in southern and eastern Africa.
888-882-3742; ccafrica.com
Classic
Tanzania-Kenya Safari A customized voyage in the Masai Mara and more
Highlights Viewing wildebeests, lions, leopards
Accommodations Kichwa Tembo Bateleur Camp
Intensity Low
Next departure Year-round
Cost From $1,000 a night
New
Botswana Explorer Expedition A ten-day safari in the Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve, Chobe National Park, and Victoria Falls
Highlights Visiting some of the most remote game sanctuaries in southern Africa
Accommodations Lodges or domed tents with en suite showers
Intensity Low
Next departure Year-round
Cost From $3,055
Next
Ultimate African Safari A 29-day odyssey through classic safari terrain
Highlights Visiting Kruger National Park, the Okavango Delta, Victoria Falls, the Serengeti, and the Masai Mara National Reserve, plus urban breaks in Johannesburg and Cape Town
Accommodations Five-star hotels and luxury tents with private butlers
Intensity Low to moderate
Next departure Year-round
Cost From $83,900
Explora
Est. 1993, specializing in trekking and horseback riding in the Andes.
866-750-6699 or 56-2/206-6060; explora.com
Classic
Explora en Patagonia A seven- day stay in Patagonia’s Torres del Paine National Park with imme-diate access to the land of Darwin
Highlights Easy-to-moderate hiking; horseback riding along rivers, mountains, and glaciers
Accommodations Explora’s Hotel Salto Chico, with 420-square-foot Suites Exploradores
Intensity Moderate
Next departure Year-round
Cost From $6,340
New
Travesía en Bolivia An 11-day exploration of the Chilean and Bolivian altiplano
Highlights Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat
Accommodations Explora-run hotels and campsites
Intensity Moderate
Next departure September 2008
Cost From $5,960
Next
Explora en Valle Sagrado A three- or five-night stay in a remote locale outside Cuzco, Peru
Highlights Hiking and biking the sacred land of the Incas; visiting Machu Picchu
Accommodations Explora’s new lodge, with modern suites that incorporate native elements
Intensity Low to medium
Next departure February 2010
Cost From $2,100 for three nights
Micato Safaris
Est. 1966, specializing in luxury safari outfitting in eastern and southern Africa.
212-545-7111; micato.com
Classic
Grand Safari A 15-day trip in Amboseli Park, the Masai Mara, the Serengeti, and the Ngorongoro Crater
Highlights Seeing the Masai Mara from a hot-air balloon
Accommodations Tented camps, a private club
Intensity Moderate
Next departure Year-round
Cost From $20,560
New
Family to Family Safari A 15-day family-oriented vacation to Lake Naivasha, the Masai Mara, the Serengeti, and Ngorongoro
Highlights Feeding giraffes; visiting Masai villages
Accommodations Lodges and tented camps
Intensity Moderate
Next departure August 18, 2008
Cost From $13,660
Next
Micato Private Wing Safari A customized tour of eastern and southern Africa
Highlights Traveling by private “on-demand” plane to destinations such as Lake Victoria, Tsavo, and the Indian Ocean
Accommodations A mobile campsite with staff and vehicles
Intensity High
Next departure Year-round
Cost From $52,000
Geographic Expeditions
Est. 1982, specializing in private or shared journeys to challenging destinations across the globe.
415-922-0448; geoex.com
Classic
Hidden Indonesia A 14-day boat tour from Bali to surrounding islands
Highlights Diving in crystal-clear waters; encountering the mantas and Komodo dragons of Komodo National Park
Accommodations Private cabins aboard the Silolona
Intensity Low
Next departure Year-round
Cost $17,000 per charter
New
Choquequirao to Machu Picchu A 16-day, mule-supported trek over a 16,000-foot Peruvian pass between Machu Picchu and the ruins of Choquequirao
Highlights Touring ruins four times the size of Machu Picchu, open to only a few hundred visitors a year
Accommodations Orient-Express and Inkaterra hotels; spacious three-person tents
Intensity High
Next departure May 17, 2009
Cost From $5,550
Next
Guatemala and Honduras A ten-day journey through these two Central American countries
Highlights Shopping at the Mayan market in Chichicastenango; boating on Lake Atitlán; visiting the ruins at Copán, Honduras as well as those of the former Mayan capital, Tikal, Guatemala
Accommodations Francis Ford Coppola’s La Lancha Resort, among others
Intensity Low to moderate
Next departureYear-round
Cost From $3,810
International Mountain Guides
Est. 1986, specializing in mountain climbing around the world.
360-569-2609; mountainguides.com
Classic
Ama Dablam Climb A 34-day journey in the Himalayas for experienced climbers
Highlights Traveling above the Dudh Kosi River valley en route to Everest Base Camp
Accommodations Tents carried by sherpas; regular stops at teahouses
Intensity High
Next departure October 5, 2008
Cost From $9,250
New
Bhutan Trek A 150-mile walk through rarely visited Bhutan
Highlights Climbing up to 16,272 feet; spotting blue sheep and eagles
Accommodations Sleeping bags
Intensity Moderate to high
Next departure October 4, 2008
Cost From $5,500
Next
Mt. Rainier Himalayan Seminar A 6.5-day training trip up Washington’s Mount Rainier
Highlights Summiting the Lower 48’s most challenging peak; learning the skills required for hiking the Himalayas
AccommodationsTents and sleeping bags
Intensity High
Next departure Summer 2009
Cost From $1,620
Lindblad Expeditions
Est. 1979, specializing in marine exploration.
800-397-3348; expeditions.com
Classic
Galápagos Aboard National Geographic Islander A ten-day cruise aboard the 48-person Islander in the Galápagos
Highlights Lectures and seminars by field biologists; kayak side trips to view sea lions and blue-footed boobies
Accommodations 24 onboard cabins
Intensity Low
Next departureOctober 25, 2008
Cost From $4,320
New
Arctic Quest A 17-day boat trip on the brand-new 81-cabin National Geographic Explorer, traveling from Greenland to the Canadian High Arctic
Highlights Viewing fjords; spotting narwhals, polar bears, and blue whales; visiting Inuit communities in Canada’s Northwest Passage
Accommodations 126- to 388-square-foot cabins, onboard spa
Intensity Low
Next departure August 15, 2008
Cost From $13,170
Next
Antarctica, Falklands, and South Georgia A 25-day mission to Antarctica, also aboard the National Geographic Explorer
Highlights Hiking Elephant Island; visiting the colony of 100,000 penguins on South Georgia Island
Accommodations High-end cabins
Intensity Moderate
Next departure December 20, 2008
Cost From $17,590
Mountain Travel Sobek
Est. 1969, specializing in trekking journeys to destinations worldwide.
888-687-6235; mtsobek.com
Classic
Mont Blanc Express An eight-day trek in the Mont Blanc massif
Highlights Experiencing three countries, cuisines, and languages in the space of a week
Accommodations Chic hotels and rustic mountain inns
Intensity High
Next departure September 14, 2008
Cost From $3,050
New
Machu Picchu Inn-to-Inn An 11-day small-group hike along the “other Inca trail,” the less-traveled Salcantay Route
Highlights Challenging hiking with Andean views; seeing Peru’s Quechua people
Accommodations Mountain lodges
Intensity High
Next departure September 13, 2008
Cost From $4,000
Next
Hiking the John Muir Trail A stunning 17-day, 146-mile southbound hike or the brand-new 13-day, 103-mile northbound trek along California’s John Muir Trail
Highlights Summiting Mount Whitney; mules now carry packs, making this strenuous trip possible for more hikers.
Accommodations Basic tents
Intensity Very high
Next departure August 29, 2008
Cost From $5,300
The Northwest Passage
Est. 1984, specializing in kayaking trips and polar exploration.
800-732-7328; nwpassage.com
Classic
Inn-to-Inn Sea Kayaking An eight-day trip paddling the Mediterranean waters off Crete
Highlights Visit-ing the Knossos ruins and the water access–only town of Loutro; hiking the Samarian Gorge
Accommodations Family-owned seaside inns in small fishing villages; midday stops for taverna lunches
Intensity Moderate
Next departure September 5, 2008
Cost From $2,700; children under 16, $1,600
New
Greenland Crossing A 24-day excursion across Greenland, following the route of 19th-century explorer Fridtjof Nansen—albeit in reverse
Highlights Skiing and dogsledding across the ice cap in the Arctic summer’s endless daylight
Accommodations Hotels and heated tents
Intensity High
Next departure May 2009
Cost From $20,000
Next
Peary’s “Final Dash” to the North Pole A 14-day, 70-mile journey commemorating the 100th anniversary of Robert Peary’s North Pole expedition
Highlights Traveling by dogsled; reaching the pole in April 2009, exactly 100 years after he (allegedly) did
Accommodations Wind-resistant tents
Intensity High Departure April 2009
Cost From $48,720
