What Is Backroads Active Adventure Travel?

Updated

Backroads is an active travel company that runs biking tours, walking and hiking trips, and multi-adventure vacations in the United States and internationally. It fits travelers who want a physically engaged vacation—cycling, hiking, or a mix of both—rather than a seated tour, and who want help narrowing options by destination, dates, activity type, and travel party. The site positions itself around the idea of "Live Your Adventure," with a dedicated emphasis on family vacations.

What kinds of trips does Backroads offer?

The activity filter on the site lists three core categories:

  • Biking — dedicated cycling tours.
  • Hiking & Walking — walking and hiking vacations.
  • Multi-Adventure — trips that mix biking, hiking, and other activities in one itinerary.

Beyond activity type, the site organizes trips into featured collections and "Trip Leader Picks," which are curated selections rather than a separate trip format.

Where does Backroads travel?

The destination search covers a broad international footprint. Grouped by region as listed on the site:

Region Examples of destinations listed
Europe France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Ireland, Scotland, Iceland, Norway, Croatia, Greece, and river-based options such as the Danube, Rhine, Douro, and Seine
United States Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Utah, Vermont, Wyoming & Yellowstone, and national parks
Canada British Columbia, Canadian Rockies, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland
Latin America Costa Rica, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Galápagos & Ecuador, Patagonia, Belize, Panama
Asia & the Pacific Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Cambodia, Bali, Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti
Africa Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, Tanzania, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia
Polar Antarctica

This breadth matters if you are choosing between, say, a European river-region bike trip and a U.S. national parks hiking trip—both are within the same booking framework.

How do you find a trip?

The site's main planning tool is a "Find My Perfect Trip" search built around four filters: Where, When, What, and Who.

  1. Where — pick a destination from the region list, or search by name.
  2. When — choose a departure date or departure month. The calendar shown spans late 2026 through 2029, so trips are bookable well in advance.
  3. What — select Biking, Hiking & Walking, or Multi-Adventure.
  4. Who — narrow by travel party, which is where the family-vacation focus comes in.

Expected result: a filtered shortlist of trips matching your constraints. A practical tip is to start with When if your dates are fixed, since date availability is the tightest constraint; if your dates are flexible, start with What to match the trip to your fitness and interests.

Who is it for?

Backroads suits travelers who:

  • Want activity built into the trip rather than optional.
  • Are traveling with family and want a structure designed around that (the site highlights "Family Vacation Made Easy & Fun").
  • Prefer a curated, guided framework over self-planned routes—trip leader picks and featured collections suggest itineraries are pre-designed.

It is a weaker fit if you want a fully independent, self-guided itinerary or a sedentary sightseeing tour. The site also includes guest testimonials and a "Share Your Adventure" section, which are useful for gauging trip style and difficulty from past travelers before you commit.

What the site does not tell you

The available page content does not list prices, payment options, or booking terms. Treat cost and availability as things to confirm directly on individual trip pages or with the company rather than assuming from the search interface.