What Is Intrepid Travel US?
Updated
Intrepid Travel US is the United States-facing booking site for Intrepid Travel, a small-group adventure travel company that has been running trips since 1989. It sells guided group tours in more than 100 countries, with the pitch built around traveling "the local way" alongside like-minded people rather than in large coach groups. If you want a structured itinerary with a set group size, a fixed departure date, and a mix of included activities and free time, this is the kind of site you'd book through. If you prefer fully independent travel or a private custom trip, it is not the primary fit.
What the site actually offers
The homepage frames the catalog as "Real and remarkable small group trips worldwide," with "1000s of experiences, over 100 countries." In practice that means:
- Guided group departures with published start dates and per-person prices, such as Vietnam Express Southbound (10 days, from USD $1,450, lowest price date 25 Oct 2026) or Classic Japan (11 days, from USD $6,260, now USD $5,008).
- Trip styles and themes rather than one uniform product. Examples visible on the page include family holidays, women's expeditions, walking and hiking trips, and a "Premium" tier.
- Regional depth — the same destination often appears in several formats, e.g. Premium Costa Rica in Depth (16 days) alongside Best of Costa Rica (10 days) and Costa Rica Premium Family Tour (7 days).
The trip tiers you'll see
The site distinguishes products mainly by comfort level and audience. The clearest signal is the "Premium" label, which appears on higher-priced departures.
| Signal | What it looks like on the page | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| Premium | Premium Japan 12 days from USD $7,515; Premium Norway in Depth 12 days from USD $14,575 | Higher price band, more included comfort |
| Standard / classic | Simply Turkey 10 days from USD $1,595; Morocco Uncovered 13 days from USD $2,010 | Lower entry price |
| Family | Thailand Premium Family Holiday, Morocco Premium Family Holiday | Itineraries designed for traveling with children |
| Themed | India: Women's Expedition, Peru: Women's Expedition | Group composition or focus is part of the product |
| Active | Hiking Utah's National Parks, Premium Walking & Hiking on Italy's Amalfi Coast | Walking/hiking is the core activity |
Treat the tier names as a rough guide to price and comfort, not a guarantee about group size or inclusions — those details sit on each individual trip page.
How pricing and dates work
Prices are shown per person with a "From" figure and, on many trips, a struck-through original price next to a discounted one. For example:
- Premium Iceland in Winter: from USD $4,575, now USD $3,660
- Premium Peru: from USD $5,580, now USD $4,464
- New Zealand Northern Trail (Northbound): from USD $4,440, now USD $3,552
Each listing also names a "lowest price" date (e.g. 05 Nov 2026, 27 Mar 2027). That date is the cheapest departure currently shown, not the only one available — you search by destination and travel dates to see the full set. The page does not state whether prices include flights, so check the specific trip's inclusions before budgeting.
What sets it apart, per the site
The homepage lists three claims under "What sets us apart": shared adventures with like-minded people, creating positive change since 1989, and the scale of the catalog. The 1989 founding date and the "positive change" framing are the company's own positioning. The practical takeaway for a traveler is that this is an established operator with a long track record and a broad destination list, not a marketplace aggregating third-party tours.
When this site is the right choice
- You want a fixed-date, small-group trip where the logistics are handled.
- You're choosing between comfort tiers and want a clear premium option.
- You're looking for a specific theme — family, women-only, hiking — rather than a generic tour.
- You want over 100 countries to choose from on one platform.
When to look elsewhere
- You want a private, self-designed itinerary — this catalog is built around scheduled group departures.
- You need flights bundled in — the page doesn't indicate that, so verify per trip.
- You want the lowest possible cost — the standard and "Simply" trips start lower (from USD $1,595) than the Premium tier, but a budget independent trip will usually undercut both.
The most reliable next step is to open a specific trip page, confirm the inclusions, group size, and departure dates, and compare two or three tiers for the same destination before booking.