What Types of Active Trips Does Backroads Offer?

Backroads organizes its trips around three core activity types: Biking, Hiking & Walking, and Multi-Adventure, which combines biking, hiking, and other activities in a single itinerary. Activity type is one of the main filters on the site's trip finder, alongside destination, dates, and who is traveling, so it's the first choice most travelers make when narrowing down options. Which type fits you depends on how much physical effort you want and whether you prefer one sport or variety.

The Three Core Activity Types

Biking

Biking trips are built around time on the road or trail, with routes and daily distances set by the itinerary. This is the choice for travelers who want the trip's rhythm defined by riding and who are comfortable spending a substantial part of each day in the saddle. Backroads' biking catalog spans U.S. regions (including Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana, Utah, and the national parks) and international destinations across Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Antarctica.

Hiking & Walking

Hiking and walking trips shift the focus to trails and on-foot exploration. They suit travelers who prefer a slower pace and varied terrain over long-distance riding, and they work well for groups with mixed cycling interest. The destination list is the same broad global set, so you can match activity type to a region rather than the other way around.

Multi-Adventure

Multi-Adventure trips mix biking, hiking, and walking within one itinerary. Choose this if you want variety day to day, if your group disagrees on a single favorite activity, or if you'd rather sample a destination through several modes than commit to one. The trade-off is less specialization: you won't go as deep into cycling or hiking as a dedicated trip of the same length.

Choosing Between Them

A practical approach: decide whether the activity or the destination matters more. If you have a place in mind, filter by destination and then compare which activity types are offered there. If the activity is the point, start with the activity filter and scan the resulting destinations.

How to Use the Trip Finder

1. Where — enter a destination or browse by region (Europe, United States, Latin America, Asia & the Pacific, Africa, Antarctica).
2. When — add a departure date or month. The calendar on the site runs from October 2026 through September 2029, so you can plan well ahead.
3. What — choose Biking, Hiking & Walking, or Multi-Adventure.
4. Who — narrow by who is traveling, including family options; the site highlights family vacations as a featured collection.

Expected result: a shortlist of trips matching all four filters. If the list comes back empty or too thin, loosen the date range first — it's usually the most restrictive filter — then widen the destination.

Common Sticking Points

• Filtering by activity alone returns too many trips. Add a date window or region to make the list manageable.
• Assuming every destination offers every activity type. It doesn't; check what's available for your chosen region before building plans around a specific sport.
• Overlooking the "Who" filter. Family and group trips are organized as their own collections, so filtering by traveler type can surface options the activity filter alone won't highlight.

The site also features curated collections, including "Trip Leader Picks for 2027," which are useful if you've settled on an activity type but want help choosing among destinations.