We think food and active travel go perfectly together. For one, you can burn off most of the calories you consume dining on delicious local cuisine and two, there’s no better way to experience the true flavor of a region than through its local fare.

Backroads offers several hiking tours and biking tours that have a big food focus whether it’s taking a cooking class, shopping the local market or dining with locals. Here are some of our favorite active tours for foodies:

Puglia Biking Tour

Tour the Puglia region of Italy by bike and experience all of its gastronomic delights! On our 6-day, 5-night Puglia Bike Tour, you’ll travel the Italian Adriatic Coast, which brings to mind the whitewashed coastal villages of Greece. Olive trees and fennel stretch as far as the eye can see interspersed with age-old farmhouses. You’ll sample a full-bodied primitivo and other notable vini Pugliesi, cook with local Pugliese chefs during a culinary lesson, learn how mozzarella is made and enjoy organic homemade Pugliese dishes. The Puglia Biking tour runs April-June and August-October.

Peru Walking & Hiking Tour

You may be surprised to hear that our 7-day, 6-night Peru hiking tour also has a food focus in addition to the amazing Machu Picchu ruins and active Andes activities.  Some of the culinary experiences in which you’ll indulge in Peru include sipping a pisco sour at the Cusco Museum, shopping the lively Pisac market and take a cooking class with a local Peruvian chef from Sol y Luna. Then get ready to burn all the calories you’ve consumed during two days of hiking to Machu Picchu. The Peru walking tour runs March-October, as well as some dates in December.

Tuscany Walking & Cooking Tour

New for 2013 is our Tuscany Walking and Cooking Tour. Tuscany has always been a popular destination for us and guests are always asking for recipes and techniques to recreate the mouth-watering Tuscan dishes at home, so we’ve created a Tuscany tour focused around one of everyone’s favorite highlights of the area: its glorious food! On our Tuscany cooking & walking tour, you’ll have the opportunity to cook side by side with Italian “le nonne” (grandmas),  chat up a Tuscan butcher about meats, have lunch under the grape vines, enjoy a private wine talk, sample honey made by monks at Monte Oliveto Maggiore, visit a working cheese farm and much more! The 6-day, 5-night trip runs May-July, September and October.

Did we make you hungry?! Go ahead and reserve your spot on one of these fantastic food-focused tours for 2013. You’ll come home full of culinary inspiration and stories to share with family and friends. Call us today at 800-462-2848 7 a.m.- 5 p.m. Pacific.

Hiking Peru is a once-in-a-lifetime, bucket list experience. We’ve seen people celebrate major milestones like graduations and birthdays by gifting this amazing hiking tour. Strap on your hiking boots and get ready to turn back time hundreds of years to step inside the remains of an ancient civilization.

If you choose to check this item off your bucket list with Backroads, we think you’ve chosen wisely! We’ll handle all the details, making sure you see everything you should, that you stay in amazing lodging, ensure delicious food to refuel you for hiking and provide three Trip Leaders on every hiking trip to guide you for the ultimate trip to Peru.

On our Peru Hiking Tour, you’ll start at Cusco, once the center of the Pre-Columbian empire; journey through Puca Pucara, Q’enko, Temple of the Moon and Sacsayhuamán; and learn the meaning of an indigenous “Pago a la Tierra” ceremony from a longtime Backroads friend and local shaman. Next up, walk among the Inca salt pans’ honeycomb of pools, visit Pisac’s vibrant market and view the Pisac ruins.

Day 4 gives you a chance to meet the Peruvian locals, interacting with kids at a local school, shopping for local ceramics and taking a Peruvian cooking class with a local chef. On the last three days of your Peruvian journey, you’ll venture toward the mysterious Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas. Hike the Inca Trail to reach the Gate of the Sun and a stunning view of this ancient site. Then explore the Lost City itself with a local expert and learn more about the area’s flora and fauna from a Peruvian naturalist.

Our Peru Walking Tour is a 7-day, 6-night adventure that runs March-October and December.

One note, permits to hike the Inca Trail are extremely limited. We recommend booking a minimum of 4-6 months prior to your departure date to significantly increase your chance of securing a permit. If permits are unavailable during some seasons, you will take a train to Aguas Calientes, bus to the entrance and hike into Machu Picchu.

So don’t delay to schedule this life-changing trip! Why not go ahead and schedule your daughter’s 16th birthday trip now or plan your son’s graduation gift in plenty of time? Call us at 800-462-2848 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific daily and we’ll get you all set up!

Red or white, many of us agree there is little better than a great glass of wine. On these bike tours and hiking tours, wine takes center stage right next to the fantastic scenery. Whether you’re swirling a glass on an Italy bike tour or sipping a burgundy on a France walking tour, these 5 active tours give you the best of vino and adventure:

Piedmont Biking

Tuscany isn’t the only fantastic region of Italy! We’ve added this 6-day, 5-night Piedmont Biking tour for 2013 to showcase the beauty of this area of Italy. While you’ll enjoy plenty of biking through the Italian countryside past villages, castles and hot sulphur springs, wine is definitely front and center. You’ll pedal past beautiful vineyards and farmland day after day, stopping in Nizza Monferrato, a town known for its wine production, and Monforte d’Alba, a storybook wine village with views of the Alps. You’ll pass over “the underground cathedrals” in Canelli, which are passages underneath town that store hundreds of bottles for area wineries. Finally, explore 1,000-year-old La Morra, one of the most important Barolo wine-producing towns in Piedmont. Tours run May, June (for singles only) and September.

Alsace Biking

The Alscace region of France is another area of the world known for its wine. On our 6-day, 5-night Alsace & Black Forest Biking trip, we’ll let you see why! Ready to sip perfectly chilled Riesling after climbing the steep hills to Ribeauvillé? This tour is for you. Other highlights include stops at a charming, family-run winery, pedaling across a sea of grape vines that rises and falls gracefully against the Vosges Mountains, crossing the Rhine and delighting in Black Forest cake IN the Black Forest! Tours run May, June and September.

Dordogne & Bordeaux Biking

On this 6-day, 5-night France biking tour, you’ll see everything from prehistoric caves to modern day vineyards and wineries. Enjoy an exclusive Périgordian feast prepared by a Backroads’ friend and served in the garden, bike through the Bordeaux region, get a lesson in wine tasting from an oenologist at the Vignobles & Châteaux wine school, and visit the World Heritage site of St-Émilion. Tours run May-October.

http://www.backroads.com/trips/BDXI/dordogne-bordeaux-france-biking-tour?p=D518

Burgundy Biking

http://www.backroads.com/trips/BBUI/burgundy-france-biking-tour?p=D518

The rich flavors of Burgundy extend beyond its magnificent wine and blend into its friendly people, small villages and lovely architecture. On this 6-day, 5-night Burgundy bike tour, you’ll journey through lush forests, vast farmland, lovely lakes and quaint villages, and stop by the Vézelay World Heritage site. Enjoy delicious French gourmet cuisine paired with wines, and take a private cellar tour with a tasting of artisanal whites and reds at Maison Alex Gambal. Visit Château de La Rochepot and taste its wines and take a private, guided tour of 15th-century Hospices de Beaune. Tours run May, June, August and September.

Wine Country Biking

http://www.backroads.com/trips/BWCI/california-wine-country-biking-tour?p=D518

You don’t have to travel overseas to enjoy world-famous wines. Right here in the USA, California produces its share. On our Wine Country Biking tour, you’ll visit several famous valleys and vineyards in Sonoma, Carneros and Napa. Enjoy plenty of wine tastings interspersed with biking among northern California’s beautiful rolling hills. You’ll also enjoy a stop at the famed redwoods. Tours to wine country run 6 days and 5 nights March-December.

Do you love to combine travel with wine? Let Backroads plan your bike trip for you, handling all the details from meals to hotels to tours so all you have to do is sip and bike! Call us 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific daily at 800-462-2848 to get started.

We had such an awesome time at the 2012 Bikefest, a fall singles tour to Wine Country with 60 other single travelers, that we decided to offer TWO dates in 2013. This year, the Bikefest California Wine Country bike tour will be offered July 21-26 and September 29-October 4. But no matter whether you choose to bike with us in summer or fall, there’s no question it will be a blast!

On our Singles-Solos Wine Country Bikefest, we let you enjoy the best of the single life in the great outdoors while traveling through the beautiful California wine country. We’ll start our singles adventure in Napa Valley, pedaling past famed vineyards and stopping at a host of wineries for a sample, swirl and sip.

Bikefest is a Backroads deluxe camping adventure, which means we sleep in tents under the stars, enjoy gathering with friends around the campfire and dine on delicious gourmet camping meals. Our amazing Trip Leaders get the camp site all ready for you, so all you have to do is arrive, socialize and fall asleep in your comfy sleeping bag on an extra thick pad while breathing in the fresh air. Ahh…

Next head to the Russian River Valley for more wineries and enjoy a group picnic under the giant redwood trees of California. A party awaits back at camp with drinks, food, live music and plenty of fun!

During the next two days, we bike down the California coast, exploring seaside hamlets, visiting the country’s oldest cheese manufacturer (what goes better with wine after all?!), exploring Pointe Reyes National Seashore and enjoying a farm-to-table dinner. Again, a live band with an opportunity for dancing crowns the day.

On our final day of our California Wine Country biking tour, we head to the hilly city of San Francisco, stop in the town of Sausalito and pedal across the Golden Gate Bridge for the finale!

If you choose to go on Bikefest in September, we recommend extending your visit in San Francisco to enjoy a host of local events that take place like Fleet Week.

Hurry and book Bikefest before we fill up. There are only two opportunities for this fantastic singles travel adventure! Call us at 800-462-2848 daily from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific to get started.

From India and Peru to Bhutan and Morocco, you submitted some fantastic photos of your Backroads journeys for our annual Backroads Photo Contest! You covered walking tours, biking tours, multisport tours, family adventure tours and more, and we must say, your photography skills aren’t too shabby!

Every year, Backroads invites our travelers to submit their best photos from their Backroads trip for a chance at a credit toward their next adventure tour with us! First place receives a $3000 trip credit; second place receives a $2000 trip credit; and third place receives a $1000 trip credit.

We’ve picked the best of the best from all of your submissions and have now opened voting. Anyone is welcome to vote for their favorite picture, and by voting, you’ll be entered to win a $200 Patagonia gift card. Not a bad prize for viewing some jaw-dropping photos!

Here’s just a sampling of the 2012 best Backroads adventure tour photo submissions:

Taken by C. Jennings on our Dalmatian Coast Family Multisport Tour:

Taken by C. Michel on our Bhutan Walking Tour:

Taken by K. Mills on our Loire Valley Biking Tour:

Taken by M. Sloane on our Canadian Rockies Multisport Tour:

Taken by D. Patton on our Death Valley Walking Tour:

This is just a handful of the beautiful and creative photos you submitted to Backroads for 2012! Take a look at all the adventure travel photos from our tours here and vote for your favorite.

Are you inspired yet? We are! We’re ready to strap on our hiking boots, oil up our bike and head to the nearest airport to experience a Backroads adventure.

If we can help you schedule your next Backroads tour please give us a call 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific daily at 800-462-2848. And don’t forget your camera to enter the 2013 photo contest!

We know that our Trip Leaders are the best in the world and that’s why we want to introduce you to them one by one. Nothing makes an adventure tour memorable like an amazing trip leader.

Meet Vincent Soyer, a French trip leader who specializes in Argentina adventure tours and Patagonia adventure tours. Vincent has been with Backroads since 2004 and led our walking tours and biking tours all over the world.

Vincent studied international commerce in Montpellier, France and started his career by selling software all over Europe based out of London. But that job didn’t satisfy his wanderlust…

His travel adventures began at Club Med and several other companies throughout Europe. Vincent has traveled across the world, including Pakistan, Cambodia, Tibet, China, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Nepal. He’s also traveled extensively throughout South America and lived in Argentina where he taught managers working at international firms.

Vincent now calls Spain home and began his time with Backroads in 2004 after looking for an active travel company that focused on fewer guests per trip. “I was looking for more individual connections,” he says.

“I have enjoyed the chance to be part of an unbelievably organized team, where each and every in

dividual is a source of help, knowledge, happiness and kindliness,” says Soyer about his time with Backroads.

Want to travel with Vincent? Try our Spain Walking & Hiking Trip or our Pyrenees to Costa Brava Biking Trip. Call us at 800-462-2848 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific to book a Backroads tour today.

Have you ever traveled with Vincent on a Backroads tour? Share your experience about this enthusiastic and knowledgeable Trip Leader.

With St. Paddy’s day only two months away, we thought it would be a great time to highlight Backroads’ Ireland biking tour and Ireland walking tour. Although we don’t travel to the Emerald Isle on St. Patrick’s Day itself, you can head there during the warmer months of June, July, August and September to see Ireland beautiful and green in all its splendor.

On our Ireland Walking & Hiking tour, Backroads’ Trip Leader Mike Murphy (could that sound any more Irish?!) will lead you on an inside tour of County Kerry, Ireland. A local, who’s been with Backroads since the early 90’s, he knows just where to take you for the best fish and chips, and, if you’re lucky, an afternoon pint.

You’ll see the Irish countryside at its finest, strolling down country roads and along coastal cliff walks. We’ll take you hiking around Caragh Lake, and be sure to hold on to your hat at Windy Gap! Then get some culture in Killarney where you can browse local boutiques and craft shops. Hear long-told stories by a local storyteller at 15^th century Ross Castle.

We’ll also take you to Killarney National Park full of lakes, mountains and gorges and through charming Kenmare with its cheerfully painted row houses. Finally, enjoy a private whiskey tasting and trek over Mount Knockagarrane where you’ll find one of the largest stone circles in County Kerry.

If you enjoy biking, try our Ireland bike tour where you can travel a bit further. Start in Moll’s Gap and the Gap of Dunloe where you’ll see emerald hills, small farms, quaint cottages and woolly sheep. Do a five-mile climb (gradually) to Caha Pass, take a ferry to Garinish Island where you’ll hear local songs and legends and ride to Ring, a waterfront hamlet where the famous Irish rebel Michael Collins was born. We’ll also make sure to work in time for a pint or two should you need to wet your whistle J.

Does a bike trip or walking trip to the land of shamrocks, moss and jade strike your fancy? Then give us a ring 7 a.m.-5 p.m. daily Pacific time to set up your guided Ireland tour.

Spring is on its way and with warm weather comes a renewed vigor to head outdoors, explore the beauty of the world and try new daring adventures. Traveling solo can be an experience of a lifetime whether you’re just looking for some “me” time or you want to meet others traveling single.

Backroads offers active vacations for singles and solos to a host of warm destinations across the world this spring that will give you just what you need to say goodbye to winter and hello to a new you! Here’s our top 5 spring singles vacations:

1)      Piedmont Biking – This is a new singles bike trip for Backroads in 2013 and we chose it because of its wonderful combination of gourmet cuisine and beautiful vistas. The Piedmont area of Italy is known for its wines, truffles, hazelnuts and cheeses, and you’ll get to sample a bit of each, as well as explore several vineyards. The Piedmont bike trip also takes you through medieval towns with ancient castles and views of the Alps. The singles tour of the Piedmont region runs June 2-7.

2)      Tuscany Biking – One of our most popular Italy bike trips is Tuscany biking. You’ll pedal through many of Tuscany’s most famous towns like Pienza, Siena and Montalcino and get plenty of opportunities to sample fine wines and nosh on delicious local cuisine – the perfect place to strike up a conversation with one of your trip mates. Get ready to cycle past cypress trees, rolling hills, olive groves and vineyards to your heart’s content! Our singles Tuscany tour runs for five nights in May, June, August and October.

3)      Andalucia Biking – Olé! On this Spain biking tour for singles, you’ll get to enjoy all the best things about the Andalucia region of Spain from flamenco dancing and fiestas with your fellow travelers to gazpacho and tapas for refueling. Can you smell the orange and lemon trees’ fragrant blossoms? You will as you cycle past sweeping vistas through ancient whitewashed villages and the beautiful cities of Sevilla and Granada. Our singles bike trip through Andalucia runs for five nights in April and November.

4)      California Wine Country Biking – Single travelers love our California Wine Country biking tour, which takes you through five valleys of world famous vineyards. Chat up others while mingling over glasses of wine after a great day on the bike. You’ll also enjoy Northern California’s famous gourmet cuisine without worry of calories since you’ll burn plenty while biking. The singles Wine Country bike tour runs 5 nights in May, September and October.

5)      Bali Biking – Go exotic on our singles bike trip through Bali and experience this tropical paradise with new friends. Ride past emerald rice terraces, lovely villages, amazing temples and giant teak trees. Explore the vibrant art scene, cycle up a volcano, snorkel the wreckage of the USS Liberty and engage in a host of adventures. Our Bali singles trip runs April, October and December for 7 nights.

Have you considered traveling solo? Get more information about Backroads’ well-known Singles-Solos program designed specifically for this great group of travelers.

Call us at 800-462-2848 7 a.m.- 5 p.m. Pacific time to book your singles vacation and get ready to have a spring you’ll never forget.

With much of the country covered in snow or experiencing freezing temperatures, dreaming of summer sure sounds good! Now is the perfect time to begin planning your summer vacation and we can’t think of a better vacation than a guided biking trip with Backroads to some of the most amazing locations around the world.

As you begin to map out your plans for summer, we present 5 Fun Biking Tour Destinations to tempt your travel taste buds:

Tuscany, Italy Biking Tour – All we have to do is say the word “Tuscany” and most people are ready to pack their bags. Fields of sunflowers, rolling hills, cypress and olive trees, Tuscan red farmhouses…it’s a winter daydream’s perfection. Backroads offers this popular Tuscany biking tour throughout April through October, so select a date that works best for you. Plan to sample cheese and olive oil, and pedal past medieval structures, Renaissance architecture and charming hilltop towns. You might want to start reading Under the Tuscan Sun right now to get your mind off snow and onto your upcoming Italy bike tour.

Spain Biking – Biking Spain is a great summer choice with its many sparkling, sunny, white-sand beaches. Our Pyreness to Costa Brava Biking Tour gives you the best of Spain starting off in vibrant Barcelona, through the Pyrenees foothills and onto Costa Brava with its Mediterranean beaches and blue seas. Stop by the Dali Museum, sample “cava” (Spain’s version of champagne), cycle past sunflower fields and tour a medieval castle. This Spain biking trip runs May-October, leaving you plenty of summer vacation choices.

Loire Valley, France Biking – Picturesque castles as far as you can see make the Loire Valley a fantastical choice for summer. With flowers and gardens in full bloom, you’ll be privy to France at its finest. On this France Biking tour, you’ll explore several castles, take a private tour of a wine cave and enjoy gourmet French cuisine. Loire Valley Biking tours run April through October.

Wine Country Biking – Anytime is a good time to visit Wine Country, but summer brings with it a special charm. The rolling hills are lush and verdant in early summer, making it not just a trip for the taste buds but a feast for the eyes. Our Wine Country Biking tour takes you through five valleys of world-famous vineyards, including Sonoma and Napa. Enjoy a stop at Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve and a bike through beautiful Bodega Bay. Tour the wine country by bike March through December.

U.S. National Parks Tours – No need to stray further than the U.S. of A. for an adventure-filled summer vacation. Backroads offers bike tours through National Parks, like Yellowstone, Acadia, Grand Teton and Death Valley. Choose from a family bike tour, a singles tour or a traditional bike tour of some of America’s most beautiful landscapes. National Park bike tours and hiking tours run all throughout summertime.

Where are you dreaming of traveling this summer? Let us know if we can help take your gaze away from the snow outside your window and onto the bike trip you’ll be taking with us this summer. Call us 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific at 800-462-2848.

Dreaming of an adventure to New Zealand full of dramatic waterfalls, lush valleys and breathtaking vistas at every turn? If you travel to New Zealand with Backroads, the legendary Paul Smith just might be one of your Trip Leaders.

A history major and a former minor league baseball player, Paul recently celebrated leading his 300^th trip to New Zealand and is a true expert on this gorgeous country. With 22 years as a Backroads leader who’s led more adventure tours in Backroads’ history, it’s safe to say he’s seen it all.

Paul didn’t start his Backroads journey in New Zealand, however. His first start was a bit of a rough initiation with a camping trip on the Russian River. He and his co-leader (now his wife and mother of his two sons) forgot their sleeping bags and slept wrapped in tablecloths in their van while it rained outside. He hasn’t forgotten his sleeping bag since!

Paul’s attention to detail, witty humor, knowledge of the local haunts and an uncanny ability to discern the needs of each guest is well-known and celebrated. During his 22 years with Backroads, Paul has fallen in love with Chinese culture and the joy of riding a bike through its sometimes crazy countryside; learned about world religions by leading Bhutan walking tours and Bali bike tours, where he became fascinated with prayer wheels and Hindu gods; and lived each summer in the San Juan islands, knowing the way the light looks on the water at all hours of the day, from all viewpoints, like a local knows it.

Plus, Paul can add to his list of credentials that he’s done more laps around the South Island of New Zealand than anyone in Backroads history! “All it takes is a single visit to fall in love with New Zealand’s extraordinary scenery and down-to-earth welcoming people,” says Paul. “And if you’re like me, you’ll find it’s a destination you dream of returning to again and again.”

Interested in taking a New Zealand walking tour or New Zealand bike tour with Paul? Give us a call at 800-462-2848 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific.

Have you taken a Backroads walking trip or Backroads bike trip with Paul? Give us some firsthand insight to this wonderful Backroads Trip Leader! Here’s to another 300 trips!