Backroads
Backroads
Tom Hale, Backroads founder and president, built Backroads with his passion for exploring the world’s most fascinating places actively. Thirty five years later, each Backroads employee and legions of loyal travelers could not imagine a better way to travel—immersing yourself in the life of a region and exploring hidden corners while enjoying the benefits and enormous satisfaction of traveling under your own power. These are experiences you cannot have behind the wheel of a car, or on a train or a tour bus, or in a few excursions from a cruise ship or a secluded resort. Active travel is, at its heart, a way of connecting more authentically with the world. Sure, Backroads provides superb accommodations and meals, and opportunities you could never arrange on your own. But all of our comprehensive planning and support is aimed at something far simpler: bringing you the immediate, highly personal satisfaction of discovering a new world on your own terms.

Articles Written

Backroads Leader Paolo Pompilio serves up a picnic lunch
June 30, 2015

How to Stay Fueled

Eating on Backroads trips is not only fun, it's necessary! With great activity comes great responsibility to fuel the body, and fuel the body properly. You may not know this, but Backroads leaders compete with each other to create the best snack table possible...

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Backroads Bryce, Zion and Grand Canyon family multisport camping vacation.
June 11, 2015

Bryce, Zion & Grand Canyon Family Deluxe Camping Tour Video

Now this is camping! Imagine pedaling or hiking up to a campsite to find your family's roomy dome tents set up, your luggage stowed inside and your plush sleeping bag unrolled on a raised cot--with a comfortable Therm-a-Rest mattress for extra padding. This is life on a Backroads Deluxe Camping Trip: experiencing the great outdoors in style while your multitalented Trip Leaders, Camp Chef and Camp Assistant look after all the details--like making sure there's always a crackling fire to enjoy as the sun sinks below the treetops.

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Machu Picchu, Peru
June 2, 2015

Peru Walking & Hiking Tour Video

The Incas weren't keen on crowds and neither are we. In nearly two decades of exploring Peru, we've seen more and more people making the pilgrimage to Cusco and Machu Picchu. We get it - but we also need a little space to take in this otherworldly place among the peaks and contemplate its spiritual past. Fortunately, with our local connections we can get you clear of the tourist trek, hiking off the beaten path and immersing you in the culture of remote communities in the Sacred Valley.

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Costa Rica Volcano
May 11, 2015

Backroads Costa Rica Family Multi-Adventure Tour Video

We've been bringing guests on Multisport Adventures in Costa Rica for 20 years. Our Regional Expert has lived here for more than half that time, raising her own family near Manuel Antonio National Park. We've found the best hiking and biking routes, and built relationships with the most accomplished local guides, all so we can take you off the beaten path to discover the real Costa Rica. And we offer more active trips over peak holiday periods than any other company.

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Backroads biking trip in Glacier and Waterton National Parks
April 17, 2015

Glacier & Waterton Lakes Bike Tour Video

Beyond the obvious opportunity to explore some spectacular landscapes, the idea behind this trip is simple: why settle for just one renowned national park when you can explore two - and cross an international boundary in the bargain? Biking through Glacier National Park on the Montana side of the Rockies, then crossing the US-Canada border into Waterton Lakes, you enjoy stunning rides and stay at historic park lodges that are typically booked-up far in advance.

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Gourmet falafel - famous middle eastern dish
March 25, 2015

Is it Kosher?

In Israel is kosher the norm, not the exception. Therefore, traditional Middle Eastern dishes such as falafel, shawarma and shakshuka are uniquely spiced up with rich culture and historical depth.

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Cafe sua da, Vietnamese coffee
March 3, 2015

Vietnamese Coffee Culture

In Vietnam, coffee culture is as deep and rich as just about anything else. On old brick sidewalks and in old colonial shops adorned with art deco tiles, old men sit on small stools in the morning and afternoon. They sip little cups of iced-coffee rocket fuel, or as they would say, cafe sua da (or ca phe sua da), while playing checkers and cards.

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Biking in Thailand
February 25, 2015

Thailand Bike Tour Video

For nearly 25 years we've created biking routes that take you deeper into Thailand, winding through forests, farmland and small hamlets that are well off the beaten tourist path. A great day of riding in gorgeous surroundings becomes all the more special when you're greeted by farmers, shopkeepers and monks who know Backroads well and invite you to stop in for a visit. We're confident you won't find that kind of welcome with any other company.

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February 20, 2015

Five Local Secrets of Ojai, California

Famous for its natural health and healing culture, Spanish architecture and spectacular surroundings, Ojai offers a unique blend of modern spirituality and rustic authenticity in Southern California.

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Backroads Trip Leaders in Spain
November 24, 2014

Pyrenees to Costa Brava Bike Tour Video

Vincent Soyer, our Pyrenees Regional Expert, was born and raised in the region and has drawn on his passion for Catalonian food, wine and culture - and cycling - to create an insider's look at his beloved home. One of the many highlights is your stay at Torre de Remei, a boutique hotel within a small castle, where we're the only guests.

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