The Japan highlights tour gave me a little bit from every part of Japan and definitely gave me the knowledge I needed to plan my next trip and figure out where my fav parts of Japan were. Can’t wait to go back to Akhibara!
The trip was absolutely incredible! Every city we visited was excellent, and the entire experience was so much fun and perfectly planned. Our trip leader, Hai, was the best thing that could have happened to us—truly amazing and incredibly professional. Highly recommend!
Iconic sights and in-depth adventures with a local Trip Leader.Northern Thailand: home of serene temples, unreal scenery, epic histories, food that slaps. And So. Much. More. Want to embrace the new? Jump headfirst into the unknown? Immerse yourself in the extraordinary? This is THE place to do it. We’ll go beyond those all-star attractions and delve deep into the local culture. Grab your camera and pull on those elephant-print pants ‘cos it’s time to get started.
This tour was amazing! Our tour guide Peak was the best and so much fun. All of the included experiences were amazing and there were some great optional extra too!
Journey back to the days of the Great Silk Road on a 18-day Premium adventure through Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Explore the cosmopolitan capital of Tashkent, marvel at the glorious architecture in Samarkand, discover the holy sites of Bukhara and visit the ancient monuments of Khiva. Join a local family for a traditional cooking class and get to know the ins and outs of an Uzbek village. Visit Sharyn Canyon, Skazka Canyon and Jety Oguz Valley and take hikes to soak up the scenery. Spend a night in a traditional yurt camp alongside the massive alpine lake of Issyk Kul. See the monuments, learn the histories and dive into the local cultures of main cities like Bishkek and Almaty. Visit a family-owned winery for a tasting, head to a small local village for a traditional lunch and enjoy a masterclass of local cuisine from a Dungan family. With all this and more, what’s holding you back from your next adventure?
Discover the Philippines on this 17-day adventure, blending cultural encounters with refreshing natural moments. Starting in Manila and finishing in El Nido, you’ll cycle through the lively streets of Manila, see the crater lake of Mt. Pinatubo and hike the UNESCO World Heritage-listed rice terraces of the Cordilleras with local guides. Visit the Batak and Tagbanua Tribal Village in Sitio Kawasan, discover the limestone caves of Sabang and island hop around El Nido. With a mix of guided experiences and free time, this trip offers an unforgettable journey through the heart of the Philippines.
Want an epic rail journey that takes you to some of the world’s most iconic and remote regions? This 18-day adventure might just be for you! Traverse northern China from Shanghai to Beijing on the bullet train, connecting the most iconic highlights in the country, riding a section of the Trans-Mongolian Railway as you make your way from China to Mongolia. This trip combines neon cities, ancient capitals, world wonders, Mongolian steppes and the Gobi Desert into one punchy rail journey. Watch an epic sunset up the Great Wall, spend time staying in a traditional ger campsite, join a family of camel herders for lunch and return home with truly unique travel stories to tell!
Get to the heart of the Philippines on this 10-day adventure exploring the north. Move around multicultural Manila on a bamboo bike and then trek to Mt Pinatubo’s crater lake. Hike the UNESCO-listed rice terraces of the Cordilleras while listening to stories from a Kalinga local guide along the way. Visit local villages to meet the Ifuago rice terrace builders, learn about Faery village’s unique burial traditions and connect with locals over a community feast. Go beyond the guidebook and fully immerse yourself in the rich culture and traditions of this beautiful archipelago.
Iconic sights and in-depth adventures with a local Trip Leader.Where’s South Korea on your travel bucket list? Newsflash. It’s about to take the #1 spot. Big buddhas. Colourful cities. Quirky K-pop style. There’s PLENTY to experience here. We don’t just skim the surface. We delve in deep. Think: atmospheric history, zen meditations, historic temples, traditional stays and allllll the tastiest local food this country has to offer. You in?
Explore the old Silk Route in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan with this nine-day adventure full of stunning natural landscapes, chances to connect to local people and traditional cuisine. With a knowledgeable local leader by your side, you’ll visit Sharyn Canyon, Skazka Canyon and Jety Oguz Valley and go on hikes to soak up the scenery. Spend a night in a traditional yurt camp, after learning about how these are still manufactured without electric tools, alongside the massive alpine lake of Issyk Kul. See the monuments, learn the histories and dive into the local cultures of main cities like Bishkek and Almaty. Visit a family-owned winery for a tasting, head to a small local village for a traditional lunch and enjoy a masterclass of local cuisine from a Dungan family. With all this and more, what’s holding you back from your next adventure?
Want an epic rail journey that takes you to some of the world’s most remote regions? This 11-day adventure is for you. Experience riding a section of the Trans-Mongolian Railway as you make your way from China to Mongolia. Start with the bright lights of Beijing, then take a bullet train to Inner Mongolia. Then, it’s on to the vast steppes of Khustai National Park, the dunes of the Gobi Desert, the spiritual wonders of Sainshand and more. Spend time staying in a traditional ger campsite, join a family of camel herders for lunch and return home with truly unique travel stories to tell!
This trip was made extraordinary by two absolutely outstanding guides, one in Cambodia (Sokchea) one in Vietnam (Truong). Their knowledge, communication skills, good humour, organisational skills and sheer passion for what they do was incredible. We arranged additional tours with our guides, and being able to depend on them for taking care of every detail, from supporting with transport arrangements, recommending and taking us to great local restaurants and evening shows, sometimes joining us for fun, ensuring that our access to sites of interest was smooth and hassle-free, whilst providing a fascinating and insightful perspective on history, culture and lifestyle. In Vietnam, Truong is an incredible asset to Explore: he went above and beyond his remit every day to ensure that everyone in our group had the best, most enjoyable experience. This was priceless, his energy and enthusiasm, and superb social skills ensured that this was an unforgettable trip of a lifetime. We learned so much, and genuinely shared laughter, food and good company. This Explore trip, due to the local guides, and wonderful company of our small group, totally exceeded our expectations.
Having a small group of 5, meant that we were able to get to know each other along the way too, and shared a lot of fun. We hugely enjoyed our “Happy Team” and hope we’ve made some new friends too.
Hotels were mostly great, some more basic but overall good, clean standards. Some excelled, like Cat Ba Paradise Hotel; only one was quite disappointing and a bit frustrating in their really inefficient check-in processes, Trang Hotel in Bangkok, which wasn’t helpful after long-haul journey. Otherwise, good accommodation and friendly helpful staff along the way.
Explore have exceptional guides and exceptional itineraries. You really get to see and explore a country in a safe and sustainable way. With lots of smiles and memories to last a lifetime. We will definitely be travelling with Explore again!
