Wilderness Travel Profile [2024] - 10 reviews, 24 trips
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# of trips

24

Type

Global operator

Service level

luxury

Travelers age

5 — 65

Trip prices

$3,795 — 15,980

Tour languages

Unknown

Trips other travelers liked

See all 24 trips

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Wilderness Travel Reviews & Ratings

5/5  Excellent
10  Reviews
See all Wilderness Travel tour reviews
Excellent
10
Great
0
Average
0
Disappointing
0
Terrible
0
I

Indochine

Aug 2019

Outstanding Cultural Adventure

I have taken 13 trips with WT, most recently a marvelous adventure in Viet Nam and Cambodia. Always difficult to name a favorite since their trips offer such a great...

D

Daniel

Mar 2019

Some of the most memorable experiences I've had

We’ve taken nearly a dozen trips with this outfit and they are first rate. Some of the most memorable experiences I’ve had. Their guides are exceptional (except one!...

D

Donna

Feb 2019

Consistently Excellent

I love traveling with Wilderness Travel! My husband and I look forward to their catalog every year to see what new adventures they have cooked up and our bucket list...

A

Ashkan

Jan 2019

WT has an incredible staff

Inca Trail Trip: One of the top experiences of my life. WT has an incredible staff that is knowledgable, fun and accommodating. Everything is scheduled perfectly so ...

K

Kirstina

Jan 2019

trips were amazing!

Traveled to Botswana 2015 and Peru in 2018 with WT,...

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Editoral Review of Wilderness Travel

Wilderness Travel, based in Berkeley, California, has been in business since 1978 and takes travelers around the world. But don't let the name "Wilderness" mislead you. While you'll be able to take a strenuous trek in the Himalayas or Andes with the company's stable of experienced guides, you can also book an easy trip to Europe complete with stays at comfortable hotels and picnics served with wine. Even the Himalayan journeys come with "cozy" mountaineering tents and warm sleeping bags, and the African safari camps and lodgings are luxurious.

What Makes Wilderness Travel Stand Out?

  • Award-wnning tour operator
  • Small group sizes
  • Specially chosen tour guides
  • Exceptional customer service
A screenshot of a youtube video promoting Wilderness Travel

They’ve received countless awards for their outstanding itineraries, destinations, activities, accommodations, food, and value. Since they cap their small group tours at 16 max, you get to feel more connected with everyone. 

Their itineraries are also organized to make the most out of your limited time. Expect to beat the crowds and see more than other tour groups that have the same itinerary.

Tour guides are specially chosen people that have deep knowledge about the place. These people are charismatic, genuine, and passionate about what they have to share with you - all while providing first-class customer service! If having an exceptional tour guide that goes above and beyond is important to you, consider a trip with Wilderness Travel.

Who Will Enjoy Traveling With Wilderness Travel?

  • Moderately active travelers 
  • Ages 30-50 
  • High budget travelers

If you’re willing to spend the extra penny to experience the best of the best, then you’ll surely enjoy Wilderness Travel tours. Tours are at the luxury and premium level, which attracts a higher clientele of friendly, well-traveled, educated, and open-minded travelers.

man in a suit adjusting his tie

Wilderness Travel ranks its trips from one to seven in order of difficulty, so you have plenty of choice. If you want to take it slow and explore Kyoto’s majestic castles and teahouses, there’s a tour in Japan for that. Like a good challenge? Get your sweat on and hike the coast of Crete.

They cover a wide range of tour themes such as archaeology, culinary, hiking/trekking, journeying by rail, safari, river cruise, snorkeling, yacht cruising, and whale watching just to name a few. Whatever your interest may be, there’s a tour for it!

a yacht sailing in the ocean at sunset

Top Destinations

Wilderness Travel offers trips in seven continents and remote locations featured in their special expeditions, from tropical Papua New Guinea to Spitsbergen in the Arctic. Small ship cruising to exotic locations is a specialty, and WT will also put together family trips.

Experience classic destinations but with new routes and destinations along the way that put a spin on the experience. Sail through the Galapagos Islands on a yacht,  Some trips are also focused on taking you off the beaten path.

Wilderness Travel’s Travel Style

Wilderness Travel believes in bringing you the very best that every destination has to offer. Their lavish and luxurious travel style brings you experiences that are beyond your wildest imagination. They’re all about HOW you travel, so you’ll want to pull out your camera just to take a snap of the bedroom decor. Imagine drifting asleep to the sounds of the African night in a safari camping tent or staying overnight in a Japanese mountaintop temple.  

champagne glasses overlooking the sea

From the minute you book, you’re assigned an Area Specialist that’s there to guide you through every bit of planning and preparing. They’ll help you with every trip detail from travel visas to what you should wear. Also it’s best to reserve tours well in advanced since space is limited.

Their activity level system ranks the trips according to the activity and general travel rigors. A plus sign (+) also indicates the trip is a bit more strenuous than other trips of the same level. It’s important to check the itinerary details for the more specific activities, altitudes, hiking, and travel conditions.

1 - Easiest: Non camping journeys, optional walks, minimal elevation changes.

2 - Easy to Moderate: Hotels and/or safari camping, hikes on some days, optional sea kayaking.

3 - Moderate: Half to full day hikes (3-6 hours) in the countryside, occasional steep trails. Hotel-based walking tours and snorkeling adventures are usually in this category.

4 - Moderate to strenuous: Full day hikes (4-6 hours) on mountainous terrains, significant elevation gains and losses (as much as 3,000 feet) on many hikes.

5 - Strenuous: Full day hikes (4-8 hours), mountainous, very steep, with altitudes of 10,000-12,000 ft.

6 - Very Strenuous: Full day hikes (5-8 hours), just as mountainous and steep as level 5, with altitudes as high as 18,000 ft.

7 - Most Strenuous: Full day hikes in mountainous terrain, camping, and hiking at extreme altitudes.

Why Choose a Tour With Wilderness Travel?

Wilderness Travel tours is all about creating unrivaled experiences in destinations all around the world. They’ve continued to be an award-winning tour company as a result of their top-notch travel guides and well thought out itineraries. Even if you don’t enjoy group tours, this is the tour operator that’ll change your mind. With such a wide array of activities and destinations, they’re ready to tick off all your travel bucket list items.

At the same time, their travel style makes for experiences that more refined than authentic. If you prefer to travel without the added comforts and luxuries, and celebrating with champagne at the end of an African safari isn’t your style, you might want to consider looking elsewhere.

Wilderness Travel is also committed to the highest standards of sustainable travel. They gives back to the communities around the world, making sure that your travel dollars go into the local economy. They support numerous cultural and conservation organizations - some that were started by Wilderness Travel trip leaders.

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About the company

For more than 30 years, people have entrusted their travel dreams to us. Our adventures span every corner of the globe, and the quality of our itinerary design and leadership has earned us one of the highest rates of repeat travelers in the business. Our core philosophy is elegantly simple: it’s not just where you travel, but how you travel that sets our trips apart. The magic of the how at Wilderness Travel comes from our expert Trip Leaders —the undisputed best in the business, a meticulously planned and artfully executed itinerary, and the camaraderie and just plain fun of traveling with a small group of like-minded people. The where is up to you—read on for more about our amazing destinations!

At Wilderness Travel, we firmly believe that responsible tourism can be an extraordinary tool to connect people across borders and cultures. Our commitment to ecologically responsible, low-impact tourism goes back to the beginnings of the company, and we actively support a variety of conservation and cultural groups, and are founding members and active supporters of a number of organizations dedicated to responsible travel.

Everywhere we travel we bring our own special Wilderness Travel style along. In Europe, we stay at charming small hotels where we are welcomed as family, and enjoy elegant picnics of delightful local specialties and fine wines. In Africa, our safari camps are downright luxurious and our exclusive lodges are located with exceptional access to wildlife. Our Himalayan and Andean treks feature our celebrated full-service camping amenities: you’ll sleep comfortably at night in warm sleeping bags in cozy mountaineering tents, dine on wonderful and varied camp meals, and wake up each day to a cup of hot coffee or tea brought right to your tent!

A great trip is made up of fine hotels, glorious hikes, superb cuisine, and most importantly, a Trip Leader whose passion and knowledge brings it all together. We’re particular about who leads our trips because your experience depends so much on their skills. Our leaders come from all over the world, and from all walks of life—our roster includes naturalists, authors, teachers, archaeologists, art historians, and mountaineers. Their backgrounds are diverse, but they all share a passion for guiding, a thorough knowledge of the destinations they work in, and a real joy in introducing you to their favorite places, people, and behind-the-scenes spots you would never find on your own.

Wilderness Travel Trips & Specials

See all 8 trips

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