Europe - More To It Than You'd Think

The classic silhouette of The Matterhorn

Europe - been there, done that. (Are you sure…?)

A trip within Europe may not be everyone's idea of an adventure holiday; yet... how much of the Old Continent have we actually seen and experienced? - A trek through sulphuric lava fields, up and over one of the most temperamental volcanoes on the planet? (That's right: Etna, with its fireworks). Treading the millennial tracks of the Santiago de Compostela pilgrims? A strenuous trek through the wild heart of Corsica or the Picos de Europa? Observing the natural treasures of the Danube Delta? Or the cultural treasures of ancient Macedonia?

And as Europe grows and gently opens up, there are a myriad of other sites, species and landscapes for us to experience. There's a lot to be said for good neighbours…

Please view all our tours in Europe.

Where are the Rodopis anyway?

Trekking across the snow

Stunning views across the mountains

Europe's a big place, and being experts in adventure travel, Explore has both the knowledge and experience to show you many of the hidden corners of this surprisingly diverse continent of ours. Places that provide new and varied travel experiences. Places like the Rodopi Mountains of southern Bulgaria, right on the Greek border; and south-east Slovenia (on two-wheels as it happens), still immersed in a timeless, rural way of life.

It's all trekking, isn't it?

St.Basil's Cathedral, Moscow by Romilly Turl

St.Basil's Cathedral, Moscow

No, there's much more variety than that. It's true that Explore, as an expert in active holidays, is a specialist in this area too and does have a wide variety of trekking and walking tours in a whole spectrum of destinations, from Andalucia and Madeira to Iceland and the Alps. And Slovakia. And Scandinavia... But there's much more to Europe than just walking! Why not…


And much more! Explore's European holidays comes in many different forms and there is something for everyone from 8 (actually, 5) to 80 (as a matter of fact, there's no upper age limit on most trips) - look out for our Cycling Tours and Family Adventures: variety is, after all, the spice of life!

I'd like to go trekking, but I'm not fit enough…

View of Sienna by John Carr

View of Sienna by John Carr

Nonsense! You don't have to be a mountaineer to experience Europe on foot with Explore - indeed, many of our staff travel on our trips every year, and not everyone here is a flamboyant Reinhold Messner.


A massive choice of walking and trekking trips awaits even the most casual walker - from easy, centre-based rambles where you can unpack for a full week (as with our trip to North Cyprus), to full-on hikes where you are on the go every day. Most of our European walking trips are somewhere in between - on foot for a couple of days or so, up to around a week - exploring both lesser-known areas of this fantastic continent of ours, such as the Garfagnana area of northern Tuscany; and more familiar regions, like the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland.

The classic walks

On the Tour du Mont Blanc

On the Tour du Mont Blanc

On top of our more off-beat walking trips, we also offer all the 'European Classics' that you would expect from Europe's top adventure travel company. Walk in the footsteps of pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago; trek in the Picos de Europa; or explore the timeless Alpuharras of southern Spain. Two of our most popular walking tours are in Madeira - following the levada trails - and in Mallorca, where we trek through the rugged Tramuntana mountains, including a 2-night stay at Lluc Monastery. In the Alps we take in the highlights of the spectacular Mont Blanc Trek and in Southern Poland, the Tatras Mountains offer some of the best (and cheapest) walking in Europe.

It's fun up North!

Siberian huskies

Siberian huskies

Here in the UK, any snow we do get just tends to be grey and sludgy at best, and 'wrong type of flakes on the line' at worst. But it isn't like that everywhere! From Iceland to Finland and from Sweden to Norway - a whole range of exciting winter activities await those who want to give something new a try. Have you ever wondered what it's like speeding across the snow with a team of dogs on a husky safari? Well, we can tell you - it's an amazing experience. With Explore you can also try snowmobiling, reindeer sledding, snowshoeing and spend a night at the famous Ice Hotel.

Europe has it all

So, as you see, there's no need to fly long-haul to get away from it all. A few clicks from here and you have what is one of the - if not the - widest choice of active holidays in Europe. No wonder so many people choose to travel with Explore to Europe!