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

The Eiger and the Jungfraujoch station
March 24, 2016

Hiking the Eiger Trail

It's said that long ago in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland, there were two monasteries at the top of the world. One, on a peak called the Jungfrau (the virgin), is where the women would stay. The other, called the Eiger (the ogre), housed the men. In the middle stood the most formidable o…

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Holland Belgium
March 11, 2016

Netherlands & Belgium Bike Tour Video

This captivating region offers much more than canals and windmills... not that you won't see plenty of both as you bike flat, quiet roads through landscapes straight out of masterpieces by Cuyp or van Ruisdael. After riding in the Netherlands and Belgium for more than 20 years, we know both countrie…

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Santa Barbara Courthouse
March 9, 2016

Eight Local Secrets of Santa Barbara

I grew up smack-dab in between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara… That gorgeous drive up the 101 freeway never gets old—thousands of acres of California's farms ultimately give way to majestic mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Between the years of family trips to Santa Barbara and the years of driving th…

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Czech Republic, Austria
March 9, 2016

Czech Republic & Austria Bike Tour Video

The routes and scenery on our Czech Republic and Austria bike tour are magnificent, but what truly sets this Backroads trip apart are our local connections. At the farm of Dagmar Havlova, enjoy a private farm-to-table dinner that's more authentic than any on the tourist track. Dive into the country'…

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The Narrows
March 8, 2016

Bryce, Zion & Grand Canyon Family Multi-Adventure Tour Video

When everyone's together, there's lots going on! That's why our Family Adventures in Bryce, Zion and Grand Canyon have three Trip Leaders--including a dedicated Kids Activity Expert who regularly takes younger travelers off to do their own thing. So, while kids are exploring the Grand Canyon's rim b…

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Professional downhill mountain biker Finn Iles
February 26, 2016

Finn Iles: Steps to the Top

Recently, professional downhill mountain biker Finn Iles visited our Backroads office and wowed us all as we watched a short film highlighting his incredible talent. In 2015 at the age of 15, Finn was the youngest downhill mountain bike athlete to join a World Cup professional race team.

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Canadian Rockies Glacier Hiking
February 12, 2016

Canadian Rockies Multi-Adventure Tour Video

After exploring the Canadian Rockies for more than three decades, many of us now live among them. Backroads Regional Manager Alison Iles, who raised her kids in Banff, not only designed many of our Rockies trips but has also served on park development committees and chaired both the Interpretive Gui…

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Danube River Biking Cruise
January 12, 2016

Danube River Cruise Bike Tour Video

Backroads pioneered the active river trip, partnering with AmaWaterways, the leader in river cruising, to create a new kind of travel experience featuring biking and walking explorations from an elegant floating hotel. Our Danube River Cruise Bike Tour takes you through the heart of this culturally…

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Dalmatian Coast Croatia, Jumping off boat
December 30, 2015

Dalmatian Coast Family Multi-Adventure Tour Video

On our Dalmatian Coast Family Multisport Tour, you're are invited to walk the plank! After a day of biking by the sparkling waters of the Adriatic, at some point you and your family will likely want to plunge in. We recommend waiting until you're back on board our private trabakul, the double-masted…

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California Wine Country Biking
December 7, 2015

California Wine Country Bike Tour Video

Drawing on more than 37 years of experience riding in our own backyard, we've created a range of Wine Country itineraries, all designed to ensure you fully enjoy your time here. This California Wine Country Bike Tour, created by an expert who's lived in the area for years, avoids most of the traffic…

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