Welcome to Travel The Unknown

Award winning Small Group Adventure Tours


In 20018 Travel Travel The Unknown won GOLD in the British Travel Awards for the Best Escorted Adventure Holiday Company! The British Travel Awards register public opinion and reward companies that are considered by customers to be the best in their industry, and is widely regarded as the Oscars of the travel industry. Furthermore we have been nominated in the same category for 2019.

We are proud to have won this prestigious award and will continue to work hard to be the best in the industry.

£100 Off

Terms and conditions apply*. Bookings in USD will receive $130 off the price of their tour.

 

Why should I choose Travel The Unknown? 

Travel The Unknown was founded in 2007 to offer exciting small group and tailormade tours to destinations less readily available from mainstream tour operators. Our focus is on unique cultural experiences and gaining a deeper understanding of the people and their daily lives as well as the cultural, historical and political environment in which they live. Here is a summary of what makes our trips special:

- Small group tours (maximum of 10 people)
- Extensive range of tailormade tour options
- Intimate personal knowledge of destinations
- Passionate guides with local knowledge & expertise
- Personalised service and excellent customer satisfaction
- Best Small Adventure Tour Operator at the British Travel Awards

Background: who are we?

We were both bitten by the travel bug back in 1996 whilst we were based in Germany as exchange students. Since then, we have travelled to well over a hundred countries, being particularly drawn to remote places where local customs and cultures had not been impacted by tourism. Due to the difficulty with arranging logistics and, in some cases, permits, it was clear that the majority of tour operators stayed away from such remote destinations. Hence Travel The Unknown was born - with the aim of helping you to discover these unspoilt hideaways in some of the most off the beaten track locations on Earth.

We are aware of the environmental downside of larger tour groups. For this reason we consciously keep our ecological and cultural footprint as small as possible. By operating in smaller groups, we can deliver the benefits of tourism without the negative aspects of mass tourism. We make use of locally owned accommodation, eateries and vehicles as well as supporting local community projects; this way locals will always benefit directly from our tours. As a team, we have personally crafted each one of our tours, and take great pride in ensuring that our strict standards are adhered to. By sourcing the most professional and friendly guides available, with strong local knowledge, you are sure to have the trip to remember. So come with us, and take the road less travelled!

David McGuinness & Rahul Aggarwal
Founders & Directors

What We're Working On
 

Measure
We are currently undertaking an analysis of our most popular group tours in which we’re taking stock of every type of transport, accommodation, business, wildlife interaction, and other elements involved so that we can gain a new perspective of our operations to start making changes toward the more responsible. This work is actively expanding our knowledge so that we can more easily implement sustainable options for tailormade trips. 

Collaborate
With intentional sustainability comes intentional connections, and we’re working to create new partnerships that will make our trips better and find projects that will widen our positive impact in the communities and environments we visit. We are also hoping to increase mutual learning and teaching with our destination partners through remote workshops so that both sides can better understand the challenges, strengths, and opportunities at the destination, industry, and client level.  

Closer to Home
Since 2020, our team has moved to a fully remote set-up in which the costs of running an office and getting there and back are negated. We also hope to introduce paid staff volunteer days to grow our own connection to our local communities and how they also need to be supported.

Understand Our Impact
We are now putting together an action plan for how we will begin creating our first official impact report on the places we visit as well as our relationships with our local partners. This means that you, our readers and travellers, will be given a more transparent look into how we are addressing the climate crisis and how we are impacting the destinations we visit. 
 
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