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Trips at a Glance
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Aurora Alaska
Indigenous Alaskans believe the northern lights are “children playing, yet to be born”. We think they’re one of the most beautiful sights that nature bestows upon us. For that reason we’ve chosen to travel to Alaska at the best time to view the aurora. This also assures us of the unmatched beauty of vistas covered with snow. Wildlife abounds – in the waters of Prince William Sound, around Anchorage and on the magical train journey through Denali National Park to Fairbanks. You'll need to bundle up for our dog sled ride. Learning to "mush" your own team is an option. Soaking in natural hot springs surrounded in snow is an unimaginable luxury. Alaska is majestic, serene, breathtaking and wild – see it at its best!
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New Zealand
New Zealand is even more beautiful than you can imagine, boasting a wide variety of extraordinary scenery. Throw in the friendliest, most welcoming people you could ever meet plus great activities and you have the trip of a lifetime. Highlights include walking on a glacier that tumbles into a rain forest, sea-kayaking turquoise waters to golden sand beaches, sailing in the Bay of Islands and jet boating in the Southern Alps. However nothing is more memorable than our stay on the Maori tribal homeland. We are greeted with ceremony and warmth, treated with generosity and kindness and we leave as family. New Zealanders will open their homes and their hearts to you. A trip to “Godzone” is the most special of experiences.
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Sedona Sojourn
Often described as the most beautiful town in America, Sedona is also a wonderful place to play. Cheryl will lead this trip - after 16 years in Sedona, she knows all the best places. With the outdoors right at our doorstep, we’ll hike the trails affording the most spectacular views at the most advantageous time of day. Our week will include a collection of easy and moderate hikes and a massage to pamper any overworked muscles. We’ll visit Sedona’s vortexes and learn an appreciation of what they’re all about. Our jeep trip across the red rocks is great fun – you won’t believe how they climb. The Indian ruins we explore are well preserved and provide us with a fascinating peek into an ancient culture. There aren’t many small towns that have such a vast collection of good restaurants and we’ll take full advantage! While still an active trip, this is more relaxed and a little shorter than most Canyon Calling schedules – there’s even time for shopping!
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The Hawaiian Islands are an adventurer’s dream – rugged canyons, towering waterfalls, lush rain forests, blue lagoons and oozing volcanoes. Explore the beautiful islands of Kauai and Hawaii and see shades of green you never dreamed of! On Kauai, kayak to waterfalls, snorkel with sea turtles, hike the famous Na Pali coastline and drive to amazing overlooks on the dry side of the island at Waimea Canyon. Trip price includes our flight to The Big Island. We'll sea kayak in Kaalakekua Bay, hopefully accompanied by resident dolphins. Hike the Kilauea Iki crater, still steaming 40 years after it’s last eruption. Say "Aloha" and treat your-self to a fun-filled week in Paradise.
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Canyons are calling you to Arizona on this premier trip which launched Canyon Calling Tours. Who can pick a highlight when each day is a new and wonderful surprise? Canyon de Chelly is enchanting and you’ll feel the connection between this sacred land and our Navajo storyteller. Boating on Lake Powell to striking Rainbow Bridge leaves one awestruck at the stark beauty. It’s a great night’s camp under star-filled skies sharing stories around the fire. The Grand Canyon is much bigger and more breathtaking than we anticipate. After a challenging hike we find ourselves in a lush oasis at Havasu marveling at the travertine pools and turquoise waterfalls. The stillness and magic of this special corner of the world will touch your soul.
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Peru is almost as large as Alaska and is divided into three distinct geographical zones: the desert to the west, the altiplano (high planes) of the Andes, and the jungle, accounting for 2/3 of Peru. You rely on us to choose the gems when designing a trip and that is why we’ve chosen the Andean region. The Quechuan (pronounce ketchewan) people, the land and the culture here have remained intricately entwined despite 500 years of plundering by the Spanish. Marisol, our adventure guide, is deeply proud of her Inca heritage and her knowledge makes the complex stone formations come alive. She’s an experienced trail guide and knows how to help if anyone suffers from the effects of altitude. Our trip is especially designed to help us acclimate gradually to the high elevations. We ride the Peruvian paso horses, raft the Urabamba, sea kayak on Lake Titicaca and some will even mountain bike down into the Sacred Valley. The highlight for most all of us will be our one-day hike on the Inca Trail bringing us in through the Sun Gate for the first breathtaking view of Machupicchu. Soak in hot springs under the Southern Cross, shop for brightly colored handicrafts, and photograph volcanoes, llamas, trapezoid doorways and ancient terraces. You’ll be fascinated by the people of Uros living on islands, in houses and on boats all made of reeds. Andean Peru is the quintessential travel experience – exotic and unusual yet safe and responsive to traveler’s needs. A Latin American success story, Peru’s economy is vibrant and their democracy stable. If you have extra time, our inbound operator can organize unescorted post-tour travel for you to the Amazon and to the Nasca Lines in the desert.
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Alaska - the Final Frontier, and the ultimate multi-activity adventure destination!! Everything here is grand – from the 5000 glaciers to having seventeen of the twenty highest peaks in North America. The good news is that finding wilderness is easy and we’ve chosen the best adventures to enjoy the solitude and the magic of the wild. We’ll hike a glacier, whitewater raft, horse ride, hike to see salmon spawning, ride the Alaskan Railroad, photograph wildlife, sea kayak a secluded bay, and canoe through icebergs at the foot of a glacier. We’ll also explore remote towns with rich histories like Talkeetna, Seward and Homer. You’ll see grizzlies, moose, caribou, Dall sheep, otters and more bald eagles than you can imagine. There is no trip where it is more important to have a local in charge and our Alaskan guides do a superb job of keeping us safe and well informed. Our trip encompasses the jewels of Alaska - Denali National Park and the Kenai Peninsula. Our nine days are full on and you’ll leave Alaska knowing you’ve seen the best of the best..
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The canyon lands of southern Utah are one of the most beautiful regions in America. No wonder it boasts five Nationals Parks! While hiking, horse riding and rafting, we visit them all. This trip is a feast for the eyes - from the vistas of Zion, the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon to the incomparable Delicate Arch. There is no place more beautiful than a Utah canyon ten minutes before sunset. This is especially evident at our one night’s camp on Lake Powell. Come and unwind from all that is challenging in life in the peacefulness of the glorious southwest.
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Our week in the Alps is a dream-come-true for those with a taste for amazing scenery and cool mountain air in June. Wander the beautiful medieval towns of Bern and Lucerne. Visit Interlaken, explore a castle and stay in Lauterbrunnen, the prettiest valley in the Alps. We'll hike to an overnight stay in an alpine hut watching the sun set on the Eiger, the Monch and the Jungfrau. White water raft exhilarating rapids, horse ride through meadows, hike beside a glacier and toboggan down mountains. Marvel at Swiss engineering as cog railways and cable cars haul us up steep inclines while we watch waterfalls tumble down from snow capped peaks. Cuckoo birds, cow bells and the odd train are the only sounds in the Alps. Who knew an adventure vacation could be so peaceful?
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Fire and Iceland
Iceland is home to some of the most dramatic geography in the world – volcanoes, glaciers, geysers, bubbling mud pools, fjords, waterfalls, glacial rivers and hot springs. Canyon Calling takes you on an amazing trip clockwise around this stunning island to experience it all! Hike with crampons across one of the five glaciers, white-water raft grade 3 rapids, whale-watch at one of the best viewing locations in the world, cruise beside icebergs in a glacial lagoon, take a hayride to see puffins, ride the gentle Icelandic ponies and soak in the famous Blue Lagoon. We’ll stay on holiday farms and meet the proud locals, learn of their sagas and how they’ve adapted to this harsh land. Lava fields and lakes, mountains and moonscapes, volcanoes erupting beneath glaciers – join us in this unforgettable land of fire and ice!
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Canadian Rockies
The grandeur of the Canadian Rockies stuns even the well traveled, which is why we offter two trips each year. Against this majestic backdrop of soaring snowcapped peaks, we engage in a wonderful variety of fun-filled activities including hiking, canoeing, walking a glacier, white water rafting and soaking in hot pools. Scattered like gems among these glorious mountains are soft turquoise lakes which have spilled down from the hundreds of glaciers, looking almost surreal. Bears, eagles, elk, mountain goats and big horn sheep call this patch of heaven home. It is our good fortune to be able to share it with them for this one glorious week. Enjoy the friendly Canadians and discover why their Rockies truly are a World Heritage Site.
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Desert Mountain Escape
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Tetons - Yellowstone
We’re wild about Wyoming! The spirit of the west is alive and well in Jackson, our base for this adventure. Hiking in the Tetons rewards us with inspirational views and maybe a moose or two. We'll likely see bald eagles while kayaking on Jackson Lake. Yellowstone’s wonderful waterfalls and the spectacular golden canyon are a trip highlight. Our horse ride outside Jackson is a wonderful western experience. See all the best geysers and boiling pools while biking around Yellowstone. We are poignantly reminded of the past while watching the gentle buffalo graze. Relax on an morning float trip, breakfast riverside and white water raft the Snake River gorge. These mountains and thermal areas are surely the jewels of the Nation Park system.
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Best of the West
Arizona and Utah are home to over a dozen National Parks and in ten wonderful days, we'll be adventuring in six of them. Toss in Lake Powell (a National Recreation Area) and two Native American reservations (Hopi and Navajo) and we have quite a trip planned for you! We'll hike, boat, jeep, horse-ride, raft, and kayak. There'll be plenty of swimming at all our favorite places. Our two nights camping are surprisingly luxurious and allow us to soak up the stars and the quiet inside Canyon de Chelly and on Lake Powell. Soaking in hot springs, sitting under Delicate Arch at sunrise, sloshing up the Narrows, horse-riding through hoodoos, seeing Rainbow Bridge, feeling the wonder of pictographs - picking your highlight is the hardest part of the trip! Come join us for orange sunsets on canyon walls and a for a peace only the desert offers which has to be felt to be understood.
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Australia - See It All
October is the best time to experience the essence of Australia - the Outback, Sydney and the Tropical North. Australia is HUGE, impossible to see in two weeks without flying and four internal flights are included in the trip price. We’ll hike the Blue Mountains with an Aborigine woman who’ll show us rock carvings and teach the culture of her ancestors. Snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef is outstanding and there is an option for an introductory dive. We may see dolphins while sea kayaking, and the rapids on the Tully guarantee great rafting. Hiking around Uluru and holding a koala will touch your heart. Serenity is hiking in the Outback canyons where the Southern Cross hangs low in the night sky. In Alice we’ll learn the importance of the Flying Doctors and Schools of the Air and even have a didgeridoo lesson. Our horse ride in Queensland is a great combination of beach and rainforest. We'll explore Sydney, often called the “best address in the world.” Whether you’re swimming at the beautiful beaches or watching colorful birds fly by, you’ll feel the spirit of Australia, wonderfully alive.
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Costa Rican Explorer
This peaceful nation is blessed with gorgeous beaches, volcanic mountains and dense, tropical forests supporting a bird and animal kingdom more varied than any country on earth. We’ll see monkeys, crocodiles, orchids, butterflies, turtles, toucans, iguanas and scarlet macaws. The wide range of habitats makes Costa Rica a perfect destination for adventure travelers. We’ll raft exciting white water on a pristine river, horse ride through rain forest, swim in waterfalls, zipline through the treetops, canoe jungle canals, bike around Lake Arenal, soak in hot pools and maybe even see lava flowing from Arenal volcano. Staying in quaint family-owned haciendas and rain forest lodges we’ll meet the conservation-conscious locals who delight in sharing their friendly country with us.
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Magic Morocco
The Moroccan King describes his country as a tree having its roots in Africa and it’s branches in Europe. To the well traveled, Morocco feels like a Middle Eastern country with labyrinths of souqs selling fine handicrafts and spices, and people wearing the long hooded jellaba. It’s a land of contrasts in so many ways – from the snow dusted High Atlas to the hot sands of the hauntingly beautiful Sahara; from the call of the Imam to young women wearing western clothes. Morocco is a cultural crossroads with a strong and ancient tradition of caring for travelers – seldom have we felt so safe in the world, nor drunk as much mint tea! We’ll hike in the Atlas and bring school supplies and clothing to the Berber village hosting us. We’ll raft in the interior and enjoy the scenery so few experience. Nothing will prepare you for the impact that the Sahara has on your soul and sleeping under the stars at a Bedouin camp is unforgettable. Best of all, we’ll connect with the women of Morocco by learning to cook a traditional meal in a home and experiencing hammams (spas). Travel is seldom as enchanting as our ten day trip to Morocco.
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Go Greece
Our adventure trip captures all that is Greece: islands and mainland, village and city, ancient and modern plus time for adventure and rest. Dine in tavernas on cuisine considered the healthiest on the planet. Island-hop through the Cyclades to the caldera of Santorini and the windmills of Mykonos. Horse ride on Santorini and hike through tiny villages and see dovecotes on the island of Tinos. Roam the great sites of Athens’ and view all from the splendid Acropolis. Explore the cliff-top monasteries of Meteora and visit the ancient site of the Delphic Oracle. Greek guides will share their classical history. Memories of marble columns, roadside poppies, goats bleating, tiny churches, blue skies, white cubic homes and idyllic Mediterranean beaches will be yours to treasure forever.
Learn more about Go Greece ... |
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Mainly Maine
Experience all that is Maine - from craggy coastal scenery and lonely lighthouses to quaint fishing villages. White water rafting on the Kennebec River will take your breath away. While inland, learn to fly-fish on a gentle stream. Sea kayak around the Porcupine Islands off Bar Harbor in Arcadia National Park. Relax in the beautiful town of Camden and hike a broadleaf forest to wonderful island views from Mt Battie. Sail off on a schooner exploring the coast and experience an overnight stay onboard in a sheltered harbor. What adventurer can resist a stop at Maine’s own L.L. Bean store? After a week in Maine you’ll understand why Maine is a national treasure.
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