G Adventures is on a mission to make 2026 the happiest travel year yet — check out Travel Your Heart Out. We’ve curated 9 new travel experiences based on where travellers say they feel happiest and what motivates them to travel, and these trips are guaranteed to leave you with a smile on your face, a feeling of community, and a renewed sense of wonder.
Go offline in Panama
Who doesn’t love some chill-out time on a beach? In Panama — sandwiched between Central America and South America, the Pacific and the Caribbean — you can combine a cosmopolitan capital with an off-grid tropical island for the perfect break.
Over the six-day Panama: Sandy Beaches and San Blas Sunsets tour for 18-to-Thirtysomethings, you’ll discover there are more things to do in Panama than seeing a world-famous waterway. Explore Panama City’s charming Casco Viejo (dubbed mini Havana), enjoy contemporary Panamanian cuisine, and sip cocktails on rooftop bars. There’s world-class coffee for the morning after.
Next, indulge your inner Robinson Crusoe on the San Blas Islands off Panama’s Caribbean coast — all swaying palms, icing-sugar soft sand, and turquoise water. This string of pint-sized islands is home to the Indigenous Guna people, who are your hosts. It’s an opportunity to disconnect from your devices and reconnect to life’s simple pleasures: swinging in a hammock strung between two palm trees, snorkelling with rainbow-coloured fish, and stargazing without light pollution.
Experience it for yourself on: Panama: Sandy Beaches and San Blas Sunsets
Delve deeper into the Stans
Tucked between Russia, China, and India, the five Stans are starting to pop up on travellers’ radars. Independent and distinct, they share a common history: nomadic tribes; the storied Silk Road with its wealth of architectural wonders that traces the footsteps of merchants, pilgrims, and poets; and a more recent Soviet past. The striking landscapes are as diverse as its people, from snow-dusted mountains to treeless steppe and desert.
The new 23-day Journeys: Echoes of the Silk Road is part of the National Geographic Journeys with G Adventures collection. Uncover the region’s rich heritage on a journey through Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, and discover the cultural and spiritual diversity that has shaped these crossroads of civilization.
From the sacred sites of the ancient cities of Khiva, Samarkand, and Bukhara and marvelling at natural wonders such as the red rock cliffs of Charyn Canyon and Kaindy Lake’s sunken forest to learning to build a yurt and make manti (savoury dumplings), this trip is your window into one of the most captivating corners of the world.
Experience it for yourself on: Journeys: Echoes of the Silk Road
Discovering Moldova’s menu
Tucked between Romania and Ukraine, diminutive Moldova draws a fraction of the tourists that flock to other countries in Europe. But what this landlocked gem lacks in size, it more than makes up for in the natural beauty of its rolling hills, sun-drenched plains, and picturesque villages, where time seems to have stood still. Its multicultural menu and ancient tradition of winemaking — one of Europe’s best-kept secrets — is key to Moldovan identity.
If you love to experience a country through its cuisine, then the seven-day Moldova Discovery tour is the G Adventures trip for you. Explore the capital, Chișinău, with buzzy markets and late-night bars; sample world-class wine in Cricova’s underground cellars; visit a sustainable cheese factory; learn to rustle up traditional dishes; and enjoy a full cultural immersion in Gagauzia. In Moldova, every dish tells a story, and good food and wine unite us all.
Experience it for yourself on: Moldova Discovery
Arctic Ocean adventures
There’s remote, and then there’s the Arctic. It’s the land of the midnight sun and the Northern Lights, which streak the sky with green, red, pink, and purple in one of nature’s most stunning spectacles. It’s a vast expanse of ice and snow, where unique wildlife and isolated communities live in harmony with nature.
Spend time exploring the Arctic waters on board the new, adventure-ready G Expedition ship. Holding just 128 passengers in 70 ensuite cabins, it means more time on land, more wildlife sightings, and way more unforgettable moments.
On the 11-day Realm of the Polar Bear in Depth tour, you sail into Norway’s fjords and sheltered bays to get up close to icebergs and glaciers. Spot the resident wildlife — powerful polar bears, lounging seals, grazing reindeer, and colonies of seabirds — from the ship, a kayak, on a thrilling Zodiac ride, and on foot.
Experience it for yourself on: Realm of the Polar Bear in Depth
Go local in Iceland
It may not take up much space on the map, but Iceland has a big personality, with otherworldly landscapes forged by centuries of tectonic shifts and volcanic energy. It’s the great outdoors that draws travellers, from sky-scraping volcanoes and shifting glaciers with their symphony of sounds to emerald-coloured fjords and dazzlingly blue geothermal pools.
The new Local Living™ tours allow you to slow down, stay longer in fewer places, bypass the tourist hot spots, and experience the country’s culture like a local. Overnight in homestays or small guesthouses, dine in local restaurants, and reduce your carbon footprint by using public transport.
In Iceland, that means staying in the remote village of Bakkagerði. Over six days, you’ll discover the wild landscape — hiking coastal trails, chilling in steaming pools, and meeting the quirky wildlife. Get hands-on by cooking in a family kitchen and learning about legends and traditions from the people who call this incredible place home. This trip isn’t about ticking off sights — it’s about connection: to the land, to the locals, and to a simpler way of life.
Experience it for yourself on: Local Living Iceland— Bakkagerði
Reconnect in Ecuador
Compact Ecuador packs in an incredible amount of diversity beyond the flora and fauna of the famed Galapágos archipelago. North of its beautifully restored capital, Quito, lies a wildlife-filled cloud forest flanked by the evergreen slopes of the Andes. Head south and the snow-capped Avenue of the Volcanoes is perfect for hiking, cycling, and horse riding. The raw beauty of the Amazon jungle shouldn’t be missed.
A family vacation is the perfect way to bond, and the nine-day National Geographic Ecuador Family Journey is sure to make magical memories for every generation. From chocolate tasting and interactive exhibitions in colonial Quito to spotting playful monkeys, magnificent macaws, and slumbering sloths on jungle walks, you’ll learn about Ecuador’s nature, history, and Indigenous traditions. This tour offers just the right mix of activities to keep everyone happy, from grandparents to grandkids, deepening your connection to the world and one another.
Experience it for yourself on: Ecuador Family Journey: Volcanoes and The Amazon
Southern Africa untamed
Southern Africa boasts some of the last truly wild places on the planet, and there are few things more thrilling than witnessing Africa’s most iconic wildlife in their natural habitats, from a pride of lions stalking their prey to a herd of elephants playing at a watering hole and a troop of boisterous baboons using the treetops like a jungle gym.
The Geluxe Southern Africa: Kruger, Victoria Falls & Zimbabwe National Parks tour covers four countries in 17 days, with the perfect mix of indulgence and adventure. From the roar of lions on the savanna at sunrise to the roar of Victoria Falls, you’ll support conservation efforts and track wildlife with top-notch guides in Zimbabwe, Botswana, and South Africa.
Cruise along the Chobe River for close encounters with hippos, discover what it takes to become a safari guide, and sleep surrounded by the sounds of the bush. End in style with a cycling tour of the vineyards around Stellenbosch and drink in the views from Cape Town’s iconic Table Mountain. It’s Southern Africa at its finest.
Experience it on: Southern Africa: Kruger, Victoria Falls & Zimbabwe National Parks
Serene sailing around Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is a jewel-like island in the Indian Ocean. It may be small, but it certainly packs a punch, with ornate Buddhist temples and rock fortresses looming over lush rainforests, elusive leopards and endangered elephants roaming through national parks, and lofty tea plantations with undulating rows of emerald-green bushes stretching to the horizon.
On the Sailing Sri Lanka – South Coast tour, explore the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean” from the water, stopping at deserted beaches, wildlife-rich wetlands, and historic Galle, the postcard-worthy former capital. There is plenty of time for blue whales — the biggest animal on Earth — and dolphin spotting, paddleboarding, or just lounging on the deck of the 16m (53 ft) catamaran, taking in the spectacular sunsets and star-filled skies. After dark, be lulled to sleep by the gentle sway of the waves; it doesn’t get more relaxing than this.
Experience it for yourself on: Sailing Sri Lanka – South Coast
Going solo(ish) in Guatemala
With its still-smoking volcanoes, gin-clear lakes, tropical rainforests, jungle-wrapped ruins, and a rich Indigenous culture, Guatemala is one of the most stunning countries in Central America with tons of things to do. A feast for all the senses, it’s at the heart of the mundo Maya, a living culture maintaining age-old traditions with an ancient language, vibrant textiles, and magical festivals.
G Adventures’ Solo-ish trips balance connection and independence on a journey that offers companionship as well as celebrating the joy of self-discovery. Over nine days in Guatemala, hike along jungle trails to the mystical mist-wreathed ruins of Tikal, drop in on Maya villages and colourful traditional markets, wander the cobbled colonial streets of postcard-perfect Antigua, and learn to create delicious Guatemalan dishes, such as pepián (meat and vegetable stew), all with like-minded adventurers.
Experience it for yourself on: Solo-ish Guatemala
