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Thirteen tips on how to book amazing outdoor adventures for your vacation

Via Ferrata in the Costa Brava from Barcelona

To help you make your dreams come true, outdoor adventure traveler and award-winning photographer Michal Tyl and his team at OutdoorVisit.com, a specialized website for booking quality outdoor adventures, put together their advice on how to find, book and fully enjoy an outdoor experience of a lifetime.

Experiencing an exciting outdoor adventure, like diving with whales, climbing a Via ferrata, meeting wild penguins or hiking high in the Himalayas, is on the bucket list of most travelers. It could be the most memorable experience of their vacation – and life.  So why do so many people give up on their dream adventures or fail when trying to make them happen? It is often because they don’t know where to find the best guides, how to book easily and how to make sure the experience is safe.  

To help you make your dreams come true, outdoor adventure traveler and award-winning photographer Michal Tyl and his team at OutdoorVisit.com, a specialized website for booking quality outdoor adventures, put together their advice on how to find, book and fully enjoy an outdoor experience of a lifetime. They collected these tips while helping thousands of adventure-seeking clients. 

1) Don’t be afraid. Outdoor adventures really are for anyone – even the most inexperienced traveler or groups with kids. After all, every cool brave adventurer was once a newbie! Guides will make sure everyone is safe and the activity is adequate to your level – whether it’s canyoning, hiking, climbing a Via ferrata, easy city biking or whale-watching. 


Kayaking and snorkeling in the Costa Brava from Barcelona

2) Choose quality. Nothing can ruin a holiday as much as unfulfilled expectations or problems with safety. If you are up for advanced activities such as canyoning or kayaking, it’s better to book with professional companies rather than individual guides. They will have multiple guides available, perfect equipment, will take care of a bigger group or give advice about insurance. “Going to a specialized platform with curated offer such as OutdoorVisit is the simplest way to find the best activities from trusted providers around the world,” says Philippo Mari, owner at Biko Biking Adventures in Prague. 

3) Avoid last minute bookings. Most popular experiences can be booked out more than a month in advance for best dates. The advice here is simple – book your adventure as soon as you can! Outdoor activities require a fair amount of planning and preparation, which is why walk-in bookings are rarely successful. Finding your guide well in advance will also increase the chance of securing a custom tour. “With professional websites or providers, you can always cancel the booking or reschedule later free of charge if needed, “says Michal Tyl. 

4) Read the description. Carefully. Where is the pick-up, what should you wear, what is included in the price, who is it suitable for, what are the cancellation conditions? You will save lots of time to yourself and the customer service people and considerably increase chances to book in time.

5) Book with an Outdoor Adventure Specialist. General booking sites are nice if you want to have a broader overview of available activities in your destination. Specialist sites are founded by people with lots of outdoor experience and they will be able to provide much more help than just finding the right date or ensuring a safe way to pay. Teams like OutdoorVisit can advise you about safety, equipment, experience needed, recommended tours for families with kids and much more. 


Gokyo Lakes Himalayas

6) The longer the better. To truly immerse yourself in the experience, choose multi-day activities, rather than just one day. For a couple of days, you don’t need to worry about anything, just your enjoying yourself. Whether sleeping in a tent or a hotel, multi-day adventures have a much bigger kick than those for one day or a few hours.

7) Avoid high season and weekends. If you are travelling to northern hemisphere, the best time for outdoor adventure is often May, June, September or October. The weather is just as nice, often more suitable for being outdoors, and the usually overcrowded areas are freer. 

8) Look up reviews. Read through as many experiences of others as you can find. One recommendation is usually not good enough, as one less-than-perfect reference doesn’t mean the company is bad. Check also the Facebook page of the company to get to know them more and see the real reactions of their customers. If credible reviews are not at hand, use curated specialized platforms such as OutdoorVisit, where you will find only hand-picked providers with amazing track record. 

9) Join the family (business). Adventure travel in trendy destinations can be big business and to satisfy the demand, many “adventure factories” are popping up. They will provide you with nice cookie-cutter experience, but if you’d like to have something more personal, with even more excited and knowledgeable guide, try to look past the giants and find some established smaller companies. “The smaller businesses value their clients more, so they are more flexible and create more personalized experiences,” says Pieter Dingemans, owner at The Green Trails in Stockholm. 


Peninsula Valdes whale watching

10) Be honest with yourself. If your dream is to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, but you take the elevator every time, a five-day hike up and down the mountain is probably not for you. But don’t worry! On a specialized website, you will see the difficulty level and can choose something easier. If you are not sure, consult the customer support – try to speak with people who understand outdoor adventures, not just to those who process bookings.

11) Know where your money is going. Most providers and guides ask for payment upfront, which is reimbursed in case of cancellation. Make sure you don’t send your money to some nameless bank account without any legal document to back it up. Even better, use an online payment option at a well-established specialized booking site. They’ll also have clear rules about cancellation policy and will support you up in case of any problems. 

12) Have your insurance. With a good quality guide and material, even the most daring adventures are safe. But you never know, so always have your proper insurance! Choose the correct one for the adventure, so that you don’t overpay or be surprised if things go wrong. Many companies include insurance in the price of the activity, so make sure to check the “what’s included section” first.

13) Choose sustainability. Check if the company respects local rules, doesn’t mess with wildlife, leave waste etc. Make sure you support the right guides and you will be rewarded with an even greater feeling afterwards.

Does it feel overwhelming? It might, but if you follow these tips, you’ll surely have a more exciting and memorable outdoor experience. And if you don’t feel like spending hours researching on the internet, just come to OutdoorVisit, the only global booking site specialized on outdoor activities and adventures, offering carefully chosen outdoor experiences around the world. OutdoorVisit provides detailed background checks on providers and activities they offer, has great customer service ready to help you with all your questions and makes your booking, rescheduling or cancellation a piece of cake. 

So, no more dreaming and waiting, start planning and experiencing!

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