17 Adventure Travel Meccas To Visit In 2017

Looking for an adventure in 2017? Here are 17 adventure travel destinations that you should definitely have on your list this year.

Svalbard, Norway

This Norwegian archipelago is perhaps most famous for being home to a huge population of polar bears among other native Norwegian species, with over 3,000 bears thought to reside here.

Cruises around the shores of the island or inland using snowmobiles are the ideal way of seeing this majestic creature.

Gobi Steppe, Mongolia

This still barely-inhabited prairie landscape is a unique place of nomadic herders, where visitors can learn about the life of these warm and friendly people with a horseback tour, staying overnight in traditional gers.

Torres del Paine National Park, Chile

Patagonia’s poster-child and regularly cited as one of the most adventurous hiking destinations on the planet, Torres del Paine National Park is unmissable.

Trek the ‘W’ or the Circuit through spellbinding scenery of sub-Antarctic forests, heaving glaciers and granite towers.

The Milford Track, New Zealand

The most acclaimed walk in New Zealand, the Milford Track passes through striking glacial landscapes of shimmering waterfalls and deep valleys over a distance of 33-miles (53km).

Machu Picchu, Peru

This one-time Inca stronghold buried in the Andes Mountains is Peru’s top tourist attraction and continues to attract thousands upon thousands of visitors per year.

Travel in luxury on the Belmond Hiram Bingham train that winds through the luscious scenery of the Sacred Valley to arrive at Machu Picchu.

Lapland

Dog-sledding or husky safaris are an adrenaline-fuelled way of adventuring in winter. Enjoy an hour or even a few days of mushing through frosty forests in the ultimate winter destination, Lapland.

Mount Kinabalu, Borneo

As if a trip to the wildlife-filled jungles of Borneo – the home of the mythical orangutan – wasn’t enough, summit Mount Kinabalu, the country’s highest mountain, for astounding views across the rainforest.

Cape Horn

This once remarkable feat of sailing is now available to even the most novice seafarers: “rounding the horn” can be achieved as part of an adventure cruise through the southern Patagonian waters.

Antarctica

A cruise to the “seventh continent” is a worthy adventure in itself but camping overnight on a bed of pristine snow with a bivouac bag for warmth beneath a sky of razor sharp stars takes the experience to a completely new level.

Everest Base Camp, Nepal

The ultimate adventure for all hikers, conquering Everest Base Camp is nothing to attempt lightly. But those who do, gain the ultimate adventure bragging rights from the moment they arrive at the 17,598-ft. (5,364m) camp.

The Mother Road, USA

America’s most famous road, Route 66 or The Mother Road has become the ultimate road trip and a route that has captured imaginations for decades.

Drive the 3,305-miles (5,318km) from Chicago to Santa Monica, stopping to enjoy the comforts and history of the towns en route.

The Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

Although it’s now far easier to reach The Galápagos Islands than in Darwin’s day, little else has changed since the great naturalist arrived at this wild paradise.

Nobel Galápagos tortoises, blue-footed and boobies and even penguins continue to call these islands home.

The Golden Triangle, India

Modern India remains a chaotic yet stunning destination for travelers, particularly if you choose to explore its most popular route, the Golden Triangle, on two wheels.

Cycle between the Red Fort of Delhi, the Taj Mahal near Agra and the pink old city of Jaipur for a real adventure.

Etosha National Park, Namibia

Elephants roam alongside endangered black rhinos and ever big cats in Etosha National Park, a stunningly beautiful park where you’re almost guaranteed to see some of the Big Five.

The Pantanal, Brazil

This stretch of wetland in the south of Brazil (and spreading into Paraguay and Bolivia) is brimming with native wildlife, from jaguars to giant otters.

Parc National de l’Isalo, Madagascar

Home to a large population of Madagascar’s most photogenic native residents, ring-tailed lemurs, Parc National de l’Isalo is the ideal place to see them crawling along tree branches or navigating the ground below.

The night skies, Norway

Be struck silent by the twinkling magic of the Northern Lights with a cruise to the far northern town of Honningsvag, Norway, an almost guaranteed spot for observing this natural phenomenon in all its brightly colored magnificence.