5 Off The Beaten Path Adventures For 2025

While it may seem like everyone you know is heading for Italy, Japan, or Greece this year, plenty of destinations remain off the beaten path. Some are less-visited parts of larger countries, like the Scottish Hebrides. Others like Montenegro, Mongolia, and Tasmania remain off the well-worn tourist path. Then there are those once-forbidden places, such as Algeria, which has slowly opened up for tourism. Here are five trips that should be high on your list of off-the-beaten-path adventures for 2025.

Wild Tasmania

Tasmania blew my mind when I visited a couple of years ago, and Wilderness Travel has created a terrific itinerary on their Wild Tasmania trip that explores both the classic sights and some of the more offbeat ones. The trip includes the mountainous coastal reserve known as the Freycinet Peninsula, one of the most beautiful places on the planet. There is a private yacht cruise in Macquarie Harbour, a visit to the Port Arthur penal colony, Australia's most historic site, and the fun of exploring Hobart's Salamanca Market. The search for wallabies, wombats, and Tasmanian devils in Cradle Mountain National Park is a classic part of the Tasmanian experience. Wild places aside, the trip includes a deep dive into the extraordinary food and wines of the island, from freshly shucked oysters to artisan cheeses, sparkling wines, and pinot noirs. The 11-day trip is rated Easy/Moderate and is priced at $8,195 per person (based on double occupancy, as are all prices mentioned here).

Cruising the Coast of Montenegro

There may be crowds in Croatia but not in nearby Montenegro. Peter Sommer Travels specializes in archaeological and cultural tours and gulet cruises in Croatia, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Montenegro, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. The company was founded in 2002 by British archaeologist and documentary filmmaker Peter Sommer, who once walked 2,000 miles across Turkey from Troy, retracing the route of Alexander the Great. The new Cruising the Coast of Montenegro tour is its first itinerary in the country known for its remarkable mountains, coastline, and rich history. Cruising aboard a traditional gulet, a two-masted wooden vessel, these are small ships outfitted for comfort. The itinerary visits towns and villages from the Adriatic Coast to Lake Skadar and the Bay of Kotor, revealing the history of the ancient Illyrians, the Greeks, the Roman Empire, Venice, and the Ottomans. Add local cuisine, wine, and the joys of sailing on peaceful waters. The eight-day trip is £3,895 ($4,792) per person.

Algeria: Crossroads Of The Maghreb

In North Africa, Morocco sees a lot of tourists, and Tunisia has its share of visitors. Yet neighboring Algeria has been off-limits for years due to political instability, and only recently has it begun to open its doors. The largest country in Africa is well worth a visit for its striking Mediterranean Coast, the spectacle of the Atlas Mountains, and the grandeur of the Sahara desert. It has a rich cultural heritage and architectural treasures that are the focal point of Algeria: Crossroads Of The Maghreb with Wild Frontiers. It’s a chance to visit oasis towns, where mud-brick villages have endured in the Sahra for decades, and see UNESCO World Heritage sites of Djemila, Timgad, and the medieval desert pentapolis of Ghardaia. Explore the “Red City” of Timimoun in the Sahara Desert and visit the cosmopolitan capital of Algiers, where the Casbah meets the influences of the Romans, the Ottoman Empire, and the French. The 12-day trip is rated “low” for difficulty and is priced at $4,284 per person.

Scotland’s Wild Isles: Isle of Skye and the Small Isles

I’m a long-time fan of the Hebrides, so I was intrigued by this eight-night cruise around the sea lochs of the Isle of Skye and the Small Isles, which are Muck, Eigg, Rum, and Canna. A small boat trip is the best way to visit Scotland's Wild Isles. You can expect to see a wide range of wildlife, from basking sharks and minke whales to dolphins, porpoises, and otters, not to mention an extraordinary array of sea birds. Throughout this Wild Isles cruise with St. Hilda Sea Adventures, the anchorages are in secluded sea lochs. The islands are known for their dramatic sea cliffs, mountains, and forests. There are plenty of hiking opportunities and, for the hearty, for some wild swimming. This small ship adventure – taking fewer than a dozen passengers – sails roundtrip from Oban on the west coast of Scotland. Priced from $2,100 to $4,100 per person.

Eagle Festivals of Mongolia

Nothing says remote quite like the word “Mongolia.” Geographic Expeditions has created a small group trip called Eagle Festivals of Mongolia, which celebrates the Kazakh tradition of hunting with trained eagles, a custom that spans centuries. It’s an immersive journey in the Gobi Desert at a rarely seen event, a competition that comes with lots of pomp and pageantry. Accommodation is in a private ger camp– think yurts – on the steppe. Time is also spent in the temples and museums of Ulaanbaatar. There are two trips yearly, one to the Altai Eagle Festival and the other to the Golden Eagle Festival. Priced from $11,750 per person.