The Scoop: What to Know About AdventureWomen

AdventureWomen has helped women explore the world since 1982.
Peru trek with AdventureWomen (Photo: AdventureWomen)
Photo: AdventureWomen

The women-owned and women-run tour company AdventureWomen has helped female travelers step out of their comfort zone and explore the world in an active and exciting way since 1982. Exclusively offering travel tours for women, its trips range from highly challenging (trekking to Everest base camphiking to Machu Picchu) to moderately paced adventures meant to stimulate the mind as much as the body (cultural journeys through Oman and Morocco, for example).

Participants in AdventureWomen’s women-only travel groups enjoy support and encouragement to try new things like rafting and zip lining. And all of the company’s tours provide the opportunity to meet with and learn from local women who share their skills and experiences with the group in the tour’s destination. 

TourScoop Takeaways: AdventureWomen

AdventureWomen tour group at Mount Kilimanjaro (Photo: AdventureWomen)
AdventureWomen tours range from challenging treks to moderately paced cultural excursions (Photo: AdventureWomen)
  • Continents covered:
  • Price range: Eighty percent of AdventureWomen tours fall between $3,995 and $6,995 in price; the other 20 percent are higher-end tours in specialty destinations that are more expensive.
  • Tour size range: Average of 12 to 14 guests
  • Tour types: Active and adventure tours that include hiking excursions, private cruises, and multisport adventures

Credibility Check

AdventureWomen is a member of the Adventure Travel Trade Association. It is recognized as one of the world’s best tour operators by TourScoop, Travel + Leisure, and Condé Nast Traveller. More than 70 percent of guests are repeat customers.

Tour Destinations

AdventureWomen offers more than 50 trips that travel to more than 65 countries on six continents. Newer tours include excursions to AntarcticaSri Lanka, and the Holy Land

Tour Types

Snowshoe trek with AdventureWomen (Photo: AdventureWomen)
AdventureWomen offers active women-only tours around the world (Photo: AdventureWomen)

AdventureWomen leads women-only, small-group active and adventure travel tours where participants tend to feel comfortable trying new things. Tours include women-to-women cultural exchanges in the destinations, where participants can meet with female artisans, educators, and business owners to experience a location through the perspective of local women. 

The company’s website allows you to filter trips by region and activity level, with tours ranging from moderate to challenging. Tour descriptions include day-by-day itineraries, more detailed info about activity levels, and some reviews from past guests.

AdventureWomen’s Tour Guides

Tours include local vetted and experienced guides who share their first-hand knowledge of the destination with participants. Each tour also features an AdventureWomen Ambassador who provides communication and organizational support and helps create a comfortable environment for participants. AdventureWomenmaintains close relationships with its in-country guides, and many have worked with the company for more than a decade and with hundreds of guests.

Inclusions/Extras on AdventureWomen Tours

Forming new friendships on an AdventureWomen tour (Photo: AdventureWomen)
Most meals and activities are included on AdventureWomen tours (Photo: AdventureWomen)

Once participants arrive at their trip destination, nearly everything is included, such as:

  • Lodging
  • Ground transportation
  • Most meals and activities
  • Guides
  • Some gratuities

Pre- and post-trip transportation is not included in the tour price. Alcoholic beverages, some gratuities, and some meals are also an extra charge. 

Typical Travelers on AdventureWomen Tours

AdventureWomen travelers are typically women in their mid-40s and older. Participants include solo travelers, first-time adventure travelers, friend groups, mothers and daughters, and groups of sisters. The company says guests find commonality beyond age through a shared “state of mind, an adventurous approach to travel with a positive, active way of living life.”

Communication

Participants are introduced to their trip manager after booking a tour. Their personal trip manager serves as the point person to help them prepare for the trip and answer questions from the time of booking through their return home. The company answers every call that comes into the office during the workday (800-804-8686) and prides itself on the fact that it’s easy for guests to speak with someone for needed support.

Final trip documents are sent out about three to four weeks before the tour departure date, followed by an email with further trip guidance for participants. Information provided includes a packing list and a discount to work with a virtual fitness trainer.

Private Tour Options with AdventureWomen

Women riding camels in Egypt on an AdventureWomen tour (Photo: AdventureWomen)
AdventureWomen travelers are typically adventurous-minded women in their mid-40s and older (Photo: AdventureWomen)

AdventureWomen uses its signature trips as the basis to personalize experiences for a group’s interests and has done this for groups of healthcare professionals, college friends, and mothers and grown daughters. Its Utah multisport adventure to Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks works well for a more personalized tour as it’s an easy-to-fly-to destination featuring a large shared lodge with common areas. 

Sustainability Efforts

AdventureWomen’s education and activities focus on topics like ecosystems, natural resources, the sharing of local traditions, and supporting local communities. Each AdventureWomen tour interacts with women at a local level, often learning from and supporting female entrepreneurs in the tour’s destination.

Health and Safety Practices

All in-country operators have a destination-specific crisis and emergency plan based on the local protocols and medical services available. AdventureWomen also monitors the destinations to which it travels and provides needed updates to participants before departure. 

AdventureWomen has a COVID vaccine requirement; information is available on the company’s website and the policy is communicated to guests at the time of booking. All participants must provide proof of full vaccination by the time of final payment. The company advises participants to consult with their doctors for recommendations for other vaccines and medications based on the specific destination of the tour, as well as the age, health, and past medical and vaccination history for the individual traveler.

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Beth Luberecki writes about travel, business, and lifestyle topics. Her work has appeared in publications including The Washington Post, USA TODAY, FamilyVacationist.com, and The Indianapolis Star. The Florida-based writer shares her travels on her website bethluberecki.com and on Instagram at @bethluberecki and @findingfloridafun.