VBT | Country Walkers has been helping active travelers see the world on foot and by bike for more than 50 years. You can experience a lot while walking and biking, but some destinations remained hard to reach.
Until now. The company’s new guided Discovery Tours will take travelers to destinations like Morocco, Indonesia, Tahiti, and Patagonia starting in 2027. The immersive, hands-on, locally led, and low-impact tours will explore places the company “could never reach with biking or walking routes alone.”
“Our latest tours reflect the evolution of how many travelers want to explore today,” says Timo Shaw, president of VBT | Country Walkers. “Guests still want to be active and engaged, but they also want meaningful access to local traditions, cuisine, landscapes, and people. These journeys stimulate both heart and mind through exclusive experiences that feel authentic and inspiring.”
That means experiencing traditional Japanese hot spring baths, traveling through rice paddy fields, and learning the art of calligraphy on the Japan Discovery Tour or visiting a cacao plantation and orchid farm on the Colombia Discovery Tour. The Türkiye Discovery Tour explores the country’s Turquoise Coast and features stays at private boutique hotels reflective of the region, while the Egypt Discovery Tour is led by a trained Egyptologist and includes three nights sailing the Nile aboard a private traditional, two-masted wooden Nile sailing boat called a dahabiya.
The small-group tours top out at 16 travelers and include expert local leaders, visits to off-the-beaten-path spots, immersive hands-on experiences, and most meals. Thoughtfully paced itineraries prioritize authentic connection so that travelers aren’t just sightseeing but “living the culture.”
The Discovery Tours aren’t the only new offerings from VBT | Country Walkers for 2027. There are also new walking tours in the Azores and Poland and Slovakia plus new biking tours in Northern Ireland, Texas, and Japan.
TourScoop takeaway: We’re fans of opportunities for more immersive experiences that give travelers real-life insight into the destinations they’re visiting. And the small group size of the new Discovery Tours makes it easier to access some of those hidden gems or off-the-beaten-path places.
