29 October 2009

Two-hour tours new specialty of Intrepid

Adventure-oriented Intrepid Travel has spent two decades introducing the world to travellers interested in small scale, sustainable travel. But now they are offering something more unusual: short urban adventures of just a few hours.

"Urban Adventures range from two-hour to one-day adventures and uncover back streets, hidden gems and fascinating sights of some of the world’s great cities, from L.A. to Bangkok to London," the company says.

The trips are short, time-wise, but offer local knowledge and experience, particularly since groups are small and led by local guides chosen for their insider knowledge, the company says.

Trips include tours of public transit systems and stopovers for local favourite foods. Departures are daily and prices start from US$17.

Said Steven Larkin, Intrepid Travel’s president for North America:

"Urban Adventures are ideal for time-crunched travellers who want to get a ‘real’ sense of the town; for single female travellers who are cautious about venturing out alone, or even business travellers who want to get out of their brand-name hotel and into the local scene."

Currently there are 25 cities with 75 adventures available. An additional 65 locations and 200 trips are planned over the coming six months.

By David Wilkening