Best Active Vacations: 8 Trips for People Who Will Not Sit Still
Queenstown and New Zealand for the maximum-adventure trip
Queenstown is the single most-active vacation destination in the world. Bungee, jet-boating, white-water rafting, canyoning, hiking, skiing (winter), biking, and skydiving all run from one small town. A week-long active Queenstown trip runs $3,200 to $7,500 per person.
Costa Rica and Iceland for adventure variety
Costa Rica delivers rainforest zip-lines, surfing, white-water rafting, volcano hiking, wildlife spotting, and relaxed Pacific beaches in a single week. A Costa Rica active week runs $1,500 to $4,500 per person. Iceland delivers glacier walks, waterfall hikes, geothermal pool swimming, Northern Lights pursuit (September to April), and dramatic ring-road driving at $2,500 to $6,500 per person.
National park active weeks
Banff, Yellowstone, and Grand Canyon all deliver active weeks built around hiking, wildlife spotting, and daily movement. Banff week: $2,200 to $4,500 per person. Yellowstone: $1,800 to $3,500. Grand Canyon week with daily hikes and a rafting day: $1,800 to $4,500.
Serious adventure splurges
Patagonia (W Trek or guided eco-lodge trips) is the biggest active-vacation payoff in the Americas at $4,500 to $12,000 per person for a week. The multi-day trek is physically demanding; the lodge-based week version is slightly less so.
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