10 exciting new tour operators to know about in 2023

Details Track deer, wolves, eagles and rare Marsican brown bears in three national parks connected by rewilded corridors on a guided group tour in Abruzzo, Italy. Seven nights’ half board in albergos, hotels and agriturismos from £1,895pp, including transfers. Departures in May, September and October. Fly or take the train to Rome.

rewildingeuropetravel.com

Sainte-Foy-Tarentaise, France — visit there with Hidden Mountain Ski

2. Hidden Mountain Ski

Skipping the big names to highlight smaller, lesser-known and often far cheaper resorts across Europe, this ski specialist works to support small, often family-owned businesses, hooking its guests up with the most authentic restaurants and places to stay. Resorts are bundled together geographically in “clusters” that can be explored together in one tailor-made trip, often with a few nights in different villages.

Details The “Sainte Foy & the Giants” trip takes in the eponymous resort in the Tarentaise in the French Alps, where you’ll go riding and stay in traditional chalets. Expect a warm atmosphere and child-friendly environment. Seven nights for a group of four in a self-catered chalet from £800. Fly or take the train to Chambéry.

hiddenmountainski.com

The Acropolis in Athens, a destination for Sojrn (Getty Images)

3. Sojrn

Riding the post-pandemic wave of remote-working professionals, Sojrn specialises in long trips to suit those who want to (and can) do it from abroad. The company arranges month-long stays in European cities (Barcelona, Paris and so on) and places further afield (Mexico City, Cape Town and Bali) — prices include housing (shared or private), workspaces, group activities with like-minded members, language tuition where required, and a base for networking. Perfect for aspiring digital nomads who want an immersive experience rather than just a crash pad.

Details Sojrn’s “Greek Culture in Athens” stay costs £3,430pp for four weeks including accommodation and activities. Fly to Athens.

sojrn.travel

Spirited Stories organises boozy breaks (Getty Images)

4. Spirited Stories

This company is unashamedly all about boozy breaks. But these aren’t lads-on-tour benders; rather, they are refined small-group cultural tours that aim to get under the skin of a destination through its chief tipple. The range goes beyond the average wine-tasting holiday, with breaks exploring mezcal in Mexico, whiskey in Ireland and vodka in Sweden, as well as wine tours of Champagne, Burgundy and California. Mixing things up are upmarket dining featuring mixology masterclasses and a social element that encourages you to make new (drinking) buddies.

Details A four-day “Dance down the Kentucky bourbon trail” tour features music, culture, barbecue and whiskey-paired dinners — full-board from £1,284pp including transfers. Fly to Louisville.

spiritedstories.travel

Tiger’s Nest Monastery, Bhutan, one of the countries that Travel Differently visits (Getty Images)

5. Travel Differently

“Greener, Slower, Fairer and Better” are the pillars of this independent company, which sells adventures to South America, South Africa, Rwanda and Uganda, and Bhutan. All its trips are carbon offset at 150 per cent of their calculated emissions and planned to benefit local populations and their environment as much as possible.

Details The 16-night “Bhutan Beyond the Highlights” tour is half-board from £6,950pp including transfers. Fly to Paro.

traveldifferently.co.uk

The Luminaire’s holidays include a trip to Wyoming in the US

6. The Luminaire

Launched by the former bosses of Cookson Adventures, a bespoke travel agency for the super-rich and the Aman hotel group, The Luminaire was never going to be about bucket-and-spade breaks. The operator says it wants to “reinvent educational travel” to make it appeal to all generations. Among its first trips was a voyage to Antarctica with the explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, and tours include adventures in Mustique, Japan and the French Riviera led by esteemed naturalists, artists, historians and archaeologists.

Details An exploration of Florence under the wing of art historian Kevin Childs includes a banquet at a private palazzo; three-nights’ half-board from £6,250pp. Fly to Florence.

theluminaire.com

Hiking in the snow is among the activities you can take part in on a Slow Adventure trip

7. Slow Adventure

This sustainable company specialises in rural destinations in Sweden, Iceland, Scotland and Italy, and aims to give something back to the communities it visits. All bookings include a donation to local schemes. Most trips are group tours and itineraries include visiting magical Finnish Lapland.

Details A small group tour to the remote district of Ranua in winter includes snowshoeing through a forest, ice fishing, bobsledding, a traditional sauna and the chance not only to build your own igloo but sleep in it too. Four nights’ full-board £1,332pp. Fly to Rovaniemi.

slow-adventure.com

Jebel Toubkal in Morocco is among the destinations you can visit with the Conscious Travel Shop

8. The Conscious Travel Shop

This family-run operator aims to “bridge the gap between eco-warriors and mainstream travellers”, by providing eco-minded trips that still feel high-end — everything from planet-friendly honeymoons and ski holidays to city breaks and villa rentals. Many trips do involve flights, however.

Details One of the company’s “conscious adventures” range, a trip to Morocco includes Marrakesh, the Agafay desert and a hike to summit Mount Toubkal. Five nights’ full board for £1,150pp including transfers, departing April 28.

theconscioustravelshop.com

Muizenberg beach in Cape Town, one of Origin’s destinations (Alamy)

9. Origin Travel

Designing private ultra-luxury trips, this app-based travel concierge and trip booker claims that it can get you a table at the top restaurant in town, find the best flight transfers and plan routes with experts. To put together a client’s trip, it uses an in-depth questionnaire that goes beyond just budget and location to curate a detailed itinerary along with 24-hour support. Trips to Africa, Australasia, Asia, Europe, Central and South America, the Middle East and Antarctica are on offer.

Details: Seven nights in South Africa from £5,720pp half board, including activities and domestic transfers. Fly to Cape Town.

origin.me

Orbite’s three-day astronaut training course (Orbite Air Zero G)

10. Orbite

Intergalactic tourism is finally on the horizon now that all three billionaire space cowboys — Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk — have successfully launched their commercial rockets, but it will be a while yet before paying customers can join them. Until then there’s Orbite, a French company offering luxurious why-pay-less astronaut-training courses for high rollers to get a taste of space on zero-gravity flights, followed by lobster meals and 1969 Mumm champagne-fuelled evenings. Locations include France and Florida, with a new Philippe Starck-designed academy complex in an undisclosed location set to open in 2024.

Details Three-day “Astronaut Orientation” course from £12,260pp.

orbitespace.com

• This is why a tour is the best way to visit a new place
• Best tour companies for solo travellers
• Best tours for families

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