With a new year comes a new start, and why not make your best adventures of 2023 one of the most exciting on the planet. After considering thousands of adventurous opportunities from around the world we’ve chosen our top 10 activity holidays worldwide. As ever this is opinion so feel free to leave yours in the comments.
We’ve chosen a mix of adventures across a range of global locations. Some will require you to put your body on the line, others will help you to build mental strength, courage and determination. And some, well, they’re just plain fun.
From trekking to the summit of Himalayan giants, to climbing your way around Europe, to tuk tuk racing across Sri Lanka. These really are some of the best adventures of 2023.
If your New Year’s resolution is to get into shape and lose weight, then what better place to do that than in stunning Lapland? Whatever your health and fitness goals for 2023, you can achieve them at this elite training camp with Rising Dragon School.
As well as a bespoke training programme, all food and accommodation are inclusive. So, whether your aim is physical fitness with a side order of stress relief, building muscle or losing weight, your programme will be designed to meet your needs. This break is also ideal if you are training towards a specific goal such as a sporting event or military selection.
There are even activities such as dogsledding, skiing, yoga and much more included. Ultimately this is a life changing adventure designed to get you physically and mentally prepared for anything. So, if 2023 is the year you have decided you’re going to put your body to the test and get into the best shape of your life, then this could be the trip for you.
RDS Fitness Camp from £799 per week
Undiscovered Mountains offers a customisable Alps multi-activity holiday for every season throughout 2023. So, whether it’s a short break with friends or a trip of a lifetime, you can enjoy a personalized activity break. After all, why just have one adventure when you can have a whole week’s worth of fun?
The summer options include canyoning, caving, downhill mountain biking, horse riding, a high ropes, via ferrata, water-skiing, rafting, mountaineering, paragliding and more! On a winter visit you can snowshoe, cross country ski, ski tour, snowboard and ice climb, ice karting, dog sledding, igloo building and more. At the end of the day kick back in an outdoor hot tub.
These multi-sport adventures work on a points basis. As well as seven nights’ accommodation, each person gets 12 activity points to spend on activities of their choice. So, you can create your own personalised itinerary in the French Alps – one of the adventure capitals of the world.
Undiscovered Mountains from €446 per week
Black Ops Valdez run the only heli-skiing option of its kind in Alaska, giving you unrivalled access to the Chugach Mountains surrounding the Valdez Valley and Thompson Pass. There are more than 2,500 square miles of terrain to explore with some of the most reliable snow on the planet.
This world class heli-skiing adventure caters to all levels of skier and snowboarder, from beginner to advanced. Plus, you get superior accommodation and dining at the Robe Lake Lodge. In addition, there are also snowcat skiing, sled skiing and snowcat tours available to help you access some hidden gems.
Enjoy runs specially crafted for you and your group. And with a huge range of other options including fat bikes, glacier cave adventures, fishing and more, there are no down days. This really is a unique skiing break in one of the most pristine environments on the planet. Easily one of the best 2023 activity holidays worldwide.
Black Ops Valdez from $4,500 for 3 days
Hike through the incredible Italian Dolomites, experiencing the jagged peaks and wild open meadows of this unique landscape. You’ll be surrounded by glaciers and ridges, drinking in epic views and vast blue skies as you take on a multi day trekking holiday.
Some of the days are demanding with steep ascents, but it’s always worth the effort. And the comfortable shelters at the end of each day are the ideal place to rest up. This Dolomites trek is one of the best adventures of 2023 and the perfect way to test your body and mind, in one of the most beautiful places on the planet.
This Sloways Alya Via 1 trek is eight days with six nights in mountain huts and hotels. Included in the price is 24-hour telephone support, maps and a detailed itinerary. You can also arrange for airport transfers and a single room if you wish.
Sloways From £936 for 8 days
Of course, there’s no reason 2023 needs to be just about pleasure. Why not head to Canada to combine having a great time with developing a new career as a certified ski or snowboard instructor. Prices include accommodation and transfers plus four dinners and breakfasts a week. It also includes useful stuff like exam fees and CASI membership.
Learn from some of the very best ski/snowboard instructors and give yourself a new set of skills that can open up a world of opportunities. The Winter Sports Company offers both eight and eleven week ski and snowboard instructor training programs at their bases in Sun Peaks or Panorama, Canada.
Canada is an incredible place to learn, with stunning mountains and varied terrain to enjoy when you’re not on the job. Plus, in addition to your training, you get the option to explore prime backcountry, make new friends and have a blast while you’re doing it. Oh and if you pass you get a guaranteed interview for roles in Japan or Canada for the next winter.
Winter Sports Company from £6,440 for 8 weeks
Fancy spending your summer scaling some of the best crags in Europe? Then the Rockbusters summer climbing road trip is the right choice for you. Each year the Rockbusters team travel the length and breadth of the continent, stopping at some of the best climbing destinations Europe has to offer.
This includes world famous climbing spots in Czech, Germany, Austria, Italy, France and Spain. Join the party and sign up to this 8-week extravaganza (or join at a pre-agreed destination along their route). All your guided climbing and accommodation is included, as well as transport and equipment. And it’s safe to say that at the end of an 8-weeks, your climbing will be at a whole new level.
Of course, it’s not just superb climbing that appeals, but also the world class climbing instructors (including some of the hottest names in the business). You’ll be part of a diverse group of climbing fanatics from all over the planet who soon become your new family as you are immersed in the fun climbing lifestyle.
Rockbusters from €690 per week (€3,490 for 8 weeks)
Try a cycling holiday with a difference. Jordan is the perfect place to combine biking with some of the most extraordinary sites of the Middle East. This Jordan biking and culture trip is run by Exodus and is designed for moderate level riders. There are five days in the saddle covering around 45km a day for one of the best adventures of 2023.
You’ll pedal past ancient olive groves and hilltop villages, pass by nomadic communities way out in the desert. Eventually you’ll reach destinations such as the UNESCO World Heritage site at Petra, where you can spend a night under the stars in the Wadi Rum desert.
There is vehicle support the entire time and your accommodation and some meals are included in the package. You’ll also get arrival and departure transfers, bike hire and a tour leader throughout your trip. The terrain is mostly flat but there are some short climbs, so a moderate level of fitness is expected.
Exodus from £1449 for 9 days
Why pick just one activity for your 2023 adventure holiday when you can combine two? And on this sailing and ski touring trip in the Norwegian fjords with Powderwego you can do just that.
Sail along this majestic coastline, taking in the incredible scenery filled with vast tumbling fjords and virgin mountains. Then find a secluded anchorage and take to the land to hit the slopes. Without doubt this is one of the best activity holidays worldwide in 2023.
The skiing covers between 600 and 1000m of elevation every day and itineraries can be adapted to different ability and fitness levels. Travelling via boat allows the trip to access some of the best skiing spots the Bodo Mountains have to offer. The trip includes all meals during your arctic sailing cruise, plus the mountain and ski guides. All you have to do is enjoy the ride.
PowderWeGo from €3,950 for one week
2023 could be the year that you do something truly extraordinary, and it doesn’t come much more incredible that summiting a 6,654m peak in the Himalayas. Simrik Real Nepal offer you the chance to do that on this Mera Peak climbing expedition in the Sagamatha region of Nepal.
This is an epic 19-day expedition taking on a peak close to the mighty Everest, making your way over crevasses and heavy snow. You’ll slowly ascend to base camp on the North Face Glacier at a height of 5,300m to acclimatize, before tackling the summit. Without doubt one of the best adventures of 2023.
Along the way you will have stunning views of Everest itself, as well as Lhotse and Nuptse. In order to make the ascent you will need to be reasonably fit. The climbing seasons are from March to June and then again between September and December.
Simrik Real Nepal from $5,000 for 19 days
See Sri Lanka in an entirely new light with a 1000km tour around this beautiful country behind the wheel of a tuk tuk. The Lanka Challenge might just be the ultimate road trip, putting you right in the heart of the action and up close with the country as you pass by.
Each day you’ll wake up in your accommodation and be given a destination, then it’s up to you to find your own way there. Along the way you will meet amazing people, see stunning wildlife and probably get into the odd scrape or two – but that’s all part of the fun.
Large Minority offer three trips in different areas of Sri Lanka. It includes half board accommodation, hire and use of a suitable tuk tuk, all training, plus logistical support and other equipment. There’s also an awards ceremony, because you’ll be competing against other teams and accruing points along the way. So why not explore Sri Lanka in a tuk tuk?
Large Minority from £1550 for 10 days
So, there you have it. 10 of the very best activity holidays worldwide for the year ahead. We’re sure you’ll agree that there’s quite a variety on offer. And if you’re looking for a new challenge to go with the new year, then any of the above will tick your boxes.
Some of these adventures might be long held dreams and others might be completely new ideas. All that’s left for you is to decide which one (or more) of them you’re going to try in 2023.
We hope you found this guide to the best adventures of 2023 inspiring! If none of the above top 10 activity holidays worldwide appeal then check out thousands of other adventure holidays here.