Back-Roads Touring

As the name suggests, travelling with Back-Roads Touring is taking you on quieter paths, avoiding whirlwind sightseeing in favour of slow discovery. Guests have time to savour the moment, take it all in, and discover a local way of life in the company of a small group of likeminded travellers. Best of all, guests will see each place through the eyes of local people who know their regions inside out and are proud to share them. Travelling by mini-coach with a small group of up to 18 people, the journey feels more personal from the outset. With Back-Roads, guests thrive as local secrets come to light. 

Back-Roads Touring’s small-group journeys to the UK and Europe are crafted for the curious. Walk in the footsteps of history on a battlefields tour, on the cobblestoned-streets of medieval cities or in grand castles where the echoes of the past whisper from every stone. Marvel at ethereal landscapes that leave you spellbound, from majestic peaks to idyllic lakes, misty moors to storied seas, and lush valleys to shimmering deserts. Our advisors love the focus on culture, discovering Gothic tales of Dracula in a cellar in Bran Castle, joining in a Céilí in Galway, or taking a pletna boat across dreamy Lake Bled in Slovenia or learning about the cave dwellings of Matera that are rich in tales from Neolithic and Paleolithic times. 

When creating itineraries, Back-Roads Touring finds places that are chosen not for their size, but for their heart. Rather than a large, cookie-cutter hotel, Back-Roads Touring offers stays in an ivy-clad manor, a centuries-old castle, or a meticulously restored country house. Slumber in a cave hotel in spectacular Matera, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, or in a rustic inn with a roaring fire in the foothills of Snowdonia. Sleep in a restored 16th-century convent in Sicily, or in a restored townhouse in Córdoba’s historic Jewish Quarter, where the rooms blend Moorish influence and Andalusian charm. Marvel at the stars when sleeping in an authentic Berber camp in the Sahara Desert or in a riad in Fes. These choices absolutely add to your experience, through their hospitality, authenticity and sense of place. 

A wonderful way to learn about the culture of a destination is through its food. Break bread with locals, craft authentic Polish pierogi dumplings at a traditional cookery class in Kraków or try your hand at Spanish cuisine with a cooking class in Pamplona. Go back in time with a private cooking class on the walled island of Korčula in Croatia, discover the secrets behind the flavours of cheeses near Viseu in Portugal, taste wines in a Tuscan villa or savour the secrets of whisky at the Malt Rooms in Inverness. Learn traditional dances, make cheese on the island of Malta, roll pasta in Italy and paint ceramics on the Amalfi Coast. These hands-on activities are a wonderful way to connect with culture and people.