12 of the best multi-country trips to book now
Picking one single country to visit can be a challenge – so why not cross a few borders while you’re away? These trips pack in a glut of different cultures, food and experiences…
1. Fly through Central America
Chichen Itza Tzompantli (Shutterstock)
Mexico, Belize & Guatemala
Whizz through Central America without missing its best bits on Intrepid’s 13-day Guatemala to Mexico adventure. You’ll travel from the cobblestone streets of Antigua, through blissed-out Belize and along the Yucatan Peninsula to the beachside delights of Playa del Carmen.
Highlights include climbing stone temples amongst the jungle canopy in Tikal, chilling out island-style in Caye Caulker and sinking your feet into white sands and clear waters in Tulum.
From volcano studded Antigua to the chilled out charm of Mexico’s coast – this tour delivers a slice of action, a dose of history and culture, and some well-deserved relaxation.
Trip:Guatemala to Mexico
Who:Intrepid
When: Regular departures throughout the year
How long: 13 days
How much: From £977 (exc. flights)
2. Overland from Europe to Asia
Dusk in Beijing (Shutterstock)
Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan & China
Join Oasis Overland on this ultimate expedition following in the footsteps of Alexander the Great and Marco Polo across Europe and Central Asia.
This challenging expedition follows ancient trading routes through some of the oldest cities in the world. You’ll travel through lands steeped in history and legend, experiencing vast and varied landscapes and unique cultures on an unforgettable journey following the Silk Road.
Trip:Istanbul To Beijing
Who:Oasis Overland
When: Departures Apr
How long: 15 weeks
How much: From £4,950 (exc. flights)
3. Visit a trio of cracking capitals
Tallinn, Estonia (Shutterstock)
Lithuania, Latvia & Estonia
Be enchanted by Eastern Europe on Regent Holidays’ 10-day Baltic Capital Cities tour. Visit the baroque buildings and soaring spires of Vilnius’s UNESCO-listed Old Town – the largest in Europe.
Head to Riga to explore its medieval and art nouveau architecture and Soviet-style central market, and finish off your trip in Tallinn, a charming maze of cobbled streets, 14th century churches and a bustling town hall square.
Who:Regent Holidays
When: Departures May to Sep
How long: Eight days
How much: From £995 (exc. flights)
4. Trek, tour and beach bask
Jaipur, Rajasthan (Shutterstock)
Nepal, India & Maldives
Spend an epic month cutting through Asia on World Expeditions’ 29-day Summit to Sea trip. Marvel at Kathmandu’s Durbar Square before trekking amid villages below the Annapurnas.
Then change tempo: fly to India to explore Delhi, the ‘Pink City’ of Jaipur and Agra’s Taj Mahal. Finally, zip to the Maldives to board a dhoni sailboat and cruise between paradise isles! Bliss.
Trip:Summit to Sea
Who:World Expeditions
When: Departures Mar to Apr & Oct to Dec
How long: 29 days
How much: From £3,260 (exc. flights)
5. See Europe, old and new
Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia (Shutterstock)
Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia & Kosovo
Cram in seven countries on Explore’s 16-day Former Yugoslavia Rail Adventure.
Walk around big Balkans cities including Ljubljana, Sarajevo, Belgrade, Dubrovnik, then escape to wild beauties like Plitvice National Park and Lake Ohrid. Also, enjoy the ever-changing train carriage views.
Who:Explore
When: Departures May to Jul & Sep
How long: 16 days
How much: £2,060 (exc. flights)
6. Roam Africa’s wild west
Ghana, Africa (Shutterstock)
Ghana, Togo & Benin
Join Dragoman for a loop linking three little-known nations on its 21-day West Africa between Accra and Accra overland trip.
In Ghana, sleep out at Lake Volta and visit the slave trade ruin of Fort Prinzenstein. In Togo, hike in the Mont Klouto region and peer into Togoville’s Vodun culture. In Benin, visit Tata Somba villages, the stilt town of Ganvie and the lions of Pendjari National Park.
Who:Dragoman
When: Departures Jan & Dec
How long: 21 days
How much: From £1,088 (exc. flights and €580 kitty)
7. Gorge on glorious wildlife
Macaws gather at a clay lick in the Peruvian Amazon (Shutterstock)
Galapagos & Peru
Witness nature at its very best on Journey Latin America’s Peru and Galapagos wildlife tour.
After arriving in Cusco, you’ll head into the Peruvian Amazon, where you’ll spending a week viewing wildlife and exploring the jungle. You’ll stay in Refugio Amazonas, a popular and well respected lodge in the Tambopata region.
Then switch to a week cruising Ecuador’s isles: spot giant tortoises, seals, boobies and bubbling volcanoes.
When: Departures throughout the year
How long: 14 days
How much: From £4,851 (inc. flights)
8. Have a mini Arctic odyssey
Northern Lights (Shutterstock)
Sweden, Finland & Norway
Aurora Zone’s eight day Three Countries – The Grand Aurora Tour offers an abundance of winter wonderland.
Stay at Sweden’s ICEHOTEL before racing through Finnish Lapland in a husky sled to look for the northern lights.
Be trendy in Norway’s Tromsø – ‘the Paris of the North’ – and learn the ways of the Sámi people, meet reindeer, rev a snowmobile through the Norwegian wilds and warm up in a sauna. Round off your adventure with one final hunt for the aurora.
Who:Aurora Zone
When: Departures Jan to Mar
How long: Nine days
How much: From £3,550 (inc. flights)
9. See lesser-visited South America
The Devil’s Island in Îles du Salu, French Guiana (Shutterstock)
Northern Brazil, Suriname, French Guiana & Guyana
Bypass the tourists by heading to the continent’s little-visited north on Journey Latin America’s 18-day Trailblazing the Guianas trip.
Kicking off in the northern Brazilian town of Boa Vista, you’ll cross the Takutu River into Guyana. Here you’ll look for jaguars and harpy eagles on safari, before exploring Dutch-influenced Paramaribo and cruising to the former penal colony of Îles du Salut (Salvation Islands).
When: Departures Oct
How long: 18 days
How much: From £4,402 (exc. flights)
10. Pedal through the Alps
Lake Constance (Shutterstock)
Germany, Austria & Switzerland
Hop on an e-bike to glide past postcard-pretty villages, fairy tale castles, cherry orchards and gothic cathedrals with ease.
B’Spoke Tours’ self-guided Lake Constance Cycling tour ticks off three countries – Austria, Switzerland, Germany. It also ticks off some of Europe’s most breathtaking mountain scenery, observed from traffic-free, low-stress, lakeside cycle paths.
Who:B’Spoke Tours
When: Flexible departures throughout the year
How long: Seven days
How much: From £715 (exc. flights)
11. Traverse the Silk Road
Samarkand, Uzbekistan (Shutterstock)
China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Turkey
Cover a legendary thoroughfare as you join Wild Frontiers on a Great Silk Road Adventure.
On this huge 48-day trip you’ll tick off no fewer than 15 UNESCO sites, including China’s Tiananmen Square and Terracotta Army, Istanbul’s Blue Mosque and Turkmenistan’s ancient city of Merv.
Gawp at Tehran’s Golestan Palace before a trip to Samarkand in Uzbekistan captures your whole trip in one city: a melting pot of Asian culture.
Who:Wild Frontiers
When: Departures May & Sep
How long: 48 days
How much: From £10,595
12. Marvel at Mayan magic
Caye Caulker in Belize (Shutterstock)
Escape the resorts and discover something extraordinary in Central America on this 32-day trip through the region with G Adventures.
You’ll visit six countries, experiencing mighty ruins, clear Caribbean waters, Pacific waves, rainforests, and breathtaking scenery along the way.
Expect Indigenous Mayan villages, hot springs and ruins and immersive adventures that few travellers get to experience.
Who:G Adventures
When: Regular departures throughout the year
How long: 32 days
How much: From £1,387 (exc. flights)
