The Best Countryside Tours in Europe

Richard Collett

Discover the diversity of the European countryside and immerse yourself in some of the continent’s incredible landscapes on a small-group adventure with Culture Trip.

Escape to the countryside with these multi-day group experiences that immerse you in nature – while helping you explore the lesser-known sides of popular destinations. These Culture Trip adventures take you to the vineyards and olive groves of Italy and the remote Caucasus Mountains, or even as far north as the Arctic Circle. To inspire your next escape, here are the best countryside tours in Europe.

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The Fifth Season hut near Chaukhi Mountain, Juta, Georgia with misty mountains beyond

Georgia, for trekking in the Caucasus Mountains

The Georgian countryside is one of the best destinations in Europe for food, wine and nature lovers. This nine-day group tour with Culture Trip starts in Tbilisi, but you’ll swiftly travel to Kakheti – where you’ll learn about Georgia’s millennia-old winemaking tradition at the source. Feast like a Georgian, then work off all that wine and Georgian cheese bread as the tour moves into the mountains. First, you’ll be hiking in the forests of the remote Lagodekhi National Park. Then, you’ll venture high into the Caucasus Mountains to visit churches and glaciers in Stepantsminda, before finishing your trip with a sulphur bath soak in Tbilisi.

From US$1287

Next available from 18th May 2024

Secure your spot with a low deposit

Trip highlights and details

STARTS AT

Tbilisi, Georgia

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ENDS AT

Tbilisi, Georgia

DURATION

9

GROUP SIZE

16

PHYSICAL RATING

Moderate

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STYLE

Discovery

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Five people in climbing gear stand by a gushing, rocky waterfall amid greenery on Sao Miguel Island

The Azores, for wild landscapes in the Atlantic

Ditch mainland Europe and head off the beaten path to the Azores, a Portuguese archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. This adventurous six-day trip is packed full of adrenaline-pumping activities – think kayaking around volcanic crater lakes, abseiling down waterfalls and swimming in natural rock pools, to name a few. You’ll also have a chance to cook your own cozida stew – cooked in an underground pot using thermal heat – and enjoy a cocktail-making class, as well as enjoying a soak in natural hot springs. This might not be the quintessential European countryside you imagined, but it’s epic and dramatic – and waiting to be explored.

From US$1928

Next available from 28th Apr 2024

Secure your spot with a low deposit

Trip highlights and details

STARTS AT

Ponta Delgada, Portugal

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ENDS AT

Ponta Delgada, Portugal

DURATION

6

GROUP SIZE

8

PHYSICAL RATING

Moderate

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STYLE

Discovery

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Jacobite steam train crosses the Glenfinnan Viaduct, as seen in Harry Potter

Scotland, for rugged mountains and verdant valleys from the comfort of a train

There’s no better way to see Scotland than from the comfort of a window seat – the founding principle of this seven-day Rail Trip. You’ll actually start in London, catching the overnight sleeper train to Fort William. Warm up with a wee dram of whisky at Ben Nevis Distillery, take the iconic Jacobite steam train across Glenfinnan Viaduct and explore the Isle of Skye by boat across a week of outdoorsy fun in the UK’s most dramatic landscape. Enjoy glassy lochs, fairytale woodlands and rocky mountains in the Cairngorms National Park, before getting back to civilisation for a couple of nights in Edinburgh.

From US$2728

Next available from 29th Apr 2024

Secure your spot with a low deposit

Trip highlights and details

STARTS AT

London, England

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ENDS AT

Edinburgh, Scotland

DURATION

7

GROUP SIZE

18

PHYSICAL RATING

Moderate

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STYLE

Discovery

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Maja Proescholdt and Gethin Morgan contributed additional reporting to this article.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

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