The Best Countryside Tours in Europe
Discover the diversity of the European countryside and immerse yourself in some of the continent’s incredible landscapes on a small-group adventure with TRIPS by Culture Trip.
Richard Collett
13 Dec 2021
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 TRIPS by Culture Trip take you to the vineyards and olive groves of Italy to the remote Caucasus Mountains and as far north as the Arctic Circle. To inspire your next escape, here are the best countryside tours in Europe.
1. 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 Trips by 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$1369Next available from5 May 2022
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2. Britain's Outer Hebrides, for whisky-tasting on Scottish islands
There’s little land left untouched in Britain, but travel to the far north of Scotland and you can explore the country’s final frontier. This seven-day Trips by Culture Trip tour starts in Inverness – before traversing the Scottish Highlands on your way to the remote Outer Hebrides. Cross the bridge to the Isle of Skye where fairy pools and enchanted landscapes await you. Next, you’ll catch the ferry to the Isle of Harris – a place where the landscapes are more remote but where you’ll find one of the best whisky distilleries in the Hebrides. The last island on the itinerary is the Isle of Lewis, where you can explore medieval castles and secluded beaches before returning to the mainland.
From$3089Next available from26 Apr 2022
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3. Iceland, for dramatic glaciers, geysers and waterfalls
Iceland’s interior is more wilderness than the countryside, but if you’re looking for a wild, icy adventure, this is the destination for you. This five-day group tour with Trips by Culture Trip may start in Reykjavik – but it will quickly see you escaping the city to soak in hot springs under the Northern Lights in Borgarfjordur. You’ll also get to visit the geysers and waterfalls of the Golden Circle, snowmobile across epic glaciers and try bread that’s been baked in a geothermal oven. The adventure concludes on the southern shores of Iceland, as you search out dramatic black sand beaches and crashing waterfalls.
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4. Southern Italy, for unbeatable foodie experiences
Looking for sun, sea, wine and artisanal, baked bread? Then this 10-day Trips by Culture Trip tour into Southern Italy’s countryside could well be the one for you. Join the group for pizza in Naples, before travelling along the sun-drenched shores off the Amalfi Coast as you slowly make your way south. Experience the gourmet heart of the Italian countryside in Altamura – where you can try artisan bread that’s been baked here for centuries. You’ll cycle, hike and tour through valleys, vineyards and olive groves as you explore Puglia – before ending the trip in Lecce, a compact city that’s better known as the Florence of the South.
From$2029Next available from2 Apr 2022
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5. Finnish Lapland, for crossing the Arctic Circle
Finnish Lapland is as remote a destination as you can visit in Europe. This five-day group tour with Trips by Culture Trip takes you to a private island close to Rovaniemi – although you might better know it as the hometown of Santa Claus. The best time to be here is in winter, of course, when the snow is falling and Christmas has well and truly arrived. On this trip, you’ll venture deep into the tundra on an off-piste backcountry skiing tour, as well as hike to frozen waterfalls and ice canyons – before crossing the Arctic Circle and ending with a visit to the Santa Claus Village.
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