Overland travel advice
Highlights of overlanding
Michael Battley from our supplier Dragoman on who takes an overland tour, and why:
“Awareness of overlanding has grown over the last few years from people wanting to get a real feel for the place they are visiting instead of just ticking off the highlights. We still see them, but we also genuinely get off the beaten track, to highlights you didn't know even existed. These tours attract people of all ages, from all walks of life, traveling as solo passengers, couples, families and friends from all over the world. We take the time to enjoy the journey and the experience, instead of just hopping form one place to another. Getting you into the local community is an integral part of our itineraries.”
Our Overland Vacations
Denali National Park vacation in Alaska
Experience untouched wilderness off the beaten path
From
US $2090 to US $2140
12 days
ex flights
Beijing to Istanbul overland tour
Expereince the Silk Road and the beautiful Caucasus
From
£8000
42 days
ex flights
Namibia and Botswana camping safari
Camping safari to Namib desert, Caprivi, Etosha & Okavango
From
US $2815 to US $2950
21 days
ex flights
Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand overland tour
The very best of Indochina -Thailand, Cambodia & Vietnam
From
US $2244 to US $2765
23 days
ex flights
South America tour, coast to coast
Epic discovery journey across South America
From
£3233
19 days
ex flights
Central Asia overland tour, the stans
An epic journey through the five 'stans' of Central Asia
From
£4999
26 days
ex flights
The Grand Southern Africa safari
21-day tour from Cape Town to Victoria Falls
From
£2549 to £2620
20 days
ex flights
Indochina vacation, Hanoi to Bangkok via Angkor
Awesome adventure through Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand
From
US $1504 to US $1910
22 days
ex flights
Cape Town to Victoria Falls vacation in Southern Africa
A spectacular and diverse African journey
From
US $3349
20 days
ex flights
4 week Central America tour
Fast-paced adventure through the best of Central America
From
US $2444 to US $3135
29 days
ex flights
Kenai Peninsula adventure vacation in Alaska
Orcas, Humpbacks and Glaciers: Experience Alaska's coastline
From
US $2040
9 days
ex flights
Indochina overland tours
Discover the heart and soul of Indochina
From
US $2499 to US $2549
30 days
ex flights
Bolivia and Peru tour
Explore the Amazon Andes and Inca trail
From
US $4707 to US $5285
25 days
ex flights
La Paz to Buenos Aires overland truck tour
Overland from the Altiplano to Argentina's grasslands
From
£1120 to £1150
21 days
ex flights
Indochina tours
An awesome adventure Cambodia Laos Thailand & Vietnam
From
US $3591 to US $4845
30 days
ex flights
Lima to Cuzco overland truck tour in Peru
Explore Peru and the majestic Machu Picchu
From
£757 to £950
17 days
ex flights
Zanzibar to Victoria Falls overland tour
Overland trip through Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe
From
£1050 to £1090
19 days
ex flights
Los Angeles to Las Vegas tour, USA
Discover California, Arizona and Nevada's best attractions
From
US $1046 to US $1152
6 days
ex flights
Istanbul to Ulaanbaatar Silk route tour by overland truck
Overland the entire Silk Road and then head up to Mongolia
From
£8785
121 days
ex flights
Small group vacation to the Stans
Tread in the footsteps of the ancient Silk Road
From
£5975
29 days
ex flights
Chile and Argentina overland tour
Experience the real wilderness of Argentina and Chile
From
£1990 to £2120
34 days
ex flights
Silk Road overland truck tour
Overland through Central Asia's highlights
From
£2310 to £2390
30 days
ex flights
West Africa overland expedition
Travel from the Sahara to the Ocean at Guinea Bissau
From
£6995 to £7645
4 weeks
ex flights
Silk Road cultural vacation
See spectacular mountain scenery on this Silk Road journey
From
£2615 to £2685
15 days
ex flights
Southern Africa vacation
Experience game drives & wonder at Victoria Falls
From
US $2507 to US $3099
21 days
ex flights
Ethiopia tour by overland truck
A pioneering expedition through Ethiopia's incredible north
From
£1540 to £1575
21 days
ex flights
Ethiopia to Kenya overland truck tour
Overland through Ethiopia's remarkable tribal lands
From
£1770 to £1860
24 days
ex flights
Victoria Falls to Cape Town small group vacation
Explore the best of Southern Africa's wildlife and nature.
From
US $2529 to US $3125
22 days
ex flights
Tashkent to Bishkek Silk Road overland tour
Explore the mountainous overlanding paradise of Kyrgyzstan
From
£1110 to £1150
16 days
ex flights
Overlanding in South America
Overlanding in South America
Yamila Barba, a tour leader for our supplier Intrepid, shares her tips on what to expect from a Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro overland vacation:
“I wouldn't recommend this trip for people who are not open minded enough to understand that things are very different to their country. Here, you have to have a lot of patience – your bus may be on time or sometimes not. You have to wait, you can go for a beer… or you get to the border and you don't know how long it will take to cross. People are used to Europe where you can go from one country into another without problems, so they need to get used to being in queues all the time. Not everybody is open to the queuing and waiting. Other people want to know exactly how long we will be waiting. Sometimes I can say roughly – but when we cross the border between Argentina and Brazil, we don't know. It could be one hour, it could be three.”
Trans Siberian family fun
Trans Siberian family fun
Dan Mozley from our suppliers Sundowners Overland, believes the Trans Siberian makes for a great family vacation:
“The railway offers an experience like no other for families. Create your own little space in your Kupe cabin (4-berth). Kids love bunk beds don’t they? Then venture to the dining carriage for your evening meal and play a board game between friends – you’ll be in good company as many local families use the railway as a means of transport whether they are simply traveling to meet loved ones or moving home with all their worldly possessions. The train is a great place to make friends and little ones will soon find others of a similar age, running the length of the carriage for fun where language isn’t an issue.”
The Silk Road overland
The Silk Road overland
Michael Battley from our supplier Dragoman explains why the Silk Road is such a sought after route:
“Asia is perfect for overlanding. You’ve got vastly different landscapes, cities, cultures, history, architecture and wilderness that would otherwise be very difficult to get to on your own. It has so many highlights from the wilds of Mongolia, to the mountains of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, to parts of the Great Wall of China not visited by tourists, to impressive structures in Samarkand and Bukhara. An overland Silk Road adventure can get you to places that no one else can.”
Cherry blossoms and Ger camps
Cherry blossoms & ger camps
Dan Mozley from our suppliers Sundowners Overland on traveling from Japan to Russia by rail and boat:
“Our ‘Grand Trans-Siberian’ journey offers a fantastic and varied overland experience taking in the Trans-Siberian railway, high speed ‘bullet’ trains In Japan and the South Korean ferry from Sakaiminato to Vladivostok. The ferry travels across the Sea of Japan in just over two days, giving you time to relax, take in the air and keep your eyes out for local wildlife while strolling the upper decks. This journey really appeals to anyone looking at taking in cherry blossom in Kyoto (early April) before heading into Russia and Mongolia for a nomadic Ger camp experience in Terelj National Park. A journey of real contrasts.”
In it for the long haul
In it for the long haul
Jess Millett, from our supplier, Tucan Travel, shares her advice on the reality of an overland trip:
“To make the most of an overland tour you need to be very flexible, quite patient, and up for a really good adventure. Due to the very nature of these tours, there’s always a chance that something can go wrong – like a tyre blowing, or a breakdown – so you need to be able to shrug that off and make the most of it. An overland trip is ideal for solo travelers as it’s a very sociable style of travel – you’re mucking in together; you’re cooking together; you’re cleaning together, so there’s a definite community spirit. You’re almost guaranteed to make some really good friends and share some incredible memories.”
Our top Overland Vacation
Denali National Park vacation in Alaska
Experience untouched wilderness off the beaten path
From
US $2090 to US $2140
12 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2020: 14 Jun, 5 Jul, 26 Jul, 16 Aug
2020: 14 Jun, 5 Jul, 26 Jul, 16 Aug
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Overland or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help.
Family advice
Family advice
Jayne Harley, from our supplier, Sunway Safaris, shares her advice on traveling overland from Cape Town to Victoria Falls with kids:
“We don’t get a lot of children on this vacation, but families do travel with us and we welcome kids from 12-18 accompanied by a parent or guardian. It’s an incredible adventure for the kids and one that’s suited to families who have some experience traveling with their children. From 12, kids are old enough to appreciate facilities and environments that might be different to that which they’re used to at home and they’re so adaptable too – they just muck in and find it all part of an amazing adventure.”
Eating on the Trans Siberian
Eating on the Trans Siberian
Dan Mozley from our suppliers Sundowners Overland, on preparing for a Trans Siberian adventure:
“Each train has a restaurant car offering meals, snacks and drinks throughout the day. Cuisine will be customary to the region and vary in price, usually around GBP £6 for two courses and a drink in Russia. Many people choose to bring their own food, such as dried noodles, soups, bread, bottled water, alcohol and snacks. Tea, coffee, and hot water are always available through your cabin attendant ‘Provodnitsa’ and each train cabin is equipped with a Samovar (hot water urn). Trains pause at minor stations along the way, stopping for 5-45 minutes, so you can stretch your legs and purchase provisions from babushkas selling boiled potatoes, eggs, sausages, and meat pasties - local travelers have been known to put on a spread and invite you to join them. Additionally, vendors sporadically come on board selling snacks.”
More about Overland
Jump aboard our overland vacations travel guide to find out all about what this kind of vacation involves, and get ready to unleash the explorer within.
Our exciting guide to the best overland tour routes is stuffed with useful info on what to expect, but don’t forget our helpdesk team can go into much more detail if you need it.
It’s easy to find useful information about the destinations you’ll be visiting, but more difficult to get a feel for one important aspect of overland travel – what it’s like to spend weeks on end in a truck.
Beyond developing trade and the sharing of knowledge and culture between East and West, the Silk Road was responsible for what remain some of Asia’s most beautiful and well-preserved cities, including Samarkand and Kashgar.
This Cairo to Cape Town overland guide introduces you to a bona fide classic, a trip that takes you the length of a vast continent, encompassing over 12,000km.
Southern Africa is an immensely popular region to explore not least because you’ve got several very different countries here that are all remarkable in their own way.
All aboard for a guide to the world’s longest train journey, the Trans Siberian Railway overland tour, connecting Moscow with the Russian Far East.
At first glance, it might seem hard to differentiate between the 12 nations of South America, but an overland tour will highlight their many stunning contrasts.
Mountains, coasts, cloud forests and idyllic islands – the varied and beautiful landscapes of Central America might have been designed for an overland tour.
Our guide to Indochina overland tours explains the intoxicating appeal of four key countries that make up the backbone of most itineraries: Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
All our overland guides. Find all of our overland guides in one place; includes all rail and self-drive vacations as well as trips using a combination of transport; or see our regional overland trips.
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Photo credits: [Page banner: Phil Whitehouse] [Highlights of overlanding: Dragoman]
[Overlanding in South America: Miguel Vieira]
[Trans Siberian family fun: Sundowners Overland]
[The Silk Road overland: Ryan Dunn]
[Cherry blossoms and Ger camps: Sundowners Overland]
[In it for the long haul: Ryan Dunn]
[Family advice: Sundowners Overland]
[Eating on the Trans Siberian: Sundowners Overland]
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