3 insanely good autumn tours for people who don’t want to be the usual tourist
You know the classic average tourist trip, mostly spent between air-conditioned hotels with Wi-Fi, restaurants serving local menus about as authentic as a Big Mac, and selfies in iconic spots where you spent more time looking for the perfect Instagram angle than actually enjoying the view?
Well, on our tours we offer you the exact opposite of all that.
If mainstream travel makes you sick (you’re in good company, we hate it too) and this autumn you want to plan a trip that’s different from the usual, we’ve got 3 suggestions for you.
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Iceland
Freezing cold, seals, and blue glaciers. What more could you want? (Badum tss).
Iceland is a country where nature has basically decided to do whatever it wants. On one hand, we’ll freeze our asses off in some of the most beautiful glaciers in the world. On the other, the Geysir will spray boiling water right in our faces.
In the middle of all this, we’ll also make a stop in Reykjavik, the capital—a city so clean you could eat sushi off the sidewalk—and we’ll even catch the northern lights, a magnificent spectacle here in Iceland.
And there’s a ton of other extra activities you can choose from, like a quad bike ride through the desert (because yes, Iceland has that too) all the way to the famous plane wreck from the emergency landing in 1973.
Or a tour inside the blue ice caves of Vatnajokull.
So. Damn. Cool.
Jordan
Okay, I know what you’re thinking: the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Jordan is definitely Petra, one of the 7 wonders of the modern world.
And yep, we absolutely go there, crossing that incredible canyon known as the Siq and visiting Indiana Jones’ citadel!
Deadly!
And then there’s the amazing stone city of Dana, maybe less famous than Petra but just as spectacular.
Of course, we can’t miss a visit to the Wadi Rum desert with its alien landscape, perfect for sci-fi movies. And in fact, they filmed Star Wars here.
Then, at the end of our tour, we relax blissfully on the shores of the Dead Sea.
There’s something for everyone: those who are tired from the trip can float in the water or enjoy an aperitif on the beach. Anyone looking for something more can dive among the wrecks and go searching for the Heart of the Ocean (which they won’t find. Because the Titanic is in the Atlantic. And also, that jewel doesn’t exist, guys!).
Ah... I love Jordan!
Cappadocia
A journey into the heart of Turkey, in the most literal sense of the word (Cappadocia is more or less in the center of the country).
Our tour starts in Istanbul.
Yes, I know, “it’s not in Cappadocia” and blah blah blah. I get it.
But once you’re in Turkey, could we really let you miss Hagia Sophia, the Roman Hippodrome (where chariot racing fans used to beat the hell out of each other like “step aside, hooligans”), the Grand Bazaar and all the other amazing stuff in Istanbul? And if you want something different, you’re free to wander through the city’s markets and enjoy Istanbul’s glorious chaos however you like.
Then we head to Cappadocia and that’s where everything else begins. And get ready because it’s going to be insane.
A hot air balloon tour over the Goreme Valley, a one-of-a-kind spectacle in the world.
Quad bike drifting along the trails of Cappadocia until, by the end, adrenaline will be pouring out of your ears.
Horseback rides through the local valleys.
And then a visit to Uchisar Rock Castle (a natural castle carved into the rock), a stop at Devrent Imagination Valley with its fairy chimneys, and then back to Istanbul to see Topkapi Palace and lots more.
And then, and then... And then nothing, we head back to Italy tired but happy.
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In conclusion
Forget five-star hotels, overcrowded resorts, and mainstream attractions: the world has so much more to offer to those who dare to look beyond.
From the wild vastness of Iceland, to the wonders of Jordan, to the magical atmosphere of Cappadocia, every corner is an experience worth having.
This autumn, forget the suitcase, pack your backpack and choose to travel outside the box with Sto Gran Tour.
