Overland truck tours
Most overland tours use a self sufficient expedition truck to get around, fully equipped with everything needed to get you from A to B in comfort and safety. These are rugged, durable vehicles built to cope with travel both on- and off-road.
You’ll travel in relative comfort, with plenty of leg room and seats that are forward facing and raised for good views. If you’re going to be wild camping, then everything you need will be carried with you, including sturdy tents, cookery equipment and a water tank. Each truck will also be equipped with an emergency medical kit and a fridge. Crew are meticulously trained, and have mechanical knowledge to deal with any minor engine problems.
You’ll travel in relative comfort, with plenty of leg room and seats that are forward facing and raised for good views. If you’re going to be wild camping, then everything you need will be carried with you, including sturdy tents, cookery equipment and a water tank. Each truck will also be equipped with an emergency medical kit and a fridge. Crew are meticulously trained, and have mechanical knowledge to deal with any minor engine problems.
Our Overland Holidays
La Paz to Buenos Aires overland truck tour
Overland from the Altiplano to Argentina's grasslands
From
£800 to £1130
21 days
ex flights
Cairo to Cape Town overland tour
Safaris, beaches, pyramids and rafting
From
£3695
16 weeks
ex flights
Istanbul to Ulaanbaatar Silk route tour by overland truck
Overland the entire Silk Road and then head up to Mongolia
From
£6692 to £6708
120 days
ex flights
Nairobi to Harare overland tour, 41 days
From mountain gorillas to blue waters of Zanzibar
From
£1445
41 days
ex flights
Silk Road overland truck tour
Overland through Central Asia's highlights
From
£1704 to £2335
30 days
ex flights
Nairobi and Cape Town African overland truck tour
The best of Eastern and Southern Africa overland
From
£3332 to £4490
71 days
ex flights
Silk Road overland tour, Tashkent to Bishkek
Explore the mountainous overlanding paradise of Kyrgyzstan
From
£848 to £1120
16 days
ex flights
Silk route, Bishkek to Beijing tour by overland truck
Overland across the length of China!
From
£2532 to £3445
43 days
ex flights
Silk Road overland tour, Istanbul to Beijing
Travel the entire length of the Silk Road overland!
From
£5464 to £5472
96 days
ex flights
Buenos Aires to Rio De Janeiro overland truck tour
A classic South American trip in Argentina and Brazil
From
£716 to £1070
19 days
ex flights
Ethiopia to Kenya overland truck tour
Overland through Ethiopia's remarkable tribal lands
From
£1296 to £1655
24 days
ex flights
Lima to Rio tour by overland truck
An epic overland expedition across South America
From
£2452 to £3495
60 days
ex flights
Laos, Cambodia and Thailand overland truck tour
Overland through this stunning part of South East Asia
From
£1128 to £1480
18 days
ex flights
India & Nepal overland truck tour, Kathmandu to Delhi
Overland through northern India
From
£680 to £1000
16 days
ex flights
Nairobi to Cairo overland tour
An expedition through the heart of Africa
From
£2475
9 weeks
ex flights
Southern Africa overland tour
Experience South Africa on this adventure overland tour
From
£1351 to £1799
17 days
ex flights
Beijing to Bangkok overland truck tour in Asia
Bangkok to Beijing overland via Laos
From
£3824 to £5100
62 days
ex flights
Turkmenistan to Georgia overland tour, 24 days
Overland adventure through Armenia, Georgia, Iran and Turkmenistan
From
£1295
24 days
ex flights
Nairobi to Dar-Es-Salaam overland tour
From mountain gorillas to blue waters of Zanzibar
From
£1285
33 days
ex flights
Cairo to Cape Town overland truck tour, the Nile route
Explore the length of Africa on this epic overland journey
From
£7392 to £7504
142 days
ex flights
Patagonia overland truck tour, South America
From the Chilean Fjords to the Magellan Straits
From
£1184 to £1560
23 days
ex flights
Victoria Falls to Cape Town overland truck tour
A classic overland route through Southern Africa
From
£1104 to £1450
24 days
ex flights
Northern Pakistan overland tour
Visit this little travelled area of Northern Pakistan
From
£2545
21 days
ex flights
Annapurna and Chitwan overland truck tour in Nepal
An enchanting trip through Nepal's less-visited highlights
From
£564 to £805
13 days
ex flights
Istanbul to Ashgabat overland tour
Overland adventure through Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Iran, Turkmenistan
From
£2075
44 days
ex flights
West Africa tours, Ghana Togo & Benin
Explore West Africa's highlights overland
From
£1008 to £1300
21 days
ex flights
Quito to Cartagena, Colombia overland truck tour
Experience the wonders of Colombia and Ecuador overland
From
£728 to £980
19 days
ex flights
Ethiopia tour by overland truck
A pioneering expedition through Ethiopia's incredible north
From
£1160 to £1555
21 days
ex flights
Burma & Yunnan China tour by overland truck
Explore China, Myanmar and Thailand overland
From
£2216
28 days
ex flights
Silk Road highlights tour
Discover ancient cities, steeped in history and legend
From
£1125
20 days
ex flights
What to pack
What to pack
Packing lightly in a soft bag is highly recommended, as space is limited, but since everybody will be wearing the same things day-in, day-out, only having a few shirts to choose from is nothing to worry about. Probably the most important thing to bring is your patience. You’ll be sharing a confined space for several hours most days, sometimes facing delays. These trips are designed to bring out the sociable side in everyone, and you’ll find you’re all on first name terms by the end of day one.
Cooking & eating
Cooking & eating
Most dietary requirements can be catered for with enough advance notice. A truckload of people may be divided into small groups that take turns preparing meals, so if you are a vegetarian for instance, you can be assigned to a group that doesn’t handle meat.
The kitty
The kitty
Maintaining a kitty is an integral part of many overland trips. It provides flexibility and best value for group expenses, with the crew running the fund, and is paid separately from the tour price. It generally covers everything that the group does while on the ground, including some accommodation such as local hotel and campsite fees, meals whilst camping (but not in restaurants), and some activities that cannot be paid for in advance.
In it together
In it together
Don’t be under the impression that you’ll be spending most of your time in the truck. Rest stops and activities are regular. On travel days you can expect to be in your seat for around 6-7 hours but time flies chatting with fellow travellers, playing cards or just absorbing the scenery. If you’re only doing a section of a longer route then you may be joining an established group. Expect to be heartily welcomed aboard and shown the ropes – there’s no room for cliques on this kind of trip, you’re all in it together.
Choosing the right tour
Choosing the right tour
There is huge variety in overland tours, and given the cost involved, as well as the amount of time you’ll be travelling for, you should choose carefully to ensure the trip is right for you. Factors you’ll want to consider are likely weather conditions, medical requirements, the altitude and terrain, the cuisine, and any particular activities you want to do. You may start your research thinking the Trans Mongolian Railway would be perfect, only to find yourself drawn to a six-week overland tour through Indochina.
Our top Overland Holiday
La Paz to Buenos Aires overland truck tour
Overland from the Altiplano to Argentina's grasslands
From
£800 to £1130
21 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2018: 4 Nov
2019: 22 Jan, 11 Apr, 23 May, 16 Jun, 26 Jun, 28 Aug, 25 Oct
2020: 14 Jan, 19 Apr, 24 Jun, 7 Jul, 11 Aug
2021: 5 Jan, 12 Mar, 9 May, 2 Jun, 23 Jun
2018: 4 Nov
2019: 22 Jan, 11 Apr, 23 May, 16 Jun, 26 Jun, 28 Aug, 25 Oct
2020: 14 Jan, 19 Apr, 24 Jun, 7 Jul, 11 Aug
2021: 5 Jan, 12 Mar, 9 May, 2 Jun, 23 Jun
Helpdesk
Hello. If you'd like to chat about Overland or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help. Rosy & team.
Best value
Best value
Michael Battley from our supplier Dragoman unpacks the specifics of life on the road:
“The kitty system is unique to overlanding and provides maximum flexibility and best value on the road - you can see exactly what is being paid for, you get everything at cost price, it keeps costs competitive by leveraging group expenses and saves on administrative costs. The fund is run by the Dragoman crew, and any excess left over at the end is returned equally to the group.”
Keep on trucking
Keep on trucking
“Dragoman's fleet is truly unique. We use Mercedes-Benz trucks (known for their durability) and specially build and modify them at our Suffolk workshop into our carefully designed overland vehicles. They are rugged, sturdy and comfortable. They will get you off the beaten track and are fully equipped for self sufficient wild camping. The comfort comes inside with coach style seating, plenty of leg room, two tables, a library, fridge, safe, open access cabins to the crew and storage for bags and personal belongings. On the outside we also have a water tank for drinking water. All the trucks are owned and maintained by us, while the crew is mechanically trained and follows a strict maintenance schedule.”
Community benefits
Community benefits
“Every Dragoman trip will have our two crew who are extensively trained over eight weeks at our HQ in Suffolk and then on the road for two months. For a large number of our trips we will also recruit local guides, either be for the whole country or just specific sites. This is always carefully monitored by our operations team to make sure the guides are up to the job and we use them to make sure we are doing the best for the local communities. An example is our Wild Andes trek, a route that changes seasonally to ensure we don't overwhelm one area.”
More about Overland
Jump aboard our overland holidays travel guide to find out all about what this kind of holiday 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.
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.
Will my kids enjoy an overland holiday? What if I can only take a few weeks off work? Where are the best places to take an overland tour? All these questions and more are answered by the experts.
Why book with Responsible Travel
Photo credits: [Page banner: Phil Whitehouse] [Intro: Dragoman]
[What to pack: Ryan Dunn]
[Cooking and eating: Dragoman]
[The Kitty: Dragoman]
[In it together: Dragoman]
[Choosing the right tour: Bernt Rostad]
[Best value: Dragoman]
[Keep on trucking: Dragoman]
[Community benefits: AHLN]
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