Our top ten unusual combination holidays have been hand-picked to help responsible travellers make the most of their time away. From winter activities and Northern Lights in Finland to biking and barging in Belgium and kayaking and foraging in Sweden; if you’re looking for something slightly off-kilter, right here is where your quest begins.
Now before you start thinking that an unusual holiday combination might be going on safari with your sister-in-law or taking a camping trip with your nan, this top ten has been compiled to point you in the right direction.
These combinations combine classic holiday activities, such as walking, cooking and learning a language, with not so obvious choices, like walking with a donkey or archaeological sightseeing on a bike. Whatever you’re looking to do on holiday, these unusual combinations are guaranteed to get you thinking outside the box and away from the typical tourist trail.
1. Language lessons & walking, Spain
There’s just something about walking that inspires conversation. Maybe it’s because walkers aren’t facing each other or perhaps being outdoors allows minds to wander as free as feet. A holiday that combines Spanish lessons with walking provides ample excuses to test out new skills, or rekindle old ones. Spanish-speaking guides introduce you to mountain walking trails away from the crowds, and who knows, you might return able to pepper your conversation with native wildflower references.
An eight day holiday allows you to expand explorations through snow-covered wilderness on traditional non-polluting modes of transport such as snowshoes, husky-sleds and cross country skis. You’ll also get to hang out with über cool Finnish activity instructors and hosts. These local guys and gals will get you involved from day one with hot tubs, saunas and glasses of glögi creating a warm and cosy winter’s evening as you anticipate the advent of the Aurora Borealis.
From the preserved provincial Roman ruins of Jerash in Jordan to Mycenae, Epidaurus and the ancient city of Eva in the Peloponnese, these two cultural heavyweights have long provided archaeologists with untold excuses to explore the ancient world. Now imagine combining an archaeology tour with cycling. Not only would you be doing your limbs and the environment a favour but you’d also be getting much closer to the key sites and local people. Cycling trip to Petra, anyone?
4. Cooking & walking, French Riviera and Italian Alps
Walking holidays in France and Italy should always include an impromptu alfresco picnic and there’s no finer food to unveil other than the leftovers from last night’s evening meal. Staying with former chefs, meeting local folk and going to farmers’ markets help you understand the farm to fork philosophy that underpins rural life. Learn, laugh and discover the essential ingredients that go into our extra special cooking combos.
Experience the Netherlands and Belgium by bike and barge and you'll instantly be transported to a way of life that's as wonderfully old fashioned as windmills and horse-drawn carriages. Biking and barging is a brilliant way to limit your impact on the environment in between visiting the villages and provincial towns aligning the route from Amsterdam to Bruges via Gouda, Antwerp and Ghent. Get off the typical trail in the company of local folk without disturbing the peaceful waterside ambience.
Set sail around the fjords of Norway and there’s more than a couple of natural phenomenon to keep you up all night. Watching whales and dolphins, including orca, humpbacks and fins, is almost as exciting as catching a glimpse of the Northern Lights. Chances of successful sightings are extremely high, and sailing from Sørkjosen in the winter is the best way to stack odds firmly in your favour.
Yoga and walking fit together like apple strudel and vanilla sauce or flamenco and tapas, which is why Austria and Spain are so highly regarded when it comes to stretching in sublime scenery. Getting to know local instructors, guides and hosts in the East Tyrol Mountains or against a Mediterranean backdrop never fails to rejuvenate the senses. Your visit will also provide a sustainable two way partnership with small communities living in remote rural regions.
Now this is a slightly unusual holiday combination but if you’ve always leaned towards the carrot rather than the stick when it comes to holidays with kids then walking with a donkey might just be the answer to all your ‘how much further?’ needs. Find out more about local French food producers, the countryside, and each other, as you take the reins and stroll between the farmhouses of Ardèche and the Rhône Valley.
For an unusual, and exhilarating, way to explore east Africa, combine your safari game drives with cycling in Kenya and Tanzania. You’ll ride through the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, through coastal forests and villages, on a mix of paved roads and dirt tracks, for between 50 and 100km each day. Forget the 4x4s, two wheels is the ideal way to become closer to the nature, wildlife and culture in two of Africa’s most sensational safari destinations.
Escape into Sweden’s great outdoors as you take to the water by kayak and forage in the forests for seasonal ingredients. As a 6,000 island archipelago, Sweden is an exceptional location for a sea kayaking expedition and spending nights under canvas, wild camping, offers a unique experience for anyone looking to get back to nature. Juniper mayo and buckthorn jams are just the start of things to come on a kayaking and foraging adventure around Sweden’s Saint Anna archipelago.
Our unusual combinations travel guide allows you to undertake different activities that complement each other – walking and yoga, for instance, or cycling and archaeology.
The Picos de Europa region in northern Spain is an area where walking and talking are part of the landscape, so imagine being able to walk with a native Spanish speaker after a morning of Spanish language lessons.
Not only will yoga and walking holidays in Spain and Austria invite you to stretch your legs in sublime scenery but you’ll also be reducing the risk of injury by unwinding tight muscles and increasing flexibility.
First things first, you can’t cycle on sand but you can, however, make the most of the smooth tarmac roads leading to the archaeological sites of Jordan and Greece.
The combination of cycling and sailing takes you to some sublime settings, Montenegro’s Adriatic coast and the islands of the Greek Cyclades, for instance.
Sailing to the lesser-visited Ionian islands of Greece is a remarkably relaxing experience, especially when combined with daily yoga sessions and scenic strolls on dry land.