Everyone wants to go to the Dolomites lately.

I get a version of the same request every few weeks: "We want to actually do something on our trip next summer—we want to be active. But we're not camping." Good. Neither am I!

‍Active travel has grown up. You can walk the Inca Trail and sleep in a Belmond hotel. You can bike the Danube off a river cruise ship that carries your gear, your bed, and your nightly dinner reservation. And you can hike the Swiss alps every day but come home to a different 5 star hotel every night. The trick is knowing which operators, ships, and lodges deliver on both halves of the “active but luxury” promise. That's what I do.

Here are some of my personal favorite active adventures and where I'm sending clients over the next twelve months.

Avalon Active & Discovery river cruises

Avalon's Active & Discovery sailings on the Danube, Rhine, Moselle, and Seine are what I recommend when one person in a couple wants to hike and bike every morning and the other wants to be on the sun deck with a book or go on a food tour. Both people get their way! With Avalon’s Active & Discover river cruises, bike rides, kayaking on the Danube, even hikes up to castle ruins are built into the daily program at no extra cost, and there's always at least one gentler option in the same port.

Cabin choice matters more than people think. On Avalon, I put clients in Panorama Suites on the upper decks: the entire wall opens up, and the bed faces the river, not the hallway. Book early and the best cabins are still available.

Last year, I sailed France on an Avalon Active & Discovery cruise and I LOVED it.

If you're weighing Avalon against AmaWaterways (which also runs excellent guided hikes and bike tours off the ship), I can tell you frankly which one fits you best. Book a vacation consultation and we'll sort it out in twenty minutes.

Backroads, of course

Backroads is the benchmark for guided biking and walking trips, and their Dolce Tempo departures (the slower-paced ones) are what I recommend to first-timers. Two guides, a support van that carries everything, and lovely hotels: Rosa Alpina in the Dolomites, Château hotels in the Loire, Belmond in Sicily. Trips to the Dolomites, Tuscany, and Provence book out nine to twelve months ahead. If you want a private departure for just your group, that's very doable, and honestly the way to go for family and friend groups.

Peru: 5-star Machu Picchu

‍There are three ways in, and most people only hear about one.

The classic four-day Inca Trail is the real thing, and permits are capped, so this is a book-a-year-out trip. The Salkantay route is harder, higher, and less crowded. And for those who want the citadel without the tent, the Belmond Hiram Bingham train from the Sacred Valley is one of the great rail journeys anywhere. Plus the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge is the only hotel at the gates of Machu Picchu, which means you're inside before the day-trippers arrive.

My preferred itinerary: acclimatize at Explora Valle Sagrado or Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba, then hike, then two nights in Cusco at Palacio Nazarenas or Monasterio. Belmond properties are Virtuoso — plus I’m a Belmond Bellini Club agent — so my clients get daily breakfast, a room upgrade when available, early check-in and late check-out, and a property credit. And Lima is the best food city in South America, so build in a night there.

This could be you, hiking in the mountains above Gstaad

Switzerland: Hiking with a five-star bed

‍This is my home turf. Switzerland has thousands of miles of marked trails, and the genius of it is that the trail starts at the hotel door. You don't need to move to a hiking lodge. You stay at The Alpina Gstaad, Badrutt's Palace in St. Moritz, or Riffelalp Resort above Zermatt, and walk out.

The yellow-marked trails are gentle and stunning. The red-and-white ones are where it gets serious, and if you want to do those, I'll arrange a private mountain guide so you're not doing it alone. For more about Switzerland, check out my recent trip reports.

The Alpina Gstaad and Badrutt's Palace are both Virtuoso, which means daily breakfast, a room upgrade when available, and a hotel credit on top of whatever else I can arrange. I also set up private drivers between regions so you can skip the train connections on the days your legs are done. Talk to me about a Switzerland itinerary.

Hanging out with tortoises in the Galapagos

The Galapagos: Snorkeling, hiking, and the best wildlife on earth

The Galapagos is not a beach trip. It's up early, hiking volcanic islands, snorkeling with sea lions and sea turtles, kayaking, and back on the boat by lunch. It is, for my money, the most active "cruise" you can take.

The ship matters. Silversea is what I recommend for clients who want real luxury: all-suite, excellent naturalists, small enough to get into the good landing sites, and Champagne and caviar at the end of each day. For those who want a more educational experience, National Geographic Lindblad Expeditions is where it’s at. (Check out my trip report from earlier this year for more on Lindblad in the Galapagos.) For a land-based alternative, Pikaia Lodge on Santa Cruz runs its own yacht for day trips. Either way, you'll want a night in Quito or Guayaquil on each end, and I arrange VIP airport arrival and departure so the connections are painless.

Costa Rica: Volcanoes, rainforest, and surf

Costa Rica is the easiest active trip on this list from the East Coast: direct flights, no jet lag, and you can hike a volcano, zip-line through cloud forest, raft a river, and surf a Pacific beach in one week.

The pairing I build most often: Nayara Tented Camp at Arenal (private plunge pools, sloths in the trees, and the volcano out the window) followed by Four Seasons Peninsula Papagayo on the coast. I am a Four Seasons Preferred Partner, which means my clients get daily breakfast, a $100 resort credit, and a room upgrade when available. A private driver between the two properties is a must; the roads are not where you want to be figuring things out.

A Greek Islands yacht charter, the calm way

Everyone pictures Mykonos and Santorini when they think of sailing Greece. Those are the Cyclades, and here's what the brochures don't say: the Cyclades are windy. The meltemi blows hard through July and August, the crossings are rough, and more than one client has told me they spent a day on a beautiful boat feeling ill.

The Ionian islands are the answer. Corfu, Kefalonia, Zakynthos, Paxos, Antipaxos, Lefkada, and Ithaca, sit on the calm western side of Greece, with short hops between islands, green hillsides instead of bare rock, and water that's flat enough for the whole family to swim off the back of the boat every afternoon. Fiskardo on Kefalonia and the little harbor on Paxos are as pretty as anything in the Cyclades, without the crowds or the ferry chaos. Endless hiking and outdoor activities.

I charter crewed catamarans and motor yachts out of Corfu or Lefkada with a captain and a chef, and I handle the pre- and post-charter nights. In Athens that's the Four Seasons Astir Palace, where my Four Seasons Preferred Partner perks apply. Let's talk about a week in the Ionian islands.

More ideas, if none of the above is quite it

The Dolomites for hut-to-hut hiking with Rosa Alpina as base camp. (Just understand that with hut-to-hut, accommodations are basic and you are sharing a bathroom with strangers.) Antarctica on an expedition ship (Silversea Endeavour or Seabourn Venture) with kayaking, zodiac landings, and a submarine. Patagonia at Explora or Awasi, where the guides are included and the lodges are the point. Japan's Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trail with ryokan stays and kaiseki dinners. Cycling Portugal's Douro Valley, then boarding a river ship to sail the same valley you just rode. A walking safari in Zambia for people who want Africa on foot.

‍Every one of these is something I plan privately, built around your pace and your idea of a good day.

Wherever you land, I do the vetting: the operator, the ship, the guide, the hotel, the driver, and the airport meet-and-greet at both ends. You just show up ready to walk.

Book a free consultation.

About Krista

I’m a Virtuoso travel advisor based in Palm Beach, Florida. I attended the University of Notre Dame for undergrad and I have my MBA from the University of Chicago. Before building my travel business, I spent 20 years in the investment management industry and over a decade living and working in London, England. I’ve personally traveled to 80+ countries and now design thoughtful, highly customized trips for travelers who value expertise, access, and a seamless experience.

I offer a complimentary 30-minute consultation for travelers considering a custom itinerary or luxury cruise. Book a complimentary vacation consultation here.

For travel inspiration and real-time updates, you can follow along on Instagram or connect with me on Facebook. I also share a curated list of travel products I genuinely use and recommend in my online Amazon store.

What I Offer…

Custom itinerary design for complex, multi-stop trips
VIP hotel benefits through Virtuoso and preferred partner programs (including complimentary breakfast, hotel credits, and priority for upgrades where available)
Luxury ocean, river, and expedition cruises with added onboard credits
Vetted villa rentals with concierge services worldwide
Private guides, small-group touring, and unique local experiences
Private aviation and yacht charters through trusted partners
Airport transfers, VIP arrival and departure services, and full ground logistics
Travel protection and support when plans change

I work best with travelers who want expert planning, trusted partnerships, and someone in their corner from start to finish. That’s what I am best at! Ready to talk travel? Book a complimentary vacation consultation here.

Active Vacations, Done the Luxury Way