9 romantic trips for lovers of adventure

From epic desert landscapes to intimate wildlife encounters, these trips are tailormade to capture the romance of adventure travel and provide plenty of memorable romantic moments

5 mins

1: Bask in the glow of Iceland’s Northern Lights

Couple admiring the Northern Lights (Dreamstime)

Couple admiring the Northern Lights (Dreamstime)

Embrace the best of Iceland on this four-day romantic mini-break, where you’ll be pampered body and soul, and hopefully treated to a spectacular display or two by the surreally beautiful Northern Lights.

After collecting your hire car at the airport, you’ll make your way to your room at the luxurious log-cabin-style Hotel Ranga in southern Iceland. Here, a world of adventure awaits with optional helicopter tours, snowmobiling or Super Jeep safari to see glaciers, geysers, waterfalls and mountains along the dramatic south coast.

Alternatively, you can simply relax in the hotel's outdoor hot tubs and spot the Northern Lights swirling overhead.

Trip: Romantic Iceland and The Northern Lights

Who: Wexas Travel

When: Daily until April 30

How long: 4 days

How much: From £680 (inc. airfares)

2: Safari sunsets and sugar white sands

Your deckchair awaits in Zanzibar (Dreamstime)

Your deckchair awaits in Zanzibar (Dreamstime)

Fulfil your ‘Out of Africa’ fantasies with this tailor-made tour that combines a luxurious eight-day safari in some of the world's most famous parks with a few magical nights on the exotic island of Zanzibar.

Each trip is bespoke, designed especially for you and your special travel partner. Highlights include game drives in the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Manyara National Parks, spending time with the Hadzabe Tribe and downtime on the sugar white sand beach in Nungwi in Zanzibar.

Trip: Romantic Getaway - Safari and Zanzibar

Who: Travel Local

When: Flexible dates throughout the year

How long: 13 days

How much: From £2,880 (exc. flights)

3: Discover the romance of rail on the Orient Express

All aboard the Orient Express (Dreamstime)

All aboard the Orient Express (Dreamstime)

The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express remains the journey of a lifetime. Its rich heritage, stunning interiors and world class food has enamoured travellers the world over, and this journey between London and Venice continues capture the imagination.

After being escorted to your cabin, you’re free to change for dinner or to visit the bar car for a choice of aperitif. Enjoy a four-course dinner, drinks and the sound of the baby grand piano while your carriage is transformed into a bedroom.

You’ll wake to the scenery of the magnificent Swiss Alps and enjoy a continental breakfast in your carriage as Austria speeds by. A three-course lunch is served while crossing into Italy, leaving time afterwards to browse the boutique as you pass through the beauty of the Italian Dolomites. Tea is taken as you cross the Venetian Lagoon, arriving in Venice refreshed and indulged.

Trip: Venice Simplon Orient Express

Who: Wexas Travel

When: Selected dates Mar-Nov

How long: 4 days

How much: From £2895 (inc. flight back to London)

4: Get romantic in Rio

On a beach in Rio (Dreamstime)

On a beach in Rio (Dreamstime)

Brazil is one of Latin America's most vibrant and romantic countries, and Rio its sexiest city. You’ll experience it all on this tailored tour, from the sexy sands of Ipanema to the cobbled streets and colonial charm of Pelourinho in Salvador.

After a busy first few days in Brazil, you certainly will have earned a few days of pure indulgence and relaxation, and what better place to do it at the remote and unspoiled Marau Peninsula? Here, you’ll stay in a small eco resort set within pristine rainforest, with deserted beaches, natural swimming pools and mangroves.

Trip: Romantic Rio, Salvador & Eco Beach Resort

Who: Rainbow Tours

When: Flexible dates throughout the year

How long: 13 days

How much: From £4,360

5: Wild encounters in Borneo

An intimate encounter (Dreamstime)

An intimate encounter (Dreamstime)

Start your epic Borneo adventure as you mean to end it, at Gaya Island, a coral island just off the coast near Kota Kinabalu. Here, you can relax and snorkel in the surrounding Marine National Park, before heading to the mainland for wildlife encounters you will never forget.

You’ll see first-hand the amazing conservation work being done at Sepilok Orang-utan Sanctuary before heading to the head to Danum Valley Conservation Area where you will explore primary rainforest and conquer the breathtaking canopy walk.

Finally, it’s back to the beach for three days at one of Borneo’s finest beach resorts.

Trip: Borneo Rainforest and Beach

Who: Selective Asia

When: Flexible dates throughout the year

How long: 10 days

How much: From £1,695 (exc. international flights)

6: Magical Musandam moments in Oman

Beehive tombs in Oman (Dreamstime)

Beehive tombs in Oman (Dreamstime)

Musandam is a geographic oddity, an enclave of Omani territory surrounded by the UAE, thrust into the Strait of Hormuz. It is a place of steep mountains, remote villages and sinuous fjords, cut off from the rest of the world and unlike anywhere else on it.

The 21st Century intrudes only in the guise of luxury beach retreats, where you will be pampered each evening after a day of intrepid exploration. 

Musandam is the perfect place to enjoy an Omani adventure and truly get away from it all.

Trip: Oman: Musandam Moments

Who: Holiday Architects

When: Flexible dates throughout the year

How long: 12 days

How much: From £1,925

7: Follow your heart in Burma

Hot air balloon over Bagan (Dreamstime)

Hot air balloon over Bagan (Dreamstime)

Experience Burma with an unforgettable romantic experience: a champagne balloon ride over the pagodas of Bagan, a charming night at Kalaw, a former British hillstation, and an indulgent stay at Ngapali Beach where the waters are clear, the locals friendly and snorkelling an absolute delight.

This Burmese odyssey is designed to take you to the heart of this beguiling country. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to spend time in the local markets, explore the hidden corners of forgotten monasteries and temples, and visit local communities. You’ll see all of the sights and get a glimpse into this country’s mysterious soul.

Trip: Relaxing Burma

Who: Holiday Architects

When: Flexible dates throughout the year

How long: 14 days

How much: From £2,400 (exc. international flights)

8: Soak up the silence in a Jordanian desert

Soaking up the grandeur of Wadi Rum (Dreamstime)

Soaking up the grandeur of Wadi Rum (Dreamstime)

Cue the soundtrack to Lawrence of Arabia and gaze off thoughtfully into the distance, as you get ready for a desert adventure of a lifetime. With its epic desert landscapes, deserted rose-red cities and ancient Roman ruins, Jordan is a land for true romantics.

This journey through Jordan will introduce you to all the country has to offer, from the Crusdader castle at Kerak to the ancient lost city of Petra and Roman ruins at Jerash.  There’s even the opportunity to enjoy a unique spa treatment at a Dead Sea resort where you’ll emerge scrubbed, invigorated and rejuvenated.

It is your time in Wadi Rum, however, that will linger longest in your memory, with vast canyons, rock bridges and jaw-dropping landscapes, not to mention romantic evenings spent under a blanket of stars.

Trip: Jordan's Natural Beauty

Who: Holiday Architects

When: Flexible dates throughout the year

How long: 13 days

How much: From £2,260

9: Indulge yourself in Costa Rica

Sunset in Costa Rica (Dreamstime)

Sunset in Costa Rica (Dreamstime)

This 11-day tailor-made tour takes in some of Costa Rica's hottest wildlife spots along with some of its finest hotels. Each hotel meets Costa Rica’s stringent Certification of Sustainable Tourism, so you can rest assured that you’re doing your bit for the planet as well.

You’ll experience everything Costa Rica has to offer, including its unique wildlife, untouched nature reserves and glorious beaches, and relax in impressive hotels, like Lapa Rios Ecolodge, rated the Top Hotel in Central America, and El Silencio Lodge, an eco-luxury hotel surrounded by the most diverse and accessible cloud forest in Central America.

Trip: Luxury Costa Rica

Who: Wexas Travel

When: Flexible dates throughout the year

How long: 10 days

How much: From £4,245 (inc. flights)

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