Adventure Travel Worldwide
Volunteer-led Excursions Worldwide
AMC Adventure Travel offers domestic and international trips throughout the year. Experienced volunteer leaders create, plan, and lead each excursion, fostering a dynamic and active group environment. Though each trip is unique, all strive to fulfill AMC’s mission of promoting stewardship and appreciation of the natural world.
Experience new places and meet people with a shared passion for the outdoors.
These volunteer-led trips provide opportunities to experience and explore some of the most spectacular places across the U.S. and around the globe.
FAQs
Why choose AMC Adventure Travel trips versus those offered by others?
Each trip is individually conceived and run by the trip leader who is passionate about creating a great experience for an active traveler. Trips are run on a non-profit basis, keeping the initial trip price low. All participant money not spent on the trip is returned to the participant(s).
What types of trips are there?
Adventure Travel takes you to locations both within the United States and to other continents. We travel to national parks in the U.S. like Yosemite and Death Valley, and also travel internationally to countries like Australia, New Zealand, Italy, South Africa, Japan, Ireland, England, and many more. We offer hiking, trekking, cycling, kayaking/canoeing, skiing, walking tours and cultural excursions. The level of effort varies from moderate to strenuous. Many of the trips also include a cultural or environmental component.
What are the volunteer trip leaders like?
All are fully qualified AMC chapter trip leaders who have, in addition, undergone substantial additional instruction and training before being allowed to lead adventure travel trips. All have Wilderness First Aid and CPR certification.
What is the typical group size?
One of the benefits of traveling with AMC is the small group sizes. A typical trip will have a leader and an associate leader and 10-16 participants.
Who are your fellow trip participants?
Our trips are open to all! Our participants share a passion and enthusiasm for outdoor recreation. Each trip is made up of a diverse group of people of different ages, backgrounds, nationalities, and genders. The typical age range is 55-70 years old although we often have people younger and older on trips.
How long has the AMC been running Adventure Travel trips?
Adventure Travel has been running trips for over 40 years.
How can I learn about the latest trips?
Sign up for our quarterly e-newsletter! The sign up form is located at the bottom of this page.
Can I speak with someone to get more information about the travel program?
Yes. Please contact our Adventure Travel Program Senior Manager at [email protected] or (617)-391-6587
Is travel insurance included?
All of our trip participants are provided with Medical & Evacuation insurance for the duration of the trip. We also encourage participants to purchase additional optional travel insurance to insure themselves against losing the investment you’ve made in your trip. This optional insurance can cover things like trip cancellation, trip interruption, travel delays, baggage loss, medical expenses, and medical evacuation.
What happens if I need to cancel?
Cancellation policies vary by trip. Depending on the date you cancel, you may receive a full refund, partial refund, or no refund. We strongly recommend that you purchase travel insurance. To purchase a policy, go to RoamRight.
Do trips include airfare?
Most of our trips do not include airfare to/from the destination, either international or domestic. There will be an estimated airfare listed. Some do include airfare which is clearly outlined in the trip cost.
How do I apply for a trip?
You apply for a specific trip by contacting that leader directly from their trip listing. All trip listings contain the leader and, if applicable, the associate leader’s name and contact information. The leader will be able to provide the application materials and answer questions about the specific trip.
How fit do I need to be?
All trips have some level of physical activity but the level of activity varies greatly from trip to trip. The trip prospectus will provide you with an idea of the activity level and the expected fitness level of the participants. The leader of the trip can answer more specifically for an individual trip.
What if I have specific dietary restrictions?
We will do our best to accommodate trip participants with dietary restrictions. Since our trips run all over the world, often in remote locations, some dietary requests are difficult to accommodate. Please speak with the trip leader for your specific trip about any dietary needs/requests.
Can I speak with someone to get more information about trips?
Yes. Please contact the trip leader directly with your questions or to learn more information about a specific trip.
What are the terms and conditions for Adventure Travel trips?
By booking a trip with us, you agree with the following terms and conditions.
How are the trips rated?
Adventure Travel Trips are rating according to AMC’s activity rating system.
What Basic Medical and Emergency Evacuation Insurance is included in your trip fee?
The Emergency Evacuation with Family Travel benefit and Accident Medical Expense benefit may provide insurance coverage for eligible expenses incurred during the trip for a covered injury or for an emergency evacuation due to a covered injury or sickness. Coverage is available for the trip dates as listed in the trip prospectus.
What are the benefits of the Basic Medical and Emergency Evacuation Insurance?
Accidental Medical Expense Benefit, $5,000 (Maximum Amount) Emergency Evacuation with Family Travel Benefit, $200,000 (Maximum Amount) Emergency Sickness Medical Expense Benefit, $5,000 (Maximum Amount) Accidental Death and Dismemberment, $5,000 (Maximum Amount)
The Global Travel Assistance Services is available to our trip participants, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in an emergency. They are available during the trip to assist in finding appropriate medical care or by making arrangements for evacuation and travel home, helping participants get in touch with family members at home, and providing translation services when necessary.
View policy details here.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Coverage under the Policy does not constitute comprehensive health insurance coverage (a/k/a “major medical insurance”). It therefore does not satisfy the “minimum essential coverage” requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This is only a brief description of the coverage(s) available under policy series C11695DBG-MA. The Policy contains reductions, limitations, exclusions, definitions and termination provisions. Full details of the coverage are contained in the Policy. If there are any conflicts between this document and the Policy, the Policy shall govern. Insurance underwritten by National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, Pa., a Pennsylvania insurance company, with its principal place of business at 175 Water Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10038. It is currently authorized to transact business in all states and the District of Columbia. NAIC No. 19445.
Can I purchase optional travel insurance?
Yes, optional travel insurance can be purchased for additional cost. For participants interested in purchasing additional travel insurance coverage; we offer RoamRight Pro Plus, On Trip Plus or CancelFlex plan trip insurance to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected. Travel protection plans include trip cancellation, cancel for work reason*, cancel for any reason*, trip interruption, emergency medical and emergency evacuation/repatriation, trip delay, baggage delay and a waiver of the pre-existing medical condition exclusion*, and more. Purchasing a RoamRight policy for your trip will provide you with additional coverage in case you have travel difficulties or are unable to participate in the trip due to a covered reason such as illness or injury. To learn more about these plans, get a quote or to purchase a policy; go to RoamRight.
*For coverage, plan must be purchased within time sensitive period.
The above information is a broad overview of your policy provisions and does not revise or amend the policy. Insurance coverages are underwritten by Arch Insurance Company, NAIC #11150, under policy series LTP 2013 and amendments thereto. Plans are offered and disseminated by registered travel retailers on behalf of Arch Insurance Solutions Inc., a licensed travel insurance producer* ( CA License #0118111, TX License #1787195). Both the travel insurance producer and the underwriter referenced above may be reached at [866-891-6614]. Your policy is the contract that specifically and fully describes your coverage. Certain terms, conditions, restrictions and exclusions apply, and coverages may vary in certain states. Please refer to your policy for detailed terms and conditions. Consumer Disclosures can be found: https://partner.roamright.com/disclosures. Privacy policy can be found at: https://www.archinsurancesolutions.com/documents/ArchPrivacyNotice.pdf Plans are solicited by licensed producers in NY and HI.
What are the benefits of becoming a leader with the AMC Adventure Travel program?
The benefits of becoming an AMC-AT leader are plentiful. First, the program allows you to build on your current chapter leadership skills and challenges you to create a unique experience for yourself and other AMC members. It allows you to discover new locations with a group of people with similar interests or to revisit some old favorites from a different perspective. The program is designed to subsidize most (or all) of your costs related to the excursion through a careful budgeting process.
How to Apply to be a Leader?
If you are interested in continuing your leader journey and applying to be an Adventure Travel Associate Leader, please contact the Leadership and Training Chair, Beth Zimmer, [email protected]. She will share the application form with you and will walk you through the prerequisites and application process.
What are the prerequisites for becoming an Adventure Travel Leader?
The pathway to becoming an Adventure Travel Associate Leader begins with completing some prerequisites at your local chapter level and completing our AT Trainee weekend which is typically held in March of each year.
Summary of pre-requisites that must be completed before attending the AT training weekend:
- Have been an active AMC leader at the chapter level for a minimum of one year with recent experience planning, screening and leading trips, etc.
- Have led/co-led a minimum of two (2) overnight/weekend chapter trips over the past several years
- Provide one written reference and the names of two additional references
- Conduct one chapter-level surveyed trip with a minimum 3-day/2-night duration with satisfactory results.
Additional pre-requisite to become an AT Associate Leader:
- Complete the AMC Adventure Travel training weekend held annually.
What do you learn in this leadership training that is different from the Chapter leadership training?
The AMC-AT leadership training focuses much more in-depth on logistics, budgeting, and developing skills to deal with group dynamics over a longer period. It builds on your current leadership skills and knowledge of the AMC, its policies, and procedures. Topics covered include travel logistics, budgeting and reporting, application procedures, risk management, screening, marketing, and group dynamics.
When is the next leadership training?
Our next training will be held on March 13-15, 2026 at Prindle Pond Conference Center in Charlton, MA. We hold our training once a year, typically in March. Our training weekend generally begins Friday at 5 PM and runs through late Sunday afternoon. We can accept from 6-10 applicants, with priority given to those furthest along in their leadership journey. For questions or more information, please contact Beth Zimmer, Training and Leadership Chair, at [email protected].