Travel Writer Lori Rackl joined our 2025 Georgia & the Caucasus Mountains Hiking Adventure — and her story has since been picked up by the Tribune News Wire Service and published in papers across the country. With her permission, we’re sharing an overview of what she experienced, in her own words and ours. When Lori Continue Reading →
Category: Hiking & Trekking
The Spontaneous Traveler’s Shortlist
There’s a particular kind of traveler we love; those who seek out spontaneous travel. They’re not the ones who plan eighteen months out, research every hotel, and build a spreadsheet of packing lists. They’re the ones who see an intriguing opportunity, look at their calendar, and think: I could actually make this work—and they do! Continue Reading →
Small Groups. Big Moments: What a Zephyr Day Feels Like
If you’ve been saying “someday,” consider this your gentle nudge. Zephyr trips aren’t about proving anything — they’re about feeling brilliantly alive in beautiful places, with a small group that somehow never feels “groupy.” Here’s what a real day can feel like. Morning: The World Before the Crowds You wake up knowing that someone else Continue Reading →
“I Don’t Like Group Tours”… Until You Try One Like This
If you’ve ever said, “Group tours aren’t for me,” you’re not alone. When many travelers picture a group tour, they imagine rigid schedules, crowded buses, strangers they have nothing in common with, and a guide waving a tiny flag while everyone is shuffled from place to place. That’s not what we do at Zephyr Adventures. Continue Reading →
Apennine Mountains: The Trip Most Travelers Don’t Know They’re Missing
Why Hiking Italy’s Apennine Mountains Is the Destination Travelers Don’t Know They’re Missing When people dream of Italy, they usually picture Florence, Rome, or the Amalfi Coast. Iconic places, without question — and often crowded, fast-paced, and familiar. But there’s another Italy.A quieter Italy.One best discovered slowly, on foot, along historic mountain paths where daily Continue Reading →
Southwest Parks Hiking: Three Iconic Parks, One Unforgettable Journey
Imagine trading your everyday scenery for towering sandstone cliffs, winding slot canyons, and some of the most jaw-dropping views in the world. Our Southwest Parks Hiking Adventure is the chance to experience three of the country’s most iconic national parks: Zion, Bryce Canyon, and the Grand Canyon. But that’s not all! You’ll also uncover hidden Continue Reading →
Where are the Apennine Mountains?
Where are the Apennine Mountains? That is a question to which most Americans do not know the answer. Almost No Tourists We recently ran our first tour in the Apennine Mountains, a seven-day hiking adventure. From the moment we left our meeting city to the point we reached our final destination, we saw only two Continue Reading →
7 Days of Hiking Bliss in Portugal: From Sintra’s Palaces to Algarve’s Beaches
Portugal surprised me in all the best ways. On a recent scouting trip for our upcoming Portugal hiking tour, I was blown away by the country’s natural beauty, warm hospitality, and delicious cuisine. This new itinerary is designed with adventure and culture in mind. It takes us from the lush forests of Sintra to the Continue Reading →
Krakow is One of the Best Cities to Visit in Europe
That is quite a statement: Krakow is one of the best cities to visit in Europe. But I believe it to be true. The city is actually spelled Kraków and not Krakow or – worse – Cracow as I used to see it spelled. It is pronounced Kra-koof. But regardless of how it is spelled Continue Reading →
Solo Travel Tours and Zephyr Adventures
Zephyr Adventure has a long history of catering to solo travelers. We started out in 1997 as a specialty tour company running inline skating tours in Europe and the United States. While our vacations were not specifically solo travel tours, many of our skaters did come on their own, in large part because they often Continue Reading →