Premier Adventures Across the United States and Canada
Discover the continent’s most spectacular landscapes on MT Sobek’s North America adventure tours. Leading small-group journeys since 1969, we take you from Alaska’s backcountry and the alpine lakes of the Canadian Rockies to Yellowstone’s wildlife, Yosemite’s waterfalls and Utah’s Mighty Five national parks. Hike world-class trails, raft the legendary rivers of the American West or design a custom trip, all with expert guides and seamless logistics.
MT Sobek North America Adventure Tours
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North America
Explore by Region
Whether you’re drawn to the alpine lakes of the Rockies, the rugged coastlines of the Pacific Northwest, or the ancient landscapes of the Appalachian Mountains, there’s a North American region that matches nearly every sense of adventure. Browse the regions below to find your perfect corner of the continent — and let the journey begin.
North America
Explore by Activity
OARS RAFTING ADVENTURES
MT Sobek and OARS—two pioneers of American adventure travel—have joined forces to offer a collection of exceptional rafting journeys across the American West.
What Makes MT Sobek’s North America Trips so Extraordinary
MT Sobek’s North America adventure tours combine legendary destinations with the pioneering spirit of a company that helped define modern adventure travel. Since 1969, MT Sobek has been leading hiking, rafting and multi-sport journeys across the United States and Canada, pairing expert guides, thoughtfully crafted itineraries, and small-group camaraderie with the continent’s most stunning landscapes. From the brilliant, glacial-fed lakes of the Canadian Rockies to the pine-studded mesas of the Southwest and the mesmerizing depths of the Grand Canyon, every trip delivers authentic adventure, life-enriching connections, and memorable experiences far beyond the ordinary.
Why MT Sobek
- Expertise: Over 55 years of adventure travel leadership in the US, Canada and Mexico
- Excellence: Adventure travel awards from Condé Nast Traveler, USA Today, Newsweek & Travel + Leisure (since 2022)
- Interpretation: Expert local guides with deep knowledge of North America’s ecology, history and geology
- Connection: Small-group adventures that provide an authentic, immersive experience in world-class destinations like Yellowstone, the Canadian Rockies and Utah
- Balance: Carefully curated itineraries with iconic landmarks like Zion’s Narrows and Yellowstone’s Old Faithful geyser & lesser-known highlights
- Comfort: Premium accommodations ranging from historic lodges to boutique properties—all carefully selected to reflect the local area
- Convenience: All-inclusive tours for your maximum enjoyment—lodging, local transportation, most meals, permits and fees all included
- Trust: 4.8 stars on Google & Trip Advisor from previous guests across all destinations
We Are Committed to Conservation
MT Sobek is proud to work with local guides and outfitters around the globe who are committed to following Leave No Trace principles and exploring the outdoors responsibly. Everywhere we go, we seek to drive awareness of fragile ecosystems to help support their long-term sustainability.
Choosing Your Adventure Tour
North America is a massive and complex continent with so many options that it can be overwhelming. Taking the time to understand what you want, which destinations offer what you’re looking for, and the best timing for your adventure will set you up for success. Follow these steps to find the perfect North America adventure tour.
1. Choose Your Destination.
First, ask yourself what you would like to experience: desert canyons (Grand Canyon, Sedona, Utah national parks, Joshua Tree or Death Valley), alpine peaks (Canadian Rockies, Alaska, Yosemite, Glacier National Park), wildlife (Yellowstone), deep forests (Great Smoky Mountains), wild rivers (Idaho and Alaska)? Each destination offers unique, dramatic landscapes to explore.
Resource: Ultimate Guide to Adventure Travel in North America
2. Choose Your Activity.
Next, decide which activity you’re most interested in: hiking & trekking, rafting & kayaking, multi-sport, or wildlife viewing. Hiking tours require strong overall health and the ability to hike 3-12 hours per day, depending on the itinerary. To join a rafting & kayaking tour or multi-sport adventure, you must be in strong overall health and be able to hike for up to 3 hours per day. Wildlife viewing tours vary in their physical requirements.
Resource: 15 Bucket List Adventures in North America
3. Determine Your Date Range.
Now that you have an idea of where you want to go, and what you want to do, it’s time to decide when to go. Your choice of destination and activity will influence your preferred dates, as each destination in North America has seasonal considerations. In general, mountains are best in the summer and early fall (July-September), canyons in the spring and fall (March-May, September-November), and deserts in the winter (December-February).
Resource: Monthly Guide to Hiking North America with MT Sobek
4. Book Your Adventure Tour.
Once you know the destination, activity and dates, it’s time to book your trip! You can book directly from the trip page, email us, or through our trip coordinators by calling 800-974-0300.
Custom Tours: If you’re interested in designing your perfect adventure, contact our Custom Team to share your vision.
FAQs
Absolutely! In fact, North America is one of the very best adventure travel destinations in the world. It stands out as a top adventure destination because of its impressive diversity of landscapes and wild, well-preserved public lands and national parks. North America is home to many thousands of miles of hiking trails, and hundreds of national parks and wilderness areas.
The most significant qualities North America offers adventurous travelers are millions of acres of protected public lands, extensive trail systems for hiking and biking, diverse climates for year-round adventure, a variety of outdoor activities to choose from, and wildlife viewing in some of the world’s richest habitats.
Learn more about why North America is perfect for adventure travel.
While there are an abundance of excellent destinations for adventure travel in North America, some are worth highlighting as being especially fantastic. According to our travel experts at MT Sobek, the most impressive regions for adventure on this continent include the vast wilderness of Alaska, jagged alpine peaks of the Canadian Rockies, diverse mountains landscapes of America’s Rocky Mountains, unique rock formations of Utah’s Canyon Country, wild mountains and coastlines of the Pacific Northwest, legendary hiking trails of the Appalachian Mountains, impressive depths of Copper Canyon in Mexico, natural wonders of Grand Canyon and Sedona, towering granite monoliths and thundering waterfalls of California’s national parks, and endless rivers of Northern Canada.
Learn more about the best regions for adventure vacations in North America.
Learn more: 5 Things to Know About Hiking Utah’s Mighty 5 National Parks
Hiking and backpacking are the most popular forms of adventure in North America. Thousands of miles of trails wind through mountains, forests, deserts, canyons, and coastal landscapes. There are many extraordinary places to hike in North America. Other excellent activities in North America include road cycling, mountain biking, climbing and mountaineering, canyoneering, white water rafting, kayaking and canoeing, skiing and snowshoeing and wildlife viewing.
Learn more about the best adventure activities in North America.
One of the greatest strengths of North America is its incredible diversity of landscapes and climates. Because of this impressive variety, you can enjoy adventure in every season. Spring is a perfect time to visit the high desert destinations of the American Southwest like Sedona, Arches and Canyonlands, where temperatures are comfortable, and the mountains are buried in snow. Summer is best in mountain destinations like Alaska, the Canadian Rockies, and the Sierra Nevada—where you can enjoy long days and perfect daytime temperatures. Early fall (September) is a great time for adventure in most destinations, as the deserts and canyons begin to cool off, while the mountains remain accessible. Once fall has fully set in (October and November), the mountain season comes to a close, and high desert destinations like Zion and Grand Canyon enter their prime season, with ideal hiking weather. Winter is best in low desert destinations like Death Valley and Joshua Tree, or—if you prefer skiing and snowshoeing—mountain areas like the American Rockies and the Pacific Northwest provide exciting winter getaways.
Learn more about when is the best time for adventure in North America. You can also explore a month-by-month guide to hiking North America.
What to pack for your adventure depends on where you will be going, what you will be doing and the season of your adventure. When you register for a MT Sobek tour, you will receive an information packet with a detailed packing list. Or learn more about what to pack for your North America adventure vacation.
Some of the most popular and memorable adventures in North America include hiking to Phantom Ranch in the Grand Canyon, rafting the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho, hiking Denali National Park & Preserve in Alaska, exploring Utah’s spectacular Mighty Five national parks and rafting Alaska’s wild and impressive rivers.
Learn more: 15 Bucket List Adventures in North America
Also see: 10 Must Do Adventures in Utah
All adventure activities carry risk, which include everything from weather and wildlife to physical injuries and water hazards. North America is safe in terms of transportation, infrastructure and the availability of credible, professional guide services. The safety of the activities themselves—whether you’re hiking deep into the Grand Canyon, whitewater rafting in Idaho or kayaking in the Tetons—depends entirely on your level of experience and knowledge. If in doubt, we recommend joining a guided adventure tour.
The level of physical fitness required depends entirely on the activity you’re interested in. In general, to join any outdoor adventure activity, it’s important that you are physically healthy and have at least a moderate level of physical fitness. Most multi-day adventure vacations require a minimum of 4-6 hours of physical exertion for 5-12 consecutive days in a row. Hiking tours can range from relatively easy, with daily treks of 4-6 miles—to extremely strenuous, with daily hikes of 10-14 miles and 3000-5000′ elevation changes. Rafting tours are often less demanding, but still require paddling and exposure to the elements for 5-13 days in a row. Backpacking, biking, climbing, mountaineering and canyoneering are potentially the most strenuous adventures and can vary from mild to extreme.
The rule of thumb is that the more fit you are for your adventure of choice, the more fun you will have.
Ask an Expert
We want you to have the best adventure, so don’t hesitate to call our expert team of adventure specialists at 800-974-0300 to learn more. Or click the button to use our online contact form.