From epic rail journeys to more free time, these new and improved trips help you take it easy and linger longer when you travel.
Raise your hand if you’ve ever come home feeling like you need a holiday after your holiday. It’s easy to do too much on a trip, which is why Intrepid has been working away at finding opportunities to sloooow things down. Sometimes that means opting to take the train or adding a bit of extra free time to an itinerary. Fresh for 2025, these trips here have all been designed and modified in ways that will help you slow down and see more on your next holiday.
1. Go on safari in India
Patience is a key ingredient for a good safari, and the brand-new India Safari gives you plenty of time for it. Ride the rails out of Delhi towards various national parks where you’ll search for tigers, leopards and bears. This trip includes multiple two-night stops so you can take your time, and it features two new experiences not on any other Intrepid trips. In Satpura National Park you can search for nocturnal jungle cats and flying squirrels and foxes with a local guide. In Keoladeo National Park, you’ll safari from the back of a rickshaw in a bird sanctuary frequented by 260 bird species as well as deer, nilgai (antelope) and wild boar.
2. Take a slow journey from Paris to Rome
Travelling by train really is the perfect way to slow your travels down a notch, putting the journey centre stage. As part of a new rail range of trips Intrepid launched in 2024, Paris to Rome by Rail takes your Euro travels easy (and you can stretch it out even more with an optional add-on rail connection from London). You’ll weave through France, Switzerland and Italy, wrapping up with lunch at Cooperativa Corragio, a sustainable farm that is regenerating unused land outside of Rome – peak feel-good, taste-great slow travel.
3. Spend a little time in Shanghai and Xi’an
Intrepid’s 12-day Explore China trip has swapped a short flight with a bullet train ride from Xi’an to Beijing, allowing you to take in the scenery along the way. There are also some fresh pockets of free time in Shanghai and Xi’an so you can explore these cities your own way. Maybe pop into Shanghai’s Jade Buddha temple or take a leisurely bike ride around Xi’an.
4. Slow it down in southern Turkey
Travellers on Premium Turkey in Depth get a bit more free time in Kas and Antalya in 2025. In the coastal town of Kas, fill a free afternoon with a pomegranate cocktail overlooking the Mediterranean. In Antalya, you’ll have plenty of time to stroll the cobblestone streets of the historic city centre, Kaleici – preferably with ice cream in hand.
5. Add time for adventure in Alaska
If you love taking your time but not sitting still, you might appreciate the extra day added to Alaska Hike, Bike & Kayak. Now seven days long, the additional day makes space for a new glacier trek on Matanuska Glacier – the state’s largest road-accessible glacier. You’ll slap on ice cleats and a helmet and explore the glacier with a local guide.
6. Linger a little longer in Sumatra
Sumatra Adventure has been extended by a day to include more trekking in Gunung Leuser National Park. On this day, travellers hit up another route known for orangutan spottings. The updated itinerary now caps off these two days of jungle trekking and camping with a relaxing and comfortable night at a guesthouse in Bukit Lawang.
7. Go back in time across Europe
Live out your wildest Ticket to Ride dreams on another great rail journey that takes you from Paris to Istanbul through Germany, Austria, Hungary, Serbia and Bulgaria. Express to the Orient: Paris to Istanbul is a classic train route once travelled by the Orient Express – this one’s best enjoyed moment by moment.
8. Meander through Malaysia
Intrepid traveller favourite, Malaysia Highlights, has had an update for 2025 with two additional days on the itinerary. This change gives the trip a slower pace with fewer one-night stops, now with two nights apiece in Cameron Highlands and Kuala Lumpur. Travellers get some extra time to perhaps visit Cameron Floral Park or have a spot of tea at the elegant Jim Thompson Tea Room. In Kuala Lumpur, you’ll have more time to explore the capital city.
9. Sink deeper into the ‘Stans
A day has been added to Tashkent to Ashgabat and travellers will now get to spend the night in the village of Nokhur in Turkmenistan where residents of the village will demonstrate how they weave keteni (a homespun silk fabric) and share a home-cooked meal with the group. The updated itinerary also includes additional free time in Khiva, Uzbekistan. You’ll get an introduction to some of the city’s 60 cultural sites on an orientation walk the day prior, so be sure to keep a tally of the spots you want to return to.
10. Capture a bit of Cape Town
Sometimes a departure point gets treated like little more than a launch pad, but that’s no longer the case on Namibia Discovery, with an added day in Cape Town to kick off the trip. You can choose your own adventure here, with a hike up Table Mountain, a trip out to Robben Island, a cultural tour of District Six, cooking classes, winery tours and heaps more options to choose from.
11. Ride the Trans-Mongolian Railway
Hop aboard sections of the iconic Trans-Mongolian Railway on this new trip. From Beijing, you’ll ride a bullet train towards the Inner Mongolian grasslands. After arriving in Ulaanbaatar, nip out to Khustai National Park where you’ll spend two nights off grid in a ger (yurt) camp and hike to spot wild horses, golden eagles and more.
Not sure where to go next? Don’t rush it – see more of Intrepid’s newest trips and experiences at The Goods.
