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Got “travel more in 2020” on your resolution list? We’ve got good news. The first month of the year is generally a great time to find travel deals—from cheap flights and cruise discounts to train sales and credit card offers—and now there are group trips on the table. Intrepid Travel, a group travel company, is offering $1 deposits on more than 1,000 of their itineraries through the end of the month. Seriously.
You can book now and pay the rest later (56 days before departure, to be exact) on everything from a 13-day East African safari to a week-long, five-stop vegan food tour through Italy. And, if you’ve been saving up for that dream once-in-a-lifetime trip, like a visit to Rajasthan during the Holi Festival, they’ve got some of those, too. Note that permit-based trips, including the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and certain gorilla treks, are excluded from the offer.
Before you go wild dropping deposits on every trip under the sun, make sure to read the terms and conditions. Though the $1 deposit feels like a no-pressure way to book, you will be on the hook for the full deposit value if you cancel after the promotional period ends. (So if you’re going to change your mind, do it before January 30, 2020.) The good news? The $1 deposit offer is valid on trips departing February 15 to December 31, 2020—so basically, all year—and it’s offered on many of the operator’s new itineraries. There’s a full list of the excluded itineraries within the terms and conditions, but you’ll notice they’re mainly the rare big-ticket ones, like Antarctica excursions, custom itineraries, and the permit-based trips mentioned above.
Ready to book? Because there are so many to parse through and that clock is ticking, here are some of the trips catching our eye.
For the adventure traveler
From Latin America to Southeast Asia, there are a ton of itineraries that cater to active travelers (Intrepid has always been strongest in the adventure travel space). For a two-week-plus adrenaline rush, hop on their new Costa Rica itinerary, which will have you rafting down the Pacuare River, swimming with reef sharks in Manzanillo National Park, and resetting on pristine beaches on the Pacific. In Japan, trek ancient pilgrimage trails like the Koya-san and Kumana Kodo on their new Japan itinerary, which also allotts for downtime in traditional onsens. And if you’re looking for an Africa trip none of your friends have done, look into the 10-day Ethiopia trek through the Simien Mountains: You’ll climb rugged peaks, hopefully catch a glimpse of the endangered walia ibex or gelada monkeys, and pop into small villages along the way.
For the food lover
So, about that vegan food tour... We know, non-vegans probably can’t grapple with the idea of traveling to Italy and missing out on aged parmesan and plates of prosciutto, but that’s why the country can be intimidating for those unable to eat, or looking to cut out, animal products. On Intrepid’s new vegan food tour through Italy, you’ll get to enjoy some of the country’s best pasta, coffee, and desserts, while also meeting vegan producers and chefs along the way. On the complete opposite side of the spectrum is a meat-heavy and totally decadent-looking food adventure through Chile and Argentina, which will show travelers the best seafood in Santiago and the real way to enjoy a parilla (barbecue) in Patagonia.
For the trendsetter
If you’re unsure which big-ticket trip to take this year, consider bucking the classics and heading to a destination that’s on the rise. We pulled together the best places to travel in 2020, based on exciting destination news, hotel openings, and can’t-miss events, and luckily Intrepid has itineraries to help you pull those trips off before everyone else. On the 10-day Armenia trek, walk nearly two thousand miles of the Transcaucasian Trail, spot ancient Armenian architecture, and sip wine in one of the world’s oldest wine-producing regions. Or, hop on the Copenhagen to Northern Norway trip, which will start in the dynamic Danish city, pass through the Lofoten islands, and end in the Arctic Circle where you can spot the Northern Lights. There are also itineraries to a handful of other exciting spots on our list, including Slovenia, Bahia, Brazil, Sri Lanka, and Tangier.
All products featured in this story are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
This article was last published in January 2019. It has been updated with new information.