Summary
- Using eco-friendly, green tour companies is an excellent way to enjoy world travel while minimizing negative impacts on the environment and supporting local communities.
- G Adventures, Undiscovered Mountains, Byway Travel, Gondwana Ecotours, Experience Travel Group, Natural Habitat Adventures, Responsible Travel, AndBeyond, Seacology, and Intrepid Travel are some of the best sustainable tour operators available.
- These environmentally focused, green tour operators prioritize eco-friendly measures such as hiring local guides, tracking community profits, promoting flight-free travel, investing in clean drinking water systems, reducing carbon emissions, and partnering with conservation organizations.
Related Articles
Arguably, the greatest joy of Travel is the opportunity to experience new sights, cultures, histories, and landscapes. Visitors will often spend months planning, booking tours, scouting restaurants, and scheduling in some needed downtime.
Not all travel is created equal, however. In fact, many of the most common travel practices today have a number of negative side effects on both the destination and the planet as a whole. So, how can travelers still enjoy the wonders of the world without harming it in the process? One of the best tips for environmentally friendly world travel is to use an eco-friendly tour company.
Many of the best eco friendly tour companies in the world offer all the same advantages as traditional tour groups but have also taken extra steps to ensure they hire locally and watch their product consumption, giving back to the community they draw their profits from. The tour companies below are some of the top-rated eco-friendly tour companies in the world, ensuring that responsible and sustainable travel is available for every adventurer.
10 G Adventures
When it comes to ecotourism, there are a variety of factors to consider, from wildlife welfare to carbon emissions. G Adventures believes that the key to addressing these issues and everything in between is community tourism. Whether leading guests as they watch penguins in Antarctica or exploring the most beautiful hiking trails through California's Redwood National Park, the key to sustainable travel is leaving a positive impact on the community.
G Adventures achieves this by hiring only local guides and tracking how much of the money spent on a tour goes back into the communities visited. This dedication to ethical tourism, paired with the hundreds of tours available, makes G Adventures not just an exceptional eco-friendly tour company but one of the best tour countries available for world travel.
About G Adventures
- Tour Locations: 100+ Countries
- Eco-Friendly Measures: Partnered with nonprofit Planeterra, Locally Hired Guides, Track Community Profits from Tours, Partnered with Travel Without Plastic
Popular G Adventures Tour
Regardless of how visitors are exploring outdoor spaces, one of the best ways to promote eco-friendly travel is to follow the "Pack it in, pack it out" policy, also referred to as the "Leave No Trace" approach. This means that whatever comes into the park for an outing leaves with the individual who brought it, keeping parks free of trash and wildlife safe.
9 Undiscovered Mountains
The French Alps are one of the most unique mountain destinations in the world and, like many mountain destinations, are often the victim of predatory tourism practices. Undiscovered Mountains, which specializes in the French Alps, has a variety of eco-friendly options for individuals and families looking to enjoy the mountain snow.
Undiscovered Mountains offers a variety of skiing, snowboarding, and mountain tour experiences, all with local guides and sources from local businesses. Paired with locally owned accommodation partnerships, Undiscovered Mountains is the eco-friendly key to touring the French Alps.
About Undiscovered Mountains
- Tour Locations: French Alps
- Eco-Friendly Measures: Locally Hired Guides, Partnerships with Local Restaurants and Hotels, Trees Planted for Each Guest
Popular Undiscovered Mountains Tour
8 Byway Travel
One of the most environmentally damaging aspects of travel is the process of arriving at a destination. Traveling by plane can leave a large carbon footprint before visitors ever arrive. For companies like Byway Travel in the UK, creating an unforgettable sustainable travel experience starts with eliminating this problem.
Byway Travel is among the best environmentally friendly tour companies in the world; it promotes 100% flight-free travel, also called overland travel, by offering some of the best tours in Europe, all organized without ever stepping foot on an airplane. By avoiding damaging plane rides, Byway Travel not only promotes low-impact travel but emphasizes the beauty of travel itself by incorporating transportation into the trip.
About Byway Travel
- Tour Locations: Europe (including Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, France, Scotland, The UK, etc.)
- Eco-Friendly Measures: 100% Flight-Free Itineraries, Certified B-Corp
Popular Byway Travel Tour
- Tour: Avignon to the Rivieras
- Price: from $2,150/person
- Duration: 16 days
- Inclusions: London, Paris, Avignon, Marseille, Cassis, Nice, Menton, Alassio, Genoa, Turin
Planning a flight-free vacation? Keep the responsible travel going by booking through a sustainable platform like Fairbnb.coop. Fairbnb reinvests in the host's communities by donating half of their commission to a social project close to the booking location.
7 Gondwana Ecotours
One of the most important things to be aware of when traveling sustainably is using tour companies that work with the local community. That principle is at the heart of Gondwana Ecotours' approach to tourism.
Based in New Orleans, Gondwana Ecotours is one of the best eco-friendly tour operators in the world, thanks to its widespread network of local partnerships. Whether travelers choose a local tour right in Louisiana or head to Rwanda on the other side of the globe, Gondwana Ecotours ensures local experts will be ready to assist.
If that weren't enough, all of Gondwana Ecotours' tours are 100% carbon neutral as of 2021, a distinction established by Cooler, an emissions tracking organization.
About Gondwana Ecotours
- Tour Locations: Louisiana, Alaska, Argentina, Costa Rica, Norway, Rwanda, Tanzania
- Eco-Friendly Measures: Locally-Hired Guides, Carbon-Neutral Tours, Donations to Local Nonprofits
Popular Gondwana Ecotours Tour
- Tour: Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Adventure
- Price: from $1,500/person
- Duration: 5 days
- Inclusions: Lodging, All Meals, National Park Admission, Audio Tour of Kigali's Genocide Museum, Cultural Activities, Donation to Aspire Rwanda
6 Experience Travel Group
While there are a variety of eco-friendly destinations all around the world, these locations will quickly disappear if travelers and tour companies alike aren't willing to give back to the places they explore. For the last 20 years, Experience Travel Group has offered tours throughout Asia, emphasizing exactly that principle.
Guides who work for Experience Travel Group don't earn a commission, keeping the focus purely on an immersive experience. What makes Experience Travel Group one of the best tour companies in Asia, and certainly among the best sustainable travel companies in the world, is its focus on less-traveled areas.
Experience Travel Group makes a conscious effort to avoid areas suffering from over-tourism and instead takes visitors through the undiscovered corners of Asia, creating a truly one-of-a-kind experience.
About Experience Travel Group
- Tour Locations: South Asia, Southeast Asia, Oman
- Eco-Friendly Measures: Avoid Over-Touristed Locations, Promote Local Businesses, Pledge to Cut Carbon Emissions By 50% by 2050, Investing in Clean Drinking Water Systems
Popular Experience Travel Group Tour
- Tour: Hidden Gems of Southern Thailand
- Price: from $5,700/person
- Duration: 15 days
- Inclusions: Round-Trip Flight from the UK, Bangkok, Chumphon, Hidden Island Tour, Khao Sok
5 Natural Habitat Adventures
The official tour company partner of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), there is perhaps no better way to travel while supporting wildlife conservation than by booking a tour with Natural Habitat Adventures, another one of the best ecotourism companies in the world.
Wildlife enthusiasts can choose from tours across nearly every corner of the globe with Natural Habitat Adventures. From US National Park Tours to Adventure Cruises and Photography Tours, there are a variety of ways to enjoy animals in their natural habitats.
Natural Habitat Adventures promotes responsible small-group tours that get visitors up close to their favorite wildlife, all while donating over $10 million to WWF to conserve natural habitats and protect endangered animals for future generations.
About Natural Habitat Adventures
- Tour Locations: 100+ Countries
- Eco-Friendly Measure: Partnership with WWF, Carbon Neutral Travel Company, Green Office Policies, Zero-Waste Tour Options
Popular Natural Habitat Adventures Tour
This Bears of Brooks Falls Tour is available only from September through October each year. Since the areas are closed to tourists for the season, this exclusive tour gives its 8-person group private access to this remote part of Alaska.
4 Responsible Travel
An activist company that has been promoting sustainable travel practices since 2001, Responsible Travel believes in unique holidays that benefit not just the traveler but the destination as well.
All of the tours offered by Responsible Travel have been carefully reviewed to ensure that profits will be reinvested into the community and that locals will benefit from the visitors. They have also taken measures to reduce the company's carbon footprint, including carbon-countering practices and a variety of walking tour options.
With so many ways to do good and promote green travel, it's no wonder Responsible Travel is widely considered one of the most eco-friendly travel companies operating today.
About Responsible Travel
- Tour Locations: 100+ countries
- Eco-Friendly Measures: Carbon Offset Practices, Individually Screening Holiday Packages, Trip-for-a-Trip Initiative, Accessible Travel Options
Popular Responsible Travel Tour
- Tour: National Parks Hiking Holiday in America (Walking Tour)
- Price: from $4,400/person
- Duration: 14 days
- Inclusions: Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Rocky Mountains National Park, Colorado Mesa Verde National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Descent trail into Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Las Vegas
3 AndBeyond
An African Safari is a bucket list item for many travelers around the world, and for good reason. The wildlife here is some of the most recognizable in the world, and there are a variety of wildlife hotspots across Africa for visitors to enjoy.
Travelers looking for the best African Safari will likely find their perfect match with the eco-friendly AndBeyond. With luxury tours across 11 African countries, as well as sustainable lodges in Africa, Asia, and South America, sustainable world travel is anything but ordinary.
Operating for over 30 years, AndBeyond prides itself on its sustainable practices, which range from investing in the local community to decreasing its tour and lodging footprint by building sustainable energy and water structures.
About AndBeyond
- Tour Locations: Africa, Asia, Indian Ocean Islands, South America
- Eco-Friendly Measures: Investing Back into Local Government, Sustainable Electrical Micro-Grids, Employs Locally
Popular AndBeyond Tour
2 Seacology
There is no denying that islands and their surrounding ocean waters are some of the most delicate ecosystems in the world. The nonprofit Seacology not only works to preserve these one-of-a-kind destinations but also offers exceptional ecotourism adventures so that travelers can enjoy these natural wonders responsibly.
This doesn't mean that tourists will have to rough it on a Seacology tour. As one of the best sustainable tour companies in the world, Seacology has partnerships with green luxury resorts. During the day, tour group members will enjoy cultural sites, coral reefs, and lush rainforests, all without worrying about their impact on the environment.
About Seacology
- Tour Locations: Fiji, Borneo, Southeast Asia, Chile, Madagascar
- Eco-Friendly Measures: Grant Programs for Island Protection Projects, Island Ecosystem Conservation Projects
Popular Seacology Tour
- Tour: Seacology Expedition to Fiji
- Price: $2,310-$6,361/person
- Duration: 8 days
- Inclusions: Visit to Nukubalavu Village, Seacology Presentations, Snorkeling at Namena Marine Reserve and Somosomo Straits, Stay at Koro Sun Resort, Rainforest Hikes, Coastal Biking
Expeditions change regularly. To see upcoming expeditions, check the Travel page of Seacology's website.
1 Intrepid Travel
Eco-friendly travel doesn't have to be limiting, particularly for those booking a tour through Intrepid Travel. With tours on all seven continents (yes, even Antarctica!), there is no limit to where travelers can responsibly go.
Specializing in small group tours, Intrepid Travel has over 1,000 different tours available in over 100 countries around the world.
Whether taking guests island hopping through the Galapagos or on an epic journey around the Arctic Circle, sustainability is at the heart of Intrepid Travel. Carbon-neutral since 2010, this B-Corp-certified tour company is one of the best and most eco-friendly in the world.
About Intrepid Travel
- Tour Locations: 100+ Countries
- Eco-Friendly Measures: Carbon-Neutral Tours, B-Corp Certification, Community-Based Tourism, Intrepid Foundation Non-Profit
