30 Years Experience
Our first steps, over 30 years ago, were among Himalayan peaks, and we’ve not stopped moving since! From humble beginnings, we have grown to operate world-leading small group holidays in over 80 countries across all seven continents of the globe – from cultural journeys, to mountaineering expeditions, and everything in between. Despite our growth, there is still a little bit of Nepal in all of our trips. That Spirit of Adventure which got us started always has, and always will influence what we do! Our early ideals and aims still hold true – to step off the well-trodden path, to get closer to the country and its people and to travel responsibly – benefiting local communities while enriching your experiences.
Passionate Travel Experts
It could be discovering the day-to-day life in a busy city, heading off on a wildlife safari or bagging that elusive 6,000-metre summit – having explored well over 100 countries between us, and counting, the Peregrine team certainly share your love of travel!
Our innovative itineraries and all the details within them – the hotels, activities and restaurants – are chosen by expert Destination Managers who regularly explore the countries they look after. In consultation with our local leaders on the ground, they review our trips to ensure that we take you to the best spots.
Peregrine’s expert travel consultants will help you choose the right trip for you. They can look after all aspects of your holiday; from booking your flights, pre- or post-tour arrangements, help with visas and appropriate travel insurance. Before you go, we’re online, on the telephone or available face-to-face to answer any queries you have. You will also receive regular information by email about your tour and destination, to help you prepare and get even more excited about your trip.
Once you’re on a Peregrine trip, you will continue to be in good hands – our local leaders know their country inside-out, while the local offices they operate out of are only a phone call away.
Local leaders
We’ve been working with expert English-speaking local leaders since 1998. Our leaders have a lifetime of knowledge of the places you’re visiting – they were born and raised there. They are well-educated as well as passionate about the history, folklore, wildlife, culture and traditions of their homelands. Your local leader will be the key that helps you get beyond the guidebooks, to get ‘under the skin’ of a place and ensure that you travel responsibly. Useful tips and guidance on etiquette and cultural differences can create opportunities to get you closer to the communities you came to discover. From practical matters like speaking the language and having an insider’s knowledge to good restaurants, to invaluable insights on a country’s history and knowing all the hidden highlights to visit – our local leaders are your passport to a great adventure!
Small Groups
You will almost never travel with more than 15 people, often less. The only exceptions are our Galapagos voyages which accommodate 16 and our polar cruises, where the maximum group size is 122. Unlike the many larger vessels which can take you to Antarctica or the High Arctic, our polar voyages are designed to offer a constant choice of small group activities within the larger group – ensuring everyone that wants to can leave the vessel and explore at the same time.
Travelling in a small group reduces your impact on the environment and is culturally sensitive, giving you a more authentic, immersive experience – a feel for how life is lived when meeting local people without crowding the place. You will also enjoy the fun and adventure of travelling with other like-minded people from across the globe.
Spirit of Adventure
Travelling is about exploration and unforgettable encounters, about taking that next step to see what’s around the corner! Whether it’s a new itinerary to Kyrgyzstan or seeing a well-known destination in a new way, such as walking Italy’s Amalfi Coast, we design our trips to truly immerse you in the destination and get the most out of your valuable time away. While some of our itineraries do feature downtime on beaches, we’re not ones to fly-and-flop! Everything we do is aimed at giving you the most authentic travel experience, wherever you choose to go.
Each trip with us is an adventure; it’s this Spirit of Adventure which everyone travelling with Peregrine shares. For some an adventure is getting immersed in local village life on one of our cultural tours – experiencing sights, sounds and smells you have never encountered before. For others, it is exploring wildlife parks, rainforests and remote wilderness areas, getting up-close to the wildlife and gaining greater understanding of our planets amazing diversity. It could even be a trek along ancient pathways in a remote mountain range or kayaking among icebergs at the Poles. After all – an adventure is what an adventure means to you!
Comfortable Local Accommodation
We use quality hotels – they are not extravagant, but are well-appointed, centrally located, have private bathrooms and amenities such as air conditioning in hot areas. We don’t stay in international five-star hotels; we serve up five-star experiences in hotels chosen by their authentic character, not capacity. Wherever we can, we use family-run accommodation that is not just a place to pass through. You get an authentic experience away from the tourist hordes, while the income stays in the local community.
When we go to more out-of-the-way places, we often stay as guests of local people in simple huts or longhouses for a night or two. They may not have the trappings of a hotel, but these accommodations are part of exploring a country, and our travellers find these stays a highlight of their trip. Out on the trail we use quality lodges while for some of our more challenging treks we camp in excellent tents designed for the conditions and supplied by us.
Our wildlife lodges and tented camps in Africa and other rainforest or wilderness areas are of a high quality – chosen for their location as well as their quality and high service standards.
Responsible Travel
We take responsible tourism very seriously, and always aim to be the industry leader. We operate in a socially and environmentally responsible manner, employing local leaders and working with local-businesses where possible in order to ensure economic benefits stay in the communities we visit. This commitment also offers our travellers more enriched experiences – a home-stay in a tribal village, for example, which gives you a true feeling of the place you’re visiting.
Environmental conservation is important to us. From helping in major clean-up campaigns such as around Machu Picchu and Kilimanjaro, to leaving every campsite we visit in a better state than how we found it or making sure our vehicle fleet is maintained, we help minimise our impact on the planet. Greenhouse gases emitted by transport and accommodation on most of our tours are balanced and reinvested in projects that offer Gold Standard (or similar) Carbon Credits.
Our commitment to responsible travel is not limited to how we run our trips. We adopt an environmentally sensitive approach in all of our offices, and through the work of the Peregrine Community Trust give ongoing support to many worthwhile causes, by donating funds to international charities and helping support local projects around the world. Visits to some of these projects are always one of the highlights of our adventures.
Value for Money
We’ve got over three decades of experience in making sure that we give you the best value for your money. Our prices are always competitive, and include as much of the out-of-pocket expenses as possible – your accommodation, local flights, transport on tour and much more – so all you have to worry about is making the most out of your holiday. Our clients have told us they want most things included and to get the most from their time away – so that’s what we do. On some journeys where we travel through remote areas where facilities are limited we’ll often balance this with a more comfortable stay – which often feels even better given the adventure of the previous few days. A balance of exploration and relaxation, comfort and adventure. The more you travel with us, the better value we are. As a thank-you, our Peregrine Privilege Club loyalty program gives repeat customers great discounts on future trips.
Stress-free Travel and Safety
At the end of the day, the Peregrine way is stress-free – we take care of arranging your accommodation, transport, entrance fees and all of the other behind-the-scenes run-around necessary to make a holiday run smoothly. So all you have to worry about is soaking it all in.
The safety of everyone who travels with us is our top priority. Our local leaders are trained regularly and are well across first aid and crisis management – they know exactly what to do. Having local offices and ground staff means that we know the country you’re travelling in – from its water quality to having appropriate and effective procedures in place. Safety briefings are always given by staff when we think it is necessary and beneficial to do so. Food preparation and good levels of hygiene are also absolutely crucial. Likewise with safety equipment – Peregrine only uses what we know is reliable and trustworthy. We carry first aid kits on all of our tours, and on high-altitude treks in Nepal we always carry Portable Altitude Chambers in case of altitude sickness.
