Travellers’ bucket lists are changing, and they are increasingly searching for unique experiences to set their holidays apart. The catch? Visitor numbers are capped for many special experiences like rare wildlife viewing, annual festivals and special events, and entry to some heritage-listed sites.
While the exclusive nature of these experiences often plays a role in making them so special, it also goes hand in hand with permit restrictions and limited availability. Travellers can be caught out by leaving their planning too late, having to either postpone their trips to catch their ‘must do’ experiences another time or miss out entirely. Here are some travel experiences that you need to book early to avoid disappointment.
Trekking The Inca Trail
For many travellers visiting Machu Picchu on a tour of Peru means wanting to undertake the challenge and exhilaration of trekking the Inca Trail. However, passes are limited and permit just 500 people to start the trail daily. This is comprised of roughly only 200 tourists, with the remainder being assigned to support crew, including guides and porters. There are alternative routes to get to Machu Picchu, however, you will need to book early if trekking the Inca Trail is on your bucket list.
ANZAC Day Dawn Service
Paying respects to the ANZACs is particularly moving in a place of special significance. Listening to The Last Post ring out at dawn on the shores of ANZAC Cove, Gallipoli, is an incredibly stirring experience. As is the Dawn Service at the Australian War Memorial in Villers-Bretonneux, France, which commemorates military personnel killed on the Western Front during World War I. People vie for their chance to pay their respects at meaningful sites on this day every year, so planning in advance to visit the Battlefields of Europe is important.
The Rocky Mountaineer
Exploring Western Canada is extremely popular, particularly the experience of winding through the stunning Rockies on the Rocky Mountaineer train. Taking in the dramatic landscape from glass domed carriages and panoramic windows is a highly sought after experience. Many tours through this region include the option to swap coach for carriage for part of the journey, however with spaces limited, you’ll need to secure your place early.
Christmas Tours and Cruises
The festive season is a busy time in travel, as people set out to make memories and enjoy this special time of year around the world. Whether it is drinking mulled wine and eating roasted chestnuts at the Christmas markets across Europe or skating around Central Park in New York under a sky of twinkling fairy lights, places on festive season tours and cruises are hotly contested.
Festivals and Special Events
If you’re planning to take a festival or special event tour then you’ll need to plan well in advance to guarantee your place, as spaces are naturally limited due to the one-off nature of these celebrations. Whether it’s checking out the Calgary Stampede, watching the hot air balloons fill the sky at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, or dancing through the streets of Rio de Janeiro at Carnival, getting in early not only secures your spot but usually guarantees the best deal.
The Mountain Gorillas of East Africa
Travellers can trek to see the Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda. To do so, permits are required. Usually the number of travellers permitted to visit a gorilla group is capped to eight each day, so opportunities for this goose bump inducing experience are limited. Booking your tour of Africa early, along with a permit arranged by the tour operator, is imperative to secure a place.
Oberammergau Passion Play
A once-in-a-decade performance, the Oberammergau Passion Play will be presented in 2020. The village of Oberammergau in the Bavarian Alps became the backdrop for this expression of faith after villagers made a vow to perform a passion play regularly if they were spared from the bubonic plague. Since its first performance in 1634, the enactment has grown and in 2010 saw over 2000 villagers take part. Presented from 16 May to 4 October 2020, tours to Germany for this unique event are already on sale and will book out fast.
About Global Journeys
Global Journeys specialises in multi-day guided tours, ocean cruising and river cruises. Partnering with the world’s leading travel operators they offer their clients over 5,000 trips worldwide.
