The morning mist clears high in the Peruvian Andes, and at last you see it: Machu Picchu. You’re sweaty, you’re muddy, you’re tired—and you couldn’t be happier. You’ve arrived after four hard days of hiking, and while you know there are all kinds of ways to see this fabled lost city, you’re sure now that there’s only one way to really earn it. What’s adventure travel all about, you wonder, if not putting everything you’ve got into reaching your goal?
Well, maybe not everything. You, after all, paid hundreds less than everyone else in your group for the right to reach Machu Picchu, because you knew that some adventure travel operators offer big discounts on “late availability” departures: scheduled trips that still have spaces available.
It’s not a new concept in the travel industry—airlines have been doing it for years—but last-minute discounts are still a relatively untapped source of savings for most adventure travelers. This year, why not skip that boring staycation and consider one of these great deals instead?
Hiking to Machu Picchu (Intrepid Travel)
Intrepid Travel is offering 20 percent off two late-summer departures on its eight-day Inca Trail trip. Normally $760 per person (plus a local payment of $300), the discount shaves more than $150 off the price of the August 30 and September 2 departures, bringing the base price down to $608. The trip starts in Lima and includes accommodations, guides, six breakfasts, three lunches, and three dinners. Because permits for the “classic” Inca Trail route sell out far ahead of time, these last-minute departures hike the alternative (i.e., less crowded) Lares Trek route to Machu Picchu. If you book by phone (800-970-7299), quote promotion number “1088″ at time of booking to get the discount.
Switzerland’s Engadine Trek (Ryder Walker Alpine Adventures)
Remote valleys, storybook villages, sparkling lakes, meadows of wildflowers—these aren’t just Swiss fairy tale images, they’re the real thing, and they’re finely represented on Ryder Walker’s Engadine Trek. The Colorado-based outfitter routinely takes 10 percent off the price of its guided trips three weeks before departure. That brings the $2,800 price tag of its September 1 departure down nearly $300 to a more budget-friendly $2,520. The cost includes accommodations, ground transportation, luggage transfer, daily breakfast and dinner, and your guides.
Utah’s Bryce and Zion National Parks (Austin-Lehman Adventures)
Two of the most fascinating national parks in the American Southwest, Bryce and Zion, are featured in Austin-Lehman’s inn-to-inn Red-Rock Wonders package. You’ll spend your days climbing high (Angel’s Landing) and low (Virgin River Narrows slot canyon), and your evenings enjoying unique, first-rate B&B accommodations. Book by September 1 and travel by October 12 to get $300 off the standard price of $1,898. Trips depart September 28 and October 5 and 12.
The Australian Outback (G.A.P Adventures)
Not much of a hiker? Consider a week of low-impact adventure in the Australian Outback instead. The September 12 departure of G.A.P’s Queensland Outback Experience, normally priced at $1,190, is now available for $892.50, a savings of 25 percent off the regular price. The trip visits both Carnarvon and Porcupine Gorge national parks.
Patagonia (iExplore)
Hiking in Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park, horseback-riding in the Lake District, rafting the Petrohue River—iExplore’s Patagonia Silver tour delivers it all with style to spare. These silver-level trips feature first-class accommodations throughout and put equal weight on comfort and adventure. Normally $3,095, it’s $300 cheaper if you book by September 1.