Intrepid Travel has announced a 14-day mystery expedition as part of its 'Uncharted' series, which launched on June 25. The trip will begin in Harare, Zimbabwe, and conclude on Ile de Mozambique. However, the 1,500-mile route between destinations will remain completely undisclosed to travelers.
The B Corp-certified tour operator will provide no advance knowledge of the journey itinerary — participants will discover each day's activities and destinations as they occur. The expedition will be led by one of Intrepid's experienced local leaders and will include activities such as swimming beneath waterfalls, mountain hiking and cultural experiences with local communities.
Accommodations will vary from camping under the stars to stays at locally owned hotels, with transportation primarily by overland truck across Southern Africa.
"We run trips in more than 120 countries and know our travelers always look to us to uncover new and exciting places to travel," said Erica Kritikides, general manager of experiences at Intrepid Travel. "This itinerary is intrepid in every sense of the word, and I'm confident that this will be our best mystery trip yet."
According to Intrepid research, demand is increasing for trips that offer alternatives to highly curated, technology-focused travel experiences, with more travelers seeking authentic connections and unstructured discovery.
This marks the second Uncharted trip by Intrepid. The company's first mystery expedition launched in 2018, taking 34 travelers from Kazakhstan to Mongolia through Russia's Altai region. That trip received more than 1,000 applications within 10 days; the initial departure sold out in 16 hours.
The concept draws from Intrepid's origins more than 35 years ago, when the company's co-founders placed classified newspaper advertisements seeking travelers for "research trips" to less-visited destinations.
"This mystery trip taps into the nostalgia of our earliest Intrepid trips, where every journey held an element of surprise and the unknown," Kritikides said. "It appeals to the most intrepid travelers — those with a sense of adventure who are prepared to take a leap of faith and go well beyond the beaten path."
Booking opens June 25, 2025, and closes June 29, 2025. Two departures are scheduled: July 29, 2026, exclusively for past Intrepid travelers with early booking access, and Aug. 12, 2026, open to the public. Interested travelers must complete a registration form and will be selected through a random draw after five days.
Each trip is limited to 21 travelers and costs $4,640. A good level of physical fitness is required due to hiking and rugged terrain included in the expedition.
Editor's Note: This article was generated by AI, based on a press release distributed by Intrepid Travel. It has been fact-checked and reviewed by a TravelAge West editor.
