Top 12 Sustainable Travel Companies Supporting More Eco Friendly Travel Itineraries

From conservation projects and off-grid lodges to all inclusive safari tours that really do help the local communities, boutique hotels and bespoke luxury itineraries, the below eco travel companies really do wear their green heart on their sleeves.

1. Responsible Travel

The clue is in the name with Responsible Travel.

They’ve lead the way in eco-friendly holidays and ecotourism tours since 2001. This eco-friendly travel company have over 5,000 adventures on offer to destinations all over the world.

Choose from hiking, conservation, diving, kayaking, cycling or head off to track snow leopards, swim with the whales or cruise Antarctica.

Responsible Travel have a give back programme, it campaigns for positive change with NGOs and activists.

Its eco-tours and holidays focus on local culture and local people, making sure your money goes to independent businesses and and supports animal conservation.

You won’t find any elephant riding or exploitative practices here.

• Related Reading: How to Have an Ethical Wildlife Experience
• Related Reading: How To Help Your Holiday Give Back

2. AndBeyond

Luxury sustainable safari tour operator AndBeyond go above and beyond investing back into the local environment.

The company has just installed an electrical micro-grid at their Xaranna Okavango Delta Camp in Botswana, the second on the African continent, which decreases the need for a generator and it’s looking at ways to install water bottling plants similar to those found at its South African lodges.

The company has a responsible travel policy which looks after the land, local people and animals.

This eco-tour company offers a range of luxury safaris in 11 African countries with 29 camps and lodges that all employ local guides.

Search for wildlife on the Serengeti, track the great migration, explore Masai Mara national park or glide in a hot air balloon over Namib Desert.

• Related Reading: Check In: Brutalism In The South African Bush

3. Kynder

Kynder cut to the chase.

This eco-conscious platform brings together the best hotels, cafes, bars and restaurants in Europe and the USA who are eco-friendly, humane, kind and community loving.

We're talking kind to the planet, kind to staff and their locality and kind to you - so that you find the places that make your trip, from coffee shops hiring only refugees to the coolest ecohotels and holistic retreats.

• Check out our latest Eco Hotel Reviews

4. Ecocompanion

Eco-travel company and booking platform, Ecocompanion pulls together the world's best eco-lodges, tours, and conservation projects which you can chop and change into personal itineraries for countries as varied as Costa Rica and Malaysia.

This is a brilliant start if you want an active holiday, getting involved with projects including rainforest research or marine conservation in Raja Ampat, one of prettiest places to dive in the world.

Stay in off-grid cabins, hike Scandinavia or simply potter around the UK coast, helping out with beach cleans.

• Related Reading: 5 reasons why you should try an off-grid holiday

5. Undiscovered Mountains

Undiscovered Mountains is a sustainable tourism company that specialises in experiences in the French Alps. From skiing and snow-touring to building an igloo in winter to mountain biking and cycling in the summer.

It has special packages for families and singles and ensure that they only work with local guides, independent accommodation and responsible partners so that all your hard earned cash goes to the people who deserve it and those who help protect Europe’s stunning mountain range.

• Related Reading: Ski Resorts: Our Top Eco Picks For A Sustainable Skiing Holiday

6. Adventure Alternative

This responsible adventure travel tour operator is based in Ireland but takes intrepid souls all over the world, from Borneo to East Africa, and there's a real focus on wildlife.

As well as hiking, trekking, Adventure Alternative is a member of Fair Trade Volunteering and runs volunteering trips through Moving Mountains in various countries across the globe, which makes sure each project is needed and useful.

(See here for a look into some of the issues with volunteering abroad if you don't know what you're doing).

It also invests heavily in its whole supply chain, from local guides to community projects and the company works to sustainable tourism principles.

6. Intrepid travel

While Intrepid Travel has been around for years, the eco travel company is no slow coach when it comes to slow and sustainable travel. The company has become a B Corp in 2018, the largest travel company in the world to become one.

It prides itself on incorporating the principles of sustainable development in the way it provides travellers with real life experiences.

Simply put these are small group tours all over the world, from Greenland to Oman that get you up close and personal with wildlife and cultural highlights with local guides and specialist experts.

You can also book specialist cycling, sailing or wildlife trips with them. The Intrepid Foundation also supports 50 community and conservation projects all over the world.

7. Kind Traveler

Kind Traveler is a socially conscious 'Give + Get' hotel booking platform that empowers travellers to be a force for good.

$10 goes to a local community or charity close to where you’re staying and you’ll unlock an exclusive rate at that hotel or destination across the US and beyond.

Kind Traveler is one of a growing number of companies that want to harness the power of the daily actions and routine bookings we already make and use them to benefit the planet.

Kind Traveler's goals are purposefully aligned with the United Nations' Global Goals for sustainable development: preventing poverty and hunger, protecting the planet, and promoting wellbeing for individuals and animals.

8. Aracari

Luxury and sustainable South American travel operator Aracari, organises boutique trips around South America.

It’s recently been awarded the prestigious Butterfly Mark from sustainable brand consultants, Positive Luxury. Aracari is also a favourite with Conde Nast Traveller and its specialist guides are some of the best in the business.

Through Aracari discover Peru, Bolivia and the Galapagos Islands, it infuses all of its tours environmental and social good, fosters long term relationships with local communities, helps you reduce your environmental footprint and everyone gets paid a living wage.

Really experience these countries with homestays on Lake Titicaca, stay in amazing private homes from Aracari's owner's black book or spend time with community projects like Tierra de los Yachaqs, a philanthropic organisation determined to preserve the history and traditions of local people in the Sacred Valley.

• Get packing with our article on Eco-friendly Travel Essentials For A Sustainable Suitcase

9. Rickshaw Travel

Meaningful travel company Rickshaw Travel has expanded its Asian tours into Japan. This sustainable tourism tour operator has a whole host of independent and authentic trips that get under the skin of South East Asia.

Explore Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand as well as China, India and Nepal.

This eco-friendly travel company is all about meaningful travel experiences, meeting local people and discovering unique cultures and customs.

Choose to go trekking, discover landscapes by bike, tuck into amazing street food and meet the people that make a ecotravel trip a once in a lifetime one.

10. Byway

Head out on a flight free holiday with slow travel experts Byway.

This new eco-travel tour company arranges slow travel adventures across the UK and Europe by train, bike, ferry and foot - no planes in sight.

Their dynamic trip builder creates personal trips and tours based on your interests, while your virtual guide can assist on your journey via What's App. Byway manage your itinerary and bookings and come up with the perfect slow travel trip for solo, couple or family travellers.

We love their commitment to low carbon travel and local accommodation and tour guides and their B Corp status. Check out their train trips across the Netherlands.

11. Earthchangers

Inspirational, transformative tourism is what’s on offer at Earthchangers, a online eco-travel booking platform which brings together active, adventure and conservation trips you can take.

At the moment there are 10 destinations which include the first ever marine conservation reserve in Tanzania to Floreana, which is the smallest of the inhabited islands in the Galapagos archipelago.

This is eco-tourism that truly has a positive impact, and you’ll get to meet world-changing pioneers along the way.

• Related Reading: 17 Must-Have Eco-Friendly Toiletries For Travel

12. Steppes Travel

Steppes Travel offer eco-luxury holidays that are tailor-made for people who are interested in wildlife, discovering different cultures and giving back to the environment.

Its wildlife tours are guided by some of the best people in the business, including professional wildlife photographers and conservation experts and it also specialises in architectural, photographic and archaeological tours.

Each international trip booked donates £10 to an international charity and this green travel tour operator has tours going across every continent.

Discover Uzbekistan, Madagascar, the Russian Arctic or Equador - they're just some of the small tour destinations on offer.

• Read our Essential lessons from a wildlife photographer

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