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Lower carbon doesn’t mean less fun

Sustainability has always been part of how we travel at Explore. Find out more about how we're integrating sustainable travel into our trips.
Published: 17 June 2026

We believe that sustainable travel should feel richer, not compromised. For us, being lower carbon and more sustainable goes hand in hand with creating small-group journeys that are more authentic, more immersive, and filled with extraordinary moments – from meaningful local connections to delicious food and memorable experiences.

While we’re committed to reducing our carbon footprint and supporting local communities and ecosystems, we don’t see this as a compromise. In fact, it’s often what makes our itineraries stronger, helping travellers connect more deeply with the places they visit. Here are just a few examples from our brilliant product team.

Lower carbon Explore trips

Kolkata to Amritsar

We have worked hard in India to reduce the number of internal flights on our itineraries, instead replacing these journeys with a wide variety of types of transport - offering a varied experience and of course a lower carbon footprint. This tour does a wonderful job of utilising India's public transport for the majority of the sightseeing. As a rail-focused itinerary, customers on this tour will be travelling predominantly by train, metro, tuk tuk, rickshaw and on foot. Travel between each of the major locations on this tour is done by train, with the exception of the Agra to Delhi journey which is done by vehicle. – Fathom Stead, Asia Product Manager
Northern India rail tour

Simply Japan

This trip travels by public transport as far as possible, making use of Japan's wonderful train network to travel quickly and efficiently across the country alongside the locals. In the cities and towns we make use of the local buses and metro networks to get around. – James Adkin, Asia Programme Manager
Simply Japan discovery tour

Amalfi Coast Discovery

The Rabbit hotel offers a unique farm-to-table experience, producing its own organic fruit and vegetables for use in its (delicious) meals. Meals are seasonal, locally sourced (often straight from the garden), and vegetarian and vegan options are always available. It's a great place to enjoy wholesome, homegrown food in a natural setting. We stay at The Rabbit hotel for the duration of this trip. – Ali Butler, Europe Product Manager
Amalfi Coast Discovery tour

Zimbabwe & Botswana Wildlife Safari

The lodges that we use on this tour have made strides to reduce their carbon footprint in many ways, by topping up their power consumption through the use of solar panels, switching to more energy-efficient LED bulbs and sourcing food from local sources. All food waste at the properties we use in Zimbabwe is composted and used to plant trees or as fertilizer for the local produce - this is particular evident during our stay at Hwange National Park, where more and more trees are planted each month. – Morts Lindholm, Africa Product Manager
Zimbabwe & Botswana Wildlife Safari tour

A Taste of Southern France

We have made this holiday easily accessible for rail travel to avoid the need to fly. There are plenty of rail options to get to the start town of Bordeaux and home from Toulouse, the last night stop of this journey. We also use rail travel to get to Arcachon, St Emillion, Carcassonne, and Sarlat to keep the trip's carbon footprint as low as possible. Almost all the food on this trip is locally-sourced and seasonal, which is the very essence of this food tour in southern France - the seasonal local produce is the highlight of the trip. – Tom Wilkinson, Europe Programme Manager
Bordeaux to Carcassonne food tour



 

Take the scenic route

Skip the airport chaos and travel by train instead. Sit back and watch the varied landscapes roll past your window on a rail tour, arguably one of the best ways to experience a destination. 

International Rail are true experts in all things rail and have over 66,000 routes in their system for Europe alone! You could travel to and from your trip by train, and reduce your carbon footprint too – what's not to love?
Explore by rail

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