Allow me to introduce you to the mailing list that changed my life.
In 2006, I signed up for Adventures in Good Company's emails. I had no idea it would change the next two decades of mine.
At the time, I was about a year into my career as a firefighter paramedic—a job that runs on holidays, nights, and weekends, with a dismal two weeks of vacation and zero shot at the high-demand weeks my friends were taking. I went looking for a reputable, safe, adventure-packed travel company, and Google pointed me to AGC.
Not long after, an email landed in my inbox: a discounted, last-minute spot on a Rim-to-Rim backpacking trip through the Grand Canyon. I called the office before I'd even finished reading it.
Jan Lanthum picked up, patiently answered every first-timer question I had, and held my spot for two hours, so I could figure out the logistics of a trip that started in about 100 hours. Flights out of Boston were pricey, so I called my dad to see if he'd drive me to Providence instead. I emailed my brother at work to borrow his sleeping bag that evening. After they both said yes, I called Jan back and said, “It's a go.” She sent the paperwork, and in what felt like a blink, I was standing in a hotel lobby with seven soon-to-be friends and our fearless trip leader, Anne Flunkenger, at the start of an adventure I still think about today.
"What Are You Doing With Strangers?"
I'll be honest, my family had questions. Several concerned phone calls' worth. Traveling across the country to hike and camp with people I'd never met wasn't exactly in their wheelhouse. My friends weren't interested in spending their limited, just-out-of-college vacation time that way either, which made this the perfect way to have an experience I could never have curated on my own.
I've now been an AGC participant for 10 years and an AGC guide for 10 more, so I understand this question from both sides of the trail. Yes, you're signing up to go somewhere you've only dreamed about, with people from all over the country you've never met. And honestly? That's what life is all about. Why wait?
Don't wait for a friend's schedule to line up. Don't wait for work to slow down. Don't wait for a sibling to step in with parental care. Don't wait until there's more in savings. Don't wait because of childcare. Don't wait because the unknown of group travel feels like too much of a risk.
Friendships, Fast-Tracked
There's something about hiking a national park, kayaking the Adirondacks, or staring out the window of an international train with no cell service, no distractions, and a little trail-earned adrenaline—it expedites friendship. We talk about our lives, our struggles, our wins, without judgment, because we've got nothing to prove to strangers we just met on a trail.
On an AGC trip, you'll meet women at every point in life: rediscovering themselves after a divorce or the loss of a spouse, celebrating a career milestone, finally able to take an extended trip after years of caregiving, just finished paying off a degree, or simply done postponing the bucket list for one more year.
“I am always excited about a hiking trip but what surprised me was how I made new friends that took this trip too. I felt very well cared for by the guides and travelmates.” - Sandra L. AGC traveler
With AGC, you don't have to wait for a friend's finances or vacation calendar to line up with yours. Find the itinerary that's right for you, and we handle the rest: lodging, meals, excursions, transportation, the trail. It’s one-stop shopping. We'll meet you at the airport and drop you back off refreshed, recharged, and a little more invigorated than when you left.
What First-Time Travelers Should Know
AGC will change you
Stepping outside a familiar routine has a way of resetting your perspective—on the world, and on yourself. We'll help you build a new skill and an instant community, safely. A lot of our itineraries build in real wellness time, too: journaling, yoga, paddleboarding, watercolor, or just watching the sunset without rushing off. Growth, joy, gratitude—they all get room to breathe in every AGC trip.
AGC brings together a genuinely varied community
Different ages, backgrounds, and beliefs all join together on AGC adventures. We ask that the heavier, more divisive topics stay off the trail so conversation can go where it naturally wants to: books, recipes, music, and of course, travel. If you've been feeling weighed down by family demands, the news cycle, or work, a week spent building a reading list and a "must-try" recipe list with new friends is its own kind of relief.
AGC is a proven leader
AGC has led women’s adventure travel for over 25 years, and we've been recognized in Newsweek, USA Today, Women's Health, Travel + Leisure, and more. When my kids were little and scared of a roller coaster, I'd tell them: "Do you think they'd stay in business if it wasn't safe?" The same logic applies here.
Our guides are the real thing
AGC CEO Kelly Kimple personally gets to know every guide—through the interview process, on-the-job training, and guide retreats. Our core values (We Take Good Care, We Are Good Company, We Keep Learning, We Embrace the Adventure) aren't a slogan on a website. We live by them, trip after trip.
“I am making a return to hiking, and my AGC trip to Shenandoah National Park was perfect for someone with more limited experience. I felt well-cared for. The most special part was all of the women in the group, and how we got along and shared the experience. Our guides were excellent, I made new friends, and the park was beautiful.” -Kathleen W., AGC traveler
Adventures that are Transformative, Not Performative
If what you're after is real connection instead of small talk, personal growth instead of a checked box, a trip that respects the places and people you're visiting, and days spent with genuinely great humans who get it, you're in the right place. Traveling with Adventures in Good Company isn't just about collecting passport stamps. It's about coming home a little different than you left.
So don't wait for perfect timing. It rarely is. We hope to see you on the trail.
