Not everyone wants to go on holiday and spend their time on sun loungers or sitting around the pool. If seeing the famous sights and a spot of windsurfing isn’t enough of an adrenaline buzz for your holiday, then here are some of the hottest adventure holiday destinations for 2017.

Travel the Silk Road

Many of the most unusual adventure holidays are organised as group trips, and one of the longest and most out of the ordinary is a 7 week trip along the ancient Silk Road, starting in Turkey and passing through Iran, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan before arriving in Beijing. There are many historic World Heritage sites to see along the route, and the chance to experience some very different ways of life. The main disadvantage of this sort of trip is the risk of not getting on well with your travelling companions in addition to the cost – the Silk Road trip starts at £10,000, not including flights.

Norwegian Glaciers

Closer to home, and more manageable for a short trip, several companies offer trips to the northern part of Norway. The main attractions are whale watching and the Northern Lights, but if you want more action from your holiday there is the option to take a snowmobile trip across the fjords and glaciers, staying in the world’s most northerly town. Flights to Norway from the UK are readily available and affordable, and as Norway is part of the European Economic Area, you can use your EHIC cover for medical emergency care and potentially reduce the cost of your travel insurance.

Slovenia

Slovenia isn’t a destination which immediately springs to mind when looking at European holidays, but it offers a wide range of different holidays at good value for money prices. The scenery is almost Alpine in nature, with mountains for climbing and hiking, Lake Bled for water sports including sailing and water skiing, and miles of unspoiled cycling tracks and walking routes. Fly from the UK into the capital, Ljubljana, and hire a car to take you north into the beautiful countryside. If you’re planning on hiking or taking part in “risky” sports such as mountain climbing or white water rafting, check that you have adequate insurance cover.

Nature Wants You Back

The Swiss tourist board’s big marketing push for 2017 has the strapline “Nature wants you back”, and focuses on the range of activities which Switzerland offers out of the winter sports season. The mountains lend themselves perfectly to climbing, abseiling, sky-diving or more gentle hill walking and rambling and there are many adventure activity companies all over Switzerland which will rent equipment or teach you new skills. One of the best ways of getting around Switzerland is by rail, and there are some good value passes available to tourists, including trips on the famous sightseeing trains with glass roofs. If you’d prefer not to limit your travels to just one country, take a look at the Inter Rail passes which are valid for varying lengths of time and allow you to visit most countries in Europe.