On June 13, Airbnb launched Airbnb Adventures, a new collection of more than 200 small-group excursions led by local hosts in destinations from Oman to Alaska. The platform, an extension of Airbnb Experiences, marks the first time Airbnb offers lodging, meals, and activities in one package for travelers. Flights aren’t included in the overall cost, but the trips—in most cases limited to 12 participants or fewer—are designed to be affordable. (Two- to 10-day tours range from $99 to $5,000.)
To mark the debut of Airbnb Adventures, the company announced another unique offering: a 12-week trip around the globe inspired by Around the World in Eighty Days, the famous French novel by Jules Verne. Up to eight guests (ages 21 and older) will be permitted to book the trip when it becomes available online on Thursday, June 20.
The trip, which departs from London on September 1 this year, will take a small group of travelers to six continents and 18 countries within the span of 80 days. Activities include visiting medieval towns in the mountains of Romania; exploring UNESCO World Heritage sites in Uzbekistan; hiking to traditional teahouses and monasteries in Bhutan; sleeping under the stars in the Australian outback; and navigating the ancient Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route in Japan. The circumnavigational adventure also includes rafting in Utah’s Canyonlands National Park, wildlife-spotting in the Galápagos, trekking in Chilean Patagonia, and bathing in Iceland’s geothermal waters.
All proceeds from the “Around the World in 80 Days” adventure will go to the Malala Fund.
Courtesy of Airbnb
When the 80-day adventure comes to an end on November 19, the small group will return to London before parting ways. Accommodation, transportation, and select meals are covered as part of the trip’s $4,987 per person price tag. The only expense not covered in the cost is the round-trip flight ticket to and from London.
As if all of the above didn’t already sound attractive enough, there’s more that makes this one-time-only offering sound, well, superb. This particular Airbnb Adventure is what the company calls a “social impact experience,” which means that all trip proceeds go toward a nonprofit organization that has partnered with Airbnb to raise awareness about its mission with travelers. In this case, 100 percent of the proceeds from the “Around the World in 80 Days” adventure will go to the Malala Fund, a nonprofit organization cofounded by Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai and her father. So when you pay $4,987 to Airbnb for your spot on this crazy adventure, you’ll really be helping fund an organization that works to give young girls “free, safe, and quality education” in places like Syria and Afghanistan.
Around the World in 80 Days will be bookable as an Airbnb Adventure from Thursday, June 20, 2019.
