The Top 8 UK Eco Tourism Operators to Travel with

March 13, 2024 Manuela Willbold Leisure, List post 0

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With the help of our carefully curated list of the best UK eco tourism operators set out on an adventure unlike any other. These trailblazers have been carefully chosen by us; they are all deeply dedicated to responsible tourism, environmental sustainability, and creating life-changing experiences while fusing the wonders of travel.

These organisations reinvent travel, making sure that your experiences have a positive impact on the environment and your spirit—whether you’re travelling to the far-flung corners of the world or the picturesque landscapes of Scotland.

Disclaimer: The information shared in this post was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change. The below list has been prepared according to the customer’s number of reviews and ratings from higher to lower.

Here is the list of the top-rated 8 Eco Tourism Operators in the UK

1. Exodus Adventure Travels

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  • Address: Platinum House, St. Marks Hill, Surbiton, KT64BH
  • Website: https://www.exodus.co.uk/
  • Phone Number: +44 (0)1344 283 399
  • Email ID: sales@exodus.co.uk

Exodus, a passionate advocate for sustainable travel experiences, thrives on immersing travellers in the diverse beauty of our world while fostering a deep commitment to environmental stewardship. Through a groundbreaking partnership with Rewilding Europe, the Nature and Carbon Corridors Project endeavours to rewild 100 square metres for each passenger, aiming to restore 5,000 hectares in the Italian Apennines. The company also champions eco-friendly travel by expanding its rail booking service across beloved European destinations, offering customers a sustainable “no-fly” transport option.

  • Exodus, through the Community Kickstart Project, supports pandemic-affected destinations, distributing food parcels in Kathmandu and implementing rainwater harvesting in Malaysia.
  • Customer accolades on Trustpilot commend Exodus for eco-awareness and responsible tourism practices.
  • Acknowledged by Which? for exceptional service, Exodus boasts top-tier guides and flexible booking policies during uncertain times.
  • Exodus’ expert guides enrich travel experiences with unparalleled knowledge and passion.
  • Maintaining flexible booking policies during Covid uncertainty, Exodus receives praise from both Which? and Trustpilot reviews.

Ratings and Reviews: 4.7 out of 5 stars with 3186 reviews on Tripadvisor.

Pricing: Exodus presents cost-effective travel options, with trips priced below £1000. Among these, the 5-day Mt Toubkal Long Weekend package stands out as the most affordable, now available at a discounted rate of £539.

Awards:

  • Sustainability Champion Award in December 2023 by Which? Recommended Escorted Tour Provider

Social Presence:

2. Wilderness Scotland

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Wilderness Adventure Travel is dedicated to providing unmatched client care and life-changing travel opportunities. The company has consistently focused on paying close attention to detail since its founding in 2001, making sure every trip meets or surpasses expectations.

  • Industry-leading position on climate change with a commitment to achieving true net zero by 2030.
  • Implemented a carbon-labelling project in 2021 to measure the carbon impact of the entire business and each trip.
  • Actively working on removing, reducing, and mitigating carbon output based on accurate impact data.
  • Wilderness Conservation and Community Fund raised over £50,000 for grassroots environmental protection.

Ratings and Reviews: 4.9 out of 5 stars with 619 reviews on Trustpilot.

Pricing: Wilderness Scotland has multiple packages for different locations. The pricing depends on the number of days and your location choice. A small group tour booked under the Mull and Lona winter package starts from £1313 for 5 days/ 4 nights.

Awards/Certificate:

  • Best Green Tour Operator at the World Travel Awards for their sustainability initiatives

Social Presence:

3. Brack Tours

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  • Address: Brack Tours Northern Ireland, 6 Margaret Street, Newry Co.Down, BT34 1DF, Northern Ireland
  • Website: https://www.bracktours.co.uk/
  • Phone Number: +44 (0)28 3044 5060
  • Email ID: info@bracktours.com

Committed to environmental stewardship and sustainable tourism, the company offers a stable, eco-friendly travel experience that gives back to its cherished destinations. With a dedicated Green team embodying an ethos of responsibility, Brack Tours integrates walking and hiking tours led by locals to showcase the rich history and stories of each destination. Collaborating with fellow Green Tourism awardees for accommodations, activities, and attractions, Brack Tours ensures a harmonious blend of fun-filled days and relaxing evenings, fostering a unique and enriching travel experience.

  • Brack Tours is dedicated to delivering eco-friendly products and services to overseas visitors, prioritising environmental sustainability in its operations to contribute to keeping Ireland green.
  • A dedicated Green team, comprising three specialised staff members, plays a pivotal role in promoting and integrating Green Tourism principles throughout various aspects of the company, reinforcing environmentally friendly practices among all Brack employees.
  • Collaborating with other Green Tourism Businesses, Brack Tours includes certified accommodations such as hotels, B&Bs, and visitor attractions in its tour packages, ensuring a comprehensive commitment to sustainability.

Ratings and Reviews: 5 out of 5 stars with 139 reviews on Tripadvisor.

Pricing: The small group tour packages start from as little as £1035 per person for 4 nights.

Awards/Certificate:

  • Green Tourism Gold Award

Social Presence:

4. Pura Aventura

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  • Address: 80 East St, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 1NF, United Kingdom
  • Website: https://pura-aventura.com/
  • Phone Number: +441273676712
  • Email ID: hola@pura-aventura.com

With a commitment spanning more than two decades to delivering outstanding travel experiences, the company cultivates a sense of appreciation among clients, partners, and its team. Specialising in crafting extraordinary holidays that bring benefits to both travellers and the communities they explore, the company is dedicated to responsible tourism. Actively supporting traditional lifestyles and conservation projects, the company has been addressing its carbon footprint since July 2019, acknowledging the environmental impact of its operations. The ethos of the organisation seamlessly blends unforgettable adventures with a resolute commitment to environmental responsibility.

  • Pura measures the carbon output of each holiday, considering air, road, and sea travel.
  • Going beyond offsetting, Pura achieves Travel Positivity by mitigating 160% of the carbon produced.
  • Pura invests significantly in an impactful reforestation project in Nicaragua, surpassing the average payment per tonne.
  • The chosen project not only mitigates carbon but also generates sustainable income, positively impacting rural communities.

Ratings and Reviews: 5 out of 5 stars with 68 reviews on Feefo.

Pricing: The Alpujarra Inn to Inn Walking Holiday package is the most affordable option costing from £1200 per person for 7 days.

Awards:

  • TTG Luxury Travel Awards 2022 for Sustainability Hero of the Year

Social Presence:

5. Adventurous Ewe

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  • Address: 52 Ty Mawr Rd, Deganwy, Conwy LL31 9UB, United Kingdom
  • Website: https://www.adventurousewe.co.uk/
  • Phone Number: +441492588069
  • Email ID: info@adventurousewe.co.uk

Adventurous Ewe is a travel company committed to responsible and sustainable tourism. Guided by its Big Adventures, and Small Bootprints Travel Mission, the company strives for continuous improvement in all operations. With a focus on providing extraordinary adventure experiences worldwide, Adventurous Ewe emphasises safety, sustainability, and meaningful connections with local cultures and environments. Their Making it Meaningful Tourism Policy for People and the Planet sets the standard for responsible travel, aiming to broaden horizons and positively impact the places visited—one adventure at a time.

  • Encourage and support stepping out of comfort zones for a more meaningful exploration of the world.
  • Travel in small groups to minimise impact on local communities and environments, fostering authentic experiences.
  • Prioritise the protection of human rights, ensuring high standards of welfare and pay for guides, crew, and porters with the Porters & Guides Protection Policy.
  • Adhere to local and international legislation on employment, equality, and pay, aiming to exceed minimum requirements.
  • Actively support the preservation of cultural and traditional heritage through thoughtfully crafted trips and collaboration with knowledgeable local operators.

Ratings and Reviews: 4.9 out of 5 stars with 62 reviews on Google.

Pricing: The National 3 Peaks Challenge package is the most affordable option priced at £385 for 24 hours.

Awards:

  • Travelife Partner level Award 2023

Social Presence:

6. Audley Travel

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For over 25 years, they have crafted unique journeys aimed at enabling individuals to experience the world in a deeply meaningful way. These meticulously designed trips are tailored to each person, ensuring the creation of a personalised scrapbook of cherished memories.

  • 100% Tailor-made holidays designed around individual preferences.
  • Explore interests at a personalised pace and choose your preferred accommodation style.
  • Consistent support with the same specialist managing the entire trip from start to finish.
  • Access to the best guides handpicked for their excellence by the company or local partners.
  • Trusted service with FCDO Travel Aware Partnership, 24/7 emergency UK support, established in 1996, IATA member, ABTOT financial protection, ATOL protection, and AITO membership.

Ratings and Reviews: 4.5 out of 5 stars with 83 reviews on Google.

Pricing: Audley offers one of its most affordable packages starting from just £2,750 for 9 days for a boutique Mauritius tour.

Award/Certificate:

  • B Corp Certified for meeting the highest standard of social and environmental impact

Social Presence:

7. Byway

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  • Address: International House, 45-55 Commercial St, London E1 6BD, United Kingdom
  • Website: https://www.byway.travel/
  • Phone Number: +442045256215
  • Email ID: hello@byway.travel

Byway, a trailblazing travel platform, offers a unique and personalised journey experience meticulously crafted for individual interests. Guided by Byway’s expert local knowledge, the platform coordinates the entire trip, highlighting lesser-known gems, facilitating bag storage, and handpicking accommodations.

  • Byway envisions a world where flight-free holidays are the norm, fostering a vibrant sustainable travel ecosystem away from conventional tourist paths.
  • The mission of Byway is to mainstream flight-free holidays, catalysing the global shift towards sustainable travel by promoting slow exploration and a love for the journey.
  • By prioritising rail travel, emitting only 14g of CO2 per passenger mile compared to the 285g generated by air travel, Byway advocates that travelling through the world is superior to flying over it.
  • As a certified B Corp, Byway facilitates easy exploration of multi-stop overland travel, encouraging customers to appreciate the journey as much as the destination.

Ratings and Reviews: 4.9 out of 5 stars with 32 reviews on Google.

Pricing: Explore tour packages that fit into your budget with their lowest package starting from £238 per person for 3 nights.

Award/Certificate:

  • B Corp Certified for meeting the highest standard of social and environmental impact

Social Presence:

8. Flooglebinder

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  • Address: 12 Bishop St, Shrewsbury SY2 5HA, United Kingdom
  • Website: https://flooglebinder.co.uk/
  • Phone Number: +442036330163
  • Email ID: info@flooglebinder.co.uk

The organisation carefully chooses partners and suppliers who make a positive impact on the communities and ecosystems they visit, as part of its commitment to social and environmental responsibility. They go above and beyond by providing travellers with a lifetime loyalty programme that encourages sustainable exploration, working with NGOs that address social and environmental challenges and hand-picking local suppliers with strong sustainability credentials.

  • Following a “planet first” philosophy, the business only collaborates with green-certified companies such as BCorp, Travelife, or SUSTOUR.
  • To promote sustainable travel practices, they eliminate single-use plastics, offer reusable items, and hold educational talks while travelling.
  • The company places a higher priority on welfare than profit and only works with suppliers who adhere to anti-slavery and animal welfare policies. Strict standards are maintained through ongoing monitoring.
  • In line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, every project aims to improve the health of people and the environment, and efforts are being made to incorporate these programmes into educational curricula.

Ratings and Reviews: 5 out of 5 stars with 25 reviews on Google.

Pricing: To get the pricing, you need to fill out a form.

Award/Certificate:

  • B Corp Certified for meeting the highest standard of social and environmental impact

Social Presence:

We’ve combed through the wide world of eco tourism as stewards of the environment to bring you the best of the best. Our carefully chosen collection includes travel as well as a dedication to a more environmentally conscious and socially conscious world. Our selected operators are the epitome of perfection, whether your vision is of the wild and rugged landscapes of Scotland, the limitless opportunities for ethical travel, or the perfect fusion of luxury and environmental awareness.

Come along as we explore these incredible journeys, where every turn serves as evidence of the remarkable partnership between environmental stewardship and wanderlust. We are the starting point of your journey, where sustainable wanderlust meets hand-selected excellence.

If you want us to add a suggestion here based on your experience, please get in touch with us!

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Author Profile

Manuela WillboldOnline Media & PR Strategist
Blogger and Educator by Passion | Senior Online Media & PR Strategist at ClickDo Ltd. | Fascinated to Write Lifestyle Blogs in News & Education I have completed a journalism summer course at the London School of Journalism and manage various blogs.

About Manuela Willbold 125 Articles
Blogger and Educator by Passion | Senior Online Media & PR Strategist at ClickDo Ltd. | Fascinated to Write Lifestyle Blogs in News & Education I have completed a journalism summer course at the London School of Journalism and manage various blogs.

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