
In-depth guides to the places worth the trip, and an Adventure Score for every US town: 0 to 100 for how much quality outdoor sport is close by.
Spots, seasons, travel and budget. Highest Adventure Score first.
Every guide and every US place we score, highest Adventure Score first. Switch to “Guides first” to see the in-depth guides on top.
35 places
Himachal Pradesh, India · Alpine
Indian Himalayas: trekking, climbing, whitewater paddling in high alpine valleys.
Destination guide →Gandaki, Nepal · Forest
Himalayan trekking hub with lakeside relaxation and adventure access.
Destination guide →TW · Forest
Taiwan: underrated 200+ peak alpine powerhouse with subtropical forests, dramatic gorges, and coastal surf.
Destination guide →PK · Alpine
Ride the Karakoram Highway through some of Earth's most extreme alpine terrain.
Destination guide →Japan · Forest
Japan's premier powder paradise—15+ metres of Siberian snow annually.
Destination guide →PH · Water
Siargao is the surfing capital of the Philippines — a teardrop island where Cloud 9 breaks world-class.
Destination guide →LK · Water
Sri Lanka: one island with three-peaked mountains, Indian Ocean swells, jungle adventures, and tea plantations.
Destination guide →Indonesia · Forest
Tropical island paradise: jungle hiking, rice terraces, volcanic climbs, and world-class reef breaks.
Destination guide →PH · Water
Limestone cliffs, white-sand beaches, and turquoise lagoons make El Nido a tropical climbing and paddling paradise.
Destination guide →Nepal · Forest
The Himalayan heartland: eight of the world's 14 eight-thousanders, trekking routes, climbing, and mountain culture.
Destination guide →MV · Water
Tropical paradise redefined: world-class water sports on pristine atolls and coral reefs.
Destination guide →Mae Hong Son, Thailand · Forest
Jungle trekking and rock climbing in Thailand's Mae Hong Son province.
Destination guide →Yamanashi, Japan · Alpine
Japan's sacred summit rises above the clouds — climb it once, feel it forever
Destination guide →Guangxi, China · Forest
Yangshuo: China's limestone climbing capital with karst peaks, rural culture, and river kayaking.
Destination guide →Thailand · Water
Southeast Asia's rock climbing mecca: 700+ limestone routes in emerald karst landscape.
Destination guide →Yamanashi, Japan · Water
Japan's sacred volcano and five lakes: a short summer climb season, year-round lake paddling, cycling and Fuji views.
Destination guide →Aklan, PH · Water
Small Philippine island with a long white beach on one side and Asia's best-known kiteboarding bay on the other, plus reef and wall diving a short boat ride away.
Destination guide →East Java, Indonesia · Water
One of the world's longest and hollowest left-hand reef breaks, at the end of a jungle national park on Java's southeast tip.
Destination guide →Nagano, Japan · Alpine
Japan Alps powder: ten linked ski areas, an Olympic legacy and big-mountain summer hiking in northern Nagano.
Destination guide →Karnataka, India · Forest
Granite boulder fields and 14th-century Vijayanagara ruins along the Tungabhadra: India's best-known bouldering destination.
Destination guide →Hong Kong, HK · Water
A megacity of 7.5 million wrapped around jungle ridges, with 298 km of long-distance trails reachable by metro
Destination guide →North Western Province, LK · Water
A sandy peninsula of shallow kite lagoons, dolphin pods and Sri Lanka's biggest coral reef
Destination guide →Phang Nga, Thailand · Water
Quiet Andaman beach strip and the gateway to Thailand's best liveaboard and day-trip diving at the Similan Islands, Koh Bon and Richelieu Rock
Destination guide →Wakayama, Japan · Forest
UNESCO-listed pilgrimage trails of the Kii Mountains: cedar forest paths, mountain shrines and onsen villages walked for a thousand years.
Destination guide →