Our History…

50 Years of Adventure. Since 1974…

2024 marked the 50 year anniversary for Exodus, which makes us the UK’s longest running adventure travel company – and globally, only a handful of others pre-date us! We’re very proud of our enduring success – and to have been instrumental in the founding and development of the global Adventure Travel industry.

Our Founders’ Story

John Gillies and David Burlinson – Exodus founders

John Gillies a Philosophy graduate and David Burlinson an Engineer found themselves part of the nascent overland travel community. When the companies they were working for were threatened with closure in 1973 they agreed to start their own overland travel business. Exodus Expeditions was founded on 4 Feb 1974, based out of an office on Earls Court Road, and their first commercial trip took place that summer. John and David planned and operated an expedition through the rugged hinterland of central Afghanistan, travelling to the remote and fabled Minaret of Jam.

Overland practice run, Salisbury Plain, UK

1975 saw their first trans-continental departure, a London to Kathmandu 10 week journey, using the now iconic Bedford truck. Thanks to contacts with travel agents in Australia and New Zealand they were able to sell the return west-bound leg of the Trans-Asia journeys, and they started to turn a profit. Expansion of overland into Africa and South America followed, plus a series of short-duration air-based trekking and safari trips in the Himalayas and Africa.

Overland Travel in the 1970s, 80s and 90s

Overland travel was based around multi-week camping journeys, using converted army personnel trucks, with only rough schedules and limited budgets. They benefited from the open-borders of the 70s and 80s, now unfortunately, most of the trans-continental routes are no longer possible – but what a journey it was!

Asia and the Hippie Trail

London to Kathmandu formed the backbone of overland travel, but we went further. Exodus were the first overland company to get a truck into China – over the 4,700 meter Khunjerab pass. The team carried on through Tibet to see Lhasa and Everest from the north side. Exodus also offered the longest commercial overland journey – London to Bali – a 39 week epic through India, China, Thailand and Singapore.

South America Circuits

Offered a stunning range landscapes – and temperatures. The tropical Amazon, the Caribbean beaches of Colombia, the heights of the Altiplano including Bolivia’s vast Salar de Uyuni, and the cold depths of Patagonia. An Exodus South American overland adventure usually ended in Rio for a February Carnival celebration.

Trans-Africa to Nairobi or Cape Town

A true travel challenge. Crossing the trackless Sahara through Algeria (Tamanrasset and the Hogar Mountains anyone?) to distant Timbuktu and beyond. Then the deep mud and jungle of the Congo before reaching the grasslands of east and southern Africa.

Journeys Into the Unexpected

An extract from a brochure published in 1977 sums up the overland style of travel that Exodus pioneered…

“Exodus is an Expedition company. In an age when most forms of travel are becoming more rapid and luxurious it may seem odd that anyone should want to offer trips that are comparatively slow and arduous. Indeed to people who are used to the idea of a comfortable hotel, a fast coach and a carefully planned itinerary, the journeys which we offer and the style in which we travel may seem incomprehensible.

Incomprehensible, perhaps, until you remember that expeditions normally travel to places where you could never drive a coach, where hotels do not exist, and where itineraries, if they could be planned, could rarely be kept to. The essence of an expedition is, we believe, the search for the unexpected: on an expedition the events can never be programmed in – they have to be sought out. The mark of a successful package tour is that the unexpected never happens: on an expedition it never stops happening.

Perhaps this makes it clear why we use trucks instead of coaches, why we camp instead of staying in hotels. Not everyone is an expedition person; it doesn’t really depend on age. Mostly it depends on your urge to explore, to find out for yourself, and to join in the everyday routines of expedition life with a small group of other people who feel the same way about travel as you do.”

A Pioneering Travel Company

Our trailblazing spirit has always driven us to seek out new destinations and travel styles, from the remote corners of the world to adventure travel classics. Over the decades, we’ve refined our collection, developing new programmes that have surpassed the traditional overland travel style in popularity and continue to thrive today. Yet the ethos of our earliest expeditions remains unchanged: connecting like-minded travellers together through active, immersive adventures that respect local cultures.

Great Walks & Treks: The original pioneers of active journeys on foot across the globe. Thousands of trekkers have discovered the Himalayas, Patagonia, the Atlas Mountains and the far reaches of Central Asia with Exodus.

Cycling Adventures: We introduced travel on two wheels in the early 90s, leading the way and establishing safety protocols for cycling holidays across the world.

Discovery & Wildlife: Travelling in small groups allowed us to explore cultures and wildlife sensitively and carefully, from the mountains of Yemen to the wild landscapes of Mongolia and Madagascar.

Winter & Family Adventures: By pioneering specialist programmes in the 2000s, we brought fresh, active, and diverse options to our travellers, ensuring there is something for every kind of adventurer in our range.

Exodus Today

Award-Winning Tour Operator

As the experts in small group adventure travel, we work with some of the best people in the business and hold ourselves to the highest standards across everything we do. Over the years, we’ve received some of the most sought-after accolades in the travel industry – from Wanderlust and National Geographic Traveller to Conde Nast and more. But it’s your opinions that matter the most, which is why we’re proud to be rated “Excellent” on Trustpilot by you.

View our awards or read feedback from recent customers in our Trip Review Centre.

It’s More Extraordinary

With over 50 years of experience under our belts, we know the difference between a good trip and the adventure of a lifetime. Offering incredible small, guided group tours that span all seven continents, our expert local guides are at the heart of our extraordinary adventures. Yes, we’ll show you world wonders and unmissable sights like the Path of the Gods on the Amalfi Coast, Machu Picchu in Peru, Halong Bay in Vietnam, and the Taj Mahal in India. But we’ll also introduce you to the local people, show you things others miss, and tell you stories others don’t know. It’s the adventure travel we love.

Thriving Nature, Thriving People

Exploring the world comes with a responsibility to protect it. That’s why we’re committed to a nature-first, community-focused approach – and proud to be a certified B Corp, recognised for meeting high standards of social and environmental responsibility. Our Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan shapes how we design our trips and run our business. Through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, we support grassroots projects that help protect nature and create opportunities for local communities so that travel can be a force for good.