At Parallel, we value:
Community
We understand “community” on two levels at Parallel - both within our groups, and looking out from them. Parallel fosters community within our groups and fosters connections with other culturally-rich communities and cultures around the world. On each day of your Parallel adventure, you’ll have ample opportunity to explore the communities through which you’re traveling, and you’ll have the chance to form your own community with your fellow travelers with every step of the way.
Independence
Just as much as we enjoy fostering friendships and connections among our groups, we value your independence. As such, we’ve created our trips to allow for ample choice on your part. With a minimum of group meals and no required events during the day, you are free to explore on your own - or with your fellow travelers, as you wish.
Accessibility
We know that, as much as you would like it to be different, you don’t have a lot of time to spare. That’s exactly why we’ve designed our trips to fit neatly within a week away from home. What’s more, we’ve chosen destinations that are accessible from easy-to-reach gateway cities (such as Barcelona and Lisbon). You won’t have to spend entire days just getting to and from the trip start and end locations. Instead, you’ll fly in and be on the trail in a matter of hours. And finally, our trips won’t break the bank - we’ve designed them to be reasonably-priced for people who want to spend more time wearing a backpack than money on unnecessary frills.
Simplicity
We believe that the best way to experience a place and its culture is to be off the beaten path where life is simpler. This means, for example, homemade wine and locally grown fruits and vegetables in a simple countryside inn rather than poolside mimosas at a five-star resort. It also means walking from town to town through valleys and hillsides rather than traveling by tour bus.
Real Adventure
Our trekking trips are designed to be more than a walk in the park - indeed, they are designed to provide hours of challenging hiking and trekking on most trip days. Parallel guests choose us because they want to directly interact with their environments, and would much rather be sweating among mountain-top wildflowers than watching the country roll by from the inside of a tour bus. We’ll focus on the details so you can enjoy the scenery and getting to know the people you’ll meet along the way. You will push yourself during the day and relax in the evening in a beautiful location with delicious local food.
