OUR HISTORY
AdventureWomen’s heritage, pioneering adventure travel trips designed especially for women travelers, began in 1982 in Chicago, Illinois. Fresh out of graduate school and a 3 year stint in the Peace Corps, Susan Eckert took her life savings and launched AdventureWomen when the adventure travel industry was still in its infancy. Targeting women over 30, Susan thought it was high time women benefit from the same travel opportunities as men who seemed, frankly, to be having all the fun hunting, fishing and golfing with their “buddies.” The rest, as they say, is history.
“I never had time to think about being a ‘pioneer’ in the women’s adventure travel industry and I never imagined that my own passion for adventure would be the forerunner to the existence of so many women’s adventure companies today” notes Susan. AdventureWomen has grown from offering a few trips a year—where Susan functioned as program director, cook, guide, dishwasher, driver and financier—to almost 20 adventures which span the globe. Based out of her log house in Bozeman, Montana’s Bridger Mountains, AdventureWomen has inspired a loyalty among its clients which is truly remarkable. “The determination and enthusiasm which fueled the company’s early growth is still strong and vibrant, and inspires the addition of exciting new and exotic destinations every year. Our fantastic guides, associates and office staff, and the loyalty of the amazing women who travel with us, keeps AdventureWomen at the forefront of the women’s travel market.”
Over the years, AdventureWomen has received a number of awards and industry recognition for the company’s success. Perhaps the essence of AdventureWomen is best summed up in the following quote, which was given to the company with Web Magazine’s “Editor’s Choice” for best travel website in 1997:
“Picture Thelma and Louise picking up Jane Goodall and phoning the ladies from Fried Green Tomatoes and heading off into the wilderness—no male escorts needed, thank you!”
When you travel with AdventureWomen, you’ll discover for yourself what Susan Eckert learned on some of her own first expeditions – the exhilaration of achievement as you stretch yourself beyond your boundaries – the deep spiritual enrichment that occurs when you encounter for the first time diverse cultures and wildlife – the joy of camaraderie and spontaneous laughter as you learn new things about yourself, your companions, and the world around you. You too will discover that all citizens of the world share one heart and one soul.
To find out more about our new adventures, check our Trip Calendar.