Surprise Trips Are Only Becoming More Popular—With Cruise Lines, Train Companies, and Adventure Tours Joining the Trend

18.08.2023 - 13:41 / cntraveler.com

On the same day I was set to depart, I received an email telling me where in the world I’d be going. This was exactly what I’d been hoping for. The less I knew, the better.

When I agreed to go on a multi-day fly fishing trip through Orvis Adventures, knowing only that it would take place internationally at an Orvis partner lodge, I jumped on the opportunity. The idea of waking up in my San Francisco apartment one day and having no idea where on the planet I’d be the next was exhilarating. And, even though I have zero experience angling, I felt some security in the fact that family-owned Orvis has a stellar reputation as a fly fishing outfitter—what better way to learn?

The email arrived in my inbox about eight hours before my departure with the subject line: “Your Orvis Adventure Destination is…” When I finally opened the message, I was absolutely elated: I was going to Belize.

Mystery trips have become increasingly popular over the last decade, with companies like Magical Mystery Tours and Blind Experiences offering guests one-of-a-kind surprise experiences around the globe, based on their likes and dislikes, time frame, and budget. But more recently, localized agencies as well as cruise lines and passenger railways are getting onboard with the trend; in some cases, working with an already established clientele to provide a level of familiarity or comfort they’ve come to expect with an unexpected twist. Not only are these ‘mystery excursions’ opportunities to spread love among local vendors and lesser-known destinations—they’re also building a new measure of trust in the process. For travelers burnt out by the overplanning required by the pandemic, relinquishing control can feel like more of a vacation than ever. In fact, according to a 2023 Travel Trends report compiled by travel pricing comparison app Hopper, travelers these days are generally more flexible on when and where they go, which opens up a whole new world of options.

A view of the famous Storseisundet Bridge in Norway, a potential site on one of Up Norway's surprise trips—all of which focus on destinations within the country. 

When it comes to regional surprise offerings, you’ll find travel organizers such as Unexpected Journeys, which runs full-day surprise excursions throughout Canada’s eastern Ontario and Quebec provinces, and One California Day, an ‘experimental’ travel company that does the same for the Golden State. Up Norway is a luxury Norwegian travel curator that began offering surprise blåtur (“into the blue”) trips in 2022 with the country itself as its baseline. “We realized that so many travelers are interested in coming to Norway,” says Torunn Tronsvang, the company’s founder, “but many of them don’t because it’s