What is Overlanding?

Truck Based Overland Journeys

Truck based overland journeys, or overlanding, is all about taking the road less travelled and getting away from the tourist trail. The trips can be as short as 2 weeks for the a more extraordinary annual holiday or perhaps as long as 28 weeks for the longer term traveller.

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Inspirational journeys 2 to 28 weeks

On an overland journey with Dragoman you’ll visit all the must-see highlights in a region, be it the Taj Mahal, Machu Picchu, Victoria Falls or the Pyramids - but by travelling in one of our purpose-built trucks we’ll also get you off the beaten track, so you can really get under the skin of the places you’re visiting. Staying as guests of local Uzbek families in their yurts or trekking through remote areas of the Rwandan jungle in search of the endangered mountain gorilla; for many people these unique experiences are often the most memorable parts of their overland adventures.

The long & the short of it

We have a range of overland trips from 1 weeks through to the full 28 week overland.  If you are after a short break away from the norm, try one of our 14 day trips in Peru or East Africa. Alternatively, if you want an epic journey, you could travel overland for 96 days with Dragoman from Istanbul to Beijing. 

Shared group experience

Travelling overland is all about sharing a great experience with like-minded people. These trips are journeys and your companions are as much part of the adventure as the areas you are travelling through. Our groups are open aged and generally have a broad minded attitude to the world around them. Life long friendships are forged on these journeys, not to mention the occasional marriage

Active as you want

These are not just 'bus journeys', there is much to see and do along the way. One day you may be trekking through the Andes, the next learning to cook in a Quechuan village.  There are some long drives, but then there is plenty of time to get off the truck and to explore. Typical activities include horseriding, hiking, rafting, cultural exploration; you name it we do it somewhere in the world.

Involve yourself

On an overland trip you're more than just a passenger, you're part of the crew, and everyone gets involved to help with setting up camp, pitching tents, shopping for food and even cooking. There are also a number of other responsibilities that are part of the overlanding lifestyle, for example collecting water and firewood, loading luggage and helping to keep the truck clean and tidy. This idea of ‘pitching in’ as a group has always been intrinsic to overlanding – generations of overlanders have revelled in the experience of being part of an adventure rather than just a passenger.

Freedom to get off the beaten track

These tours are designed to offer freedom and flexibility, so there's a route to follow rather than a strict hour-by-hour itinerary or even day by day itinerary. Our vehicles allow us to get off the taqrmac road and to travel the road less travelled.  It may be a 3 day journey across the high Bolivian Altiplano to Argentina or perhaps a side trip to a bushman village in Namibia, but this ability to go beyond the tourist infrastructure is intrinsive to overlanding. 

Camping and hotels

Depending on where you’re travelling, accommodation is a mix of family run hotels or guesthouses, campsites and local family homestays, with some wild camping in more remote areas.  Some nights we may add in a level of comfort that will thrill even the most adventurous spirit, the next you may be deep in the sands of Turkmen Desert.  Its the yin and the yan of travel. 

Local interaction & community involvement 

Our trips are run at grass roots level and we try to involve the local community in the trips themselves.  You might find yourself staying in a Quechua Indian village, learning to cook Indian food in Darjeeling, riding horses with Kyrgyz shepherds or helping at a school in Africa.

Our overland crew

Our extensively trained trip leaders are passionate about travelling and will ensure your trip is both safe and enjoyable.

You will usually be travelling with a 2 or 3 person crew.  In East and Southern Africa, we have two western crew and one local crew.  In most of Asia, we will have two wetern crew and either 1 or 2 local crew.  In South America, we have a 2 person crew aided by local guides along the way.