If your blood runs hot and you prefer cooler worldwide destinations, we’ve got just the thing; travel tours that make the most of their frigid conditions. From the North to South Pole, travellers are hanging up their high heels for ice boots and trekking into the cold unknown. These aren’t your average London travel tours and certainly are not for the faint of heart.

Different Temperature Travel Tours

Lake Placid, New York offers much in the vein of extreme sports at extreme temperatures. Being within driving distance of the Big Apple; Lake Placid is most famous for its involvement with the establishing of the Winter Olympic Games and will play host to the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. Travel tour agencies might warn against using the Olympic facilities, but high octane action combined with hotel conditions of absolute luxury, comfort and danger share a fascinating duality in Lake Placid. However you can minimise the danger and maximise the fun with professional bobsled drivers offering trips down the same track Olympic legends have claimed the gold. As far as holiday and travel tours go, Lake Placid is anything but placid; be prepared for action.

If exotic only brings up images of steamy jungles and tropical beaches then consider a travel tour guide exploring the Antarctic Peninsula. As a definition of exotic, few travel this way for fear of the temperatures however the wildlife and imagery that one can experience from the region are breathtaking; in some cases literally. Departing from the world’s southern most city, Ushuaia in Argentina, travel tours expose the freezing underbelly of the world although on average the temperature is surprisingly bearable at 20°F. Penguins, walrus, polar bears and seal pups are all on arctic safari; penguin chicks are so cute you might be tempted to keep one as a pet! Naturalist led travel tours offer kayaking around icebergs, ice field hikes and shore treks amongst thousands of cute penguins; just be sure to layer your clothes with an outer shell of windproof and waterproof clothing.

Feel like a Sled?

Finally if you prefer a laid back approach to adrenaline pumping activity, sledding in Preda-Bergün is a Swiss adventure that is safe, cold and active. At 6 kilometres long, the Preda-Bergün cross-country toboggan course is a relative self serve travel tour of the country-side’s picturesque farmlands and forests. This European travel tour finds its start at 5,900 feet in Preda to the finish at 4,484 feet in Bergün. Be sure to wear protective gear and look out for fellow toboggan enthusiasts parked off at sharp hairpins for safety; periodic darkness is also a concern but adds to the sense of adventure. With free unlimited train trips back to the start of the course, it’s an opportunity to truly experience the countryside without fear of missing anything. The glaciated Alpine peaks offer gorgeous sights with an intense active adventure.

These cold temperature travel tours may not suit everyone, but if you’re willing to sacrifice a little comfort for extreme adventure then you won’t regret taking on one of these truly lesser travelled journeys.

Sarah Mancini is a bit of an adrenaline junkie when it comes to travel. Not content to visit a tropical island or fancy hotel, Sarah pushes the boundaries of what is considered an exotic vacation and often travels from her luxury property for rent in London. All around the world, she may seem a bit of a jet setter but always aims to end her days by purchasing a luxury property for sale in Florence and settling in Tuscany.