How We Travel
Personal
Tailor‑made trips designed for true explorers, backed by personal guidance that keeps you confident and supported on every wild and unforgettable step of the journey.
Responsible
We design meaningful, small‑scale journeys that support local communities, protect nature, and ensure that the people and places we visit genuinely benefit from every trip.
Local
Deep insight into places and people — sharing insider tips and hidden gems that only locals know, giving you a richer, more meaningful connection to every destination.
Our Commitment to Responsible and Meaningful Travel
Designing Journeys That Respect Places, People and Culture – Our Responsible Travel Policy
Why Responsible Travel Matters to Us
At Edge of the Arctic and Beyond, we believe travel should benefit the places and people we visit. Our philosophy is rooted in meaningful, small-scale experiences that support local communities, protect nature, and encourage cultural connection.
Choosing Authentic Places Over Mass Tourism
We intentionally stay away from mass tourism and overcrowded destinations whenever possible. Instead, we focus on authentic experiences, lesser-known regions, and the countryside — places where tourism can have a more positive and sustainable impact on local communities.
Working With Local Partners Who Share Our Values
Across Iceland, the Balkans, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and all destinations we operate in, we prioritize working with family‑run accommodations, small boutique hotels and guesthouses, local farms and countryside properties, independent restaurants and cafés, small wineries and regional food producers, and local guides and artisans. We choose not to work with large international hotel chains whenever possible, as we believe that locally owned businesses create a more authentic experience for travelers while helping tourism revenue remain within the community.
Designing Journeys With a Lighter Footprint
Our tours are designed with slower and more thoughtful travel in mind. We often stay multiple nights in the same destination to reduce unnecessary transportation and to allow guests to connect more deeply with the local culture and environment.
Partnering With Businesses That Give Back
We actively support businesses that give back to their communities and seek partners who create positive local impact. Whenever possible, we collaborate with women‑owned businesses, socially responsible companies, community‑based tourism projects, and initiatives with environmental or charitable missions.
Encouraging Respectful and Mindful Travel
We encourage respectful travel by educating our guests about local customs, traditions, and environmental awareness. Small group sizes are central to our philosophy, helping reduce impact while creating more personal and meaningful travel experiences.
Building Travel That Creates Positive Impact
For us, responsible travel is not a marketing trend — it is the foundation of how we design our journeys. We believe tourism should help preserve culture, support local livelihoods, and create positive connections between travelers and the places they visit.
Our Ongoing Commitment to Sustainability
Edge of the Arctic and Beyond is committed to continuing to improve our sustainability practices and to working with partners who share these values.
Family‑Run Stays
Local farms and countryside properties
Small boutique hotels and guesthouses
Independent restaurants and cafés
Small wineries and regional food producers
Women-owned businesses
Local guides and artisans
Socially responsible companies
Community-based tourism projects
Respect for Local Culture
Businesses that support environmental or charitable causes
Small Groups, Big Impact
The Path Behind Our Philosophy
Rooted in the North, Defined by Local Insight
How Our Story Began
Our story begins in the remote, wild northeast corner of Iceland. This special place is where our journey in hospitality and travel truly began.
Over the years, we watched tourism in Iceland grow rapidly. With that growth came larger chains and big tour companies, but it also made us realize how much we value the more personal side of travel. We began thinking about how we could offer something different — something smaller, more genuine, and closer to the places and people that make each destination special.
That idea became the foundation of what we do today: creating journeys where travelers can meet local people, taste authentic food, experience culture up close, and enjoy a warm, cozy atmosphere along the way.
Why We Chose a More Personal Way to Travel
From the very beginning, our goal was simple: to take travelers off the beaten path, away from mass tourism, and immerse them in breathtaking landscapes, authentic Icelandic cuisine, and rich Nordic culture—creating experiences that leave lasting memories.
As our guests returned year after year, we realized just how much they valued these genuine, small-scale journeys. Over time, our family of staff—drawn from different countries, fluent in multiple languages, and connected by personal ties to the regions we visit—helped us grow organically. This allowed us to expand beyond Iceland into new destinations across Europe, including Croatia, Greece, Bosnia, Slovenia, and Bulgaria, while keeping the same warm, authentic, and immersive approach that our travelers love.
Crafting Travel That Feels Personal and Truly Memorable
In addition to our great tours in Iceland, The Faroe Islands and Greenland, we have crafted off the beaten path tours focused on food, wine, and culture in Croatia, Greece, Finland, Bosnia, Slovenia, and Bulgaria.
Traveling lightly in 9 passenger vans allows us to reach hidden villages and remote destinations that larger buses often cannot. This approach ensures that every journey feels personal, immersive, and full of unforgettable moments.
Choosing Unique Stays That Add Depth to Every Journey
We travel in small groups, usually 6–16 passenger, to keep the journey personal and immersive. Every place we stay has been carefully selected and vetted—our preference is for unique boutique hotels/stays that combine high quality with a story worth remembering. Most of our accommodations are privately owned or family‑owned, reflecting the same local character we seek in the restaurants and eateries we visit. This approach ensures that every night and every meal adds depth, warmth, and connection to your travel experience.
Designing Travel for Discovery and Meaningful Exploration
We know the popular, crowded spots can be tempting—whether to check a box or snap the perfect Instagram photo—but we prefer a different approach. If a landmark is truly special, we’ll include it, but more often we encourage our guests to linger a little longer at each destination, soaking in the atmosphere and enjoying optional day tours at a relaxed pace.
And if you have your own ideas or a small group seeking something truly unique, one of our favorite things is to create tailor‑made tours. These custom journeys let you explore exactly what you love, with the same intimate, authentic, and immersive experience that defines all our trips.
