Ten amazing adventures under $1,000

ByABC News
March 19, 2008, 6:08 PM

— -- How much adventure can you get for $1,000? More than you might think. For less than the cost of a single night at the Plaza Hotel in New York, you can climb to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, trek to remote villages in the Peruvian Andes, or learn to sail a racing yacht. These and seven other trips that cost under a grand are detailed below.

Family adventure in Alaska Provider:Alaska Outdoors Length:Seven days Price:$995

With the tallest mountains in North America, 33,000 miles of coastline, 16 national parks and preserves (some larger than entire states), geological features ranging from glaciers to volcanoes, and wild animals like bald eagles and grizzly bears, Alaska is arguably the top adventure destination in the United States. Great for active families, Alaska provides more unique experiences and learning opportunities than any parent could hope for.

However, due to its remoteness and short tourist season, it can be an expensive place to visit. A quick search for week-long family adventure trips in Alaska reveals prices hovering around $3,000 per person, sometimes with a small discount for kids.

Alaska Outdoors, a small locally based company, bucks that trend and runs tours for families and other groups with an emphasis on low-impact travelboth on the environment and on your wallet. Its seven-day Classic Alaska Family Tour, which visits five national parks and protected areas, including Kenai Fjords National Park and Denali National Park, comes in at $995 for adults or $950 for kids under 18.

While most Alaska family tours are lodge- or hotel-based, Alaska Outdoors' trip uses beautiful and conveniently located campgrounds.

"Camping is a much more affordable means for travel in Alaska and is also more interactive with the Alaskan environmentwe don't check into hotel rooms which would insulate us from the Alaska we are here to experience," says company founder Mark Reiser. Each day of the trip features a diverse array of activities including hiking, canoeing, and wildlife viewing (included in the trip cost). Additional activities also available are wildlife glacier cruises, rafting, fishing, horseback riding, and biking. Many of the experiences are optional, so if want to splurge on something priceylike a flight-seeing tour of Denaliyou can, or you can choose something more affordable, or free, like hiking or canoeing. Meals consist of hardy and healthy camping cuisine (e.g., grilled salmon, pancakes with fresh blueberries and real maple syrup), with custom menus based on questionnaires you fill out in advance. Most guides are local, and all are trained to present information to kids in an engaging way.

Trip planning

This trip departs every Sunday between June 15 and August 17. Prices cover hotel and camping accommodations, all but two meals, a full-time Alaska Outdoors guide, ground transportation, park entrance fees, and select activities. Round-trip August fares from Seattle to Anchorage start at $450, including taxes, on Continental.

Untainted trekking in the Peruvian Andes Provider:Andean Treks Length:Five days Price:$795

Hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is the quintessential Peruvian trek. Consequently, it comes with all the trappings of a popular travel route, good and bad: amazing views, ancient wonders, and physical challenge along with crowded trails, soft-drink stands, and, sadly, some environmental and cultural degradation. For those who'd prefer just the first part of the package, a new trekking route in the Andes, christened in 2007 as "El Camino del Apu Ausangate," promises high-altitude trekking, mountain vistas, interactions with indigenous llama and alpaca shepherds, and comfortable, eco-friendly accommodations. No tents, no trash, no tourists.

There aren't any mysterious ruins at the end of El Camino, but the few travelers who have completed it claim the whole journey is magical. "El Camino del Apu Ausangate took me closer to heaven than anything else I had previously experienced," says Piero Morosini, a professor of business management and Peruvian and Italian national.

"Words fail to express my experience," says Blake Caldwell, who completed the trek with her stepson. "The gorgeous country, isolation, and indigenous culture were astonishing and well worth the cold and heart pounding."

Andean Lodges, a joint venture between long-time Peruvian guide and entrepreneur Roger Valencia and the native Osefina and Chillca communities, established the route and its four mountain lodges as a sustainable business to help the local people improve their standard of living while maintaining their traditional pastoralist culture. On the trek, Valencia or another guide will take you from Cuzco to the Cordillera Vilcanota mountains, where you'll spend five days hiking six to 11 miles per day at altitudes ranging from 13,200 feet to 16,700 feet. It's a challenge, but llamas will carry most of your belongings.

Along the way you'll pass by the snow-capped, glaciated Ausangate (20,945 feet), climb hills striated with red, ochre, and green sediments, and meet locals going about their everyday life. Nights are spent at lodges (including the world's highest) which were designed to minimize impact on the environment and employ mostly locals. The lodges offer private bedrooms, warm water, and freshly prepared meals made from local ingredients, like quinoa soup and alpaca tenderloin.

Trip planning

Trips are scheduled April through October and sold in the U.S. through Andean Treks. The price includes four nights' accommodations, ground transportation from Cuzco, guides, pack animals, all meals, and safety equipment. Round-trip airfare in August from Miami to Cuzco starts at $809, including all taxes, on LAN Peru. You should plan on acclimatizing in Cuzco for at least two days in advance of the trek.

Learn to sail on San Francisco Bay Provider:OCSC Sailing Length:Five days or two weekends Price:$890 ($790 for bookings made by March 31)

If you've dreamed of learning to sail, perhaps one day skippering your own boat around the Caribbean, but dismissed the idea because you lacked the necessary trust fund, despair no more. Even if you don't know a bowline from a clove hitch, there are sailing schools that can teach you the art of this exhilarating sport for less money than you'd think.

One of the top sailing schools in the country, the Berkeley-based OCSC Sailing, runs a rigorous but reasonably priced learn-to-sail course for beginners.

"We are exceptional at training folks who are serious about learning to sail well and really want the confidence to become good and safe and competent at the sport," says OCSC Founder and President Anthony Sandberg. "We teach with a maximum class size of three students per instructor instead of the national six-to-one standard."