Ten amazing adventures under $1,000

— -- High Tatra Trekking in Poland and Slovakia Provider: KE Adventure Travel Length: Eight days Price: $995

While the Alps may be the most popular trekking destination in Europe, Eastern Europe boasts its fair share of snow-capped peaks and high alpine meadowlands, too—many of them linked by way-marked trails and mountain huts like those in France, Switzerland, and Italy. Unlike many central European routes, however, the Eastern treks are more remote and less developed, meaning you're not as likely to encounter lots of other hikers and you may even have the chance to spot wild animals like bear, wolves, and lynx. On top of that, guided tours are significantly cheaper, sometimes costing 40% less than similar trips in the central Alps.

KE Adventure Travel, which ranked as National Geographic Adventure's top trekking outfitter for 2007, leads an eight-day trek through Poland and Slovakia's Tatra Mountains. You'll traverse over rugged ridges and past glacial lakes, summit Poland's highest peak (Rysy, 8,199 feet), and ramble through farms and pastureland, traditional mountain villages, and thick pine forests inhabited by wild animals long since hunted out in Western Europe. You'll stop for meals and evening stays in mountain huts, so there's no need to carry food or camping supplies. At the end of the trip, there's time to explore Krakow, also known as "Florence of the North."

Departures are scheduled for July 18 and September 19. Rates include airport transfers, hotel and mountain hut accommodations, most meals, ground transportation, and guides. Some meals and airfare to Krakow are extra.

Gorilla trekking and culture tours in Rwanda Provider: Amahoro Tours Length: Four days Price: $1,000

Imagine coming face-to-face with wild gorillas—no fences, no glass, no zoo keepers—just a few feet of leafy vegetation separating you and the majestic primates. There's no need for alarm: You're a guest in their home, the Virunga Mountains in northern Rwanda, and as long you mind your manners, you're welcome to stay for awhile.

It feels a bit like attending a family reunion, except the relatives are bigger and hairier. Mothers cradle infants while toddlers bounce on their father's stomach and aunts and uncles and cousins mill about, nibbling on wild vegetables. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and well worth the trip to this tiny country that's made remarkable progress toward becoming one of Africa's safest and most fascinating destinations.

Gorilla trekking is the country's biggest tourist draw by far, but you should take an extra few days for further exploration. Ruhengeri-based Amahoro Tours can arrange packages that mix gorilla trekking with village tours or sight-seeing in the capital city of Kigali. On one of the company's four-day trips, you can go gorilla trekking, meet with genocide survivors who now make their living weaving colorful baskets, learn traditional banana beer brewing techniques, and visit an orphanage. Your trip ends with a Kigali city tour, including stops at the Gisozi Genocide Memorial, the city center and Muslim quarters, and a craft market.

This tour can be arranged at any time. Rates include airport transfers and all ground transportation, accommodations, gorilla trekking and the required $500 permit, village activities and sightseeing, and guides. Meals and airfare to Kigali are extra.

Rafting the Yampa through Dinosaur National Monument Provider: O.A.R.S. Length: Four or five days Price: $702 to $990

A rafting trip down the Yampa River through Utah and Colorado's Dinosaur National Monument promises exhilarating whitewater and wilderness, and a chance to travel through time. The river slices deep through layers of sedimentary rock, revealing evidence both from the age of the dinosaurs and from human settlements dating back 10,000 years. History unfolds as you pass by 1,000-foot-tall canyon walls and side gorges containing fossils, ancient rock art, and Native American ruins.

O.A.R.S., the premier rafting company in the West, runs four- and five-day Yampa trips in May, June and July, when the river swells with whitewater from snowmelt that's made its way down from the Rockies. On the trip, you'll traverse the park from East to West, rafting from Deerlodge Park in Colorado to Split Mountain Canyon in Utah. This includes Class III and IV rapids; breaks for swimming and hiking to see hidden waterfalls, ruins, and fossils; and camping on sandy river beaches.

Trip costs include all meals, rafting equipment, guides, and transportation from Vernal, Utah. Five-day trips accompanied by a professional geologist cost $990 (May 13 and 23, June 6) while regular five-day trips cost $835 (June 29 and July 6 and 11). One four-day trip departs June 25 and costs $702. You must provide your own transportation to and from Vernal, as well as your tent and sleeping bag (or rent them from O.A.R.S. for an additional cost).