TORONTO — Intrepid Travel has launched a new series of small-group day tours in Barcelona, Paris and Venice designed to steer travellers away from crowded tourist hotspots and toward more community-focused experiences.
The new “Uncommon Day Tours,” which kick off in June 2026, were developed by Intrepid’s local teams in response to growing concerns around overtourism in Europe’s major urban centres. The tours aim to offer travellers more intentional ways to explore popular destinations while supporting local businesses and neighbourhoods.
Europe remains one of the most in-demand regions for Canadian travellers booking with Intrepid. Italy is currently the company’s top European destination for Canadians, accounting for 15% of European bookings year to date, while France and Spain have recorded year-over-year booking growth of 112% and 11% respectively.
“The conversation is shifting from simply where people go to how they show up when they get there,” said Christian Wolters, President for Canada at Intrepid Travel. “That includes travelling in smaller groups and opting for experiences that support local communities. We wanted to offer Canadians travelling to Europe this summer a fresh and more intentional way to experience some of the continent’s most visited cities.”
The new tours accommodate a maximum of 12 travellers and run between two and three hours. They build on Intrepid’s existing day trips portfolio and are designed to showcase lesser-known neighbourhoods and local culture.
“These tours are proof that you can still have incredible local experiences in some of the world’s most popular destinations, going beyond the hotspots to explore a genuinely local side of the city,” said Erica Kritikides, General Manager Experiences at Intrepid Travel.
In Barcelona, the “Uncommon Barcelona” tour, priced from $95, includes visits to a community garden in El Born and the neighbourhood of El Clot, where travellers can explore local markets and experience daily life away from the city’s busiest tourist areas.
The “Uncommon Venice” experience, priced from $129, takes travellers beyond the city’s heavily visited canals to locations including the historic Pescheria di Rialto market and a women-owned artisanal chocolate shop.
Meanwhile, the “Uncommon Paris” tour, from $89, focuses on neighbourhood markets, quieter parks and alternative views of the Eiffel Tower away from the city’s busiest tourist zones.
With the addition of the three new experiences, Intrepid now operates 25 day tours across 11 European cities, along with 236 multi-day itineraries in 42 countries throughout the region.
For more information, go to www.urbanadventures.com/uncommon-day-trips.
Lead image caption: Rue de l’Annonciation, Paris — CREDIT Intrepid Travel
