Signature

Toronto based Exodus Adventure Travels, a long time specialist in small-group adventure and cultural trips to more than 100 countries, is rolling out a new tier of product at the upper end of its portfolio. The Signature Collection, set to begin departures in early 2026, takes Exodus further into the premium small-group space, with trips designed to be slower, more immersive, and more tightly curated than its core adventures.

The first Signature itineraries focus on destinations where Exodus already operates strongly, including Japan, Costa Rica, India, Jordan, and Morocco. Additional routes are already flagged for Spain, Egypt, Portugal, and other long haul markets, with Exodus signaling that more Signature journeys will follow if demand holds.

Leadership is framing the move as a response to steady growth in demand for what the company calls elevated and highly curated experiences, building on the Premium Adventures line that debuted in 2022 and has since expanded across multiple regions. The new collection is meant to push further on exclusivity, access, and storytelling, rather than only on hotel upgrades.

What makes a Signature journey different

On the consumer facing Signature Journeys page, Exodus positions the collection as a way to unlock the true soul of a place through four pillars, Signature Guides, Signature Stays, Signature Legacy, and Signature Experiences.That language matters, because it signals that travelers are not just paying for better rooms. They are paying for high touch guiding, rare access, and more meaningful time in fewer places.

Each itinerary highlights a named Signature Guide, usually a long tenured local expert with deep roots in the destination. Group sizes remain small, in the roughly four to sixteen guest range on example trips, which keeps experiences more personal than big coach touring and allows for quieter, lower impact visits to sensitive sites.

Signature Stays are another differentiator. Instead of a run of chain hotels, itineraries mix character properties, such as traditional riads, casbah style lodges, ryokan like hotels, and temple or monastery stays, paired with a handful of high comfort hotels where that makes sense for the route.The company also leans on its B Corp credentials and long running regenerative travel work, promising that each traveler helps rewild 100 square meters of land through its conservation initiatives.

Finally, Signature Experiences and Signature Days are used to spotlight one of a kind encounters that are difficult to replicate independently, such as private talks with community leaders, out of hours access, or flexible days where guests choose among several deep dive options.

Inside the first itineraries

Japan, through temples and time

The flagship Signature Japan, Through Temples & Time itinerary is a nine day cultural journey that runs primarily between Kyoto and Tokyo and is priced from about $ 9,820.00 (USD) land only for North American guests.Rather than racing around the country, the program builds in four nights in Kyoto, targeted excursions to Hiroshima and the Nakasendo trail, and time in Tokyo at the end.

One of the headline moments is a night in a working temple on Mount Koya, a UNESCO listed monastic complex in the Kii Peninsula and one of the most important centers of Shingon Buddhism.Exodus and its tour operator partners are candid that the lodging there is simple, more like a one star stay in Western terms than a luxury hotel, but the point is immersion, shared vegetarian temple meals, and participation in worship and contemplative practice rather than amenities.

Guests also have a chance to join an apprentice geisha for an elegant kaiseki dinner, walk Kyoto's quieter districts with their guide, and choose between a private tea ceremony, a kintsugi workshop, or an artisanal sake experience on a dedicated Signature Day.The itinerary includes most meals, reserved bullet train seats, and door to door transfers, which will appeal to travelers willing to trade some independent wandering for frictionless logistics.

Morocco, echoes of the minaret

The nine day Signature Morocco, Echoes of the Minaret program is pitched at a similar price point, from about $ 8,530.00 (USD) land only.It pairs time in Marrakesh with stays in the Atlas Mountains and a luxury desert camp in the Sahara, framing Morocco as a sequence of neighborhoods, valleys, and dunes rather than a sprint between checklist cities.

Guests move between riads, casbah inspired properties, and tented camps, with highlights that include tea with a Berber family and a camel ride at sunset across Saharan sand.That combination of local hospitality, traditional architecture, and dramatic landscapes is a good example of how the collection deploys its Signature Stays concept without tipping fully into resort style luxury.

Across the broader Signature portfolio, similar patterns show up. Costa Rica's itinerary leans into wildlife and rainforest lodges, India's routes highlight royal heritage stays and houseboats, while Jordan, Stars and Desert Sands, threads sites like Petra and Wadi Rum through a mix of boutique hotels and desert camps.

How this fits into Exodus's wider strategy

Exodus has spent decades building a reputation for small-group walking, cycling, wildlife, and cultural tours that sit in the affordable to mid range of the market.The launch of Premium Adventures in 2022 was the first step toward a more comfort oriented tier, with nicer hotels, standout included experiences, and the company's most experienced leaders attached to selected departures.

The Signature Collection pushes that concept further upmarket. Rather than simply layering nicer hotels onto existing routes, Exodus is redesigning itineraries to reduce hotel hopping, focus on multi night stays, and build in time for slow exploration and unhurried cultural encounters. For some clients, that level of curation will be the main selling point, since it removes much of the research and day to day trip management that comes with independent travel.

The move also reflects a wider trend in adventure and experiential travel. Affluent travelers who might once have booked a classic escorted tour or a cruise are increasingly interested in small-group departures that feel more intimate, leave a lighter footprint, and offer a stronger connection to local communities, while still providing a high standard of comfort. By combining its B Corp, regenerative travel positioning with an upper premium price point, Exodus is trying to secure that niche before rivals crowd in.

What travelers and advisors should watch

For travelers, the key questions will revolve around value and fit. Land pricing in the eight to ten thousand dollar range for roughly nine days is a significant outlay, especially before flights and pre or post nights. In return, guests are getting high guide ratios, most meals, boutique and characterful accommodation, and access to experiences that would be difficult to stitch together solo in the same time frame. Those who already enjoy escorted travel but want something more intimate and story driven than mainstream coach tours are the most natural audience.

Advisors should be clear that Signature does not mean five star luxury at every turn. The temple night on Mount Koya is intentionally austere, desert camps are comfortable but still in the sand, and some Signature Legacy experiences are designed around community impact and cultural preservation rather than indulgence.Clients who want marble lobbies and private butlers will likely be happier in a traditional luxury resort or cruise.

On the other hand, well traveled clients who have already done Japan, Morocco, or Costa Rica once and want to return in a more curated way may see this as an attractive way to deepen their relationship with a place. Exodus's plan to expand the Signature Collection into Spain, Italy, Indonesia, Colombia, Vietnam, and South Africa suggests that the company expects multi trip loyalty from this segment.

Final thoughts

The Signature Collection looks less like a simple product refresh and more like an attempt to define what upper premium, small-group adventure can look like in the 2026 market. Exodus is betting that there is a sizeable group of travelers who want the safety, structure, and community of a guided tour, married with the kind of depth, access, and sense of place usually associated with bespoke FIT trips.

If itineraries deliver on their promise, the line should give advisors a useful new tool for clients who are aging out of roughing it, but are not ready to cede their trips entirely to poolside luxury. The trade off is price, and a willingness to embrace simplicity and occasional discomfort in pursuit of experiences that feel rare, local, and earned.

Sources

• Signature Journeys, Exodus Adventure Travels
• Signature Japan, Through Temples & Time, Exodus Adventure Travels
• Premium Adventures, Exodus Adventure Travels
• Exodus Adventure Travels launches Signature Collection, PAX
• Exodus Adventure Travels, USTOA member profile