Do you have a zest for life and a passion for people, travel & the outdoors? Backroads Trip Leaders create legendary experiences for active travelers.
Founded on the belief that moving in and around your destination under your own steam is the best possible way to experience your vacation, Backroads is an active travel company that leads cycling, hiking, and multi-adventure trips in 60+ countries around the world. When Tom Hale first started Backroads in 1979, his singular goal was to create extraordinary trips for guests. While spread across the globe, Backroads staff are all dedicated to the same vision: making your trip the best it can be. They hire, train and deliver with that objective in mind. From expert trip designers and engaging leaders to skilled bike mechanics and a stellar guest service team, quality is woven into the philosophy and fabric of the company. Backroads calls it guest focus, and they aim to be the most guest-focused company out there.
Three Incredible Leaders
Great Leaders are the key to an unforgettable active travel experience—Backroads sets the standard by staffing three Leaders with two or more support vehicles per trip.
The Leader Magic
Bright, knowledgeable, genuine, engaging and endlessly enthusiastic, Backroads Trip Leaders are renowned for their passion for transforming your vacation into the kind of inspiring and even life-changing experience you could never orchestrate on your own.
I simply can't imagine a better way to immerse yourself in the life of a region, to explore hidden corners and appreciate nuances while enjoying the benefits and enormous satisfaction of traveling under your own power. These are experiences you cannot have behind the wheel of a car, or on a train or a tour bus, or in a few excursions from a cruise ship or a secluded resort. Active travel is, at its heart, a way of connecting more authentically with the world. —Tom Hale, Founder & President
Backroads Seasonal Field Staff Openings
Trip Leaders
Whether by foot, bicycle, kayak or raft, Trip Leaders are the catalyst for a fun, interesting, safe and personally rewarding experience for their group of active travelers. Leaders enrich each trip with their personality, drive, and passion for travel and the outdoors, while providing outstanding customer service and sharing their love and knowledge of the area. Although there is a plan for each day, each day is unique. Surprises, challenges and opportunities come up all the time. Speaking a foreign language is welcome but not required.
Trip Prep Specialists Trip Prep Specialists work behind the scenes in tandem with Trip Leaders to ensure smooth Trip Logistics before and after each departure. The TPS position requires someone with a systematic and methodic approach to numerous logistical tasks, self-sufficiency, organization, attention to inventory detail, ability to maintain the exceptional condition of all bike equipment and the desire to create a great working environment with Trip Leaders and global operation teams. This is a non-guest facing role but has a tremendous impact on the quality of each trip and the guest's experience.
As a TPS, you will likely work 35-40 hours each week with the amount of work varying based on the number of departures. You will be responsible for preparing and managing bikes, vans, trailers and trip-related paperwork. TPS's may also be scheduled to transport equipment from one region to another on "unit drives." This may be a quick trip from Tuscany to Southern France, or a longer haul from Utah to Alaska. Housing is provided for all field staff, so you will not incur any out-of-pocket expenses for housing during a season of work.
Working as a Backroads Trip Leader has given me the rare and unique opportunity to be one of the few who puts their passion into practice through their work. I get to meet like-minded travelers and learn form their experiences. I have the opportunity to challenge myself with new goals like learning a new language or climbing an alpine pass from the Tour de France. —Lizelle Jackson, Leader since 2012
View the Experience
Curious what it means to be a Backroads Trip Leader? Take a look at this video to meet a few of Backroad's amazing field staff!
When one learns that traveling to National Parks, historic landmarks, and breathtaking scenic destinations while facilitating a vacation experience for a group of curious, active, intrepid travelers is actually some people's JOB, most say "wow, why not me?" Well, perhaps it could be!
Compensation & Perks
Backroads sets the industry standard for the total leader compensation and benefit package. Backroads enables field employees to both work and play through many perks and benefits that mitigate out-of-pocket costs when leaders are on the road. In addition to a competitive daily wage and gratuities Trip Leaders will receive:
Housing
Lodging is provided while Leaders are on trips, either in hotels or at campsites depending on the trip type. Housing is also provided between trips, so Backroads field staff will not incur any out-of-pocket expenses for lodging during the entire season. Field staff houses in California, Vermont, Alberta, Iceland, the South of France, Norway, Argentina (and more!) are free of charge while working and in between trips.
Travel
Backroads provides all work-related travel expenses throughout the course of the season. It is a leader's responsibility to travel to their hub at the beginning of the season and home from their hub at the end of the season. Leaders enjoy keeping their own frequent flyer miles for personal travel and may choose to stopover or extend their stay in desired locales within work-sponsored itineraries. While it's a leader's responsibility to cover travel costs to and from a hub at the start and end of a leaders' season, Backroads provides all travel to trip destinations during a working season.
Recreational Benefits
Backroads also offers several benefits to leaders that are of a more recreational nature, including generous discounts with brand-name equipment/clothing companies and Backroads trip discounts for family and friends.
Joie de Vivre
Perhaps the most valuable benefit is enjoying a lifestyle few can match. In addition to itineraries that feature some of the worlds' best hotels, restaurants and scenery, imagine having time off in some of the most desirable locations around the world, and having the freedom to explore on your own. Being a Backroads leader allows for a lifestyle of flexibility and variety that many value above all other benefits of the job.
I've been so lucky to work from Italy to Spain, to South Africa, Ecuador and Galapagos. The best thing yet is being and feeling part of the amazing community that all Backroads employees create. A respectful, exciting, fun, diverse community. —Daniele Ardengo, Leader since 2014
Job Qualifications
Backroads Leaders are quick-thinking, team players, intuitive, funny, dynamic, active, decisive, professional, poised, motivated, friendly, empathetic, authentic, hardworking, assured, inexhaustible, creative, flexible and inspirational... phew! We know we're all unique, and we don't all possess each of these characteristics, but these are the qualities that define some of the most successful Backroads Trip Leaders.
At minimum, you must be at least 21 years of age and have a valid driver's license and excellent driving record. Leaders based in the U.S., Canada and Europe are eligible to work in Europe, and a small number of new Leaders will be sent overseas in their first season. The key factors in determining European trip leading schedules are language skills, European travel experience, and the ability to confidently drive a manual transmission van and pulling a trailer with guests in the vehicle with you.
There are three stages to the hiring process. After each stage Backroads will let you know if you will, or will not, be advancing to the next stage. Once the Hiring Team has reviewed your application, they may contact you to schedule a video interview. Similarly, after a video interview, Backroads may invite you to attend a Hiring Event (with dates beginning in January). Finally, before leading trips, every new Leader must graduate from the Backroads Leadership Training Program.
If you are a natural leader who can do a world-class job with style and professionalism, please apply now (throughout the application process you will be able to pause, save your work and continue later).
Summer 2025 Employment—Hiring Now Open! 2025 is going to be HUGE. It's an exciting time to work at Backroads with loads of opportunity! Backroads is now accepting applications for U.S., Canadian and European Trip Leaders and Trip Prep Specialists who can work from April through October 2025 (flex start/end dates). Speaking a foreign language is welcome, but not required. New hiring and training events are conducted from February through June. In-person hiring events will be a fun and engaging day-long group interview that includes meals and the opportunity to meet many fellow candidates and members of the hiring team! If unable to attend an in-person event, Backroads offers virtual options later in the hiring season.
Housing
Recreational Benefits
