Based in England’s Cotswolds region, Active England has offered walking and cycling tours since 2008. This week, the operator and destination management company launched Adventure by AE, a trade-facing brand designed to help travel advisors curate custom, active itineraries highlighting England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Brand new to the portfolio, Ireland tours will be available starting in 2027.
According to Active England, the launch of Adventure by AE comes in response to demand for deeper travel in the region. With more ease than ever, advisors can collaborate with the company in order to better serve clients and to help them travel in the United Kingdom in a meaningful way.
“We’ve always believed the most memorable trips come from slowing down, going a little deeper and spending time in places that mean more,” said Will Cairns, founder and managing director of Active England. “This new brand gives our partners greater confidence in our wider U.K. and Ireland capability, offering clearer structure and access to the same level of quality, care and authenticity that has always defined our work, while allowing us to expand carefully and deliberately.”
Expert local guides help meet the above goals, but self-guided trips — which are still meticulously planned, and tested by local guides — can be customized, too. In fact, Active England reports that 2025 brought a 130% jump in year-over-year self-guided tour bookings.
Whether clients are on a self-guided journey or one helmed by an Active England tour leader, they can expect thoughtful experiences “rooted in people, place and the quieter moments.” For example, on Adventure by AE tour The English Wine Route, clients will walk through the hilly and coastal South Down region, getting to know England’s wine scene via behind-the-scenes vineyard access. On the Classic Scotland Biking itinerary, clients will pedal along a royal route from Speyside (known for Scottish whiskey production) through the Cairngorms mountains (part of the Scottish Highlands) to Perthshire, which is regaled for its beautiful landscapes.
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Credit: 2026 Adventure by AE
Trips are certainly active — walking tour groups often traverse 10 miles in a day, and cycling tours might travel as much as 50 miles in a day (though electric-assist bikes are available). Tours can be luxurious, too. An increasing number of prospective travelers are requesting the luxury of time, or duration, says Sophie Almeida, marketing manager for Active England.
“These are bespoke, elongated trips,” Almeida said. “Last year, we saw trips north of 20 days. People are wanting to come to the U.K. and literally experience it from north to south.”
Working exclusively with the trade, Adventure by AE offers flexible collaboration models. Advisors can access white-label itineraries, for example, and they can get guidance in creating unique and personalized journeys. While self-guided tours are popular, guided tours allow clients to connect with and learn from knowledgeable tour leaders with local connections, keen storytelling skills and technical expertise.
“This is a key part for us,” Almeida said. “We really pride ourselves on the fact that we do not outsource our guides. We recruit them, we interview them and they work directly for us. And most importantly, they are from the area [they guide in], so they really do have that local, first-hand knowledge.”
