Unique in both our offerings and our mindset, we are South Asia’s leading active travel company, with the region’s largest selection of running, cycling, and hiking trips.
We are proud to be the Official Tour Operators (India & the UAE) for the world’s most prestigious marathon events, including the TCS London Marathon, Boston Marathon, TCS New York City Marathon, and many others. As the only travel company in the region officially affiliated with all seven World Marathon Majors and the SuperHalfs series in Europe, we help runners turn their dreams into reality.
Since 2013, we have pioneered the active travel space in the region, introducing many firsts and serving runners of all abilities. What has propelled us from a bootstrapped start-up to the first choice for recreational runners is not just our world-class service but our genuine commitment to our work, our travellers, our community, and the world we live in.
Through our sister brand, Adventure Holiday Company, we offer easy-going cycling and hiking trips that unlock unique travel experiences while supporting local economies. In line with this ethos, we are proud to have an exclusive regional partnership with world class adventure travel companies like Intrepid, G-Adventures and UK head-quartered Exodus.
We also work closely with charities such as Run with Roshni, a project led by Roshni Rai to support underprivileged Gorkha runners in achieving their marathon dreams. Over the years, we have helped raise funds to support their participation in international races and provided them with essential running gear.
Our Story
Like every runner’s story, the journey of Active Holiday Company is made up of blood, sweat, and tears and lots of medals, of course!
It all began back in 2008. At the time, Gauri was the Regional Director (South Asia & Middle East) for the world's largest coach touring company. Her regular squash opponent, a new entrepreneur, began skipping their playdates. In need of an alternative, Gauri turned to running the perfect anytime, anywhere, and solo-friendly replacement. And she was hooked.
To celebrate her 40th birthday, she ran half a dozen half marathons in as many destinations - including the Dead Sea Ultra in Jordan, the lowest race on Earth. She followed that up by trekking to the base camp of the world’s highest mountain Mt. Everest. That trip became a turning point in her life. Upon returning to her home in Bangalore, she quit her fancy job (yes, with all the fancy perks!) to start Active Holiday Company. And, finally at this tender age she bought herself a hybrid bicycle to replace her depreciated car!
But the long queue of like minded travellers she believed were out there... were nowhere to be found. Struggling to find even a handful of runners for the first few international marathon trips remains a bittersweet memory. Her mantra at the time was simple: if no one signed up for a race tour, she’d run it herself. (Fortunately or unfortunately she never had to!)
Inevitably, the money ran out. Friends stepped in to bail out the loss-making venture. Slowly, very slowly, the kitty of marathon tours, cycling trips, and hiking holidays began to grow as did the travellers joining them. And in a world where start-ups are given 1,000 days to succeed or fold, Active Holiday Company took nearly double that to break even.
An expansion into the Middle East felt natural, given Gauri's familiarity with the region. Today, Active Holiday Company is the foremost marathon tour operator in South Asia and the Middle East, offering an unmatched selection of running experiences around the world for runners of all abilities and ambitions. A sister brand, Adventure Holiday Company, was set up to offer a wide array of cycling and hiking holidays, particularly in Europe.
Gauri’s experience of over three decades in the travel business, combined with her love for exploring destinations ‘the active way’ makes her the best (wo)man for the top job at Active Holiday Company. Having taken her first road trip when she was just 5 days old, it appears that the bug never left her and she's travelled to over 70 countries (although she claims not to keep count)!
Voted the Most Influential Person in the Travel Industry by NDTV Profit and Travel News Digest in 2014, and awarded Iconic Leaders Creating a Better World for All by the Women Economic Forum in 2020, Gauri has also contributed to leading travel publications as a writer and served as a jury member at prestigious travel industry events. Her memoir, Wise Enough to be Foolish, was published in 2013.
To her, adventure means having the courage to follow one's convictions even if it sometimes leads you to the ends of the Earth.