Intrepid Urban Adventures has introduced two new day tours focused on LGBTQIA+ history and identity. These experiences take place in the communities where significant moments in queer history occurred.
“Travel has the power to break down barriers—and that includes the ones we hold within ourselves,” said Leigh Barnes, President of the Americas at Intrepid Travel, in a press statement. “Launching LGBTQIA+ day tours is about more than visibility; it’s about storytelling, solidarity, and showing that everyone deserves to feel seen and safe when they explore the world.”
A Tale of Two Urban Adventures
Introduced in time for Pride Month, these tours in Seattle, WA, and Washington, D.C., are available at no cost throughout June before being added to Urban Adventures’ permanent tour collection. Both experiences were developed with input from local guides, artists and activists familiar with each city’s queer history.
“Creating these tours was deeply personal for all of us. We worked with incredible local voices to build something that feels honest and meaningful,” said Amanda Neiman, Operations Director for Urban Adventures, in a press statement. “Offering them for free during Pride is our way of making sure more people can experience these stories, because they matter, and they deserve to be heard.”
The Seattle Capitol Hill Pride Walk explores one of the nation’s most prominent LGBTQIA+ neighborhoods. This walking tour takes clients through Cal Anderson Park, named for Washington state’s first openly gay legislator. The itinerary includes the AIDS Memorial Pathway, a public art installation commemorating those lost to the epidemic and the activists who demanded action.
The tour also stops at local establishments with strong connections to the queer community, including Cupcake Royale and Elliott Bay Book Company, where clients can browse LGBTQIA+ literature and other relevant materials. Guides share information about queer-owned businesses throughout the neighborhood, from cafes to record shops and performance venues that contribute to Capitol Hill’s cultural identity.
In Washington, D.C., the Pride Ride takes a different approach, using electric carts to cover more ground across the National Mall. This tour explores how LGBTQIA+ individuals have influenced political movements and shaped legal decisions. Participants pass the White House, Capitol and Supreme Court while learning about the 1965 Mattachine Society demonstrations, among the earliest organized gay rights protests in American history.
The D.C. tour includes the Library of Congress, home to one of the world’s largest collections related to LGBTQIA+ history, and the National Museum of the American Indian, where guides discuss Two-Spirit identities and Indigenous perspectives on gender. Travelers learn how the National Mall became central to Pride rallies and LGBTQIA+ visibility actions throughout recent decades.
For more information, visit urbanadventures.com.
