10 Tours to Test Your Courage

Whether trying something for the first time or facing a lifelong fear, overcoming a challenge and accomplishing something you never thought you could not only propels your confidence but inspires more travel to new places.

Collette's "Costa Rica: A World of Nature" tour isn't strictly for the fearless but it's perfect for those nature lovers who want to get closer to it. Guests can hike the Arenal Volcano's lava fields, zipline high above the rainforest canopy and even embark on a crocodile safari.

Quark Expeditions' "North Pole Express: Barneo Ice Camp" is only three days. However, guests on this unique expedition to the top of the world will land on a runway made of ice and mingle with scientists, pilots, mechanics, engineers, and explorers along the way.

Finally mustered up the courage to join in on the Running of the Bulls? Canadian travel company Spyns has you covered with several different personalized adventures to the highly anticipated San Fermin summer festival in Pamplona, Spain. If you're not ready to run with the bulls, don't worry, you can always watch from a private balcony.

Experiencias Xcaret's Xplor Tour is as pulse-pounding as they come. Hold on tight as you soar through the sky on the highest ziplines in the Riviera Maya, drive amphibious vehicles through the water and splash into underground caves.

If you're ready to explore a destination that only a select few travelers have experienced, Collette's "Adventure to Antarctica" tour is for you. The 17- to 20-day exploration tour will see guests pass through massive icebergs, feature breaching whales and a walking tour of the shores of Roca Lake, which was once home to the extinct Yamana people.

The Exclusion Zone surrounding the abandoned Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine has become an unusual tourist attraction in recent years. Travelers who want to visit the site of one of the world's worst nuclear accidents and surrounding Pripyat can do so on tours ranging from one to seven days with Chernobyl Tour.

Face all of your fears at once by ziplining into a cenote on Experiencias Xcaret's Xenotes Tour. The tour also includes cliff jumping and assisted rappeling into a mysterious cavern cenote. Fortunately, you'll have a helpful guide on hand to ensure you're safe from start to finish.

The ultimate sightseeing tour of Hawaii's Kauai island can be had with Blue Sky Tours. Guests will fly over the 10-plus-mile Waimea Canyon-also known as the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific"-as well as the Napali Coast made famous by Jurassic Park.

Alaska Iditarod Tours have more than two decades of experience providing tours of Alaska's famous dog sledding race. Travelers can choose from as many as nine different tours that include sightseeing, tons of adventure and the chance to volunteer at the race start, finish and checkpoints in between.

A five-hour white water rafting excursion on the Nile River in Uganda is guaranteed to get your heart pounding. Nile River Explorers offer a variety of tours, including group rafts and two-man rafts for the truly bold. If you choose the later, be prepared to spend lots of time in the river.