Our Story
Rocky Road Travel is a Berlin based travel company that provides a gateway to some of the world’s least visited and misunderstood countries. We specialise in trips to North Korea, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Afghanistan & Pakistan amongst others.
Our Mission
To open the curtain and shed light on some of the world’s most stigmatized places. Places that are often described as dangerous and inaccessible, we will go beyond the rhetoric and show you the true side to these countries.
We do so by promoting a sustainable way of travelling. We have a climate positive workforce & only work with small local partners in each country. We are aiming to offset all carbon emissions to make our tours climate positive. See our partnership with Ecologi for more info.
Our Tours
Our tours are small groups that start and finish in the same country and are always run by a local and western English speaking guides.
Our dates are chosen with specific events in mind so that you’re sure to be in the country during the best time of the year.
We only offer destinations that we have personally conducted research trips. All tours are tried and tested.
All itineraries are designed with safety as a priority as well as an emphasis on genuine local interaction. Every tour is a guaranteed departure.
Irish born Shane has over 10 years experience in the travel industry and has specialized in lesser visited destinations for half of that time. He holds a MA in International Relations with a focus on so-called “rogue states”. He has led tours into North Korea over 50 times gaining incredible access to the country over that time. He is also a widely published photographer and blogger.
“Rocky Road was created for the purpose of going beyond the rhetoric and showing others the true picture. I can’t wait to show you the different side of these countries I have experienced and fallen in love with dozens of times.”
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Victory day tour 2019 was incredibly fun. Good experience from start to finish, seamless booking & payment process. friendly staff and amazing guides in North Korea! Definitely an eye opening experience that we wont forget. 
Phil Jordan
Excellent tour company with an amazing selection of tours to choose from. Highly recommended ! 
Philippe LE GAL
- The tour was absolutely complete! The tour guides were really friendly and professional. The payment and booking process was very simple. Worth it 101% 🙂 Thank you for the unique experience Rocky Road!!
Adriana Villalba - VozArte
I booked a tour to Lebanon in January 2020 and it was awesome! The local guide was so knowledgable and made me and my friends feel welcome. Khaled went above and beyond my expectations. I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a fun, cultural and pleasant experience. 
Helga Simixhiu
- Great service, everything worked out perfectly. I would definitely recommend for swift communication and helpful advice
michael dwane
Rocky Road Travel efficiently organised in record time my private short notice trip to Somaliland. The local guide was reliable and professional. I enjoyed the trip and learnt a lot about the country. 
Georgios Chalaftris
- Very well organized private tour to southern Iraq. Communication was clear from the start and the trip was just what we wanted.
andy Lennon
Very professional and responsive with emails. Highly recommended! J M
- I ran the 2018 Pyongyang Marathon in North Korea and Rocky Road Travel made it happen. Once in a life time expierence. Trip had it all, hotels, brewerys, stadiums and more. Fantastic tour highly recommended to all. Shout out to Miss KIM for making it unforgettable.
Daragh Horan
Shane, the founder of Rocky Road Travel, was my guide in North Korea. The trip was smoothly run with a great itinerary. That you have even heard of the tour firm shows that you stand out as someone adventurous and well travelled - consequently you will be in for a real treat with the firm's adventures - not only because of the destinations, but also because of the self selecting group of like minded companions you will meet. I'm already looking to book my next year's trip with Rocky Road. 
Michael Holder
North Korea
North Hamgyong
Iraq
Socotra
