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Since 2016, we have specialized in taking people to some of the world’s most misunderstood and hard-to-access destinations, including Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Eritrea and Afghanistan.
Today, our expeditions bring together travelers from more than 70 countries, creating a global community united by a passion for off-the-beaten-track travel.
We’ve been traveling where few others do since 2016, focusing on destinations that remain misunderstood or difficult to visit independently.
After years of travel, we have built an extensive network of local contacts and carefully selected independent guides who know their country and the ATC style better than anyone else.
We have built a global community of like-minded travelers who share a passion for adventure beyond mainstream tourism
Run by a group of enthusiastic and passionate travelers with extensive on-the-ground experience across some of the world’s most unconventional destinations.
From unique human interactions to hard-to-access regions, we organize experiences that would be extremely difficult to arrange independently.
Our expeditions combine raw destinations with carefully selected accommodation, experienced guides, and reliable logistics.
Show, not tell. We are proud of the experiences we create, but we’d rather let our travelers do the talking. After hundreds of expeditions and nearly 1,000 travelers from more than 70 countries, this is what our travelers say:
“The best trip of my life”
Perhaps the sentence we are most humbled to read, and one that appears in our reviews more often than we ever imagined.
“The itinerary exceeded my expectations”
Whether it’s the Iron Ore Train, dinner with a Syrian family, or hidden corners of Iraq, travelers often describe our itineraries as unlike anything they had experienced before.
“Everything was incredibly well organized”
Despite operating in challenging destinations, reviews frequently mention the smooth logistics and attention to detail behind every expedition.
“The guides become part of the group”
Our local guides are repeatedly praised for their knowledge, professionalism, and ability to make everyone feel at home.
“I could never have done this on my own”
From unique access and local encounters to complicated logistics, travelers often highlight experiences that would have been difficult or impossible to arrange independently.
Early access to brand-new destinations, expedition updates, travel insights and tips from Against the Compass and potential discounts
Against the Compass EXPEDITIONS was founded by Joan Torres, creator of Against the Compass travel blog and regular Lonely Planet writer.
Currently based in Barcelona, Joan Torres has been continuously traveling since 2014, with a special focus on unusual countries, revealing the beauty and potential of some of the most misunderstood countries in the world, from Mali to Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
After blogging for more than 5 years, writing comprehensive travel guides and tips to those destinations, while creating a loyal readership, Joan Torres decided to open a travel company in an attempt to help other travelers do the same.
