by – Kerith Hulme, Tour Manager, Europe

Paragliding over the villages and fields of the Austrian Tyrol is one of the best experiences I have ever had. You are picked up from the Contiki Stopover by a shuttle coach and then driven to the launch area, and after a short gondola ride you literally run down a slope until the wind picks you up and carries you down toward the valley below. You can go down sedately or do mad spirals, all up to you. Worth every cent!

by – Matt Vernick, Tour Manager, Europe

Paragliding (also know as parapenting) is an awesome thrill/buzz experience that simply has to be experienced to be understood.

Here’s how it works – You get strapped to a large (Usually Austrian) man attached to an open parachute and you run off the edge of the Austrian Alps – At first it sounds absolutely crazy but the actual experience itself is very serene and the feeling of freedom as you peacefully glide through the air is brilliant – very different to sky diving.

The views are absolutely sensational as you’re not only up in the Alps but also flying though them. You can take your own camera with you or the pilots can also take some photos for you during your flight. Great memories of something that you’ll never forget but photos themselves don’t seem to do the views justice.

Landing is very smooth and easy as the control the pilots have over their chutes is simply amazing.

The pilots are super experienced and many have often worked in many other parts of the world while the flights themselves usually take between 10 – 15 minutes (depending on weather conditions) and as with all adventure activities offered by Contiki, safety is the number one priority.

It isn’t cheap but it’s very rare for people to come down and not want to go again – totally worth it.

The whole experience usually takes about an hour so you can go Paragliding and still have loads of time to enjoy Mountain Biking and all the other great activities in and around Hopfgarten.

The company Contiki uses is called Fly 2 and they are based out of Itter in Austria

Paragliding is offered as an optional excursion on Europe Tours (Including Ski Tours) visiting Hopfgarten in the Tyrol region of Austria.