Relief Riders International is a humanitarian-based, adventure travel company that designs and leads horseback and motorcycle journeys through remote areas while providing humanitarian aid to rural populations. Since 2004 we have been able to improve the lives of over 25,000 people, including 18,700 children in India, Turkey, and Ecuador.
10 voluntourism trips that will actually make a difference
"Throwing sweets at children, cooing at orphans and interrupting school lessons; thankfully, these days, savvier socially minded travellers are ditching unethical and token volunteering experiences in favour of a new breed of impact travel." read more >>
Delivering aid on horseback – a feel-good adventure through India
"For 15 years, Alexander's company Relief Riders has run humanitarian adventures in India, as well as in Turkey and Ecuador, combining a riding holiday with targeted aid that, to date, has helped more than 25,000 people, most of them children." read more >>
Watch Wesley Brown's heart warming film of the experiences she had while on this past November Pushkar Relief Ride. This is the first time in 15 years, that a film has been able to capture the length, breadth, experiences and feeling of our our Relief Rides in their entirety. I hope you enjoy watching this very stirring and wonderful film.
"What a profound and uplifting journey! Relief Riders International has crafted the perfect travel adventure. A rich sense of purpose, a humanitarian mission delivering goats to impoverished villagers, school supplies to hundreds of students, participating in dental and medical camps - it was awesome!" — Peg Steley, Relief Rider read more...
27 October - 5 November, 2025 Pushkar Relief Ride
Journey with us on horseback next November to the world's largest horse and camel fair. This
10-day journey on horseback will take us through the ancient landscape of the Thar Desert, from
the ancient settlement of Baghsara to the sacred village of Pushkar, ending at the famous
Pushkar Fair.
Like the desert nomads of the region, we'll ride due south, traveling
seemingly endless sand tracks through breathtaking terrain, from rolling dunes to open plains
and a mountain pass through a steep gorge, before arriving in the valley of Pushkar. read more >
On the way we'll pass through villages, which travelers rarely experience, let alone on horseback. We'll sleep under the starlit sky in canvas-covered tents, and during the days, we'll hand out educational materials to underserved schools, conduct our Give A Goat program, and set up medical camps, which provide dental, eye, and obstetrics care to populations lacking healthcare.
In Pushkar, on the banks of the lake, Rajasthan's largest camel fair awaits. One of the most sacred pilgrimage destinations for Hindus in India, the usually sleepy Pushkar transforms into a spectacle of color and celebration around November's full moon with livestock traders descending to buy and sell camels, cattle, and horses. But the real fun begins when the games kick off. Think camels brightly adorned in costume racing to the finish line, the drama of only the finest Marwari horses dancing, the infamous longest mustache competition, and the Hindu bridal pageant. All in all, the perfect end to a memorable and transformative experience.
27 October - 5 November, 2025
16-26 February, 2026 Khimsar Relief Ride
Join us on an extraordinary ride that has us depart from the village of Baghsara in the Thar desert, which provided refuge in olden days to pilgrims and traders on the silk route.
The landscape that we travel through on this particular ride is the most varied of all our itineraries. We will ride through rolling hills with rocky outcroppings for a day, to a vast desert plain where nomadic tribes herd hundreds of camels to more fertile grazing. The region is populated by the Bishnois, a vegan and animal loving tribe, whose strict no hunting laws have, over centuries, created a beautiful anomaly in which all animals roam fearlessly in the desert. read more >
As with all of our Relief Rides, you will be instrumental in offering the greatest gift to those in need, such as regaining their eyesight, their ability to chew food, and by providing tools and sporting equipment that will inspire children into finishing their education. The ride culminates at a magical desert oasis camp in Khimsar.
16-26 February, 2026
Bespoke Humanitarian Motorcycle Relief Rides through the Thar desert of Rajasthan
Join us on an incredible journey as we ride India's legendary Royal Enfield Motorcycles across the Thar desert of Rajasthan. This magnificent expedition weaves our signature brand of adventure and humanitarian work on an awe inspiring 1800 km road trip that spans most of the length and breathe of the land of the Maharajas. Riding through the Aravelli hills into the Thar desert, from stunning serpentine hill climbs to single lane rural desert roads, and staying in remarkable ancient forts and tented camps. read more >
As if all this fun was not enough, we also have the opportunity to give back with our free eye and dental camp near Pushkar and our well dig and bathroom build at a poor school in Ajeetgarh. This purposeful adventure promises to be an experience of a lifetime!
