Richard Branson Reveals His Favorite Trip of All Time

Virgin Atlantic founder had to get in shape for Switzerland-Italy adventure.

May 31, 2017 5:00 am
Richard Branson's Family Vacation From Hell (or Your New Favorite Luxury Adventure)
Sir Richard Branson competes in the 2011 Virgin Active London Triathlon at ExCeL Centre, London on July 30, 2011 in London, England. (Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images)

Richard Branson is one of the wealthiest, most adventurous men in the world. (Hell, he’s got designs on space travel and recently sunk a Pearl Harbor ship in the name of science.) So when Bloomberg recently asked him what his favorite vacation ever was, the answer came as a bit of a surprise: “Challenges” that he’s gone on with his “grown-up kids.”

What does a Branson-sized family challenge entail? “Last year we did a 2,500-kilometer bike ride, [after a] 10-day hike, from the south of Switzerland to the toe of Italy. Then we swam to Sicily and marathoned up to the top of Mount Etna,” he told the publication. “As a family we are gluttons for punishment.”

It’s actually part of a Virgin-based program called a Strive Challenge, which is a charitable drive for children around the U.K., executed by Branson, his children, and members of the company.

Below, take a look at the itinerary for Branson’s strenuous family vacation in a teaser video for last year’s Strive Challenge.

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