Welcome to Ikigai Adventure Tours!

Ikigai is a Japanese term that translates to "reason for being." It represents having a purpose in life, which brings fulfillment, satisfaction, and motivation. Our purpose is to create immersive outdoor experiences that reconnect you with the land—whether its foraging for delicious seasonal fungi, learning to safely drive your vehicle off-road, or capturing the beauty of nature through your camera lens. All our adventures are rooted in love and respect for the natural world and a passion for finding and sharing its hidden treasures. From expert hands-on instruction to wildcrafted natural goods, everything we offer is designed to deepen your appreciation and connection to the outdoors, and help awaken your own sense of purpose—your ikigai.

A person jumping in the air near a parked SUV on a dirt surface outdoors during the day with a partly cloudy sky.

Welcome to Ikigai Adventure Tours!

Ikigai is a Japanese term that translates to "reason for being." It represents having a purpose in life, which brings fulfillment, satisfaction, and motivation. Our purpose is to create immersive outdoor experiences that reconnect you with the land—whether its foraging for delicious seasonal fungi, learning to safely drive your vehicle off-road, or capturing the beauty of nature through your camera lens. All our adventures are rooted in love and respect for the natural world and a passion for finding and sharing its hidden treasures. From expert hands-on instruction to wildcrafted natural goods, everything we offer is designed to deepen your appreciation and connection to the outdoors, and help awaken your own sense of purpose—your ikigai.

Customer Reviews:

  • "I have to say, I am BLOWN AWAY on how awesome this tour and our tour guide was. Courtney was a wealth of knowledge: he came prepared with laminated diagrams, knowledge of the trails in the area, and I left feeling confident that I could identify one or two beginner mushrooms if I were to adventure on my own."

    Charlotte D., Fungi Tour Guest

  • "Thank you for a tremendous day! I learned so much and am thrilled with what we found."

    Diana H., Fungi Tour Guest

  • "Courtney was a great trainer and his teaching style made all of the concepts easy to understand. I learned hands-on what the capabilities and limits of my Subaru were in a ton of different situations off-road. I definitely have much more confidence to explore safely on my own now, and feel comfortable in conditions that used to make me nervous, or that I would previously just avoid altogether. Highly Recommend!"

    Mike J., Private Off-Road Training Client

  • "I just got a Chevy 4x4 truck, and wanted to learn how to use it off-road from someone with a ton of experience. I've done tours before in souped up Jeeps, but didn’t really learn anything that helped me drive my own truck better, as the tires/suspension/drivetrain were completely different. This course exceeded my expectations, and I love the checklist Courtney gave me for what is actually needed/recommended to solo off road safely. Look forward to joining again in the future."

    Brian K., Private Off-Road Training Client

  • "We call Courtney our little "Adventure Genie" for good reason, as we've joined Ikigai for quite a few tours, and have even combined them together. The last one was an amazing trip in the White Mountains during a meteor shower. We learned hands on about safely off-roading our new Dodge truck during the day, and then he showed us how to plan, setup, and shoot some awesome astro pics at night. Can't wait for the next one!"

    Nick & Trista B., Photography Workshop, Fungi, and Private Off-Roading Tour Clients

  • "My private photography tour was amazing! Courtney quickly conveyed his passion for the art of photography, and beautifully communicated stories and relevant information on our location and subjects, which helped bring to life the compositions all around us. His calm presence, knowledge, and pertinent tips allowed me to get the most out of our time together. Would highly recommend his guidance for a solo or small group tour."

    Bruce M., Photography Tour Guest

  • "I had an upcoming photo contest and unfortunately lost all my original files. Courtney helped me recover, upconvert the quality, and edit my shots in time for the show. They came out even better than they started, and I even ended up selling one of my pieces at the gallery!"

    Erik L., Private Editing Course Client

  • "My wife and I took an amazing vacation to Costa Rica. We took a bunch of amazing pictures to print and hang in our house, but wanted to ensure they were as good as possible. Courtney went over our pics, helped narrow down which ones had the most potential and why, and then showed us how to edit them so they came out perfect! I not only learned editing fundamentals, but also how to think through my shot planning with editing in mind on the back end. Highly Recommend!"

    Louis W., Private Editing Course Client

  • "I recently got nailed by poison oak and had a really gnarly reaction to it. I tried everything under the sun, and nothing helped at all. Ran into Courtney during this time, and he told me about a salve he made that worked great for that and a bunch of other things also. I ordered some "Boo Boo Be Gone" and it helped a TON. No more itching and my rash cleared up in a few days. I just ordered a few more to give to my friends and family. This stuff is AWESOME and I love that it's completely natural."

    Mateo G., Medicinal Salve Customer

  • "I work all day on my feet, and had been dealing with some pretty bad pain in my arches for quite a while. Nothing really seemed to help, and I'd heard about Arnica being good for joint and muscle pain, so I decided to give "Pain Be Gone" a try. I wish I would have done it earlier, as my foot pain is pretty much gone now! Will definitely order again when I run out"

    Nick P., Medicinal Salve Customer

  • "Couldn't make it out last season for the Porcini tours with Ikigai, so we decided to do the next best thing, and order some. Such a sweet and hearty flavor. Hopefully we can join one of your tours and learn how to find our own this year!"

    Brenda M.

  • "After hearing about 'em for years, we decided to order some morels as a side for a fancy steak dinner. They were wonderful and we might even like the flavor better than the fresh ones we've had in the past. Highly recommend!"

    Kevin C.

A happy female fungi foray guest with the delicious morels she found.
A fungi foray guest picking a delicious king bolete or porcini during a tour
A silver Toyota Tacoma learning to safely drive in the snow during a private off-road training
A black Dodge Ram owner learning to navigate down a rocky road during a private off-road training.
A photography tour client looking for good compositions in a yellow field of flowers with beautiful mountains, trees, and sky behind him.
A private photography tour guest in a white jacket taking a picture of a field, mountains, and clouds while it's snowing.
A black and white multiple shot creative composition of Bridelveil Falls and Cathedral Rocks in Yosemite National Park with a moonrise lapse.
A vibrant multi shot composition of a tree arch at sunset with Jack O Lantern mushroom gills overlayed in the sky.

Choose Your Next Adventure…

  • A woman wearing camouflage-patterned outdoor clothing holding a morel mushroom in her hand while displaying a wooden cutting board covered with other morels she found on a fungi foray.

    Want to learn how to find and correctly identify delicious fungi in the woods from an expert guide?

    Learn More
  • Person picking a King Bolete or Porcini during a fungi foray on the forest floor among pine needles and wood debris, wearing tan hiking shoes and jeans.

    Come join us for a guided foray!

    Learn More
  • A silver Toyota Tacoma pickup truck driving through snowy terrain with large trees in the background during sunset on a private off-road training tour.

    Want to learn how to properly use your fancy AWD/4WD off-road in any weather or conditions?

    Learn More
  • A black Dodge RAM pickup truck driving over a rocky, rugged trail in a forested area with tall evergreen trees during a private off-road training class

    Check out our private one-on-one off-road training course and learn how to confidently do that in your OWN CAR!

    Learn More
  • A private photography tour guest holding a camera standing in a field of tall grass with yellow flowers, surrounded by tall pine trees, mountains, and a blue sky with some clouds.

    Want to visit amazing natural places and learn how to visualize, setup, shoot, and edit from an award-winning former Ansel Adams Gallery Yosemite photography guide?

    Learn More
  • A private photography tour guest dressed in a white jacket and khaki pants is standing in a grassy field with a tripod, surrounded by trees and mountains under a snowy sky.

    Check out our seasonal Photography Workshops!

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  • A black and white view of Bridalveil Fall and Cathedral Rock in Yosemite National Park, pine trees in the foreground, and a sequence of moon phases in the sky.

    Want to learn an easy step by step editing workflow to make your good pictures amazing?

    Learn More
  • Silhouette of a large curved tree trunk at sunset with trees in the background and colorful sky with Jack o Lantern mushroom gills overlayed on the sky.

    Check out our private online one-on-one editing courses customized to your own photography style and genre!

    Learn More

Got some aches, pains, or an issue with anything on your skin? Check out our locally wildcrafted, 100% natural, medicinal plant salves.

Shop Salves

We also have delicious edible fungi and discounts on industry leading medicinal mushroom supplements.

Shop Edible & Medicinal Fungi

Got some aches, pains, or an issue with anything on your skin? Check out our locally wildcrafted, 100% natural, medicinal plant salves.

Shop Salves

We also have delicious edible fungi and discounts on industry leading medicinal mushroom supplements.

Shop Edible & Medicinal Fungi

Check out our journey and how we ended up dedicating our lives to guiding and sharing unbelievable experiences with awesome people.

Our Mission

Upcoming news, tour info, and general musings from our time in the woods.

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