Green Tortoise
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Adventure travel, Tour bus operator, Hostel management |
| Founded | 1973 |
| Founder | Gardner Kent |
| Headquarters | San Francisco , United States |
Area served | United States, Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Canada |
Key people | Gardner Kent (founder) |
| Products | Long-distance adventure bus tours, hostels |
Number of employees | 50 (1992) |
Green Tortoise Adventure Travel is a U.S.-based long-distance tour bus operator established by Gardner Kent in 1973, with its main office located in San Francisco, California. The company specializes in adventure travel predominantly throughout the United States, managing both a bus network and hostels situated in Seattle and San Francisco. Its clientele primarily consists of backpackers from domestic and international origins.
Early years
During the 1970s, Green Tortoise was among several budget-friendly, no-frills alternative bus services functioning in California and the Pacific Northwest, eventually becoming one of only two surviving providers by 1982. Characterized by a countercultural image, it was frequently referred to as a "hippie bus" alongside Grey Rabbit, which had started operations earlier in 1971. Gardner Kent chose the name Green Tortoise inspired by Grey Rabbit but distinguished his company by prioritizing a slower-paced, immersive travel experience with frequent leisure stops rather than focusing on rapid transit.
At the outset, Green Tortoise utilized retrofitted 1950s transit buses that had most seats removed to create shared sleeping quarters and adjustable luggage racks. Despite facing difficulties such as mechanical issues from aging vehicles, Kent enhanced the offerings by extending cross-country journeys to seven days in 1979 and broadening routes to include Mexico and Alaska, shifting emphasis toward tour experiences instead of simple transportation.
Throughout the 1970s, both Green Tortoise and Grey Rabbit operated without formal interstate licenses until they were granted temporary permits in 1981 following regulatory adjustments introduced by the Bus Regulatory Reform Act of 1982. This deregulation period also saw a drop in ridership due to reduced airline fares stemming from airline deregulation. Grey Rabbit ceased its operations in 1983 and was subsequently acquired by Green Tortoise.
By the mid-1980s, Green Tortoise offered weekly services connecting major West Coast cities along with occasional cross-country trips. At its height in the late 1980s, the company ran a fleet of 14 buses staffed by approximately 50 employees, maintaining its specialized market niche through a unique strategy centered on adventure travel and fostering a community-oriented atmosphere.
Description and destinations
Green Tortoise’s buses are equipped with bunk bed accommodations that enable travelers to rest overnight during journeys, optimizing arrival schedules. The company encourages a communal setting where participants often collaborate to prepare predominantly vegetarian meals. Trips focus on camping and visiting natural and cultural landmarks such as national parks, monuments, forests, and archaeological ruins, deliberately steering clear of heavily commercialized tourist spots.
The range of destinations has included numerous U.S. sites like Alaska and coast-to-coast routes stretching from San Francisco to Boston. Annual trips cover festivals such as Mardi Gras in New Orleans, the Oregon Country Fair, and Burning Man, with shuttle services provided at the latter event. International excursions have encompassed Mexico (including the Yucatán Peninsula and the Baja California Peninsula), Guatemala, Belize, and Canada. In 2001, the company discontinued its San Francisco-Seattle route to concentrate exclusively on "adventure camping trips."
In 1992, Green Tortoise reported annual revenues near $1.4 million, employed around 50 staff members, and managed a fleet of 10 buses supported by a refurbishment facility located in Lowell, Oregon. By 2004, its fleet primarily consisted of buses from the 1950s and 1960s with some additions of highway coaches from the 1990s.
Hostels
Green Tortoise has managed two hostels since the mid-1990s: the first launched in Seattle in 1993, followed by another in San Francisco in 1994. In 1997, the Seattle location shifted from the Queen Anne district to downtown Seattle’s Second Avenue, taking over the former Forest Hotel after renovations. When that building was demolished in 2006, the hostel moved again, this time to Pike Street close to Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle.
According to The Seattle Times, Hostelworld.com placed Green Tortoise’s Seattle hostel among the top ten hostels across North America in its 2009 awards, emphasizing the brand’s notable position within the budget lodging sector.