[2] Intrepid is a B Corporation, certified to meet the standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.

[7] The company was founded in 1989 by two Australian university mates, Darrell Wade and Geoff 'Manch' Manchester, after they quit their jobs and organized a 6-month trip around Africa.

[2][8] The cofounders set out to create a new type of travel that gave back to the people and places that it visits.

In its first year, Intrepid carried 46 passengers, with Geoff Manchester as its first tour leader, leading trips in Thailand.

[21][22] In 2020 and 2021, its not-for-profit arm "The Intrepid Foundation" supported vulnerable communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including delivering food packages to families in remote parts of Peru[23] and raising funds for essential medical equipment, including oxygen tanks, in India.