Travel deeper. Travel human.
The story and philosophy behind Rucksack Routes.
Hi, I’m Selçuk.
I’m the founder of Rucksack Routes, a backpacker since I was 19, and someone who believes that travel should feel human, not staged or superficial.
Over the past years, I’ve traveled to more than 40 countries. What started as curiosity slowly became something much deeper: a desire to understand how people live, think and connect across cultures.
Rucksack Routes is my way of sharing that perspective.
My Story
I grew up in Germany in a family with immigrant roots.
My grandparents came as guest workers, building a life in a country that wasn’t originally theirs.
Because of that, I’ve always felt aware of how different life paths can be and how much of what we experience is shaped by opportunity.
Traveling the world is a privilege.
I don’t take that lightly.
Being able to move freely, to enter other countries, to be welcomed into people’s homes. That’s something I feel deeply grateful for.
And that gratitude shapes the way I travel.
40+
Countries visited
6
Continents
12+
years of independent travelling
Why I Started Rucksack Routes
I’ve always felt the urge to guide.
Even before I knew it would become something like this, I wanted to show people how beautiful travel can be when you start to leave the beaten path and see things that no other tourist ever sees.
But there was one specific moment that made me do it.
I was living in a small village in Kerala, in the south of India.
One afternoon, I was outside, cutting open a coconut with a local family. It wasn’t a special occasion. No landmark. No “highlight.”
Just a simple moment.
But I remember exactly how I thought:
“More people should experience moments like this”
The same day I started to plan the hosted trip to Kerala.
But Rucksack Routes was never meant to be just a “travel service.”
It’s my way of sharing what travel has taught me.
As a host, I don’t stand above the group.
I travel with you.
I create structure so you can relax.
I take care of logistics so you can stay present.
I open doors where possible, but the experience itself is always human and never staged.
What Makes This Different
Let’s be honest. There are countless trips and itineraries out there.
What makes this different is simple:
I am genuinely interested in cultures.
I even studied cultural anthropology for a while because I was fascinated by how people live, think and connect.
Not to memorize facts, but to understand context.
Travel is not a product to me.
It’s not a marketing story.
It’s something I care about deeply.
And I want that depth to be felt.