The Reality of Group Tours

There are many misconceptions with going on Group Travel trips. So we thought we’d check in on some of them.

1. I’ll have no time to myself

Most tours offer flexible freestyle itineraries that you can duck in and out of, and some encourage travellers to add solo leisure days to the beginning or end of a trip. You can also pay an additional supplement if you don’t want to share a room and book a t

our that has plenty of free time built into the schedule. Saga’s Tailor-Made holidays offer more choice and flexibility than you might expect, including self-drive options, leisure days and private tours. Meanwhile, Ramblers Worldwide has introduced “flexi walking”, where every route has an opt-out point so you can leave the group behind and catch up with them later in the day. There are also plenty of unscheduled days to do your own thing or nurse your blisters. Its Discover Sierra Nevada National Park tour is new for 2025, and features a hike through Spain’s highest mountain range, Moorish castles and the “pueblos blancos” (white villages), with plenty of free time to savour local pastries and thermal baths.

2. I could do it cheaper myself

For the seasoned traveller who’s used to scouring the internet for the best deals and haggling for rock-bottom prices, booking an organised tour can seem like a more expensive option. But because companies can negotiate group discounts at hotels and restaurants, they can actually be great value. Plus, you need to factor in the value of your time and the hours you would have otherwise spent planning and booking every detail of your own trip. Want a weekend skiing for £200, or to go on safari for less than a grand? Contiki offers 18 to 35-year-olds group trips at prices that would be hard to beat on your own, such as on its Kruger safari that visits South Africa and Eswatini.

3. I’ll spend my whole time on a bus

Good news for those of us prone to car sickness: group tours no longer mean getting ferried from spot to spot in a stuffy cramped coach. In fact, you could ditch the road altogether and take to the water instead. Fancy kayaking around the Arctic looking for polar bears? For 2025, Southern Sea Ventures is running a Svalbard Expedition. But if that sounds a bit frostbitey, Riviera Travel offers small group cruise holidays by river boat or yacht across the Med and beyond. Meanwhile, for 20 years, SwimTrek has led small-group open-water swimming adventures for all levels of ability, such as its five-day Costa Rica Escape where you’ll splash about local reefs with puffer fish and turtles.

4. It’s only for people “of a certain age”

Almost every group tour will now specify the age group for which their tours are designed. G Adventures offers “18-thirtysomething” trips, and FTLO Travel caters to 25 to 39-year-olds. WeRoad caters for 20 to 49-year-olds and uses a light-touch travel co-ordinator rather than a formal tour guide. It divides trips into different “moods”. You can choose between beach ’n’ chill, or culture and history, for example, so only the monuments will be ancient, not your fellow travellers. Its 11-night trip to Cuba includes horse riding in the tobacco plantations in Viñales, a catamaran excursion to Cayo Blanco and a cruise around Havana in a cabriolet.

5. There’ll be too many people

Anyone who has had to navigate a massive tour group clogging up the narrow streets of a city might have been put off this way of travelling for life. But an array of boutique companies know that small can be beautiful and they keep group numbers low. Modern Adventure designs experiential small-scale itineraries in collaboration with notable experts and tastemakers, including artists, chefs, and travel writers, with trips limited to fewer than 20 guests. Meanwhile Japan is a country that famously likes to keep things compact. An Inside Japan tour has a maximum of 14 people, enabling groups to get the bullet train, stay in traditional ryokan guesthouses and sip saké in an izakaya — its Hidden Japan tour involves traditional temple accommodation, Kyoto temples and festival dances in Tokushima.

6. It won’t be adventurous enough

There’s safety in numbers (and knowledgeable local guides), which can make group tours a great way to visit some of the more inaccessible or intimidating destinations. Untamed Borders organises active group trips to some of the world’s most interesting places — think exploring in Iraq and marathons in Somalia — while Wild Frontiers is taking small groups to Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan this year. Meanwhile, Much Better Adventures specialises in off-the-beaten-path destinations, such as a hiking holiday through Kosovo and North Macedonia, kayaking in Ghana and horse riding through Kyrgyzstan on its Snow, Saunas and Yurts trip.

7. You’ll feel rushed

There’s a misconception that organised tour groups just blow through a place, your guide herding you along like cattle; but boutique tours tend to go at a different pace. Intrepid Travel’s new rail group adventures are designed to let customers travel at a slower pace and have more opportunities for local interaction, with a guide to help you navigate (and buy all the tickets). Its new Trans-Mongolian Railway Adventure takes you from Beijing to Ulaanbaatar in 11 days. Or try two wheels. As the name suggests, The Slow Cyclist is all about taking the leisurely route. Its expert-guided cycling, ebiking and walking holidays meander through Greece, Italy and even Rwanda. No Lycra required.

8. The food and accommodation will be bland

Don’t fancy identikit chain hotels and lacklustre set menus? Nor do most group tours. Flash Pack prides itself on interesting accommodation, whether it’s an exclusive island in the Arctic Circle for the perfect northern lights views or glamping in converted Land Rovers on the Serengeti. Friendship Travel offers House Party holidays where guests share a big villa, like you would with family and friends. And on the best tours, the food isn’t an afterthought, it’s the main event. You could even choose a dedicated culinary trip, such as a 12-day Taste of Peru tour, which goes way beyond ceviche and pisco sours; it includes regional wine tasting, chocolate-making lessons and market visits.

9. Tours are always with groups

Booking a private tour as a couple, family or even as a solo traveller is a great way to get insider access and expert local knowledge. Emily FitzRoy is the founder of Bellini Travel, a small luxury outfit that specialises in exclusive “behind closed doors” experiences in Italy, such as an after-hours, candle-lit tour of St Mark’s Basilica in Venice or a driving tour of the Tuscan hills in vintage convertibles. Away from the Ordinary organises bespoke trips to Scotland, such as a “culinary pilgrimage” featuring foraging in the Highlands and a private picnic in Loch Lomond. It is Scotland though so you might still be following the guy with the umbrella.

10. They’re not for families

Group trips for families can take all the stress out of travelling with children (and don’t have to feature buffets and ball pits). G Adventures has partnered with National Geographic Expeditions to create tours that are as educational as they are exciting. Families Worldwide has a whole section of trips devoted to keeping teenagers entertained, with small group sizes of between two to five families. Meanwhile, Exodus has action-packed itineraries for kids of all ages, from game spotting in Namibia to pizza-making in Naples. Its seven-night Finland Family Winter takes in cross-country skiing, a trip in a reindeer sleigh and hopefully the northern lights — suitable for those aged nine and above.