Cultural touring

In Europe, cultural touring in Italy, Ireland, Spain, Turkey and elsewhere involves travelling from place to place, with guided sightseeing in cities and other attractions, and free time to explore at pace. Group sizes can range from small groups of 12 -16 up to larger coach tours of up to 45 travelers. Typically the pace of these trips is quite fast, in order to see as much as possible in the allotted time. Cultural tours are a great introduction to a new destination, then you can return a second time for a slower trip.

Adventure travel

Adventure travel is for those amongst us who like to take that extra step when travelling. We offer several true adventures, including a selection of trekking tours and expedition cruises to the extreme ends of the Earth, in Greenland and Antarctica. In Africa, our longest camping safari travels from Nairobi to Cape Town in six incredible weeks. And our Essentials tours in China, Japan and South Korea make use of budget hostels and public transport for an authentic adventure.

A bit of both

Most of our tours combine cultural touring with adventure travel. For example, in Egypt you will enjoy traditional sightseeing in Cairo and Giza, but you will also partake in thrilling experiences such as camel riding and felucca sailing. In Vietnam, one minute you will be browsing an ancient pagoda in Hanoi, and the next you'll be whisked around the city by rickshaw! And in India, you will tour the sites of Delhi and Jaipur before heading to Ranthambore National Park for a bucket list tiger safari. The best of both worlds!

Group Vs Private tours

With a group tour, you join like-minded travelers from across the English-speaking world. Travelers will be of all sorts of ages, ethnicities and nationalities but with one common passion - travel! Escorted by a guide, you'll take in the best of your destination together, making new friends along the way. With a private tour, you still enjoy the same benefits of a group tour, such as the services of a guide and your included sightseeing and accommodation. But you travel with just your own private group, be that your friends or family.

Age range

The beauty of group touring is that you are likely to have a diverse mix of people on your trip. Our tours are often made up of people in their 20s and 30s, right up to their 70s and beyond. There is no upper age limit on our tours, though if you are aged 70 or over (65 for trips to Africa) we will ask you to complete a tour suitability form to ensure you are fit enough to safely join the tour. Our Essentials tours have a maximum age of 55 and are designed for younger travelers, staying in hostels and making use of public transport.

Group size

On our most popular Signature tours, the maximum group size never exceeds 24, and the average is more like 18 - 20 for a small group experience. Some of our Handpicked tours have a higher group size of up to 45 - 50. These are typically coach tours in destinations such as Italy (though we do have small group tours here too!) and Greece. For each tour, the maximum group size is clearly displayed on the relevant page on our website, so you can easily compare trips to find the right group size for you.

Physical rating

The majority of our trips include a moderate amount of walking, and as long as you are relatively fit and healthy, you should have no problem completing the tour, though checks do apply for travelers over 70 (65 in Africa). Some destinations and tours require a better level of fitness, for example our trekking tours, or our longer safaris in Africa. Speak to our Reservations team if you have concerns about your physical ability to complete a tour, and they may be able to suggest a good alternative.

Duration

The average length of our tours is around 8 days, but we offer trips ranging in length from 2 or 3 days up to 58! The length of trip we recommend for you depends on many factors. If you're retired and don't need to worry about taking time off work, then you may be able to travel for longer. Of course shorter tours tend to be cheaper, if you're conscious of your travel budget. It also depends on your destination. Small nations like Iceland can be explored in 3 - 5 days, while you really need a minimum of 8 or 9 to get the most from a trip to India, China or Vietnam.