Tour Companies
I am a big proponent of planning your own trips and putting all the individual pieces together by yourself, but sometimes you might need a bit of professional assistance. The use of a tour company can be particularly beneficial for travel to a destination that you may not be familiar with and/or feel comfortable navigating and planning on your own. They are specialists in what they do and already possess the knowledge and expertise that you only get with experience.
Tour Companies can offer anything from pre-arranged departures for groups of various sizes to custom designed vacations for individuals. They can put together simple sightseeing tours in cities as well as multiple-week journeys on private jets.
Abercrombie & Kent is an award-winning luxury travel company, offering vacations, private tours and small-group adventures on all seven continents. They are truly specialists in high-end travel and have connections around the globe.
Adams & Butler is best known for their roots in Ireland and The United Kingdom but can put together unique itineraries to Africa, Europe and Asia as well. Very personalized service.
&Beyond originally became famous for their ultra-luxurious African safaris. Today, the company also offers high-end adventure tours to Asia and South America, with boutique lodges and luxury camps in 23 different countries.
.Amstar, which is also included in my transportation company listings , provides a wide range of sightseeing tours, excursions and daytrips in Mexico, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Hawaii.
Audley Travel specializes in high-end custom tailor-made holidays and private tours to over 90 countries on all 7 continents. Trips include safaris, cultural vacations, luxury resort stays and food & wine experiences.
Aurora Expeditions offers exotic adventures on two state-of-the-art expedition ships, reaching some of the most remote coastal regions of the world. Most voyages offer options such as mountain climbing, sea kayaking, photography, and camping in various locations.
Avanti Destinations is a leader in customized independent travel. Whether it’s an entire itinerary or just one piece of the puzzle, they can put together accommodations along with transportation by air, car and train.
Backroads offers “Active Travel Adventures” which include hiking, biking and multi-sport trips with departures for singles, small groups and families. They use top-tier accommodations and take care of every detail.
Black Tomato caters to travelers looking for bespoke experiences that are edgy and luxurious. If you want something a bit different and totally immersive, they can probably put it together.
Blue-Roads Touring specializes in small-group travel to the UK, Ireland, Europe, and Asia. Groups are never more than 18 guests allowing in-depth experiences in culture, cuisine and history of each destination.
Butterfield & Robinson is another high-end active travel company, crafting unforgettable journeys involving hiking, biking and multi-sport.
Classic Journeys offers guided trips to over 100 destinations around the world, most of which concentrate on walking and local culture or family vacations.
Contiki is a New Zealand-based tour company that caters to 18 to 35-year-olds, offering over 350 different tours in over 75 countries in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, North America, South America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
DuVine Cycling + Adventure Co is a luxury small group tour company offering cycling and multisport trips across Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the United States.
EatWith arranges one-of-a-kind culinary experiences involving cooking classes, food tours, tastings, and meals with private hosts. It is a great way to immerse yourself in local culture.
G Adventures is an operator of small-group escorted tours with over 700 itineraries in more than 100 different countries. Trip types include expeditions & adventure, hiking & walking, classic group tours, small-ship cruising, family friendly and singles groups.
Geographic Expeditions offers a varied portfolio of small-group tours and arranges hand-crafted private itineraries some of the world’s most exotic destinations. Trips include overland tours, treks, walks, and expeditionary voyages.
Get Your Guide is an excellent resource for booking activities, tours and tickets for your travel destinations. Once you have the transportation and accommodations locked in, this is where you can explore and confirm available activities.
Intrepid Travel’s budget-friendly tours focus on sustainability, diversity, inclusion, and sustaining communities. Their small group tours are available across all 7 continents and over 120 countries. They attract a wide range of travelers, but they are especially great for younger travelers, as they have many trips designed for people aged 18-29.
Kensington Tours is a private group operator which creates personalized trips and itineraries tailored to your preferences, while their experts handle all the logistics and bookings.
Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic is the leading travel company for small group expeditions to the world’s most incredible natural wonders. This is adventure travel in its truest form.
MACS Adventure is a specialist in self-guided walking and biking vacations in the UK, Europe, South America, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Africa. You pick your destination, itinerary and preferred dates and they do the rest.
Modern Adventure creates small-group trips and private adventures focused on experiences including culinary, fitness, art & culture with local access to experts in each field.
Mountain Travel Sobek is one of the pioneers of adventure travel with journeys to some of the world’s most exotic locations. Their trips are more about experience than luxury. However, you can expect “trip of a lifetime” memories.
Musement provides the capability to book tickets for attractions, museums, tours, and activities all over the world.
Overseas Adventure Travel arranges small-group tours “off the beaten path” to remote destinations around the world. Trips are escorted by a resident OAT Trip Leader and include unique modes of transportation and stays in authentic local lodgings.
Quark Expeditions is the foremost specialist in Arctic and Antarctic travel. If you want to go far north or far south, look no further.
Quasar Expeditions is best known for its highly specialized Galapagos trips, but also offers Patagonia itineraries, which take guests into Chile’s Torres del Paine and Argentina’s Los Glaciares — two of South America’s most spectacular national parks.
Road Scholar is a not-for-profit organization that provides educational travel programs primarily (but not exclusively) geared toward older adults. They offer study tours throughout the US and Canada and in approximately 150 other countries and are hosted by expert instructors.
Smithsonian Journeys offers small-group tours to all 7 continents utilizing a wide variety of travel styles. Unique to these trips is the Smithsonian Journey Experts who accompany the programs. These scholars and experts range from art historians, anthropologists, geologists and more.
Tauck is the premier tour company for luxury small-group escorted travel. Their guided trips cover the globe and include several river cruise and small-ship voyages.
TCS World Travel offers the ultimate luxurious bucket-list adventure – think “around the world by private jet”. That’s right. It literally doesn’t get any better than this.
Tiqets allows you to book digital tickets for museums and attractions with priority access to the best experiences.
TripAdvisor is an invaluable tool for travel. Not only is it the largest collection of user reviews, but they also offer booking capabilities for many of the hotels, tour companies, and activities.
Viator, a division of TripAdvisor, is one of the foremost online companies offering sightseeing tours, shore excursions, venue tickets and activities. It is a one-stop shop for filling your travel days.
Walks offers day-tours and cultural experiences in various cities around Europe with a particular specialty in Italy. It is a great way to see a new city.
