Like cruising and theme park vacations, guided tours aren’t for everyone. But for people who especially enjoy meeting (and traveling with) like-minded people on vacation, guided group tours can be the perfect way to see a new destination—and make some new friends along the way.
Some guided tours are geared toward groups of a dozen or fewer, while others can accommodate 50 or more travelers. Most guided tours include accommodations and some meals. In all cases, the tour companies who operate group tours take most of the complicated planning out of the equation, leaving you to focus on simply enjoying your vacation.
After taking multiple tours to destinations around the world like France, Iceland, and the Netherlands, I’ve found that guided tours are a great vacation option for people who just want to show up and keep the planning to the experts. Even better is that there’s plenty of free time so you can venture out on your own, or ask any of your group’s guides for their recommendations for things to do.
The best guided tour operators
Intrigued yet? Keep reading to find out our favorite guided tour operators that continuously rank among the best in the world.
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1. National Geographic Expeditions
Since 1999, National Geographic Expeditions has been taking guests to some of the most popular and some of the most remote areas around the world. The high-end vacations take place on all seven continents and come in a range of travel styles from land-based tours to incredible river and expedition cruises.
While National Geographic mainly caters to older travelers who are interested in subjects like nature and history, the brand also has plenty of family-friendly trips that are run through G Adventures. Group size varies based on the style of travel. Expedition cruising can see over 100 people in a group, while some land-based tours cater to around 20 people. Pricing is dependent on the type of travel, where expedition cruises start around $3,000, while land trips start around $7,000 per person.
New in 2025, the brand is taking guests on an 11-day land trip to explore Australia’s reefs, rainforests, and Tasmania; on an 11-day land trip around Sri Lanka to explore the wildlife and learn about the culinary traditions of the country; and on a nine-day river cruise down the Nile River in Egypt.
2. Exodus Adventure Travels
If you’re looking for an active trip with fellow active travelers, Exodus Adventure Travels is the group tour brand for you. For 50 years, the brand has been taking guests to more than 100 countries on more than 600 different tour options.
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Exodus’ small-group tours offer the luxury of having a local expert guide you every day, which ensures that you see everything that each destination has to offer. Group sizes are as small as five people, but can be as large as 16 people. Small-group tours highlight each destination through cultural immersion and various activities like hiking, biking, walking, and more. Prices for guided group tours start at under $1,000 for trips like climbing Mt. Toubkai, and can go up to $40,000 for a 23-day Antarctica expedition cruise.
New in 2025, the brand is offering 26 new trips, including a safari adventure in Kenya, glamping on the Inca Trail, and exploring Vietnam.
3. Contiki
Younger travelers who want to ditch their parents and older crowd that typically take group tours will love Contiki. The brand is known for its guided group tours for those ages 18 to 35. You can choose from over 200 different tours that take place over six continents, including incredible itinteraries in Thailand, Kenya, India, and more.
Contiki is also known for its “Make Travel Matter” experiences that occur on most itineraries. These hands-on experiences often highlight local culture or wildlife, and help to give back to the community that you are visiting. Each experience has to advance one of the 11 United Nations’ Global Goals, and be educational for travelers.
Group sizes are based on the destination and travel style, and can range from under 15 to over 50 people. Trips are relatively affordable and start around $250 per person and can go up to $8,300 per person.
This year, Contiki is launching a host of new trips, including traveling through Borneo, island hopping around the Phillipines, and exploring the interior of China.
4. Black Tomato
Black Tomato is a luxury guided tour company that specializes in completely custom tours, and states that no two journeys are ever exactly the same. The brand takes people to all seven continents, and the tours that are listed on its website are just springboards to help you decide where to go before trip planners start executing your ideal itinerary. Even better, these custom tours are just for your traveling group, so you’ll never be added into a massive tour group with a flag-waving guide hussling you through the sites.
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While pricing does vary based on the trip, how many people you have in your group, and customizations, the prices listed on the Black Tomato website are based on two or more people sharing the cost of all elements of a trip.
Those looking for an immersive cultural trip may enjoy the Jordan & Oman: A Cultural Adventure itinerary, while those looking to learn more about the local flavor of a destination may enjoy the Tasting Notes of Peru with Virgilio Martínez.
5. Tauck
Guided tour operator Tauck has been a leader in high-end group tours since its founding in 1925. Operating land-based group tours on all seven continents (as well as river tours in Europe and small-ship tours around the world), Tauck caters to families, couples, and solo travelers.
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The average size of a guided tour group with Tauck is 35 to 44 guests, though the group size may vary depending on the season and the nature of the tour. Travelers enjoy Tauck for its attention to detail and ease of planning. Prices for tours vary by location, type of tour, and season, but the average Tauck tour starts at around $4,000 and goes up from there for one room with two guests.
New tours in 2025 include a river cruise along the Seine for the holidays, a week in Switzerland, and a cruise around Italy going to Sicily, Rome, and the Almafi Coast.
6. Trafalgar
Taking groups on guided tours to destinations around the world since 1947, Trafalgar runs trips to nearly every corner of the planet except Antarctica. The mostly land-based guided tours are offered year-round, including to popular destinations like New Zealand and Africa. The number of guests on tours vary based on the destination. Africa tours are the smallest with a maximum of 20 guests, while the United States and Canada tours are the biggest with up to 52 guests.
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In addition to its standard tours, Trafalgar also offers women-only tours. Other travelers who may enjoy Trafalgar are adventure travelers and foodies. Trafalgar tours start at just under $2,000 for one guest.
New this year, the brand is taking travelers to Alaska to see the Northern Lights, spending a week in Germany, exploring the Southeast United States, and seeing all that the Pacific Northwest United States has to offer.
7. Collette
No travel company brand has been doing group trips longer than Collette, which has been in business since 1918. The group touring agency goes to all seven continents and has 177 different tour options. Its top tour destinations are Ireland, Italy, and Iceland.
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Collette’s small group exploration tours allow for 14 to 24 people per tour, while its classic group tours can be up to 44 people. Collette primarily serves an older audience of travelers over 55. Tours with Collette start at just under $1,500 per person.
In 2025, Collette will launch 19 new tours, including a 16-day tour through Japan and South Korea, a weeklong trip to explore the Christmas Markets of Quebec City and Montreal, and a 12-day expedition cruise to Antarctica in partnership with Atlas Ocean Voyages.
8. Grand Circle Travel
Another popular group tour option for travelers over 50 is Grand Circle Travel, which has been in operation since 1958. Grand Circle’s variety of land-based tours and river cruises range in size from 24 to 47. Trips with Grand Circle start around $2,400 but vary based on the destination and season.
This year, the brand is launching a handful of new itienraries. Two of the new river cruises that you can book include sailing for 11 days down the Douro River and a holiday cruise down the Seine for nine days. If you’re looking for a land-based adventure, consider traveling through Alaska to Denali National Park and the Kenai Fjords or a tour of the American West including Cody, Yellowstone, and Jackson Hole.
9. Adventures by Disney
The luxury travel arm of Disney, Adventures by Disney is known for its focus on guided family tours. Since its founding in 2005, the company has continued to add new touring options with land- and river cruise-based adventures to destinations worldwide. Land-based tours with Adventures by Disney can have upwards of 40 people, including kids under 10 years old. The tour company does offer some adult-only adventures as well. If you want to set sail on a small-ship adventure, group sizes can be well over 100 guests.
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One reason why travelers choose Adventures by Disney for family vacations is that they likely already partake in other Disney vacations and know the level of service Disney can provide. Adventures start at just under $2,700 for one person for a short three-night escape.
In 2025, there are a few new trips to consider. One completely re-imagined itinerary takes guests to China on a land-based trip, while another re-imagined itinerary takes travelers through Prague, Salzburg, and Vienna. Two new river cruises are also available to book. Both river cruises are through Holland and Belgium, but one offers exclusive access to destinations during the height of tulip season.
10. G Adventures
Best known for its cheaper group tours that span the globe from Croatia to Tanzania, G Adventures was founded in 1990 as a way to bridge the divide between solo adventure travel and more mainstream travel. G Adventures focuses on small group trips; the number of travelers per group is typically between 10 to 15 participants.
New this year, G Adventures is launching its “Solo-ish” Adventures. This new travel style allows solo travelers to book tours with other solo travelers instead of with couples or families. Destinations for Solo-ish Adventures include Spain, Japan, and Mexico.
11. Intrepid Travel
Eco-conscious travelers will want to consider a group travel vacation with Intrepid Travel, which is known for its active stance on climate action and sustainable travel. Intrepid offers tours for families as well as more strenuous walking tours and cycling tours. Since 1989, Intrepid has been taking small group tours of 12 to 14 people around the world from Bali to Antarctica.
2025 brings over 50 new trips to the Intrepid portfolio, but three of our favorites include a Greenland expedition, the Trans-Mongolian Railway Adventure, and a hiking trip in Alaska.
12. Backroads
Travelers with a more active lifestyle who want to take a group tour will want to look into Backroads, where hiking and biking tours are the main attraction. Backroads has been traveling around the world from famous U.S. national parks to the glaciers of Antarctica since 1979. Backroads offers more than 550 different tours, most of which have an average of 16 participants. Prices start around $2,700 per person.
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New this year, Backroads will launch nearly 100 new trips of all kinds. If you’re looking for a bike tour consider Portugal’s Algarve & Spain’s Andalusia bike tour. Families can enjoy the French Alps Family Multi-Adventure Tour, while walkers will love the German & Austrian Alps Easygoing Walking Tour.
13. Classic Journeys
Luxury group tour operator Classic Journeys (founded in 1995) offers walking tours to destinations around the world, and are especially well tailored to travelers interested in wildlife or local food and drink. These small group tours are typically no larger than 12 guests. Land-based trips start around $4,600.
One new tour for this year is the six-day Dolomites Cultural Walking Tour. On the tour, you’ll visit local wineries, hike the Santa Maddalena Panorama Trail, and meet local artisans.
14. Thomson Family Adventures
With a focus on family travel, Thomson Family Adventures has been operating group tours to more than a dozen destinations since 1998. These bucket-list-worthy trips are limited to no more than 25 people. Tours start at $3,890 per adult and teen and $3,690 per child.
The new trip for 2025 from Thomson Family Adventures is a Baja Family Vacation. The itineray takes place over seven days, with activities like surf lessons, whale watching, and kayaking.
15. Road Scholar
Since 1975, Road Scholar has provided educational tours around the world for small groups of 12 participants or less. The trips are ideal for those who want to do a deep dive into a destination’s culture or be immersed in nature. These budget-friendly trips start around $900 per person.
The brand has over 80 new programs, including a womens-only trip to New Orleans, exploring Northern Greece, and spending Christmas in Florence.
