Travelling on your own can be an amazing liberating experience. But just because you set off on your own, doesn’t mean you have to travel alone.
Booking onto a group tour can mean less hassle, as the tour leader will take care of most things and you get to sit back and relax. On top of that there will always be people around you can have a chat with. In return it’s less flexible on itinerary, and well, you will be around the same people for a while!
Let’s go through the key items you need to decide on to find the perfect group for you. These are in no particular order – to find the best option for you, find out your answers, and then rank them in importance. These will function as your filters to find the perfect group tour.
Type of tour
Are you a foodie, a culture sniffer, or a history buff? Most tours will cater a little bit to everything to make the trip as appealing as possible, but there are tours that will focus more (or only!) on one thing.
Food centred tours have become more and more prevalent to really focus around a country’s cuisine. While activity level is something we discuss later, there are also tours aimed at hiking/cycling, or that go off the beaten track only, for the more adventurous type.
What interests you? If it’s your first time visiting you may want a tour that covers more ground. If you are already sure you’ll come back again, focusing on specific areas makes sure you won’t see everything twice or triple when you return.
Knowing why you want to visit will really help narrow down tours and their itinerary.
Group type
For me, one of my main “filters” is that I’d prefer a group tour that caters to solo travellers like myself. While most groups are inclusive regardless, I find it easier to find common ground with other solo travellers, than let’s say, a group full of families.
While most group tours wouldn’t exclude a solo traveller, there is usually a single supplement that will bump up the price. This is because you won’t be sharing a room, which would lower the cost per person otherwise.
If you’re not really interested in mingling with the group, any tour could do, but keep in mind you will still need to travel with this group. Being open will make the tour more enjoyable for everyone. Alternatively, consider a private tour or self-guided tour instead.
Group size
Larger groups often means a lower price, as more discounts come available with large group bookings. Some tours will start as early as a confirmed 12, but can easily go up to 30 or sometimes even 50 people to a group.
Different dynamics come into play with larger groups, and usually the larger groups are aimed at friend or family units, over single travellers. While this shouldn’t deter you, it may be a bit more difficult to get acquainted than you would in a small group tour.
Accommodation and comfort
Oh, the price of comfort! Depending on where money is on your priority choice ladder, it can really narrow or open up different tours.
If you will not share accommodation or bathrooms under any circumstances, you will have to increase your budget – most budget tours will use sharing accommodations as a way to push down costs.
Most solo traveller groups are aimed at sharing as well, not only for costs, but to help you connect and make friends within the group. Some may offer a single supplement option where you do get your own room, but that really depends on a per tour basis.
Consider what comforts you’re willing to sacrifice, and which are non-negotiables as a way to filter your options.
Activity level and tour speed
Not all tours are made equal. Just like tours are aimed at different audiences and interests, so are the activity levels. Most tours are very accessible, but depending on the country visited, a minimal activity level may be required just to keep up.
Most group tours rely on a lot of walking within a city or stop, and a basic level of fitness and a good pair of walking shoes is usually enough to be able to enjoy these tours.
Some tours cater specifically to the exercise fans, by including large hiking trips, camping, or other physical activities.
Knowing how active you want your holiday to be will help you steer towards the right tour choice for you.
Narrow down your options
Once you know what your goals are, what you are willing to compromise on and what items you have to have, it will be a lot easier to navigate the myriad of options.
As an example, on my last tour booking to Japan, my first non negotiable was that I wanted a longer tour – I didn’t want to travel for 2 days to the country for a tour of less than 8 days.
As I had not been before, I wanted a tour that covered as many topics and places as would be enjoyable in the tour time. Lastly, while budget was a consideration, I prioritised the type of group, where I preferred tours aimed at solo travellers and travellers my own age. This meant compromising on comfort, as they were all on a shared accommodation basis, which I was willing to try.
So between duration, tour type and group type, a majority of tours already were less appealing, making it a lot easier to find the best tour for me from the remaining options.
While the absolute perfect tour may not exist, finding a great tour within your preferences is no trouble, as long as you know what you want most out of your experience.
What other considerations do you have when booking a group tour?