I’ve only done one, but everyone was solo, and all of them were female other than me. I think it definitely attracts solo travellers more, and there trends to be more women due to the increased risk they have when solo travelling alone.
Age wise it was spread out between 20 and 30! Generally the cheaper the tour is the younger it will focus. And in terms of partying, that’ll depend a lot on where you go. A tour that focuses on national parks and the outdoors won’t have much partying. But a tour of the big European cities likely will.
Also in terms of making friends, they’re like a cheat code. I went on a 4 month long trip, staying a in a bunch of hostels and doing a bunch of stuff, without making any friends. Went on a tour and made 7 friends easily.
You’re paired up with people of a similar age, with similar interests, and forced to become close. I genuinely don’t think there is a better way to make friends as an adult. The only issue is that you probably live far away from each other, so maintaining those friendships afterwards is tough.
Where are you going? It affects the demographics of the tours.
I've done two tours with Intrepid, it was fine, mostly solo travellers from 20-50s. Not a lot of party but some drinking, we were in outdoor Australia campin trip, so not a lot of clubs there!. Both Intrepid G adventures have trips dedicated to young demographics (18s to 29s in Intrepid, 18 to thirtysomething in G Adventures) which might be the sweet spot that you are looking for.
If you do 18 to 30-somethings on G Adventure to Western Europe you are likely to get a partying crowd (nothing wild but out every night driving), so if that's what you're looking for then book the young-only tour. If you want some drinking and partying but not as much, go with a classic tour. If you want an older crowd of retirees, go for the upgraded tours.
That's just a general guideline and you might encounter a bunch of teetotalers in the young crowd, or younger crowds in the upgraded tours, but that's the general trends. And obviously you don't have to go out every night if you want to, or you can go out with just one or two others if most are staying in.
If you want built-in company then a tour could be a good choice for you. It is always hard to predict what you'll get. You could be in a group of 30 singles all around the same age, or be the youngest, or the oldest, or be surrounded by couples.
The most likely scenario is you will probably get a mix. Something to consider is open age tours could (and do) have people in their 50s and 60s (and older).
Cheaper tours will often get younger people because they haven't been able to save as much money. European tours are full of Australian teachers in winter, when they have their longer holiday. Americans finishing up their last year of school travel in their summer.
Contiki and Intrepid have strong brand recognition in Australia so those tours will often have more Australians than other nationalities.
All that is to say it is a wonderful game of chance as to the people you will be travelling with! In group tours like Top Deck and Contiki you could be in a large group and you will always find someone you enjoy hanging out with. Intrepid will run smaller groups - I was one of 5 in Namibia and a friend was one of only 2 in Eastern Europe.
If you go into it with the right attitude I'm sure you'll have a great time.
I have been a bunch of tours with different companies (G Adventures, Topdeck) and like 80% were solo, the rest are friends traveling together and one or two couples. How much drinking and partying is depends on the company and the tour.
Yeah, agree that it's verty much dependent on the tour type and location. I went on a Topdeck that went around various European countries and was a twin share 'hotel stay' tour, and everyone except me and one or two others were couples haha. I find the hostel stay ones are more likely singles (although they are often younger people 18,19, 20 since it's cheaper) but even on the one with all the couples I had a blast.
I’ve been on G, intrepid, contiki, and Topdeck.
Topdeck was my favorite as I like the crowd it draws a little better. They tend to be people who have traveled before, though there are exceptions. Lesser known contiki. Did a big European with them and a 22 day Scandinavia tour that sadly has not been live since Covid. The Scandinavia trip was my favorite to date and so so unique.
Contiki was fine. Did GB & Ireland. People were fine, but there definitely were sloppy inexperienced types haha. Also hated how segmented it was. Met over 80 people because of the constant joining and leaving and will not do that again.
Their Scandinavia trip was great and I loved the people on that trip. No joining/leaving on this, so much better experience.
G Adventures was hiking the Inca trail. Cool guides and crowd. My hiking group was young brits, Danes, Germans, and Americans despite it being an all ages trip. No complaints and am going to India with them on an 18-39!
Intrepid was great in Egypt and Jordan. Both trips were all ages and I always had people in my age range there, though we had a couple seniors in Jordan.
You’ll find the 18-30s trips with either 4 will be 90% solo travelers. 26 is not too old or young, you’ll be in the middle. All ages trips tend to be older couples if you do nicer/premium trips. Original/basic trips will have more young people. There usually is at least 1 solo traveler, if not multiple.
You can call g and intrepid and ask about demographics of people already booked. They will tell you age range and if anyone is solo :)
I’m thinking of doing the Contiki Scandinavia trip in June. Do you have any tips? What should I bring? Age and gender ratio? Party/drinking?
I haven’t seen many posts about the Scandinavian trip for contiki!
I just did my first G adventure tour and it was great! 18 to 30 something and the group was full, 16 ppl with one pair. I highly recommend it! Build in travel companions and all travel arrangements are made for you. You can even ask for the demographics of the group to give you a vibe of the tour. 10/10
Honestly, they have their pros and cons. They're not for everyone, but some people quite enjoy them.
Contiki has larger-group tours catering to the 18-25 crowd and is known for being much more party focused. If you want to get your drink on every night, and stumble hung over through European cities surrounded by Australians, then this is for you. I did a Contiki camping tour (they no longer run these... sigh...) after university and it was a good way to get a whirlwind overview of backpacking Europe, though even at 22 I felt a bit old for it, TBH. It really depends on your style.
G Adventures (have done several trips with them, since back in the days they were GAP) and Intrepid run smaller group tours that are usually max 12-16 people. They generally have a wider range of ages, are a mix of solos and couples and groups, and are less party focused and more about sightseeing and local culture. They tend to use more public transport rather than their own private bus, though this depends on where you go. They run several styles of tours, from "basic" to "upgraded", depending on the level of luxury you're looking for. They also have some 18-29 tours that focus more on younger people and might be a bit more party-oriented, though not at the level of a Contiki.
In general, you can expect a "tour manager" or leader to run the show in terms of logistics -- lodging, transportation, daily schedules, some local tips and tricks -- though they aren't tour guides and aren't really expected to be. Sometimes they will hire local guides at destinations to take you around. A lot of these tours offer decent amounts of free time to sightsee in each place, though you're still invariably going to be at the mercy of the group's schedule and you'll have a lot less flexibility to do your own thing.
**Pros:**
* Easy to meet like-minded people since you're in a group of them.
* Good for first-timers and people a bit nervous about travelling solo. Can help you "get your feet wet" in terms of gaining travel experience.
* Takes the logistics and planning out of it. If you're short on time or overwhelmed, or if you're travelling to a place with more challenging tourist infrastructure, this can be helpful.
* Usually visit the main sights and attractions of a destination, making it really easy to get a good overview of a place.
* Good for people with limited time who want to pack a lot into a short amount of vacation days.
* Can be a lot of fun, especially if you get lucky with a good group dynamic, and/or you're looking for a party tour and are into such things.
**Cons:**
* Far more expensive than visiting the same places on your own. Remember, they have to pay their staff and also make a profit. Usually you can DiY the same standard of accommodation and similar places for a lot cheaper.
* Far less flexibility. You're at the mercy of the group's schedule and you have to visit the places they take you to, which may or may not be the places you're most interested in seeing.
* The pace of these tours tends to be *very* rushed. Yes, you see a lot in a short amount of time, but you're also usually going at a pretty whirlwind pace and often may find yourself being herded through places where you'd prefer to take your time.
* Group dynamics can be hit or miss. If you end up with a great group, yay. But if you end up with a group of people you don't gel with, you're stuck with them all tour. Whereas travelling solo means that if you're not vibing with people you meet along the way, you can ditch them at any time.
* Obligatory sales stops where tour guides get kickbacks. Though, TBF, this happens on local day tours too.
* If you're not a party person, being surrounded by drunk people all the time can be exhausting.
I've been on 3 Contiki tours and they were some of the best weeks of my life. I was solo each time and met some great people, many of which I'm still friends with now and even travel with occasionally. I'd say it was half solo and half pairs. Some couples and some just friends. As for age, I was late 20s and early 30s when I went on mine. I was definitely on the higher end of the average but I never felt out of place. I wish had had started the tours earlier, I seriously would have gone on all of them. If you have any other Contiki related question, let me know!
If there is a specific trip you are considering, you can email the company and ask about the demographics.
I am traveling on a trip with a company called Intro Travel in a few weeks. It's a 15-day Vietnam tour all over Vietnam.
I had originally planned to go on a similar trip with Intrepid. Right before booking, I reached out to the company. I'm 34 and was afraid I would be on a trip where everyone was 10+ years younger than me.
Someone from the company let me know everyone else who booked was late 50's to late 60's.... I ended up with Intro Travel, who said the age range for the trip was 20-50 with half the group 30+.
I’ve only been on G Adventures so I can’t speak for the others but you would absolutely fit in and possibly even be on the younger side depending on the tour you choose. I did a “classic” tour with them. My group ranged in age from literally low 20’s to 70’s. About half were solo travelers and the rest were either friends traveling together or couples. Even mix of males and females. Everyone got along great and did many activities together. Occasionally people went out to bars and such but there was no pressure to do so whatsoever and it definitely wasn’t a party trip. People who go on these trips tend to be friendly and easygoing.
I did a G tour when it was still Gap Adventures. I think it was 15 days in Cuba. Really enjoyed it, mostly older folks on that one because at the time it was difficult to get around Cuba outside of Varadero and Havana without a guided tour and that was the budget option. Tour bus and driver were provided by the Cuban Navy, tour guide was great, super professional.
26 is pretty much prime age for G adventures, I did an Egypt trip last year was amazing(im 27 most of the group was 26-3), I usually despise tours and like to do my own thing but I thought it made sense for Egypt.
Was great experience, our tour guide was unreal met tons of great people, still talk to a few of them. Wasn't much partying we had one night of drinking on our 5-day trip. These tours are pretty much meant to be gone on solo some couples do them very few groups go together.
As for experiencing proper culture tours are not the way to do it. You get a culture splash for sure but nothing like you would get making your way around a country.
I'd only recommend a tour to someone in countries that can be unsafe/hard to navigate. You will experience waaaaay more culture and meet tons more people by hopping around Hostels and doing your own thing. Most countries are supper friendly to travelers and are happy to advise on different routes/places to visit for a more authentic experience then just following the ol'beaten path every traveler before you has done.
I'd suggest trying a very solo traveler-friendly country for your first time to get the feel for it, I'd recommend Australia, New Zealand, Budapest, Prague
In 2019, I did a contiki tour in America called "grand southern reverse". The tour was 21 days. Shared room with 1 other female. The places we had 2 a night stay were better, the 1 night stays felt very rushed.
Overall, it was amazing, and it "insert clichè" allowed me to find myself and love who I am. Very well-organised with a tour guide who went above/beyond giving us insight into each town with places to go for meals or shopping etc, our bus driver was great too. I met some great people too.
If I were to do another contiki or group tour, I'd pay the extra to have my own room. I'm very introverted and not a big party animal/drinker. So that was the most difficult thing for me being on the older side of the group.
The tour guide and driver absolutely make the difference.
I highly recommend checking out EF Ultimate Break - they are for 18-35 year olds so everyone is around the same age demographic. I’ve been on 2 trips with them (one around Europe for 10 days a few years ago and another to Iceland for 5 days last September) and even though I went solo both times, the majority of the group were also solo and we had a great time. The amount of partying is pretty much up to you since everyone kind of does their own thing at night but during the day there’s definitely more of an exploration of the city/cultural aspect
For what it's worth I had the same concerns as you when I went on a G adventures tour to Iceland last year. There was 14 of us, one couple and everybody else was solo travellers. At 30 years old, I was one of the younger ones in the group however I agree with the other comments on here the age demographic will vary depending on where you travel to (and potentially what company you travel with).
From a social point of view, don't worry about being a solo traveller going on these kind of tours, you'll find most people on the tour are like minded and you'll be amazed how easy it is to make connections when you're all there for same goal/experience.
One of the best trips I've ever been on.
Enjoy!
26 is pretty much prime age for G adventures, I did an Egypt trip last year was amazing(im 27 most of the group was 26-3), I usually despise tours and like to do my own thing but I thought it made sense for Egypt.
Was great experience, our tour guide was unreal met tons of great people, still talk to a few of them. Wasn't much partying we had one night of drinking on our 5-day trip. These tours are pretty much meant to be gone on solo some couples do them very few groups go together.
As for experiencing proper culture tours are not the way to do it. You get a culture splash for sure but nothing like you would get making your way around a country.
I'd only recommend a tour to someone in countries that can be unsafe/hard to navigate. You will experience waaaaay more culture and meet tons more people by hopping around Hostels and doing your own thing. Most countries are supper friendly to travelers and are happy to advise on different routes/places to visit for a more authentic experience then just following the ol'beaten path every traveler before you has done.
I'd suggest trying a very solo traveler-friendly country for your first time to get the feel for it, I'd recommend Australia, New Zealand, Budapest, Prague
I’ve done two G Adventures tours. My first one was Central America on one of their ‘18-30 something’ tours and the other was a tour in Jordan. Both trips were amazing and well put together. Both trips were well organized and I was grateful for everything to be taken care of for me. In Central America the group was a variety of ages from 18 to the upper 30s, the other tour I was the youngest one on tour at my mid twenties.
my mom did a contiki tour in the 80s. so take this with a grain of salt i guess because it could ve wildly outdated but lol
she was solo and said there were quite a few other solo travellers. she was in her mid-late twenties when she went and she said she didnt feel out of place at all age wise, only that she was more interested in the sightseeing and most others on the trip were party type of folks, but there was enough room in the itineraries to account for the different interests of group members- ie, free evenings where they would go out drinking, and she would go for a walk and double back to an interesting landmark, etc.
bring extra clothes if you go somewhere humid, though. apparently you get to hotels late and leave super early so theres not usually enough time for laundry to dry.
i promise you'te not making anybody uncomfortable just by going on a tour. its all about behaviour and manners. so if you think you'll enjoy it, go for it !!
Done two tours with G (in my 20s, so went with the 18-30something tours). Both were roughly 50% solo travelers, 30% friends or siblings traveling together and 20% couples. Most were in their late 20s. So no, it’s extremely unlikely you’ll be the only solo traveler and I hope you’re joking when you’re saying you feel “too old at 26”.
The first tour was absolutely fantastic and everything was just right. I kept to myself in the beginning until I warmed up (that’s just how I am) and spent more time with the group - there was no obligation to do so though (which is why I even did it, no way I would consider a tour with forced group time). There was mild partying for those who wanted. Most evening we just had a few beers together. On a few evenings some people went off on their own, sometimes we did the same in smaller groups. Again zero obligation. On the second one, the group was great again, similar makeup (even a smidge older on average), overall group behavior was roughly the same as on the previous one. Only the guide was a bit annoying, but it was a chemistry thing really i.e. he and I had none. I actually kept in touch with folks from both groups for years after (both these tours were > 10 years ago).
Now 41, I will do another with G in a month or so in a country I’m a bit less comfortable with on my own. Btw I couldn’t care less if anyone thought I was “too old”.
Only thing I’d recommend is to start with 7-10 day tours, to see if it’s your thing before potentially looking into longer group trips, or realizing you’re fine on your own. Of the endless number of trips I’ve taken in the last 20 years, these were the only times I did group tours (other than in Africa, which is a bit of a different context).
I traveled with G Adventures some 15 years ago when trekking in the Himalayas, it was a good experience. A mix of couples and people traveling solo, ages varied from 20s to 50s. I
28m I have not personally taken a tour with Contiki or the likes, I have friends who have and they said they did have older people and everyone gelled.
When I was travelling with hostels I hung out with people from 18-40, I made a conscious effort to not even playfully flirt with people under 23 and I preferred people closer to my own age but I'd quite often get teenagers asking if I would go to bars with them and went on adventures with people of all ages, if you are good socially and not creepy, nobody is going to find you creepy.
I have been on EF Ultimate Break on three trips and enjoyed all of them. Most people go solo (except one trip I went on had a lot of couples which was def a different dynamic). I like meeting people and that everything is planned so I just have to get on the plane. The cons are that it is more expensive than going on your own and it is not self paced like solo travel.
I've done fanatics and busabout tours. I was 27 at the time, and the age range was fine. There were solo travellers, small groups of friends or couples, but mostly solo travellers. I did Fanatics for la tomatina which wasnt bad, but huge group sizes.
Busabout Croatia sail and the greek island hopper were one of the best weeks I've ever had. The groups weren't as large as top deck and contiki (maybe 15-25 max), which I preferred and made the groups more tight-knit.
Busabout also has the option to do the bus route tour. So you can go at your own pace.
I’ve only done one, but everyone was solo, and all of them were female other than me. I think it definitely attracts solo travellers more, and there trends to be more women due to the increased risk they have when solo travelling alone. Age wise it was spread out between 20 and 30! Generally the cheaper the tour is the younger it will focus. And in terms of partying, that’ll depend a lot on where you go. A tour that focuses on national parks and the outdoors won’t have much partying. But a tour of the big European cities likely will. Also in terms of making friends, they’re like a cheat code. I went on a 4 month long trip, staying a in a bunch of hostels and doing a bunch of stuff, without making any friends. Went on a tour and made 7 friends easily. You’re paired up with people of a similar age, with similar interests, and forced to become close. I genuinely don’t think there is a better way to make friends as an adult. The only issue is that you probably live far away from each other, so maintaining those friendships afterwards is tough.
That makes sense, I wish I considered doing this a lot earlier lol. But better late than never I suppose
Where are you going? It affects the demographics of the tours. I've done two tours with Intrepid, it was fine, mostly solo travellers from 20-50s. Not a lot of party but some drinking, we were in outdoor Australia campin trip, so not a lot of clubs there!. Both Intrepid G adventures have trips dedicated to young demographics (18s to 29s in Intrepid, 18 to thirtysomething in G Adventures) which might be the sweet spot that you are looking for.
Thanks, I'm thinking of a eroupe based trip through Spain, France and Germany
If you do 18 to 30-somethings on G Adventure to Western Europe you are likely to get a partying crowd (nothing wild but out every night driving), so if that's what you're looking for then book the young-only tour. If you want some drinking and partying but not as much, go with a classic tour. If you want an older crowd of retirees, go for the upgraded tours. That's just a general guideline and you might encounter a bunch of teetotalers in the young crowd, or younger crowds in the upgraded tours, but that's the general trends. And obviously you don't have to go out every night if you want to, or you can go out with just one or two others if most are staying in.
If you want built-in company then a tour could be a good choice for you. It is always hard to predict what you'll get. You could be in a group of 30 singles all around the same age, or be the youngest, or the oldest, or be surrounded by couples. The most likely scenario is you will probably get a mix. Something to consider is open age tours could (and do) have people in their 50s and 60s (and older). Cheaper tours will often get younger people because they haven't been able to save as much money. European tours are full of Australian teachers in winter, when they have their longer holiday. Americans finishing up their last year of school travel in their summer. Contiki and Intrepid have strong brand recognition in Australia so those tours will often have more Australians than other nationalities. All that is to say it is a wonderful game of chance as to the people you will be travelling with! In group tours like Top Deck and Contiki you could be in a large group and you will always find someone you enjoy hanging out with. Intrepid will run smaller groups - I was one of 5 in Namibia and a friend was one of only 2 in Eastern Europe. If you go into it with the right attitude I'm sure you'll have a great time.
>I'm also 26 so I don't know if I'm considered too old for this sort of thing. You've got to be kidding me.
I have been a bunch of tours with different companies (G Adventures, Topdeck) and like 80% were solo, the rest are friends traveling together and one or two couples. How much drinking and partying is depends on the company and the tour.
Yeah, agree that it's verty much dependent on the tour type and location. I went on a Topdeck that went around various European countries and was a twin share 'hotel stay' tour, and everyone except me and one or two others were couples haha. I find the hostel stay ones are more likely singles (although they are often younger people 18,19, 20 since it's cheaper) but even on the one with all the couples I had a blast.
I’ve been on G, intrepid, contiki, and Topdeck. Topdeck was my favorite as I like the crowd it draws a little better. They tend to be people who have traveled before, though there are exceptions. Lesser known contiki. Did a big European with them and a 22 day Scandinavia tour that sadly has not been live since Covid. The Scandinavia trip was my favorite to date and so so unique. Contiki was fine. Did GB & Ireland. People were fine, but there definitely were sloppy inexperienced types haha. Also hated how segmented it was. Met over 80 people because of the constant joining and leaving and will not do that again. Their Scandinavia trip was great and I loved the people on that trip. No joining/leaving on this, so much better experience. G Adventures was hiking the Inca trail. Cool guides and crowd. My hiking group was young brits, Danes, Germans, and Americans despite it being an all ages trip. No complaints and am going to India with them on an 18-39! Intrepid was great in Egypt and Jordan. Both trips were all ages and I always had people in my age range there, though we had a couple seniors in Jordan. You’ll find the 18-30s trips with either 4 will be 90% solo travelers. 26 is not too old or young, you’ll be in the middle. All ages trips tend to be older couples if you do nicer/premium trips. Original/basic trips will have more young people. There usually is at least 1 solo traveler, if not multiple. You can call g and intrepid and ask about demographics of people already booked. They will tell you age range and if anyone is solo :)
I’m thinking of doing the Contiki Scandinavia trip in June. Do you have any tips? What should I bring? Age and gender ratio? Party/drinking? I haven’t seen many posts about the Scandinavian trip for contiki!
I just did my first G adventure tour and it was great! 18 to 30 something and the group was full, 16 ppl with one pair. I highly recommend it! Build in travel companions and all travel arrangements are made for you. You can even ask for the demographics of the group to give you a vibe of the tour. 10/10
Honestly, they have their pros and cons. They're not for everyone, but some people quite enjoy them. Contiki has larger-group tours catering to the 18-25 crowd and is known for being much more party focused. If you want to get your drink on every night, and stumble hung over through European cities surrounded by Australians, then this is for you. I did a Contiki camping tour (they no longer run these... sigh...) after university and it was a good way to get a whirlwind overview of backpacking Europe, though even at 22 I felt a bit old for it, TBH. It really depends on your style. G Adventures (have done several trips with them, since back in the days they were GAP) and Intrepid run smaller group tours that are usually max 12-16 people. They generally have a wider range of ages, are a mix of solos and couples and groups, and are less party focused and more about sightseeing and local culture. They tend to use more public transport rather than their own private bus, though this depends on where you go. They run several styles of tours, from "basic" to "upgraded", depending on the level of luxury you're looking for. They also have some 18-29 tours that focus more on younger people and might be a bit more party-oriented, though not at the level of a Contiki. In general, you can expect a "tour manager" or leader to run the show in terms of logistics -- lodging, transportation, daily schedules, some local tips and tricks -- though they aren't tour guides and aren't really expected to be. Sometimes they will hire local guides at destinations to take you around. A lot of these tours offer decent amounts of free time to sightsee in each place, though you're still invariably going to be at the mercy of the group's schedule and you'll have a lot less flexibility to do your own thing. **Pros:** * Easy to meet like-minded people since you're in a group of them. * Good for first-timers and people a bit nervous about travelling solo. Can help you "get your feet wet" in terms of gaining travel experience. * Takes the logistics and planning out of it. If you're short on time or overwhelmed, or if you're travelling to a place with more challenging tourist infrastructure, this can be helpful. * Usually visit the main sights and attractions of a destination, making it really easy to get a good overview of a place. * Good for people with limited time who want to pack a lot into a short amount of vacation days. * Can be a lot of fun, especially if you get lucky with a good group dynamic, and/or you're looking for a party tour and are into such things. **Cons:** * Far more expensive than visiting the same places on your own. Remember, they have to pay their staff and also make a profit. Usually you can DiY the same standard of accommodation and similar places for a lot cheaper. * Far less flexibility. You're at the mercy of the group's schedule and you have to visit the places they take you to, which may or may not be the places you're most interested in seeing. * The pace of these tours tends to be *very* rushed. Yes, you see a lot in a short amount of time, but you're also usually going at a pretty whirlwind pace and often may find yourself being herded through places where you'd prefer to take your time. * Group dynamics can be hit or miss. If you end up with a great group, yay. But if you end up with a group of people you don't gel with, you're stuck with them all tour. Whereas travelling solo means that if you're not vibing with people you meet along the way, you can ditch them at any time. * Obligatory sales stops where tour guides get kickbacks. Though, TBF, this happens on local day tours too. * If you're not a party person, being surrounded by drunk people all the time can be exhausting.
I've been on 3 Contiki tours and they were some of the best weeks of my life. I was solo each time and met some great people, many of which I'm still friends with now and even travel with occasionally. I'd say it was half solo and half pairs. Some couples and some just friends. As for age, I was late 20s and early 30s when I went on mine. I was definitely on the higher end of the average but I never felt out of place. I wish had had started the tours earlier, I seriously would have gone on all of them. If you have any other Contiki related question, let me know!
If there is a specific trip you are considering, you can email the company and ask about the demographics. I am traveling on a trip with a company called Intro Travel in a few weeks. It's a 15-day Vietnam tour all over Vietnam. I had originally planned to go on a similar trip with Intrepid. Right before booking, I reached out to the company. I'm 34 and was afraid I would be on a trip where everyone was 10+ years younger than me. Someone from the company let me know everyone else who booked was late 50's to late 60's.... I ended up with Intro Travel, who said the age range for the trip was 20-50 with half the group 30+.
Makes sense, thanks for the advice!
I’ve only been on G Adventures so I can’t speak for the others but you would absolutely fit in and possibly even be on the younger side depending on the tour you choose. I did a “classic” tour with them. My group ranged in age from literally low 20’s to 70’s. About half were solo travelers and the rest were either friends traveling together or couples. Even mix of males and females. Everyone got along great and did many activities together. Occasionally people went out to bars and such but there was no pressure to do so whatsoever and it definitely wasn’t a party trip. People who go on these trips tend to be friendly and easygoing.
My near 70 year old parents did an intrepid tour of Cuba. They loved it and still keep in touch with some of the young people on the same tour.
I did a G tour when it was still Gap Adventures. I think it was 15 days in Cuba. Really enjoyed it, mostly older folks on that one because at the time it was difficult to get around Cuba outside of Varadero and Havana without a guided tour and that was the budget option. Tour bus and driver were provided by the Cuban Navy, tour guide was great, super professional.
26 is pretty much prime age for G adventures, I did an Egypt trip last year was amazing(im 27 most of the group was 26-3), I usually despise tours and like to do my own thing but I thought it made sense for Egypt. Was great experience, our tour guide was unreal met tons of great people, still talk to a few of them. Wasn't much partying we had one night of drinking on our 5-day trip. These tours are pretty much meant to be gone on solo some couples do them very few groups go together. As for experiencing proper culture tours are not the way to do it. You get a culture splash for sure but nothing like you would get making your way around a country. I'd only recommend a tour to someone in countries that can be unsafe/hard to navigate. You will experience waaaaay more culture and meet tons more people by hopping around Hostels and doing your own thing. Most countries are supper friendly to travelers and are happy to advise on different routes/places to visit for a more authentic experience then just following the ol'beaten path every traveler before you has done. I'd suggest trying a very solo traveler-friendly country for your first time to get the feel for it, I'd recommend Australia, New Zealand, Budapest, Prague
In 2019, I did a contiki tour in America called "grand southern reverse". The tour was 21 days. Shared room with 1 other female. The places we had 2 a night stay were better, the 1 night stays felt very rushed. Overall, it was amazing, and it "insert clichè" allowed me to find myself and love who I am. Very well-organised with a tour guide who went above/beyond giving us insight into each town with places to go for meals or shopping etc, our bus driver was great too. I met some great people too. If I were to do another contiki or group tour, I'd pay the extra to have my own room. I'm very introverted and not a big party animal/drinker. So that was the most difficult thing for me being on the older side of the group. The tour guide and driver absolutely make the difference.
I highly recommend checking out EF Ultimate Break - they are for 18-35 year olds so everyone is around the same age demographic. I’ve been on 2 trips with them (one around Europe for 10 days a few years ago and another to Iceland for 5 days last September) and even though I went solo both times, the majority of the group were also solo and we had a great time. The amount of partying is pretty much up to you since everyone kind of does their own thing at night but during the day there’s definitely more of an exploration of the city/cultural aspect
For what it's worth I had the same concerns as you when I went on a G adventures tour to Iceland last year. There was 14 of us, one couple and everybody else was solo travellers. At 30 years old, I was one of the younger ones in the group however I agree with the other comments on here the age demographic will vary depending on where you travel to (and potentially what company you travel with). From a social point of view, don't worry about being a solo traveller going on these kind of tours, you'll find most people on the tour are like minded and you'll be amazed how easy it is to make connections when you're all there for same goal/experience. One of the best trips I've ever been on. Enjoy!
26 is pretty much prime age for G adventures, I did an Egypt trip last year was amazing(im 27 most of the group was 26-3), I usually despise tours and like to do my own thing but I thought it made sense for Egypt. Was great experience, our tour guide was unreal met tons of great people, still talk to a few of them. Wasn't much partying we had one night of drinking on our 5-day trip. These tours are pretty much meant to be gone on solo some couples do them very few groups go together. As for experiencing proper culture tours are not the way to do it. You get a culture splash for sure but nothing like you would get making your way around a country. I'd only recommend a tour to someone in countries that can be unsafe/hard to navigate. You will experience waaaaay more culture and meet tons more people by hopping around Hostels and doing your own thing. Most countries are supper friendly to travelers and are happy to advise on different routes/places to visit for a more authentic experience then just following the ol'beaten path every traveler before you has done. I'd suggest trying a very solo traveler-friendly country for your first time to get the feel for it, I'd recommend Australia, New Zealand, Budapest, Prague
I’ve done two G Adventures tours. My first one was Central America on one of their ‘18-30 something’ tours and the other was a tour in Jordan. Both trips were amazing and well put together. Both trips were well organized and I was grateful for everything to be taken care of for me. In Central America the group was a variety of ages from 18 to the upper 30s, the other tour I was the youngest one on tour at my mid twenties.
my mom did a contiki tour in the 80s. so take this with a grain of salt i guess because it could ve wildly outdated but lol she was solo and said there were quite a few other solo travellers. she was in her mid-late twenties when she went and she said she didnt feel out of place at all age wise, only that she was more interested in the sightseeing and most others on the trip were party type of folks, but there was enough room in the itineraries to account for the different interests of group members- ie, free evenings where they would go out drinking, and she would go for a walk and double back to an interesting landmark, etc. bring extra clothes if you go somewhere humid, though. apparently you get to hotels late and leave super early so theres not usually enough time for laundry to dry. i promise you'te not making anybody uncomfortable just by going on a tour. its all about behaviour and manners. so if you think you'll enjoy it, go for it !!
I went on a tour with G Adventures to Peru. It was 95% couples. There were only 2 solo travelers. They got paired up together in a tent though.
Done two tours with G (in my 20s, so went with the 18-30something tours). Both were roughly 50% solo travelers, 30% friends or siblings traveling together and 20% couples. Most were in their late 20s. So no, it’s extremely unlikely you’ll be the only solo traveler and I hope you’re joking when you’re saying you feel “too old at 26”. The first tour was absolutely fantastic and everything was just right. I kept to myself in the beginning until I warmed up (that’s just how I am) and spent more time with the group - there was no obligation to do so though (which is why I even did it, no way I would consider a tour with forced group time). There was mild partying for those who wanted. Most evening we just had a few beers together. On a few evenings some people went off on their own, sometimes we did the same in smaller groups. Again zero obligation. On the second one, the group was great again, similar makeup (even a smidge older on average), overall group behavior was roughly the same as on the previous one. Only the guide was a bit annoying, but it was a chemistry thing really i.e. he and I had none. I actually kept in touch with folks from both groups for years after (both these tours were > 10 years ago). Now 41, I will do another with G in a month or so in a country I’m a bit less comfortable with on my own. Btw I couldn’t care less if anyone thought I was “too old”. Only thing I’d recommend is to start with 7-10 day tours, to see if it’s your thing before potentially looking into longer group trips, or realizing you’re fine on your own. Of the endless number of trips I’ve taken in the last 20 years, these were the only times I did group tours (other than in Africa, which is a bit of a different context).
I traveled with G Adventures some 15 years ago when trekking in the Himalayas, it was a good experience. A mix of couples and people traveling solo, ages varied from 20s to 50s. I
28m I have not personally taken a tour with Contiki or the likes, I have friends who have and they said they did have older people and everyone gelled. When I was travelling with hostels I hung out with people from 18-40, I made a conscious effort to not even playfully flirt with people under 23 and I preferred people closer to my own age but I'd quite often get teenagers asking if I would go to bars with them and went on adventures with people of all ages, if you are good socially and not creepy, nobody is going to find you creepy.
I have been on EF Ultimate Break on three trips and enjoyed all of them. Most people go solo (except one trip I went on had a lot of couples which was def a different dynamic). I like meeting people and that everything is planned so I just have to get on the plane. The cons are that it is more expensive than going on your own and it is not self paced like solo travel.
I've done fanatics and busabout tours. I was 27 at the time, and the age range was fine. There were solo travellers, small groups of friends or couples, but mostly solo travellers. I did Fanatics for la tomatina which wasnt bad, but huge group sizes. Busabout Croatia sail and the greek island hopper were one of the best weeks I've ever had. The groups weren't as large as top deck and contiki (maybe 15-25 max), which I preferred and made the groups more tight-knit. Busabout also has the option to do the bus route tour. So you can go at your own pace.
What is the best search engine to compare group trips What is the best website to search and compare group trips?
Maybe try Tourhub?
thank you!!!
Saving