Small group tour companies like G Adventures are a great way to see the world for solo travelers, couples, and small groups of friends! There are so many companies out there that it might be overwhelming to know the differences between them! As a travel agent, I’m often asked the difference between G Adventures vs Contiki… G Adventures vs Intrepid… G Adventures vs Topdeck… Intrepid vs Contiki and what are other companies like Intrepid. Well, I decided to put the main companies that I like to suggest for small group travel: G Adventures, Contiki, Intrepid, Busabout, and Top Deck.
In this article, you’ll find a quick reference chart of all the main 5 companies, more specific rundowns on each company, and then more specific comparisons. Please note that all of these companies are mixed gender, but there are some women travel groups too!
G Adventures
G Adventures is my top company to recommend because it’s so EXPANSIVE. There are different tour styles to fit anyone’s needs, and they go EVERYWHERE.
What makes G Adventures Special?
I think what really makes G stand out from the rest is its commitment to sustainable travel by giving back to the community. Travel can certainly be a privilege, and when I see the world, I’d like my money to be put to the best use possible. G Adventures also takes this to heart. They hire locals, work with local partners and small businesses, and work with the most at risk.
Children and animals are often exploited in tourism trades, and G makes sure that all attractions visited are not negatively impacting those vulnerable sects.
What Tour Styles Does G Adventures offer?
18-30s
This is the most budget option for tours. There’s no real cut off for age, but they do note that these are the typical ages that come on this tour. These tours usually stay in hostels and cost the cheapest of all the tour varieties.
Classic
This is a standard tour that stays in hotels and has slightly more upgraded experiences. There is no age range for this.
National Geographic
These tours are specially tailored to get a deeper cultural understanding with more hands-on explorations and interactions with local experts.
Family
This is a great option for people with kids! Can be a single parent or a couple! This tour has age-appropriate activities for little ones and hotels with lots of good things for kids! This is a great option for someone who wants to try to travel with kids but is concerned about the logistics. Let G take care of everything!
Local Living
Local Living tours get you access to what life is REALLY like in a locale. Being a tourist is awesome, and there’s nothing wrong with seeing the touristy places; however, some places might call to your heart, and you want to know more! Italy comes to mind for me! All the food, wine, and culture there! Local living gets you out of a hotel and into a more intimate home or farm stay!
Wellness
Straight from the horse’s mouth: Wellness travel was created to recharge the body and nourish the mind. Our new Wellness tours offer the perfect balance of awe-inspiring destinations, rejuvenating activities, and healthy food experiences, helping you return home feeling even better than when you left.
Active
I think the name says it all, but most have biking, hiking, cycling, and other adrenaline-pumping activities! I can’t give my own experience, because this is not my vibe lol.
Rail
This tour style basically means that rather than taking a bus, you have a train journey! Trains can be more comfortable than buses sometimes because you’re able to get up and walk around! I took a long train journey from Beijing to Moscow and can confirm trains are fun!
Marine
These trips are by boat, so if you get seasick, they might not be for you! It’s nice because you only have to unpack one time, but you still get to see so much! This is a great tour style for places like the Galapagos or Island hopping!
Private
If you like some aspects of group travel but just not interested in other people, you can get a private tour! You can select from already made tours, or go rogue and get a custom one!
What Kind of Traveler Do I Recommend for This Company?
Because of the wide variety of tour offerings, there’s really something for everyone! But as a whole, I recommend someone who doesn’t like to travel too fast, isn’t into partying and hooking up but interested in grabbing a few drinks with friends, and someone who cares about giving back to the community they’re visiting!
Contiki
What makes Contiki Special?
I think Contiki has the cutest founding story actually. A guy from NZ basically bought a van in Europe, advertised he was going and asked people to pitch in, they roamed Europe together as a bunch of strangers who became friends, and then he sold the van. That trip inspired him to found Contiki: Con from “Continent” and Tiki which is Maori for “Good luck charm.” Beyond that, I think Contiki is a really great way to see a lot when you’re in a pinch for time. It was one of the first ways I first discovered Europe!
What Tour Styles Does Contiki offer?
Discoverer
This is the classic type that is usually in a hotel that’s centrally located.
In-Depth Explorer
Similar to the discoverer in that it’s also usually hotels, but it is also more culture and food-focused.
Iconic Essentials
These are going to be the most budget-friendly of the tours and offer a mix of accommodation styles like the Contiki special and hostels.
Sailing and Cruise
These are going to be boat-based trips, so you’d better like your bathing suit and the water!
Short Trips and Festivals
This is a special category because they won’t be offered all the time, but only for select occasions.
Ski and Snowboard
The Ski and Snowboard trips are obviously going to be seasonally based.
Camping
Camping doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to pitch your own tent. When I went on mine, we went to “campsites” that had what amounted to permanent tents set up in rows. They were actually pretty large
Small Group
Not all of the tours are as large as the maximum amount (you can see by the chart they have the largest possible group sizes). Contiki also offers a smaller group option for some tours which is great if you’re interested in them but weren’t into the larger size!
What Kind of Traveler Do I Recommend for This Company?
For tours like Contiki, I honestly usually recommend a younger crowd. Contiki also has the youngest “oldest” cut off at 35, but I can think of many 34-year-olds that would be very unhappy with this company. I think of all the companies mentioned in this article, this company, in particular, speaks to a certain type of person (no judgment!). There’s something called the “Contiki Cough” which is the joke that everyone gets sick because everyone is making out with everyone else lol. While I can’t say the tours I’ve been with them were THAT extreme, I can say that every night was a party, and there was a lot more drinking than on the other companies. So if that’s not your scene, you might want to choose another. If that is, you’ll have a BLAST!
Intrepid
What Makes Intrepid Special?
Intrepid has a loyalty program, but it seems to really only be a benefit if you travel *a lot* with them as you get an $1800 voucher after 9 trips with them. Update: Looks like Intrepid’s loyalty program ends July 1, 2019. Intrepid is also committed to sustainable travel and works to manage their carbon footprint. I’d say the only other companies like Intrepid Travel in that regard would be G Adventures.
Intrepid also has a foundation called, you guessed it, The Intrepid Foundation! It’s an organization that seeks to provide skills training in the communities they’re involved with. The tour costs do not go towards this foundation, but if you do decide to donate, they do match your donation.
What Tour Styles Does Intrepid offer?
Basix
This is the cheapest route and usually doesn’t include many meals, more likely to be in hostels/camping/guesthouses, and uses public transportation a lot. Not many optional excursions are pre-booked, which means you have plenty of free time to do whatever you and your budget want!
Original
This is the normal go-to style with some inclusions and some optional extras. They usually stay at hotels or homestays with some meals included.
Upgraded
As the name suggests, you’ll be getting an upgraded experience with more inclusions (food and activities).
Festivals
These will be special to a specific holiday of a country! Obviously not available year-round.
Urban Adventures
This is relatively new to the brand. It’s based on day trips in cities led by locals. You can book a pre-arranged itinerary or plan your own!
What Kind of Traveler Do I Recommend for This Company?
Intrepid is a great company for travelers that don’t like too big of a group and aren’t huge in the party scene.
Busabout
What Makes Busabout Special?
I think what definitely sets Busabout apart from the other tours is what it is most known for is the Busabout Hop On-Off Pass! I actually did the pass myself one summer, and it was super fun and just as the name implies… it allows you to jump on and off the bus! Unlike those tour buses that set up stops around a city, this one does it across countries!
What Tour Styles Does Busabout offer?
Flexible Travel
This is the Hop On/Off pass I was telling you about. Please read my more in-depth review. They also have something similar in the USA (West Coast) and now Asia!
Small Group
I used their small group tour to go to Cambodia, and I had an amazing time! They don’t have the country variety as some of the other companies, but they still do have a lot of offerings, and I feel the prices are fine.
Sailing and Island Hopping
They have lots of boats that cruise through the waters with fixed or flexible itineraries!
Festivals
These will be special groups for specific festivals and dates. They’re really great if you want to go to a festival, but maybe you don’t have anyone to go with, and you don’t want to go alone for safety. Safety is important!
Winter Trips
These are going to be where the people who love the cold will want to check! Skiing, Christmas Markets, and Hot Chocolate basically!
What Kind of Traveler Do I Recommend for This Company?
The flexible passes are great for people who just want to go with the flow and don’t have a set idea of what to do, just a general plan of where they’d like to be. Busabout is hands down the best option for that.
For the small group tours option, it’s a good balance between relaxed and party. Busabout has really good options for Europe and Asia, as well. I feel like those are the zones that they shine.
Topdeck
What Makes Topdeck Special?
Top Deck has a highest 30-something age bracket range all the way up to 39 (although they do not have anything for anyone over 40). As a 33-year-old who doesn’t feel “that old,” that is something that makes me feel good! Top Deck also has slightly larger groups than some other counterparts but not the largest. It has also managed to find a good balance between chill and party, although I would say that it does lean more towards party on certain tour styles.
What Tour Styles Does Topdeck offer?
Hostel Plus
This will be the most cost-effective option as the tours will stay in centrally located hostels with multiple people per room! Great way to meet new friends as well as be kind to your bank account.
Hotel
Hotel tours will also have centrally located hotels, and you will only share with one other person! Just a bit more privacy.
Explorer
The explorer travel style will move a little slower and more deliberately. It will also visit more than just the main capital cities to give you a better understanding of a country.
Sailing
I think you can guess on this one! Obviously a fun party boat with the ability to jump into the water all the time! Wear sunscreen (omg, I’m turning into my mother).
Camping
Camping trips can be super fun because you get to stay out with nature and have campfires! The tents are also two-person tents, so you get a nice price like on the hostel tour but without as many people around you.
Ski
Topdeck has ski trips the world over! It will take all the hassle of the planning out of the way, so you can just do the fun bit–skiing!
Limited Edition, Festivals, and Events
These are the kind of events that only happen during seasons or on specific days! Great if you’re out in an area and want the safety of company at something like a music festival, but you don’t know anyone! Now you do!
What Kind of Traveler Do I Recommend for This Company?
Top Deck is a great company for people under 40 who like to have a good time but don’t want their entire trip to be about drinking.
G Adventures Vs Topdeck
When comparing G Adventures vs Topdeck, G will have a smaller group than Top Deck as well as more flexible age ranges. Top Deck includes tipping in the price whereas G Adventures doesn’t. The overall prices are about equitable. The biggest difference between the two would be group size and that G Adventures has trips going to all 7 continents whereas Top Deck doesn’t.
G Adventures vs Contiki (And Intrepid vs Contiki)
If you look at the differences between G Adventures vs Contiki, G Adventures has the smallest tour group size at a maximum of 15 vs Contiki’s 52 in a normal tour or 30 in a “small group.” Contiki is definitely more of a party tour company whereas G is less about drinking (although people still go out!). They both utilize lifetime trip deposits which is great for flexibility as long as the trips are changed outside of the “pre-departure window.” G Adventures also has all guaranteed departures for all their tours, while Contiki only offers guaranteed for some (they’ll alert you before you pay if it is guaranteed or not). The last big difference is G Adventures utilizes local tour guides while Contiki doesn’t.
I didn’t include a separate section for Intrepid vs Contiki since G Adventures and Intrepid are very similar in their differences to Contiki.
G Adventures vs Intrepid
The comparison for G Adventures vs Intrepid is the easiest as these two companies are the most alike. They both use local tour guides, operate on all 7 continents, have a more relaxed vibe, offer Family tours, and have local guides. Where they differ is Intrepid doesn’t have 100% guaranteed departures like G Adventures but also has a range for tour deposits (some lower than G and some higher depending on trip cost).
For these two, I would check both sites and just find an itinerary that fits your dates, preferences, and costs and choose from that. If everything is equal, I’d choose the cheaper one which is often G. But sometimes they go to similar areas, but slightly different itineraries, so it’s worth looking at both.
Top Deck vs Contiki
These companies are also very similar. They both have groups on the larger end (Top Deck is a few people smaller), and both are good if you’re interested in drinking and partying. They’re both great if you want a more casual tour, and don’t care if the guides are local or not. If I had to pick some other companies like Topdeck, I’d say Contiki is the most similar.
My Overall Favorite Small Group Tour
I have to pick G Adventures as my overall top pick. I’ve traveled with them the most (hey, 5% discount for returning customers!) and I’m going with them to Antarctica. I really like their philosophy of giving back, so it makes me feel like my travel money is being used the wisest. I would say that the prices are also either on par or cheaper than other companies, and I really like the value.
The Best Tour for Flexibility
Busabout is the best if you want the best between both worlds. If you want the structure of a company who handles the technicalities of the logistics, but you also want the freedom to move at your own pace and make your own decisions.
Conclusion
All in all, if you’re looking for small tour group companies like G Adventures or companies like Intrepid travel, all 5 are great options. They all serve a different purpose based on your own personal preferences and budget considerations. I am a G Adventures Travel Agent, but I’m also a booking agent for all 5 of these companies. When my clients are trying to figure out which company is the best for them, I always ask them:
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- What level of partying are you into?
- What level of accommodations do you prefer?
- What area of the world do you want to go?
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And now I’ll ask you:
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- Which one seems to suit your vibe?
- Have you traveled with any of these before? Anything to add?
- Do you want to book with me? 🙂
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For someone else’s experiences using different adventure group tours, check this out!
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