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Best Group Tour Company: Readers choose Trafalgar
Best Group Tour Company (2019)
Group travel can be a good choice for travelers with limited time, a limited budget or who prefer the security of traveling in numbers. These tour companies offer the value of a group tour with professional guides and comfy accommodations, ranging from budget to luxury.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Group Tour Company are as follows:
Photo courtesy of Intrepid Travel
No. 10: Intrepid Travel
Intrepid offers more than 1,000 trips in 100 countries around the world each year, each designed with “small groups, big adventures and responsible travel” in mind. Trip leaders are born and raised in-country, ensuring they know the destination better than anyone else.
Photo courtesy of iStock / NanoStockk
No. 9: Busabout
While Busabout is known for allowing more independent minded travelers to customize their own trips through hop-on hop-off passes, the company also offers guided adventures that take visitors to a combination of famous landmarks and hidden gems in each destination.
Photo courtesy of CostSaver Tours
No. 8: CostSaver Tours
CostSaver Tours include three and four star hotels, luxury transportation, several included meals and a guide on-hand, while leaving travelers the flexibility to explore in their own way, at their own pace – a convenient option for groups and families.
No. 7: Globus
Globus takes the hassle out of planning a vacation by taking care of all the details – centrally located hotels, local experts with insider insight and VIP access to top attractions. Each group tour itinerary includes ample free time to allow for individual exploration.
Photo courtesy of Oana Dragan / G Adventures
No. 6: G Adventures
G Adventures specializes in small group adventure travel, with itineraries designed for active travelers, wellness tourists, families and the 18-to-thirtysomething crowd. Trips take travelers to destinations throughout the world, including the polar regions.
Photo courtesy of iStock / Geber86
No. 5: Collette Tours
Collette has been in the tourism industry since 1918 with a focus on small group tours and family trips. Guests can choose trips based on Travel Style, including the Classic flagship collection, Spotlights quick city stays, Faith journeys or small group Explorations that take travelers off the beaten path.
No. 4: Contiki
Contiki offers more than 350 trips across six continents. These global trips include unique travel experiences that would be difficult to have independently, as well as local guides with insider access to the destinations where they live and work. There’s a trip for every style, from adventure and wellness to beach holidays and train travel.
Photo courtesy of iStock / SolStock
No. 3: Insight Vacations
Insight Vacations seeks to help travelers connect with destinations in authentic ways, whether having tea at a Scottish castle, learning how to play pétanque in Provence or visiting a local olive farm in Sicily. Group sizes average around 33 people.
Photo courtesy of Odysseys Unlimited
No. 2: Odysseys Unlimited
Odysseys Unlimited keeps group sizes at 24 guests or less for a more intimate travel experience. These small group journeys depart to destinations around the globe, with a focus on distinctive accommodations, extensive included sightseeing and gratuities, and daily breakfast.
No. 1: Trafalgar
Trafalgar ranks as one of the world’s most awarded travel companies, offering 300 trips across all seven continents. Be My Guest experiences create authentic connections between travelers and the destinations they’re exploring, while local guides help reveal each destination through local eyes.
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to pick the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote.
Congratulations to all these winning tour companies!
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
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10Best Local Experts provide users with original, unbiased, and experiential travel content of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world. No business pays to be listed. Our Local Experts are well-traveled and well-educated group who are not only experts in their fields - and their cities - but discriminating in their tastes. These local experts live in the city they write about, with constantly updated content.
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USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
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USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.