12 Reasons Why You'll Fall In Love with Small Group Travel

Experiences in a group tour often aren’t possible or difficult to replicate for the independent traveler. A classic example is enjoying one of the many authentic homestays in a local community. As well, you into areas often restricted to larger groups, allowing you to immerse yourself in the destination. Small, quaint, authentic, local restaurants can accommodate a small group; not so much for coach tours. As well as the experiences that you will have, another advantage of small group travel is the experiences that you will avoid! Dealing with the red tape, queueing, hours of waiting in bus stations, and arranging transport and accommodation - all these negative experiences can be avoided, allowing you more time to actually enjoy your destination.

(Photo by Susan Tuckey, Penguins2Polarbears) AN EXCURSION TO RAINBOW MOUNTAINS IN PERU, FACILITATED BY A SMALL GROUP TOUR OPERATOR WITH LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

For independent travellers, getting off the beaten track can be difficult to arrange. Transportation may be a hassle; you might not have access to special equipment; or may not be even aware of what your options are or what is available. With a small group tour, you can visit places or try things that are popular among the locals but aren’t as well-known to the general public.

(Photo by Lee Myungseong on Unsplash) INCLUSIONS AND SHARED EXPERIENCES

With a small group tour, you know in advance what activities are include, what optional activities are available, and their respective costs. You’ll know which meals you’re responsible for. You’ll have fewer surprises. And on the discussion of meals, many small group meals are shared-plate style of local cuisine – allowing you to experience many different foods rather than a single plate of food.

Because group tours are repeated, the tour provider will have a relationship with the service providers – allowing for economies of scale and costs that reflect repeat business. These cost savings are passed on to the travellers, allowing for lower costs than would occur if booked by independent travellers.

(Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash) ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS PICK THE TOUR AND SHOW UP

With small group tours, your hotels, transportation, and activities are arranged by travel professionals with years of experience in crafting insightful itineraries that engage with local life, and showcase the best there is to see. Your days are managed by an expert tour leader with local knowledge, and information and logistics taken care of. You can sit back and enjoy each segment of your trip without waiting in lines for tickets, worrying how you are going to get to your next destination or even what that destination is.

(Photo by Susan Tuckey, Penguins2Polarbears) USE LOCAL GUIDES, USE LOCALLY-OWNED TRANSPORTATION, STAY IN LOCALLY OWNED HOTELS AND EAT AT LOCALLY OWNED RESTAURANTS

Many small group tours try to utilize smaller, locally owned hotels whenever possible as well as eat in local establishments therefore distributing the economic benefits to the communities visited. This also means avoiding hotel buffets where much food is either tasteless and/or wasted. Engaging locals without exploiting them as well as educating clients on local culture are often outcomes of small group tours. Unlike many coach tours, you generally won’t find mandatory shopping spree stops on small group tours. Many small group tours use refillable bottled water rather than plastic bottles and will assist with transporting potable water on tours to fill up those bottles.

(Photo by Spencer Davis on Unsplash) THE BEST SMALL GROUP ADVENTURES STRIKE THE PERFECT BALANCE BETWEEN PLANNED ACTIVITIES AND 'YOU TIME'

It’s great to be surrounded by new friends, knowledgeable guides, and local connections. But everyone needs some alone time on the road. With the right group tour, you will have the time and space for both. There are always opportunities for improvisation and an adventure on your own. On a small group tour to Peru, we were able to take independent cooking classes in Lima and a chocolate-making class in Cusco. Our group leader also hooked us up with a day trip to Rainbow Mountains while others in the group tried other experiences.

(Photo by Rodrigo Moraga, Antarctica 21) SHARED INTERESTS AND EXPERIENCES TEND TO BOND PEOPLE TOGETHER

You’ll get a kick out of being in the company of like-minded travellers who are taking time to explore the same part of the world as you, in the same way. Shared interest and experience tend to bond people together very quickly, whether you’re travelling on a converted truck across Africa or kayaking in Costa Rica. Small group tours generally consist of 10-15 people, all sharing amazing, often life-changing experiences. You’re bound to come away from your tour experience with great memories and some new friends!

(Photo by Robson Hatsukami Morgan on Unsplash) SMALL GROUP TOURS COME IN MANY STYLES AND TYPES OF EXPERIENCES

If you’re starting to think about a small group tour – be assured, it's not a case of one style fits all. In fact, there’s a huge array to choose from. In terms of destination - whether you’re looking for a safari, a trek, a family-friendly tour or an exotic expedition, you can always find something that fits from amongst all the tour operators. You also have choices in terms of style – from basic all the way up to luxury accommodation. Whatever you prefer – there is a small group tour provider that meets all your needs!

(Photo by Tim Foster on Unsplash) YOU MAY BE SOLO BUT YOU ARE NEVER ALONE

Whatever tour company you book with, and whatever destination you travel to, they take a lot of responsibility for your safety. You will be able to see the sights without worrying about most safety issues. If you are part of a travel group, you and your possessions are much less of a target for criminals. Similarly, if you get ill or injured, you have the immediate help of your tour leader.

(Photo by Susan Tuckey @Penguins2PolarBears) SMALL TOUR COMPANIES HAVE YEARS OF RESEARCH ON THE BEST PLACES TO GO, WHEN TO GO, AND WHO BEST TO LEAD

Years of research have gone into small group tour itineraries, operators and accommodation so you can focus on the real-life experiences. Why spend hours agonising over every detail of your adventure when you can leave it to someone who lives and breathes your style of travel? Of course, things may not always go to plan because that's travel but, when it does, it's not your problem. Someone else will sort it out. There is a team of people who solve these problems all day, every day. They have the resources to know where to get a van repaired in remote Mongolia, or where the additional fuel is stored in Argentina.  They don't miss out on bus tickets because they already know where the best places to go are – and the accommodation is booked for its value, location, and overall quality.

(Photo by Jonathan Zaccaria, Antarctica 21) SMALL TOUR COMPANIES HAVE KNOWLEDGEABLE TOUR GUIDES WITH LOCAL EXPERTISE

There’s only so much information you can uncover on your own. A knowledgeable, local tour guide will have intimate connections to the place you’re exploring. They can offer history, anecdotes, and insider information along the way. Without the guidance of a knowledgeable tour guide, we run the risk of only skimming the surface of our travel experiences. Just as local knowledge helps with storing extra fuel when you need it, a guide's knowledge of unique plants or birds on a trek or explaining the history of a particular city can make a huge difference to your appreciation of a destination.

(Photo by Susan Tuckey, Penguins2Polarbears) YOU WILL SEE MORE ON A SMALL GROUP TOUR THAN YOU WILL ON YOUR OWN

An organized tour is a great way for first-time travelers or those traveling solo to get their feet wet and gives that person time to acclimatize to the lifestyle, the food, and the destination without having to worry about anything else. There is also a built-in community with the other people on the tour which helps with meeting people – group tours often do not charge a single supplement (unless you want your own room) - which also helps bring the price per day down!

Organized tours are also great for solo travelers when it comes to getting to some spots that are just too expensive and/or highly inconvenient to do alone and where local transportation can be problematic – such as the Okavango Delta in Botswana.