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The 10 Best Group Travel Tour Companies for 2023

Caroline Morse Teel

Caroline Morse Teel is the Managing Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Follow her adventures around the world on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline.

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For those truly epic, once-in-a-lifetime destinations, you want to leave your itinerary to the experts. Whether your dream is to see the Big Five on an African Safari, trek tall mountains, explore European cities, or something even wilder, a group tour is the easiest way to do it.

However, picking the wrong group tour company is the quickest way to ruin your trip. Make sure you choose a tour company that aligns with your goals and travel styles. Do you want an intimate group tour or do you prefer to make lots of new friends in a big group? Does the price line up with what you like (luxury vs. budget)? Is the itinerary going to all the places you want to see? 

We’ve done the research and found the very best group travel tour companies for 2023 for every type of traveler.

Best Overall Group Travel: Exodus Travels

With trips on every continent, Exodus Travels covers anywhere on this planet that you could possibly want to go, from popular destinations like the Amalfi Coast to well off-the-beaten path adventures like Tajikistan. This award-winning group travel company boasts thousands of repeat customers who sign up for trips year after year (97% of past participants would recommend Exodus Travels to a friend). 

These small group tours operate with only around 12-16 people, and always feature experienced local leaders who can give you a unique insight into your destination. Exodus Travels caters to any type of travel style, including trips broken down by type of activity (think walking, cycling, multi-adventure, winter, or cultural) as well as type of traveler (family, age group, etc.). There are curated collections (coastal, “away from it all”, European wilderness, and trips of a lifetime) to inspire you, as well as self-guided options for when you want all the benefits of a group tour planner without the actual group. Looking for that special safari? Exodus Travels just partners with the African Wildlife Foundation to create carefully curated luxury adventures that go above and beyond the standard safari. 

Exodus Travels tours work for almost any budget, with options that range from affordable to premium. 

Top Trip: Explore under-the-radar Europe by foot on Exodus Travels’ Lakes & Mountains of Slovenia walking tour .

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Best Adventure Group Travel: World Expeditions

World Expeditions has been taking adventurous travelers to remote locations all over the world ever since its first group trek through Nepal in 1975. Today, World Expeditions offers active itineraries on every continent. Intrepid travelers can opt for trips themed around mountaineering, rafting, cycling, hiking, and more. 

World Expeditions aims to leave communities and places where they operate tours better than they found them. Trips are created using the company’s Thoughtful Travel Charter as a guideline, which emphasizes respect for the environment, sustainability, having a positive impact on local communities, protecting wildlife, and more. 

World Expeditions’ trips are capped at just 16 people to provide a good experience for participants, and there are no single supplements for solo travelers willing to share a room with someone of the same gender. 

Top Trip: Summit Africa’s tallest mountain on a fully-supported trek up Kilimanjaro on World Expeditions’ eight day trip up the beautiful Lemosho Route . 

Best Budget Group Travel: G Adventures 

For travelers on a budget, G Adventures offers cheap group tours that make dream destinations accessible to nearly anyone. (Think: sailing the Galapagos for just $1,124 , criss-crossing India’s Golden Triangle for $559 , or spending 8 days in Bali for less than $800.)

G Adventures is one of the best tour companies for solo travelers as well, as most trips don’t have a single-supplement. You can choose to share a room with another G Adventures solo traveler, or pay extra to have your own space.

G Adventures keeps costs down by opting for cheaper hotels and local meals, and making certain activities optional (for an additional cost). Pick your travel style—options range from “basic” to more luxe tours run in partnership with National Geographic. Family tours, local living tours (featuring homestays), and wellness-focused tours are also available. 

Top Trip: G Adventures’ China Express trip is a great way to see the highlights of China if you’re short on both time and budget. 

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Best Educational Group Tours: EF Go Ahead Tours

When you really want to learn about a destination, consider a group trip with EF Go Ahead Tours . EF is the world’s largest private education company, and the Go Ahead Tours arm capitalizes on the company’s relationships with local educators, historians, and tour guides to create group trips that take you deep into a destination. 

These small group tours generally cap at 38 travelers, and feature unique educational experiences. For a bucket list trip, EF Go Ahead Tour’s special event tours are particularly enticing, as they offer behind-the-scenes access to tough-to-plan trips like Oktoberfest in Munich or Cherry Blossom season in Japan. 

Intimidated by solo travel? EF Go Ahead Tours is a great option for solo travelers, since it offers designated trips for solo travelers , where everyone is traveling alone, making it less intimidating.  

Top Trip: Bring the tastes of Italy home with you on EF Go Ahead Tours’ Food & Wine: Piedmont & Tuscany tour (operated in partnership with America’s Test Kitchen), where you’ll learn how to make local dishes. 

Best Responsible Group Travel: Intrepid Travel

Looking for a responsible group travel operator that focuses on bettering the communities and destinations they visit? Intrepid Travel is the world’s largest travel B Corporation, a certification for companies doing good. 

Intrepid Travel’s tours focus on sustainability, diversity, inclusion, and sustaining communities. The company has its own charity, The Intrepid Foundation , which has donated over 7 million dollars to over 130 community organizations. 

Intrepid Travel’s small group tours attract a wide range of travelers, but they are especially great for younger travelers, as they have a large number of trips designed for people aged 18-29 . (Other trips, including family-focused trips, are geared toward any age.)

Top Trip: Experience unforgettable wildlife encounters on Intrepid Travel’s Premium Uganda & Rwanda trip which includes time with the mountain gorillas of Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. 

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Best Private Group Travel: Kensington Tours

Whether your group consists of just two people or involves taking the entire extended family, Kensington Tours will take all the hassle of planning out of the equation. This private group operator creates personalized trips and itineraries tailored to your preferences, while their experts handle all the logistics and bookings. 

Plans are entirely flexible, and can even be changed while on the trip on a whim. Need some inspiration? Browse Kensington Tours’ travel ideas , to get some ideas for your next adventure. 

Top Trip: Sail around the stunning shores of Croatia and the Dalmation Islands on a private luxury catamaran on Kensington Tours’ fully customizable tour . 

Best Polar Group Travel: Chimu Adventures

Whether you’re headed north to the Artic or south to Antarctica, Chimu Adventures has the perfect polar group trip for you. Chimu Adventures has some of the most variety for polar trips, with options to fly, cruise, or a combination of both to get to your destination.

For an ultra-unique Antarctica trip, Chimu Adventures offers cruises departing from Australia or New Zealand (most Antarctica trips depart from Argentina). Can’t stay long? Book one of Chimu Adventures’ scenic flights to Antarctica , which fly as far as the south pole in one spectacular 16-hour day.

Chimu Adventures is one of the cheapest group trips to Antarctica, with rates starting under $5,000.

Top Trip: If you’re pressed for time (or simply don’t have the stomach for the Drake Passage), Chimu Adventures’ Antarctica Fly Cruise will get you to the ends of the earth quickly and smoothly.

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Best Group Tours for Solo Travelers: For the Love of Travel

Group tours can be a great way to meet new people, but they can sometimes skew on the older age range. If you’re between 25-39 and a solo traveler looking to meet new people, you’ll love For the Love of Travel . All participants on the trips are between 25-39, and according to the company, 80 percent are solo travelers—so you’ll make friends fast. Hoping to meet someone who will be more than just a friend on your next trip? Trips include a balanced number of “gal and guy spots” to ensure an even balance of genders within groups (and of course, non-binary genders are always welcome). 

For the Love of Travel offers weeklong (or longer) international trips as well as shorter weekender trips to nearby destinations like Mexico or Denver—perfect for people without a lot of vacation time.

Top Trip: Sleep in a glass igloo under the Northern Lights, go sledding with huskies, and warm up in traditional saunas on For the Love of Travel’s Lapland tour , already booking dates for 2024.

Best Biking Tours Group Travel: DuVine Cycling

Biking through the rolling hills of Italy or across the mountain roads of Chile sounds like a dream, but the logistics seem daunting (especially if you don’t want to haul all your own stuff from point-to-point). Enter: DuVine Cycling , a luxury small group tour company that specializes in bike trips. 

With trips across Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the United States, DuVine Cycling is a cyclist’s dream. Choose from all-biking trips or mix things up with a cycle and sail bike tour or a multi-sport adventure —no matter what, everything is included, from luxury boutique accommodations to top-quality name brand bikes. 

Top Trip: DuVine’s Holland Bike Tour promises “tulips, windmills, beer, and cheese”—what more could you need?

Best Luxury Group Travel: Abercrombie & Kent

Abercrombie & Kent has been delighting discerning travelers since 1962. Today, they take travelers on unforgettable adventures across over 100 different countries and all seven continents. Although Abercrombie & Kent’s trips are pricey, they encompass once-in-a-lifetime experiences like private jet tours around the world or luxury chartered cruises .

There are trips designed for solo travelers and families , and the small group journeys max out at around 14-18 guests.

Top Trip: Swim with whale sharks in the Philippines, feed proboscis monkeys in Malaysia, and photograph wild tigers in India on Abercrombie & Kent’s Wildlife Safari: Around the World by Private Jet trip , already booking dates into 2024.

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14 Best Senior-friendly Travel Groups

These senior-friendly travel companies offer tours and travel experiences as diverse as their clients.

The benefits of travel, whether it's a refreshing weekend getaway or a month-long trip to a new destination, are undeniable. And for retirees and seniors who have time and a travel budget, the opportunities are nearly endless — their own city, state, country, and even the whole world are all waiting to be explored.

It should be recognized that seniors are as diverse as any other generation, perhaps even more so as their years of experience have taken them in many directions. While their interests, abilities, values, and habits may vary, it can safely be said that for many, travel is in their plans.

Seniors travel to visit family, learn about the countries of their ancestors , or explore new destinations. Many seek immersive experiences, educational opportunities, or adventure. And travel companies are responding to their needs and wishes by offering tour options ranging from independent to fully guided, budget to luxury, and group to individual. The 14 organizations listed below are either aimed specifically at mature clients or feature experiences that are flexible enough to accommodate a variety of travelers.

Walking the World

Operating out of Grand Junction, Colorado, Walking the World offers walking and hiking tours mainly for travelers over the age of 50 who want to be immersed in the destinations they choose. Experienced hikers will enjoy its Rocky Mountain National Park tour , for example, with treks of up to 10 miles on some days during the eight-day itinerary. Meanwhile, the Ireland trip covers 11 days of exploring fishing villages, rolling green hills, the stunning Cliffs of Moher, the Dingle Peninsula, and Killarney National Park. Daily walks range from four to eight miles and are described as gentle to moderate.

Road Scholar

Originally launched as Elderhostel in 1975, the company rebranded in 2010 as Road Scholar , recognizing the values and interests of lifelong learners who have participated in their lectures, tours, field trips, and educational experiences over the years. Participants are typically over the age of 50 and ready to learn from travel or focus on a specific interest. Trip themes such as grandparent adventures (special types of trips you can take with your grandchild), cruises, urban exploration, art and history, historical sites, and academic topics can be browsed by destination, activity level, and interest to help clients select their ideal tour experience.

Adventures Abroad

While Adventures Abroad largely caters to travelers over 50, tours are open to adults of all ages, and operate on every continent except for Antarctica. The company's "soft adventure" trips, which concentrate on the culture and history of a destination, don't include strenuous activities, though a reasonable degree of fitness and the ability to walk are required. Trips are rated from one to three based on physical activity, with the first level featuring only leisurely walks and level two meaning more time on your feet each day. Level-three trips might include walks or hikes on uneven ground for three to seven hours, though at a leisurely pace. Specific trips are suggested for each activity level for easy planning.

An adventure travel company designed for people ages 50 and over, ElderTreks offers small-group adventures — think wildlife safaris, hiking trips, cultural journeys, and other unique expeditions — in more than 100 countries. The tours are rated by activity level, ranging from one to five. At level one, travelers should be able to walk for one to two hours, whereas at level five, they'll need to be capable of hiking for eight to 10 hours.

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Senior Cycling

Specializing in bicycle tours for active adults ages 50 and up, Senior Cycling limits groups to a maximum of 13 participants. And they are always accompanied by the "sag wagon" in case someone needs a break from riding. Trips are rated at two levels: intermediate (for the occasional rider who prefers bike paths and flat terrain for 20–40 miles per day) and advanced (for those who are at ease with up to 50 miles per day, hills, and traffic). Custom tours can also be arranged for families or groups of friends.

Firebird Tours

With a focus on clients ages 50 and over, Firebird Tours offers small group trips to destinations in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East that deliver value, comfort, and quality. Themes for guided tours include gastronomy, history, architecture, and the Northern Lights , as well as theater and opera. Private family tours are also available, with destinations and activities suitable for a wider age range depending on the group.

Seniors interested in active vacations should check out Backroads , based out of Berkeley, California. While tours are open to all ages, the majority of participants tend to be over 50. Guided biking, walking, and hiking tours to a variety of destinations are geared toward adults, but also include options for families traveling with "teens and kids," "older teens and 20s," and those in their "20s and beyond." The company's Dolce Tempo tours offer a more relaxed pace, and include trips such as the Easygoing E-bike Tour in California wine country and the Easygoing Multi-adventure Tour in New Zealand.

Overseas Adventure Travel

With a variety of trips available to destinations on every continent, Overseas Adventure Travel makes a great choice if you're interested in seeing the world via small-ship cruises. In addition to guided land tours for groups of eight to 16, OAT offers sailings through the Norwegian Fjords, along West Africa's coast, and throughout the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas. Mature travelers are often attracted to the flexibility of the trips and the ability to personalize activities. Recognizing that many of their customers travel alone — including a whopping 85 percent of their female clients — the company has created its getaways with solo travelers in mind, whether they're first-timers or experienced adventurers.

EF Go Ahead Tours

Operating out of Cambridge, Massachusetts, EF Go Ahead Tours offers a selection of small group tours for 10 to 22 guests. The senior-friendly trips focus on interests such as food and wine, adventure, and safaris, as well as specific destinations and seasonal events (think Oktoberfest in Germany, annual holiday markets in Europe, or St. Patrick's Day in Ireland). Traveling alone? The company's solo tours provide private rooms and personalized experiences especially geared toward those traveling by themselves. Clients can also gather their own group and take advantage of the services of EF's professional coordinators.

Kensington Tours

If you're looking to create a fully customized, privately guided trip based on your group's specific needs and travel preferences, look no further than Kensington Tours . Their expertise in more than 100 destinations worldwide makes planning easy, whether the goal is a culturally immersive experience, enjoying fine wine and dining, discovering the history of a place, or relaxation. While these arrangements are ideal for mature travelers who appreciate ease and luxury, the company also provides experiences for multigenerational travel in countries like Thailand, Japan, Iceland, and South Africa, featuring kid-friendly trips that come with private vehicles, local guides, and dining options fit for the whole family.

Intrepid Travel

A leading adventure tour operator known for its efforts to make travel accessible to all, Intrepid Travel offers a good mix of bespoke and ready-made itinerary options that can be adapted to suit your group's comfort level. Intrepid's Accessible Tours are especially inclusive, with trips that are designed for every type of traveler. Whichever trip you decide to book, you'll have access to local destination specialists to help you choose the perfect places to stay as well as organize transportation, activities, and guided tours, depending on your needs. The company's Walking & Trekking trips, suitable for a range of fitness levels, are especially popular with seniors, though adults of all ages are free to join in.

YMT Vacations

In business since 1967, YMT Vacations designs all-inclusive trips with mature travelers in mind. Prices cover hotel accommodations, guided sightseeing tours, baggage handling, and the expertise of tour directors and driver guides. Destinations include Hawaii, Alaska, Europe, North America, Central and South America, Africa, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, among others, and the company arranges travel for popular events such as the Rose Parade in California. A number of river cruise and transatlantic sailing options are also available.

Grand European Travel

Grand European Travel is an AARP-preferred travel provider (check the website for members-only discounts) that promotes itself as a one-stop shop to help clients plan their desired travel experiences. The company represents a collection of 30 travel brands — including the likes of Trafalgar and Insight Tours — which, altogether, cover seven continents. Offerings range from budget to luxury getaways, and everything from cruises to land tours. Thinking of taking a multigenerational trip? Browse the company's family experiences section, stocked with tours fit for all ages, whether you're into all-inclusive European river cruises or exploring U.S. national parks.

Country Walkers

Country Walkers aims to introduce travelers to new landscapes and cultures around the world by traveling on foot. Established in 1979, the Vermont-based operator offers walking tours in Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, and South America. Tour types include guided (in a small group of up to 18) and self-guided (in a private group of up to 12), providing a great option for independent exploration. Travelers can choose from five levels, starting at "easy walking," which includes a daily distance of two to six miles for up to four hours per day. "Moderate walking," the mid-range option, suggests four to 10 miles and up to six hours of walking per day. Trips at the "challenging walking" level might go up to seven hours a day on foot, covering anywhere from six to 14 miles. Guests of all ages should be able to find a destination and tour that's best suited for their interests and fitness level.

Debora Ford

In 2008 I came to TPI with a passion for travel which has only increased since joining the travel industry. Having been in the service industry for over 23years my attention to detail has also given me excellent work ethics and a deep commitment to customer service. Having owned and operated a number of other businesses in the past, I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit and the desire to be successful, which inspired me to achieve my CTC designation.

I truly enjoy the travel industry and sending clients on their vacations is so rewarding.

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What are carrier strike groups, the ships the US sent near Israel?

The main vessel is a 1,092-foot-long aircraft carrier, but these strike groups include other ships too. Here's what's in them.

By Kelsey D. Atherton | Published Oct 18, 2023 3:00 PM EDT

On October 8, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the eastern Mediterranean, as part of an American response to the surprise and staggering attack on Israel’s military and civilians by the armed group Hamas. Then, on October 14, Austin sent the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group to the eastern Mediterranean. 

The United States Navy maintains 11 carrier strike groups, which are formations including not just the namesake carrier and its aircraft, but also an escort fleet of other ships. The carriers are the most visible, tangible expression of naval power abroad, and the deployment of two carrier strike groups is both a threat of force and shows where the US most wants to attempt to deter the outbreak of further violence through that show of force.

The attack that sparked the deployment of the two US carrier groups to the eastern Mediterranean started with bulldozers, drones, motorboats, and paragliders. Gaza is home to two million Palestinians, of whom about half are under the age of 18. Hamas, the militant group elected to power in the Gaza Strip in 2006 and which has not held an election since, broke through the wall maintained by Israel around the Gaza Strip, and launched attacks killing an estimated 1,400 people in Israel, including civilians. Retaliatory airstrikes, launched by Israel’s military against Gaza, have killed over 2,700 people , including civilians, and rendered hundreds of thousands homeless . The death totals, especially in Gaza, continue to increase, as hospitals run out of supplies . The situation is evolving and has complex roots .

Beyond Hamas and Israel, there’s a chance that the outbreak of violence could expand to involve regional military players, like Iranian-backed Hezbollah north of Israel in Lebanon, Iran itself, or other countries in the region. President Joe Biden has traveled to Israel to meet with its government. 

An aircraft carrier, complete with escort ships and fighter firepower, is designed to fight the planes and ships of nations more than it is built to root out fighters with rifles hiding in city blocks. In the October 8 announcement of the deployment, Austin said the Ford Carrier Strike Group was being deployed to the eastern Mediterranean to “bolster regional deterrence efforts.” In the October 14 announcement, the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group’s deployment was part of moves to “signal the United States’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s security and our resolve to deter any state or non-state actor seeking to escalate this war.”

To better understand the US force projection in response to this outbreak of violence, it is important to understand aircraft carriers, and the fleets that escort them.

What is a carrier strike group?

Alone, an aircraft carrier is a powerful weapon. The size of a small town, one carrier can be a tempting target. The Nimitz-class carriers , which make up most of the US carrier fleet at present, carry around 5,000 to 5,200 people. This crew is primarily devoted to operating and maintaining the ship, which is powered by a pair of nuclear reactors, while about 1,500 of that crew is dedicated to flying and maintaining the 60 or more aircraft flown from a carrier. 

Ford-class carriers, the planned replacement for the Nimitz class, are crewed by just over 4,500 people total, and can carry and launch over 75 aircraft. (Currently there is one Ford-class carrier in the fleet, which is the USS Gerald R. Ford .) Both Nimitz and Ford-class carriers are 1,092 feet long, their decks constituting the runway for takeoff and landing of planes at sea.

Because carriers are so large—by design, they have to be—they make enticing targets for enemies at war. “Carrier Group” as a phrase first appears in the Popular Science archives in a July 1985 story called “Invisible Subs” that describes ships as either “submarines or targets.” The ship-mounted weapons on carriers are largely defensive: anti-air and anti-missile Sea Sparrow missiles, Phalanx Close-In Weapon Systems designed to intercept rockets, and other projectiles with radar-targeted bullets.

Those weapons should be seen as a last line of defense for carriers. The first lines of defense are the other ships that accompany carriers as they move about the globe.

In Secretary Austin’s announcements, he names specific ships in each carrier group. The USS Gerald R. Ford is escorted by the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Normandy , as well as the Arleigh-Burke-class guided missile destroyers USS Thomas Hudner , USS Ramage , USS Carney , and USS Roosevelt . The USS Eisenhower is escorted by the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea , guided-missile destroyers USS Gravely and USS Mason , and is carrying the nine aircraft squadrons of Carrier Air Wing 3. In general, a carrier group has between three and four surface ships escorting it, as well as an assumed ( but not announced ) attack submarine traveling near the fleet underwater.

Carrier Air Wing 3 includes four squadrons of F/A-18E Super Hornets, jet fighters that can fly over 1,200 nautical miles; these jets can carry a range of weapons including anti-air missiles, anti-ship missiles, guided and unguided bombs, and more. These planes are the primary strike force of the carrier group, allowing the US Navy to attack and destroy vehicles, people, and buildings far from shore. In addition to the strike fighters, a carrier air wing includes E-2C Hawkeyes, which are big flying tactical radars; EA-18G Growlers, which carry electronic warfare weapons for jamming and obscuring enemy sensors; and Seahawk helicopters, which can be used to launch anti-tank missiles and for submarine hunting, among other roles.

The Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruisers are, as the name suggests, armed with an array of missiles , including cruise missiles to hit targets on land, as well as anti-submarine missiles and torpedoes to protect against enemies underwater. Guided missile destroyers are similarly armed, with anti-air missiles as well as part of the regular complement.

Much of the equipment of a carrier strike group is built around the particular vulnerability of aircraft carriers to anti-ship missiles and submarines—threats that are unlikely to be a factor for deployments in the eastern Mediterranean. The offensive firepower, from cruise missiles to guided bombs dropped by fighter jets, enable the carrier groups to pose an outsized threat. 

The presence of a carrier strike group can be seen as a form of deterrence, and deterrence is a strategic bet that the presence of massive retaliatory power is enough to prevent an armed group from trying to advance their political aims through violence. If the actions of other armed groups in the region can be shifted, deterred, or delayed by the presence of the US Navy, this would be the force that can do it.

Kelsey D. Atherton is a military technology journalist who has contributed to Popular Science since 2013. He covers uncrewed robotics and other drones, communications systems, the nuclear enterprise, and the technologies that go into planning, waging, and mitigating war.

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