As an experienced solo traveller, I usually plan my own adventures – but I do think there is unique value to small group tours too. Hence, this year I embarked on my third G Adventures trip and I’ll definitely keep coming back for more.
After joining three journeys with G Adventures in Morocco, Costa Rica and Jordan, I’ve come to see group travel as a way to experience things I’d never achieve on my own and with far less stress.
Here are eight insights into the real value of small group tours — especially for solo travellers.
Small group tours are the perfect introduction to solo travel
Small group tours offer safe travel for solo travelers, whether you’re looking to gain solo travel confidence, wish to take a deeper dive into a country and its culture, or simply couldn’t find a friend to travel with. My first solo trip was with G Adventures to Morocco and after that I’ve felt perfectly confident to travel there (any to many other countries) without a tour company.
Meeting people while traveling becomes effortless
If you’re worried about meeting people while traveling, a small group tour is the easiest way to find people to explore with (even easier than hostels!) Over the course of the tour you’ll share memories and probably make friends with people from a whole range of countries. G Adventures’ new Solo-ish Adventures are designed exclusively for solo travelers where everyone turns up alone, or G’s other tours allow for solo or group bookings. I’ve kept in touch with several people I met on G Adventures journeys (including tour guides!)
Small group tours eliminate travel decision fatigue
As someone who runs my own freelance business and travels a lot, sometimes I get travel decision fatigue — so booking onto a tour with G Adventures is my easy solution to travel without planning stress. Even if you’re not planning a lot of trips, the ease of booking onto a group tour means completely stress-free travel planning. And, you can relax in the know that you won’t have missed anywhere important off the itinerary.
A stress free way to book a last minute escape
With most of the organisation already taken care of, group tours are perfect for last-minute getaways too. All you have to do is choose your tour, pack your bags, turn up and voila! Whether it’s a search for last-minute winter sun, a much-needed pick-me-up, a once-in-a-lifetime bucket list experience or you’re just after a change of scene, nothing is more convenient than small group travel for a last-minute getaway.
Responsible travel experiences with real impact
Sustainable travel benefits not just tour companies and visitors, but also has a positive impact on the people living in that place. G Adventures offer ethical travel tours, where they work with local communities to create responsible travel experiences — many of which help to improve the lives of women, children and people living in less wealthy areas through cultural preservation and skills development.
During my tours I’ve visited argan oil factories in Morocco providing employment for women and mosaic workshops in Jordan providing jobs to disabled people — along with organic farms which are helping to connect whole communities to the tourist trail.
More immersive travel experiences through local insight
These responsible travel experiences also make for more immersive travel experiences, where you gain deeper insight into local culture and the people at a country’s heart. The insight I’ve gained and people I’ve met whilst travelling as part of G Adventures’ small group tours I know I wouldn’t have been able to organise myself (for example desert Bedouins and families living in remote jungle houses in Costa Rica). Your local Chief Experience Officer is also always on hand to help with translation or any questions you may have.
A genuine travel mental reset
Another benefit of guided tours for solo travelers is that it’s actually a travel mental reset — where the CEO is in charge of the planning and logistics and all you really need to focus on is enjoying yourself. For me, this is the most priceless part of a small group tour: it’s a chance to travel whilst simultaneously taking a proper break, where you don’t need to think too much or plan ahead, and can fully immerse yourself in enjoying the experience.
More affordable than doing it on your own
The icing on the cake of group travel benefits is that it makes everything more affordable too. Splitting transport costs, group bookings to cultural highlights and sharing rooms with other travellers makes a huge difference to your budget. It enables you to do far more than you’d be able to do alone, whilst also having the pleasure of sharing the memories with other people.
Still wondering why to choose group travel?
If you’re looking for an immersive adventure, where you experience more of a country’s culture with less of the planning stress, then a group tour is a great way to travel. For solo travelers in particular, it takes away the time-consuming process of organisation, meeting new people or any safety concerns you have about traveling alone.
It’s a proper break, where you can immerse yourself fully in a destination whilst being taken care of by a local guide — altogether making for a trip that’s incredibly vibrant yet relaxing at the same time.
My top tips for joining a G Adventures small group tour
Now that I’ve been on three tours, I’ve learnt a few things. Here are some of my top tips for getting the most out of your G Adventures small group tour travel experience:
Stay for a couple more days at the end
Often the tour starts in an interesting city — like Marrakech — with lots to see and do. Stay for a couple of extra days at the end of your tour so you can see even more — and perhaps enjoy a little time exploring fully solo once you’re feeling confident and comfortable.
Book onto the extra itinerary options
Read the full tour itinerary before you arrive, then decide and budget for any extra trips you’d like to join. A lot of people join all of them, because the chances are you’ll only visit that place once!
Listen to your CEO as you travel between places
As you travel from place to place your CEO will provide commentary on local life and many other things. Don’t be afraid to ask questions — I learnt lots of fascinating facts from these conversations.
Don’t be afraid to book a trip outside of peak season
Off season travel benefits include smaller crowds, cheaper flights and smaller tour groups. I travel most of the time outside of peak season and I’m usually glad for it.
