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Contiki vs Intrepid
Compare the travel styles, pricing, destinations and popularity of Contiki and Intrepid.The Low Down
Over 35? Then Contiki is not for you. With tours and adventures designed for the 18-35's through Asia, Africa, North and South America and Europe, you'll need lots of energy for the good times ahead. Traditionally Contiki trips have been known for their late nights, lots of sleeping on the coach, and some sightseeing on the side. Contiki's philosophy of #NOREGRETS is about changing your perspective on the world, walking in others shoes, witnessing different cultures, religions, and ways of living. But most of all, it’s about living life out loud, unashamedly and completely, loving every single second of being young! 
Intrepid specialise in small group adventure tours, and feature trips around the globe. With over 700 tours and 50,000 departures, Intrepid's itineraries are designed for the budget conscious adventurer, families and even adventures for those that prefer a bit of comfort at the end of each day. Like G Adventures, Intrepid also have a myriad of trips through South and Central America & Asia and operate dynamic pricing so prices can change daily - upwards if the trip is filling up, and down if they need to fill some spaces.Recommending the best Operator for small group adventures is a tough one. It's very subjective and we think a lot depends on the region, the itinerary and the trip leader you get. This will have a huge sway on whether your trip is good, great or average. Our advice is to choose the Operator which has the itinerary and departures dates that suit you best. Look at things like inclusions, group size and other details to help make your decision.
Stats
No. of Trips
441
No. of Departures
6,765
Avg. Trip Length
13 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$185
Accommodation
Mixed
Budget
Affordable
Trip Styles
Coach Tours18-to-30'sSailing TripsFestivals & EventsShort Breaks
No. of Trips
988
No. of Departures
48,140
Avg. Trip Length
13 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$351
Accommodation
Mixed
Budget
Affordable & Premium
In Their Own Words
We asked the travel companies themselves why you should travel with them
Contiki are the world leaders in travel experiences for 18-35’s. We exist to connect young travellers to the time of their lives. We believe in real experiences and we care about making sure these experiences contribute positively to the people and places we visit. We are focused on discovery, once-in-a-lifetime moments, human connections, and making every second of being young count.
For over 55 years we’ve been perfecting the secret formula to the perfect trip - we know you’re after unique experiences, local insight and accommodation that’s more than a place to sleep. We run over 350 trips across 6 continents, each one designed to get to the beating heart of a destination, understanding the local way of life, unearthing unforgettable experiences and creating lifelong memories. Real experiences, unique accommodation, local food, the best team and awesome people all deliver Contiki’s no regrets experience.
Intrepid Travel has been taking travellers off the beaten track to discover the world's most amazing places for 30 years. Every trip is designed to truly experience local culture - to meet local people, try local food, take local transport and stay in local accommodation. Led by a local leader, our small group tours offer a sustainable way to travel off the beaten track, while giving back to the places and people that travellers visit.
Recent Reviews
4.6
Managed to see everything. Was a thrilling experience that managed to avoid early exhaustion by stopping in each location for a bit longer. Definitely good if you want to see different tourist cities in Italy quickly though certainly doesn't encapsulate everything. My main difficulty was with the group dynamic and as a solo traveller I found it challenging read more to fit in especially as I wasn't so much as the party instagram type and was more focused on the historical background of the sites.
Great tour starting in Barcelona and ending in London. It was also good how you get to spend two nights in certain cities. The local dinner in Italy was a highlight and recommended!
I you love swimming, blue water and heat, you will love this tour. Greece was gorgeous and the places visited amazing.
Breathtaking tour along the Mediterranean Coast 3
Barcelona to Rome Quest
Ed, QLD, Australia, May 2024
This was my second trip with Contiki. I joined the London to Vienna Trail two weeks earlier and then joined this trip in June with a gap in between. It was an unforgettable experience, from our very first stop in Nice I knew I was in for a great time. All the included and optional experiences were loads of fun and really brought the group closer together, read more I made great friends and amazing memories all while traveling along the Mediterranean in Summer! All the accommodation was comfortable and clean and my Contiki tour guide and coach driver were always friendly and made traveling from place to place stress free.
Our tour guide was super helpful by doing some of our thinking for us by letting us know of the best places to eat or to get a drink wherever we were. Booking with Global Journeys made traveling to Europe a whole lot easier. My advisor Sam was always really friendly and informative, always letting me know what I needed to do in preparation of my trip and making sure I didn't miss any deadlines for anything which made my life a lot easier.
Our tour guide was super helpful by doing some of our thinking for us by letting us know of the best places to eat or to get a drink wherever we were. Booking with Global Journeys made traveling to Europe a whole lot easier. My advisor Sam was always really friendly and informative, always letting me know what I needed to do in preparation of my trip and making sure I didn't miss any deadlines for anything which made my life a lot easier.
Every part of this tour was so much fun! From the canal cruise in Amsterdam to the classical music night in Vienna - I enjoyed every moment of it. My Contiki tour guide and coach driver made traveling stress free, it was so nice not having to worry about how I was going to get from place to place so i could just enjoy each location we went to. The group read more I was traveling with was great, people from all walks of life, all like minded, and all really easy to get along with, I would definitely recommend this trip to any future travellers.
Booking through Global Journeys made my life so much easier. My agent Sam was incredibly helpful, he pretty much sorted everything out for me and made sure I didn't miss any of my deadlines which made the entire process a lot less stressful.
Booking through Global Journeys made my life so much easier. My agent Sam was incredibly helpful, he pretty much sorted everything out for me and made sure I didn't miss any of my deadlines which made the entire process a lot less stressful.
Global journeys are great to deal with and this Contiki tour was awesome! The trip manager and driver were both great.
4.4
North Island New Zealand (North to South) 0
New Zealand Northern Trail (Southbound)
Peter and Janette, VIC, Australia, Mar 2026
The tour was well organised and the tour leader/driver Taylor was exceptional both in knowledge and inclusiveness of the group.
Great Ocean Road, Grampians, Kangaroo Island 0
Melbourne to Kangaroo Island Adventure
Elisabeth and Richard, NSW, Australia, Mar 2026
We combined 2 Intrepid tours to see many bucket list sights in SW Victoria and Kangaroo Island — linked by a train ride from Stawell to Adelaide. Every day was full of surprises and delights. Amazing landscapes and wild life too numerous to list. The two guides were very professional and ensured that everyone was catered for - from the most adventurous read more to those less able bodied.
This was an amazing trip. Yarina Lodge is a wonderful place to go. Room facility is good and clean. A special praise to the staffs - the management, the restaurant, the kitchen, they are very attentive care. The guide is very professional, he customize programs according to your fitness level and requirement. This is a place for relaxation and also adventure.
We did the above trip with Intrepid in Jan 2026. There were only 6 of us on our tour so it was nice & intimate. Our guide Stefan was great, always welcomed us on the bus with a tale about the elves or trolls or sometimes with a sing song as well as being a wealth of knowledge on the history of Iceland etc. Accommodation was of a good standard but the read more Foss Hotel Glacier Lagoon was outstanding. I know most people do the Golden Circle but do yourself a favour & book a tour that also includes the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, you won't be disappointed.
The only comment I'd make is that I thought a farewell dinner should have been included, first time I've been on a tour where it hasn't been, however Stefan organised one at our expense (Iceland is VERY expensive). Our Consultant Hannah Campbell was great, always got back to me promptly whenever I asked a question. Our experience with Hannah & Global Journeys was such a good one that we currently have another 2 active bookings in the system. Would 100% recommend Intrepid, Hannah & Global Journeys to anyone.
The only comment I'd make is that I thought a farewell dinner should have been included, first time I've been on a tour where it hasn't been, however Stefan organised one at our expense (Iceland is VERY expensive). Our Consultant Hannah Campbell was great, always got back to me promptly whenever I asked a question. Our experience with Hannah & Global Journeys was such a good one that we currently have another 2 active bookings in the system. Would 100% recommend Intrepid, Hannah & Global Journeys to anyone.
Overall positive experience with destinations well chosen. Unfortunately bus & accommodation left a lot to be desired, with many of group becoming ill as bus ventilation was non-existent so viruses spread rapidly. Hotel beds were invariably hard & uncomfortable, while heating was usually non operational. Home cooked food was special as it gave authenticity read more to Moroccan experience. Sahara camel ride at dawn was highlight, though tent accommodation was freezing overnight.
Considering the distance from Istanbul to the Anzac sites (5 hours on a mini bus), it was absolutely fabulous. Pickup smooth, trip smooth, comfort stop half way, lunch plentiful, transition to guide smooth. 12 on our bus, Australian, Kiwi, Canadians. Our guide for the afternoon’s tour of WW1 sites was Burak, and he was pure gold. We stayed on for the read more second day (others headed straight back to Istanbul). Gorgeous half hour across the Dardanelles to the delightful surprise of Canakkale. Staff transitioning us across and to our hotel fantastic. We then bar hopped our night away and met the most wonderful Turkish people. Çanakkale was fantastic. Slow morning. Cafe hopped. Short (25 min) bus ride to the ruins of Troy - it was nice, but that’s all. Back across the Dardanelles and to our hotel in Istanbul by 9.30pm, which was ahead of schedule. If you must see Gallipoli, you also must have a night out in Canakkale. Glad we did it.
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