Home > Compare Tour & Adventure Operators > Explore vs G Adventures
Explore vs G Adventures
Compare the travel styles, pricing, destinations and popularity of Explore and G Adventures.The Low Down
Explore Worldwide is a UK adventure travel company that has been around since 1981. They run over 500 small group tours in more than 100 countries around the world with an average of 12 guests. Accommodation is often family run lodgings and guides are passionate locals. Itineraries are a mix of must-sees and who-knews, and guests can choose from different trip styles to suit their interests.Explore recognises that adventure is different for everyone, and their trips range from classic discovery group tours to active adventures such as hiking and cycling. They also have dedicated family trips, themed journeys such as those that focus on wildlife or their limited edition Explore Beyond collection which showcases rare one-off events. Explore have an impressive track record with 96% of past travellers saying they would travel with them again.
G Adventures have impressed us with their ethos, their range of unique itineraries and proven track record with over 100,000 past travellers. Their main competitor in the adventure touring space is Intrepid, with both Operators focused on authentic, affordable small group tours. With over 600 trips around the world and 50,000 departures, G have a stunning range of interesting unique itineraries to choose from, with a focus on South and Central America, Asia and Polar expedition cruising. G Adventures operate dynamic pricing so prices can change daily - upwards if the trip is filling up, and down if they need to fill some spaces. G have also recently incorporated Wellness trips and 18-to-Thirty Somethings adventuresinto their portfolio of trip styles.
Stats
No. of Trips
549
No. of Departures
5,111
Avg. Trip Length
11 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$359
Accommodation
Mixed
Budget
Affordable & Premium
No. of Trips
796
No. of Departures
50,866
Avg. Trip Length
12 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$317
Accommodation
Mixed
Budget
Affordable
In Their Own Words We asked the travel companies themselves why you should travel with them
Explore has been taking small groups on adventure holidays all over the world for almost 40 years. The expert team, at home and overseas, works together to create itineraries that leave you feeling that you’ve really explored a destination rather than just visited. You’ll see the highlights, the must-sees, of course. But you’ll also get away from the beaten track, and get a different perspective on your destination. You’ll get closer to a place, its people and cultures.
Our small groups are typically 12 people – small enough to get right into the heart of your destination, but big enough to find like-minded people to share your experiences with. And the glue that holds these groups together is our local tour leaders, who are uniquely placed to add individual and spontaneous moments to each trips – moments that stay with you long after you return home. All sorts of people travel with Explore – our groups are usually a mix of solos, couples and friends. What unites them is their adventurous spirit and thirst for real travel experiences.
We provide authentic small-group travel, designed by experts and led by experts, with sustainability at its heart and a common desire for unforgettable experiences. Whether you’re on a cultural tour of Lebanon, cycling in Vietnam, walking in Italy or exploring Costa Rica with your family, when you’re travelling with Explore you know that you’re in good hands.
G Adventures came from a desire to deliver authentic and responsible small group travel adventures that were equally life-changing for travellers and the communities they visit. And we’re been doing just that for almost 30 years.
Our award-winning trips span seven continents and over 100 countries, giving you meaningful experiences with people, cultures, landscapes and wildlife, as well as offering you the freedom and flexibility to explore on your own.
On all of our tours, you get to know locals every step of the way, from the places you visit and stay to where you eat and drink. You’ll also get to experience our ‘G for Good’ social impact initiatives on-trip, including our industry-leading ‘Ripple Score’. This score measures, as a percentage, the amount of money that stays in the local community through on-trip services like accommodation, restaurants and transport.
Recent Reviews
4.8
This was a fantastic trip and I could not recommend it highly enough! Good quality hotels, great and varied itinerary with the opportunity to have some free time as well. The highlights included a farm visit and luncheon, a visit to St Johns co-cathedral in Valetta, the coastal scenery and visits to neolithic temples! In addition to those highlights, ...read more the trip was memorable because of the opportunity to travel with like minded people and to be guided by a wonderful and enthusiastic guide (Lisa). We were also able to enjoy some high quality local seafood. You must put Malta and Gozo on your travel list!
Spain & Portugal - Morning walking tour with (most) afternoons free! 0 Keith and Jan, New Zealand, Apr 2023
Our guide Gabrielle was great - could rattle off most of the history & could answer most of the questions we asked & also looked after everyone equally! I would recommend that the amount of walking & at times quite steep should be emphasised more as a few people struggled - didn't cause any major issues but they were probably surprised at times.
Travelling through the Baltic countries was a great experience. The countries are rich in history and the cities of Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius are beautiful. The trip is well planned by Explore, but I would make the Curonian Spit excursion half day instead of a full day. The accommodation was on the whole good but in a few occasions the shared rooms ...read more were a bit small if you have to share with somebody you don't really know. Also being with a good group of people was fun. I booked the trip online with Global Journeys, as I have done a few times before, and it was easy as usual.
The scenery inland is quite outstanding with dozens of deep, chiseled valleys and gorges of extreme, austere beauty. If we had just 1 gorge of that quality anywhere in the UK, we'd have declared it a National Monument. No need to go further afield for some truly stunning hiking, with a nice dose of local culture and warming, winter sun as an added ...read morebonus!
I really enjoyed the trip , the walking, winter sun (interrupted by a couple of rainy days!), and a good group and tour leader - more than anything though, it was great just to travel abroad again after a gap of more than 2 years.
It was our first foreign trip for two years, and we enjoyed it overall. The Covid safety measures were affective, and we appreciated Cema arranging for tests at our hotel the day before departure. I would add that the New Year's Eve celebrations surpassed expectations - the food and the entertainment were excellent.
4.7
The G Adventures local living experience is always a thrill, staying in a delightful rural setting with companions from around the world. G always ensures high quality tour leaders and local guides. Really enjoyed the busy walking program in a spectacular environment.
Sicily has much to offer! Natural beauty, excellent seafood, beautiful towns/cities and natural wonders, like Mt Etna and Stromboli. This was a fabulous 2 week tour of Sicily. There were many highlights, some of which are visiting Mt Stromboli and Mt Etna, visiting Taormina, Erice and Palermo, the Valley of the Temples and the Arincini cooking class. ...read more The one little issue were the hotels, not all of them were great and many were not centrally located. This often added expense as you needed a taxi to get into town to enjoy the free time.
One of the best highlights of the trip was our tour guide and CEO, Paul. He was flexible, intelligent, respectful, and considerate of all our needs. We had a diverse group of people all of which were taken care of individually and and as a group. Costa Rica is an amazing country. You learn the essence of "Pura Vida" from the start. You are greeted by ...read more everyone with phrase. It's a philosophy intertwined in the fabric of the country. We were a very active group for the most part but you had many opportunities to just kick back and relax if you wanted to. The hotel accommodations were the best G Adventures ever offered. 5 stars all around.
My trip to Costa Rica was very professionally planned and organized to small details. In two weeks I have visited and seen a lot of great places in Costa Rica. Experienced a home stay with locals, I was cooking local food and many other things. My trip to Costa Rica was an unforgettable experience, but unfortunately short. Next time I plan to stay ...read more for a longer time in the beautiful country of Costa Rica.
I had a great holiday with G adventures. The itinerary had a good mix of different adventure-sport activities with several options for additional activities to do. I enjoyed the opportunity to cycle, hike and kayak around some beautiful locations. Black water rafting through the Waitomo caves was also a highlight.
Our guide, Taz, was very helpful ...read more in letting us know what times to meet up, where we would be going each day and also what things we might need to bring or wear each day. It helped make the holiday as stress-free as possible. The accommodations were also fairly decent in terms of facilities and locations.
Our guide, Taz, was very helpful ...read more in letting us know what times to meet up, where we would be going each day and also what things we might need to bring or wear each day. It helped make the holiday as stress-free as possible. The accommodations were also fairly decent in terms of facilities and locations.
Tour leader Hoa was awesome! She was professional, gave great advice for meals not included and went above and beyond when a traveller fell ill. My advice is to arrive in Ho Chi Minh City at least 1 day earlier and visit the Cu Chi tunnels. There are plenty of places to exchange currency in all 3 countries. Word of advice for Cambodia, they use US currency ...read more but will only accept clean, crisp notes. One note was rejected because it had a tiny tear. Food is fantastic and so cheap! Get a massage in your free time and don't forget pub street on Siem Reap. Do not do this tour if you don't travel well in long car rides - the drive to Bangkok was 10 hours in a van. Overall a great holiday, and highly recommended.
Popular Trips
16 Days Wellington to Wellington
Operator: G Adventures
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