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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, 18-to-Thirty Somethings adventures and National Georgraphic Signature luxury trips into their portfolio of trip styles.
Stats
No. of Trips
405
No. of Departures
5,000
Avg. Trip Length
12 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$274
Accommodation
Mixed
Budget
Affordable & Premium
No. of Trips
1,066
No. of Departures
96,943
Avg. Trip Length
13 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$245
Accommodation
Mixed
Budget
Affordable & Premium & Luxury
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
Was a great trip. Some accommodation very simple but lots of great experiences including sleeping on deck of a river boat. Most of my party of ten were keen bird watchers who were very happy. First time I had taken an Encounter trip but would certainly do another. Appreciate the wonderful assistance of Tracey through the entire booking process.
The experience was amazing - our guide was very knowledgeable and kind and the accommodations were all very comfortable! My favorite part was riding camels through the Sahara!
We enjoyed our cycle trip from Porto to Lisboa in October. This was our first bike tour and although challenging at times, we did it. THe group was easy to get along with and the Guide, Mike (from Montaraz Outdoors) was exceptional. He was very encouraging and always assisting. I had a flat tire one day and he had it fixed in less than 5 minutes (okay, read more 6).The communication with Explore was good; the cost was reasonable and the tour itself exceeded our expectations. It was a great way to travel and see the countryside of Portugal. We look forward to our next journey.
Kaitlyn was a great help booking and answering questions. She always answered email in a timely manner. I am planning another trip with Kaitlyn.
Upgraded walking tour of Pirtugal 0
Upgraded - Walking in the Algarve
Kathy, ACT, Australia, Oct 2025
This was a very well organised itinerary with interesting content. The accommodation was good and well placed with easy access to the local town/village. The guide was excellent - a local of the area, willing to go the extra mile to ensure the group had an enjoyable experience both on the walks, after walk activities and on the free day.
This was my 4th tour with Explore. Another enjoyable tour with a fantastic young Greek tour leader: very professional, friendly and organised who led us on our walks and organised us with getting on and off ferries and using local buses. A great group of 11 travellers from UK, USA and 1 other Australian. We enjoyed great food and wine at restaurants read more recommended by the tour leader. We visited: Syros, Paros, Naxos and Santorini. Highlights were: the walks, including 1 along a marble Byzantine road and the optional cooking class in Paros. Accommodation in Naxos was not that good and our visit was hampered by rain. This was the 1st of 3 tours I did in 6 weeks, all arranged with the helpful and friendly assistance of Georgie and Hannah.
4.6
Make sure you can walk 0
Christmas in Central Europe, Berlin to Vienna
Mom and Daughter Trip, WA, United States, Nov 2025
We did a mother–daughter trip. We can both walk. Some in our group could not, and it really dragged us down. We also can follow simple travel instructions and pivot to make our own plans for side activities and meals; others could not. That said, we had a great time!
Our CEO, Jelena, was great. However, at times we felt that she could have used some read more office support that she could have contacted. We turned a corner to be at a Christmas market that wasn’t there in Berlin. She did a great job of pivoting, knowing some history to tell us, and found a cathedral for us to go in and tour for a moment. She also explained some other monuments that were in the plaza, which was an old site used for Christmas markets but not in 2025.
The small offers that the tour company provided, such as the currywurst, the glüevine, and lebkuchen, seemed to be more difficult with the budget allowed by the tour company than it really needed to be. For instance, people were given too many options: what was in the budget, or add more money, or pay for the deposit on the mugs and get it back if you want, or keep it if you want. It just seemed very confusing for so many people at once. It would have been nice if it had been arranged that we went to a specific booth for each of those items. Maybe G Adventures is able to look into contracting that in the future. Or making a specific reservation for the cakes and coffee in Vienna. Or working it out ahead of time with the restaurant on the meet-up day for a set meal that’s within the budget, so everybody can get a little bit without having to go over budget, get confused, and feel off-put on our first dinner together.
We loved the Christmas markets. We loved the time that we spent. We loved the bit of history that we learned through our CEO. We know that it was one of the first Christmas market tours of the year, and we definitely felt some hiccups, but we had a good group of people that really tried to make the best of it.
I would recommend this tour for anyone in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s. My mom was fine in her 70s, but others younger were not. I don’t want to sound bad, but if you walk with a cane, a walking tour is probably not the tour group that’s best for you. That’s the experience that 17 people had to endure on our tour. They would have to be able to walk multiple miles and deal with their luggage themselves, because one slow person affects 17 other people, and that really isn’t fair for the 17.
We knew we were going to be staying at smaller places, and they were great and had different personalities. Although the one in Salzburg should probably be looked at for the smell in the restroom, on the flip side that smell made us get out of the room nice and early to find the Thursday market in Salzburg, which was an amazing find and one of the highlights of our trip.
The accommodations were okay. I would give them about two stars at best. Berlin was a little bit better. But for single women traveling, places with a whole lot of graffiti or a strip club across the street were not exactly the safest feeling, and I don’t know if that was actually planned. But it’s how it was, and we did try to travel in groups because of that. There were some very high points and some very “this could be done a little bit better with just a little bit of effort” points as well.
Our CEO, Jelena, was great. However, at times we felt that she could have used some read more office support that she could have contacted. We turned a corner to be at a Christmas market that wasn’t there in Berlin. She did a great job of pivoting, knowing some history to tell us, and found a cathedral for us to go in and tour for a moment. She also explained some other monuments that were in the plaza, which was an old site used for Christmas markets but not in 2025.
The small offers that the tour company provided, such as the currywurst, the glüevine, and lebkuchen, seemed to be more difficult with the budget allowed by the tour company than it really needed to be. For instance, people were given too many options: what was in the budget, or add more money, or pay for the deposit on the mugs and get it back if you want, or keep it if you want. It just seemed very confusing for so many people at once. It would have been nice if it had been arranged that we went to a specific booth for each of those items. Maybe G Adventures is able to look into contracting that in the future. Or making a specific reservation for the cakes and coffee in Vienna. Or working it out ahead of time with the restaurant on the meet-up day for a set meal that’s within the budget, so everybody can get a little bit without having to go over budget, get confused, and feel off-put on our first dinner together.
We loved the Christmas markets. We loved the time that we spent. We loved the bit of history that we learned through our CEO. We know that it was one of the first Christmas market tours of the year, and we definitely felt some hiccups, but we had a good group of people that really tried to make the best of it.
I would recommend this tour for anyone in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s. My mom was fine in her 70s, but others younger were not. I don’t want to sound bad, but if you walk with a cane, a walking tour is probably not the tour group that’s best for you. That’s the experience that 17 people had to endure on our tour. They would have to be able to walk multiple miles and deal with their luggage themselves, because one slow person affects 17 other people, and that really isn’t fair for the 17.
We knew we were going to be staying at smaller places, and they were great and had different personalities. Although the one in Salzburg should probably be looked at for the smell in the restroom, on the flip side that smell made us get out of the room nice and early to find the Thursday market in Salzburg, which was an amazing find and one of the highlights of our trip.
The accommodations were okay. I would give them about two stars at best. Berlin was a little bit better. But for single women traveling, places with a whole lot of graffiti or a strip club across the street were not exactly the safest feeling, and I don’t know if that was actually planned. But it’s how it was, and we did try to travel in groups because of that. There were some very high points and some very “this could be done a little bit better with just a little bit of effort” points as well.
Wonderful tour. Japanese 'CEO' was so kind and well organized. She made sure we had a great variety of experiences in and outside of the cities. I loved every moment of my tour.
This was our 5th trip with G Adventures and it did not disappoint. The CEO, Toshio, was outstanding in his knowledge, organization, kindness and generosity. He even guided us around during free time ! I used Global Journeys to book the trip because they quoted a better price than GAdventures. Melissa made the booking easy and made sure I received read more my GAdventures credit and also that we could use our rail pass on the last day for our transfer to the airport. We used Zipair for our flight and had no problem using a no-frills company to save on our flight costs. Accomodation was as expected with only 2 nights with shared washrooms. Seniors might have difficulty with beds on the floor.
Time of year was perfect for us as we don’t like heat, Temperature ranged from 10-20 C with the cooler days being in the mountains. There was only 1 day of rain and it was light. We had a nice mix of fellow travellers from 4 different countries and an age range of 35- 80 yrs. A couple of people in the group brought way too much luggage and relied on others for help. We walked 17,000- 20,000 steps a day so you must be fit enough do this as well as carry your own luggage. The itinerary was ideal for first time visitors and we didn’t feel rushed.
Time of year was perfect for us as we don’t like heat, Temperature ranged from 10-20 C with the cooler days being in the mountains. There was only 1 day of rain and it was light. We had a nice mix of fellow travellers from 4 different countries and an age range of 35- 80 yrs. A couple of people in the group brought way too much luggage and relied on others for help. We walked 17,000- 20,000 steps a day so you must be fit enough do this as well as carry your own luggage. The itinerary was ideal for first time visitors and we didn’t feel rushed.
The soloish trip to Italy was the best trip I have taken. Having a group of solo travelers patriciate in a pasta making class the first night was an excellent bonding moment. I had such a good time, our CEO was outstanding and I have made lifelong friends. I will definitely travel with G adventures again.
The group was an excellent size, lovely guide and bus driver. Plenty of time at each stop, and Meghan our guide was very thorough in both informing us and setting us on our way for our free time slots. Hotels okay, but the Relais hotel in Parisshould not be allowed to let room 111. It is not up to standard. and actually, most depressing to be in. All in all a great trip.
Galapagos Adventure: Snorkelling & Sea Lions 1
Galápagos Adventure: Snorkelling & Sea Lions
David, NC, United States, Sep 2025
The tours and activities were great! Really enjoyed our leader. Felt like he was very knowledgeable and he was very personable. One complaint-breakfasts were way too small. Nina from Global Journeys was extremely helpful. Especially since I made arrangements kind of last minute.
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