Home > Compare Tour & Adventure Operators > Explore vs Intrepid
Explore vs Intrepid
Compare the travel styles, pricing, destinations and popularity of Explore and Intrepid.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.
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
402
No. of Departures
5,872
Avg. Trip Length
12 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$247
Accommodation
Mixed
Budget
Affordable & Premium
No. of Trips
1,116
No. of Departures
78,766
Avg. Trip Length
12 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$296
Accommodation
Mixed
Budget
Affordable & Premium
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.
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
4.8
We have never been part of a tour group previously, preferring to plan everything ourselves at our own pace, etc. This tour was our first group and we loved it. The guide, Justyna, was amazing and went above and beyond at every opportunity. The group itself was very fun, and the tour left enough time for us to do some things on our own.
Very scenic tour and I enjoyed the small group vibe. Nice hotels in very convenient locations and a lovely, helpful guide made it a trip to remember!
Thoroughly enjoyed this tour. We were fortunate to have great weather...no road closures or inaccessible areas. Our guide Gusti was extremely informative, helpful and entertaining. A good representative for Iceland and the local tour company representing Explore!
This tour started in Singapore and although I have visited the island a few times before I appreciated seeing the sights again with an informative local guide. The journey through Malaysia covered the highlights that I wished to see: the historical Dutch influence on the Straits settlement of Malacca, the contrast of skyscrapers and local areas in KL, ...read more a homestay amongst the rubber plantations near Ipoh, the rolling hills of tea in the Cameron Highlands, UNESCO Georgetown, Penang and finishing with a relaxing stay on Langkawi.
I enjoyed learning the history of the three countries visited as well as the current politics and social environment. I liked the capital cities of Baku, Tbilisi and Yerevan, as well as the Black Sea resort town of Batumi in Georgia. and many historic churches and monasteries in between. It's a pity though that the time in Tbilisi was rather limited. ...read more It's a city that deserves more sightseeing time. On the other hand, I think there was too much time spent on wineries and wine tastings.
Very good tour. A full tour - 16 people including 10 singles, people from all around the world which was great to see. This was my 3rd tour with Explore. This is graded as a "moderate" tour and was certainly a lot slower paced than my previous trip to Georgia & Armenia. Tour leader and driver were both North Macedonian. Tour leader had a great personality ...read more and was very professional and caring especially when 1 person had a fall and broke a bone in their foot on day 12 of the tour. We had great weather, sunny and warm with an enjoyable 3 night stay in Lake Ohrid and visit to Thassos island in northern Greece. Hotels were well located, being walking distance to town centres. Lots of monasteries and churches, especially compared to the number of ancient sites in northern Greece we visited. Booking with Georgie is always seamless, she provides very prompt, professional and friendly service.
4.4
A well organised trip with careful planning for each of the days walks. Our guide, Joe, was exceptional. Would recommend if you like walking, but not carrying luggage.
Galapagos certainly didn’t disappoint with an abundance of marine life on the islands. The tour itself was OK, guide had little interest in the job and the guests. Probably best to just do 2 islands rather than 3, a few very early days to move around the islands.
We thoroughly enjoyed our explore Spain & Portugal tour with Intrepid Travel We saw so many beautiful cities & met some lovely people. Enjoyed getting around like a local using public transport & seeing so much history.
The tour was excellent! We were a group of 12 travelers from different countries and had a great time together. The tour guides were very knowledgeable and helpful. They showed us how people live in South East Asia and we participated in some activities that made us part of the experience. I hope to travel with Intrepid again in the future.
This was my 2nd Intrepid tour. This tour focused on Sequoia, Kings Canyon and Yosemite national parks. We had an enthusiastic Tour Leader who provided clear and informative information. This tour has a few hikes but is graded Level 2 whereas the Utah Hiking tour I also did with Intrepid was Level 3 - you notice the difference, slower pace, walks more ...read more than hikes. We had great weather on this tour, our day at Yosemite was wonderful, blue skies, sunshine 25C and lots of waterfalls. We were lucky to see a bear on this trip as well as deer and lots of squirrels and chipmunks. A nice drive around the highlights of San Francisco to end the tour.
Fantastic trip through key places in Uzbekistan. Saw a lots of amazing buildings and heard much of the country’s very rich history. Lovely local people everywhere who were very friendly to our tour group. The local silks, paintings and ceramics were inexpensive and gorgeous. Our tour guide Hamza was a star!
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