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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
405
No. of Departures
5,126
Avg. Trip Length
12 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$241
Accommodation
Mixed
Budget
Affordable & Premium
No. of Trips
940
No. of Departures
47,775
Avg. Trip Length
13 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$311
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
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.
4.4
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.
The trip was actually two combined. North Morroco then longer south and Central with different tour leader. First was the maximum of 16 people and no more joined for the second after seven lefy so nine people . I am so glad I did the entire tour as it include camping in the desert which was real highlight. Lots great experiences throughout.
Great trip, food, and people. Loved all the places we visited- could have spent longer in Guatemala! Personal preference I loved the city, food and people! Third leg - Antigua to Costa Rica- not too many included activities or meals. A couple of the cities our hotel was a couple km out of the city.
This was my 3rd Intrepid tour and 1st Intrepid Premium tour. 11 travellers from UK, USA, Canada and 2 other Australians. Very good tour leader who arranged restaurants every day for lunch and dinner as well as organising our travel by 2 excellent, modern hi-speed trains and a domestic flight. I really enjoyed staying in the old town areas of Bukhara read more (particularly the Jewish style house hotel) and Khiva. Stepping out from our hotels we were in the midst of the wonderful blue and green Islamic architecture. We even got to climb a minaret (for a fee)! Travelling by metro in Tashkent and visiting numerous wonderfully, individually decorated stations was another highlight. From what I have heard Uzbekistan is "the pick" of the 5 stans. This was my final tour of 3 tours in 6 weeks that I booked with the friendly and professional assistance of Georgie and Hannah.
A good introduction to Spain and Portugal 0
Classic Spain & Portugal
Peter, NSW, Australia, Oct 2025
Both Spain and Portugual have been on my to do list for quite some time! They did not disappoint! The 3 week trip with Intrepid, consisted of 2 smaller trips (8 days - Northern Spain) and 15 days (Classic Spain and Portugual), so our guide and group changed after the first week. In this first week, we caught public trains and buses which was generally read more good. However, when we arrived in a city/town like Palermo, we caught local buses to our hotel. These were often crowded and you got the distinct impression that the locals were not happy having 12 travellers with their luggage on board! This problem was solved in the next part of the tour, which used taxis/UBER to ferry us from a bus or train station to the hotel. This was far more confortable. I would also say that the hotels were only OK and generally not very centrally located (Granada, Lisbon and Porto were exceptions). Despite this, they had good access to public transport. Our local guides were excellent and had a good knowledge of food, culture and history. I would recommend this trip but make sure you know what you are getting for your money!
Travelling to the Northern Territory and particularly Kakadu National Park is something that I wanted to do for some time. I enjoyed the trip even though it was sizzling hot and humid. We were a group of 12 on the tour from different countries and we all got along very well. The Aboriginal art rock was very interesting. But I would have liked more interaction read more with the First Nation people. And yes, I liked the city of Darwin too.
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