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Intrepid vs Topdeck
Compare the travel styles, pricing, destinations and popularity of Intrepid and Topdeck.The Low Down
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.
Topdeck has undergone a complete brand refresh and their big bus tours are out. An all-new portfolio of small group tours for travellers aged 18 to 32 have been released. There's a maximum of 18 travellers on each trip along with a more targeted age range that has narrowed from 18-39 to 18-32.With a renewed focus on connection, Topdeck's small group trips prioritise authentic, genuine interactions with fellow travellers. Smaller groups allow for a more connected and personal exploration of each destination and a more inclusive and communal atmosphere.
While Europe makes up the backbone of Topdeck's range, they also run a series of tours through Asia, Egypt, Morocco and New Zealand. Topdeck's new trips take advantage of public transport where they can - like the use trains over coaches to allow more time in key cities and less time spent travelling.
Stats
No. of Trips
982
No. of Departures
48,023
Avg. Trip Length
13 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$334
Accommodation
Mixed
Budget
Affordable & Premium
No. of Trips
70
No. of Departures
848
Avg. Trip Length
15 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$217
Accommodation
Mixed
Budget
Affordable
In Their Own Words We asked the travel companies themselves why you should travel with them
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.
Topdeck's origin story was small group touring. It was 14 absolute adventurers who were fun and spirited and ready to go out there and see everything. At the end of the 90's and into the 2000's, Topdeck moved to large coaches and now we're returning to or roots. Our travellers don’t see bigger groups as ‘more social’ -they want to connect quickly, with like-minded people, in a way that feels less overwhelming and less intrusive.
Small group touring unlocks up so many opportunities. We can now get into local tavernas or hole-in-the-wall restaurants, sit family-style, and build that cultural connection. We can run small optional expereinces and secure entry to highlights like the Alhambra much more easily than with a large coach. It makes each experience more immersive and flexible.
What’s changed is the trip itself: better choice of centrally located accommodation, richer in-destination experiences, and more inclusivity.
Recent Reviews
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.
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.
India with Intrepid was great experience, lots to see and do every day. The first 4 days of our tour felt quite rushed. Our trip leader had to make up for time lost due to traffic or walks taking longer than expected, which resulted in packed meals or pre-made meals (eg they called ahead to the Acid Attacks restaurant and got premade lunches and only read more stopped for 20 minutes, rather than getting a proper lunch). This was no fault of our tour director, rather poor planning of the tour.
After the first 4 days, the tour was better planned and we weren't rushed. The heritage forts were amazing, and had nice pools and rooms. The glamping tents were a highlight. The regular hotel rooms were good, although some were missing in-room fridges (which was important for a diabetic tour member). Food was as expected: Great Indian food. All the dinners were great. We found the hotel breakfasts overpriced for what was offered and didn't taste great, and ended up wondering the markets in the morning instead to get fresh fruit, lassis and deep-fried breakfast treats. Lunches were a bit hit and miss.
We walked around 8,000 steps on the average day. Biggest day was 16,000 steps. If I did it again I would bring a few more masks. Lots of dust/smog everywhere can get annoying, especially on tuk tuk rides (also, if shopping in busy streets, vendors leave you alone if you wear a mask). Otherwise everything was great! Shout out to Georgie at Global Journeys for booking my trip. Will get her to book my next trip for sure!
After the first 4 days, the tour was better planned and we weren't rushed. The heritage forts were amazing, and had nice pools and rooms. The glamping tents were a highlight. The regular hotel rooms were good, although some were missing in-room fridges (which was important for a diabetic tour member). Food was as expected: Great Indian food. All the dinners were great. We found the hotel breakfasts overpriced for what was offered and didn't taste great, and ended up wondering the markets in the morning instead to get fresh fruit, lassis and deep-fried breakfast treats. Lunches were a bit hit and miss.
We walked around 8,000 steps on the average day. Biggest day was 16,000 steps. If I did it again I would bring a few more masks. Lots of dust/smog everywhere can get annoying, especially on tuk tuk rides (also, if shopping in busy streets, vendors leave you alone if you wear a mask). Otherwise everything was great! Shout out to Georgie at Global Journeys for booking my trip. Will get her to book my next trip for sure!
4.6
I have traveled a lot for school and work but this Euro trip was by far the best experience. I got to experience new cultures, try new foods, meet incredible people and have memories for a lifetime with new bonds I created. This is a VERY fast paced trip. It gives you teasers of each city. Be prepared to pack, tour and explore in a short period of time. read more It gave me a broad perspective of the cities I would like to visit again. Thank you for a great tour and a lifetime of memories Topdeck!
Central Europe Highlights 1
Get Social: Central Europe Highlights (Winter)
Oliver, New Zealand, Jan 2023
Fantastic trip, accommodation and travel were great and the team leader was amazing. Found it a great way to get an overview of Europe, though I think in retrospect more time in fewer places would have been better as at times it felt quite rushed. Ultimately though I was able to see and do what I wanted to do, though each day was fairly jam packed to read more do it all. Really enjoyed myself.
Fast paced trip through many locations in Italy 4
Delve Deep: Italy
Barbara, VIC, Australia, Aug 2017
Bravo Italia was a fantastic tour that included 16 stops around Italy. This is not for someone looking for a leisurely holiday - every bus day had stops at towns with walking tours and then time for lunch along with a group dinner once you arrived in your location, and most free days had included walking tours or activities that took up most of the read more morning. If you are looking to see as much as you can in as little time as possible I would recommend this. Our trip leader was highly knowledgeable and always happy to help if you had a question about where to go, what to do, etc. The other people on the trip were mostly from Aus/NZ and were mostly age 25+, with a lot of couples. Booking through Global Journeys was easy and I would use them again.
This tour is great for someone who wants to get a taste of many different countries in Europe and plans on returning later for some more in-depth travel. The tour is very fast paced, as you are on the bus almost every day, but the trips go by quickly and before you know it you are in a new place. The accomodations were all of decent quality, the included read more meals were nice and there was a great mix of planned activities and free time. There was never any pressure to do any activities though, so you could always go off on your own accord if you wish. My tour leader Jass and driver Filipe made the trip fun and I will never forget this experience. If you are thinking about it and are not sure... just do it. It's the best thing I've ever done and as a solo traveller was a great way for me to make friends.
Juliet at Global Journeys was an excellent travel agent - she put through all my request efficiently and promptly and was happy to answer any questions. Would highly recommend booking through Global Journeys as they gave me the best price I could find on this trip.
Juliet at Global Journeys was an excellent travel agent - she put through all my request efficiently and promptly and was happy to answer any questions. Would highly recommend booking through Global Journeys as they gave me the best price I could find on this trip.
A very fast paced and exhausting tour but really worth it. I got to visit all of the places I only used to dream of visiting. The accommodation was lacking in some cities but generally pretty good. The Topdeck tour leader and coach driver were very professional and lovely people. Some of the optional excursions were disappointing but I'm glad that I read more got to experience them.
Booking through Global Journeys was a breeze and Juliet Scott was fantastic! I would definitely recommend this trip and booking through Global Journeys to friends and family.
Booking through Global Journeys was a breeze and Juliet Scott was fantastic! I would definitely recommend this trip and booking through Global Journeys to friends and family.
I really enjoyed the laid back pace of this tour. Unlike the usual Europe coach tours, this felt more relaxed, mostly as it was one county and main transport by ferry. The accommodation could be better, hotels usually not in central locations (apart from the really small islands we visited) and fairly dated/old. Also, a large chunk of the tour are very read more young, be prepared for lots of alcohol/late nights. I found the pairing of roommates quite odd (e.g I'm in my mid twenties and shared with an 18 year old, another was a 30 year old with a 20 year old). Otherwise the tour was very enjoyable and I really enjoyed the amount of free time. The optional tours were worth it as well.
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