Intrepid vs Topdeck

Compare the travel styles, pricing, destinations and popularity of Intrepid and Topdeck.

The Low Down

Intrepid 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 If you are 18 to 39 then you might want to consider jumping onboard with Topdeck. Epic Euro Trips, in-depth small group trips, and tented camping trips around Europe in the summer months. While Europe makes up the backbone of Topdeck's range, they also run a series of tours through the USA, Canada, Africa, Asia, Australia & New Zealand.

As opposed to Contiki, Topdeck trips allow you to be another 4 years older before you have to start considering alternatives. With the potential to still be boozy, party trips, the subtle change is age range means clients are more inclined to exploring the destination and culture, with plenty of free time on offer to do so.

Stats

No. of Trips
1,148
No. of Departures
33,460
Avg. Trip Length
12 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$410
Accommodation
Mixed
Budget
Affordable & Premium
No. of Trips
65
No. of Departures
643
Avg. Trip Length
14 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$274
Accommodation
Mixed
Budget
Affordable
Trip Styles Coach Tours18-to-30'sSailing Trips

In Their Own Words We asked the travel companies themselves why you should travel with them

Intrepid
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
Topdeck is a collective of explorers who are devoted to travel, we strive to open minds, shift perspectives, learn new things and make a difference. We build epic group trips for 18 to 30 somethings and our passion is to inspire young people through life-changing travel experiences.

With over 46 years’ experience, our business is to make travel dreams a reality, we know what works and we’re not afraid to shout about it. We offer variety, comfort and value for money, and promise a hassle-free holiday, loaded with authentic local experiences.

With loads of free time to explore, heaps of included meals, access to some amazing bucket list activities and the opportunity to meet a whole bunch of like-minded young travellers, Topdeck trips are way more than your average package tour. They’re the experience of a lifetime.

We build the trips. You build the memories. So, if you’re looking for an unforgettable adventure? Topdeck’s the only choice!

Recent Reviews

Vietnam by Bike   0 , WA, Australia, Mar 2024
Just returned from this fantastic cycling trip. Maisie was amazing, prompt, efficient, accurate and professional in making the booking for me. Some others who used different agents did not have final details of transfers communicated to them. The Global journeys website and Maisie's documentation meant my trip went without a hitch. I had done the same ...read more trip with a different company in 2014. The difference in population growth, motor bike numbers, scale of tourism development and the number of tourists in Vietnam was astounding.

On this trip the guide (and also his support crew) was fantastic, organised, super attentive to each persons needs, good fun, careful with clear instructions. The route was different to last time and although could have been challenging was very doable. Being a cyclist/tourer who has done many trips over the years I am finding people who ride electric bikes (because they think they can) can be challenging to a cyclists e.g. I have to wait till all the e-bike problems are sorted, trying to predict when they will turn their motor assist on so as to keep out of the way, not being aware of when to change gears (gears first THEN motor!!! NOT just turn up the motor) and when the electric bike riders get tired on a long day of say 80km they tend to ride faster which unnecessarily ups the pace. I will go to my grave with this complaint until all hire e-bikes are upgraded to torque sensors.

I thoroughly recommend the trip. NEVER be afraid to stop & take photos. March/April is the time of year to do this trip. Cool in the North and warms as you progress south. Accommodation was as expected great. Just don't expect every hotel to cater for the minority of Western tourists. Traffic looks like bedlam, but all over Asia & the subcontinent I feel safer riding than in Australia because traffic 'just works' without the need for regimented rules and each vehicle driver is considerate and mindful of other road users of ALL types. Friendly beeps to let you know there is traffic around is NOT aggressive like in Australia and road rage is never seen. Again thoroughly recommend Global Journeys, I thank Maisie and recommend this cycling trip with Intrepid. Just watch Intrepid's (in my opinion) 'unaustralian' way of increasing the price of the trip as it fills up - Dutch auction approach. Check Global Journeys website.
Iceland - absolutely awesome   0 , QLD, Australia, Feb 2024
I'd really rather you didn't go there and make it more "peopley" but - this tour, the tour guide we had and Iceland were epic, amazing, outstanding beautiful, absolutely awesome. This is a second to none destination in my opinion and this tour gives you a great starting glimpse of a wonderfully diverse country. The tour is perfect to get you started ...read more on an addiction to this country and it's people.

Our guide, Stefano, was one in a million......just enough care to keep you safe without smothering the life out of you, just enough running commentary that you're informed but not bored to death by a guide that won't shut up. Do the tour - you won't regret it. I will be back, I will be there for a lot longer and I'm very tempted to never come home!
Best of Vietnam and Cambodia with Global Journeys & Intrepid   0 , Australia, Feb 2024
5 star for our communications with Hannah from Global Journeys. Hannah always responded quickly and comprehensively to our queries along the way for our booking on the Intrepid 18 day Best of Vietnam and Cambodia. We would have no hesitation in booking with Global Journeys and Hannah particularly in the future.
Reccomend this trip   1 , VIC, Australia, Jan 2024
This was Intrepid at its best. Great tour leader Nova, well balanced itinerary and an excellent range of accommodation. I loved the blend of free time with included activities. It exceeded my expectations.
Wobderful tour through Vietnam & Cambodia   1 , QLD, Australia, Dec 2023
Such a great experience. I really enjoyed all aspects if the tour, it was all part of the adventure. Our Intrepid guides, Tuan in Vietnan and Ly in Cambodia went above and beyond to make sure every went smoothly.
Premium Northern Thailand   0 , VIC, Australia, Dec 2023
I would highly recommend the Premium Northern Thailand tour - the accomodation was great. Our tour leader, Katie (Thai Name: Lalada) was very knowledgeable with a great sense of humour! I was originally hesitant, as I was travelling alone, but it was pretty safe and fun to travel with the small group of up to a maximum 12 people. Overall, I thoroughly ...read more enjoyed the trip with my tour mates and was impressed with the accommodation, the food, the places we visited and the tour dynamics. Would definitely recommend.
Central Europe Highlights   0 , 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   3 , 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.
Great time on Topdeck   4 , SA, Australia, Jun 2017
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.
A trip of a lifetime   2 , NSW, Australia, Jun 2017
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.
Nice pace   5 , VIC, Australia, Apr 2017
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.
Intro to Europe   1 , QLD, Australia, Apr 2017
We both had a great time, got to see so much and learnt a lot along the way. Booking through Global Journeys made it very easy.

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