Contiki Tours

Transfers are not included in the trip (unless specified), so you’ll need to make your own way to the start point. In particular destinations or on selected trips, we do offer chargeable transfers and/or complimentary shuttles that can be added onto your booking. Please read the trip itinerary carefully to understand available options.

It’ll be up to you to make your own way to the start point. We make sure our start points are in well connected and highly visible areas so it shouldn't be any stress getting public transport, or jumping in a cab.

Don’t panic if you’d like help planning this journey, just contact your Trip Manager (reply to the Welcome email they sent you) or contact our friendly reservations team and they can help you out.

We have a whole mix of accommodations, depending on the destination and the travel style you’ve chosen. You can stay in hotels, hostels, boats, tented safari camps, jungle lodges, eco lodges, beach resorts, and even our very own 16th century French Château. All our accommodation is vetted and chosen by our expert trip planning team.

Shared accommodation is part of the Contiki experience. How many people you’ll be sharing with depends on the region, travel style and type of accommodation you choose, but twin or multi-share (up to 6 in one room) sharing according to gender is the norm. If you identify differently to the gender on your passport, or you’re travelling with a friend or partner and you’d like to share with them, let us know so we can do our best to room you accordingly. Festival accommodation is the only instance where up to 8 people could be sharing, and this may be mixed gender.

After a lil' more privacy? On many of our trips (especially ones that are twin-share) you'll have the option to upgrade to a private room for an additional cost.

Yes. In most regions and on most trips, you’ll have the option to upgrade to a private room for an additional fee. Please note that on many of our multi-share trips that stay at hostels, this may not be possible due to a lack of availability of private rooms.

Your Trip Manager will assign each member of your group to a room, and this will be your rooming formation for the duration of the trip. If for any reason you want to switch rooms, please put this request in to your Trip Manager.

Long days exploring can often = a necessity to do laundry. The good news is, lots of our accommodation offers laundry facilities so you don’t need to be known as the traveller with stinky socks. There is a small fee for laundry services and detergent (top tip: if you want to be super saving savvy, bring some laundry powder with you). If your accommodation doesn't have a laundry service and you’re really desperate, just ask your Trip Manager to help you find a local laundrette.

They sure do. All of our Contiki branded coaches offer free WiFi to keep you up to date on the road. However, this isn’t unlimited, so we ask that you save any heavy internet usage (streaming etc.) for when you get to your accommodation.

Breakfasts are included on most trips, plus a handful of dinners. For all other meals, we like to give you the freedom to explore the local culture and cuisine… and even go on your own foodie safari.

Contiki trips balance planned-out activities with free time to explore in your own way. In other words, we provide the best framework for you to build on with free time of your own. You can choose to explore, relax or eat your way through these blocks of time, and you can do it alone or with members of your group.

That depends! If you’re heading to America, tipping is a big part of the culture and is expected when paying your dinner bill, buying drinks at a bar, and even getting a taxi. However, if you were heading to Japan, tipping would be seen as impolite.

In most parts of Europe, leaving a tip of around 5-10% of the total bill is the standard, although make sure you check the bill first, as a tip may have already been included in the total cost of the bill. It’s generally worth reading up on the tipping culture of the region you are travelling to prior to your trip, or just ask your Trip Manager about the general etiquette (even though they’ll probably tell you anyway).

In terms of tipping Contiki staff and Local Guides, this is entirely up to you! If you think a Trip Manager, Driver or Local Guide has done an awesome job (and they usually do), you might want to tip them for this, but this is at your discretion and no one else’s. Just tip what you think is right.

Tipping of Contiki Trip Managers and Drivers is completely optional. If you think your Contiki crew have delivered an outstanding level of service throughout your trip (and we hope you do), you may wish to tip them, but this is at your discretion and no one else’s.

This one depends on the destination and trip you’re travelling on. Read your Contiki travel documentation carefully to understand luggage allowances for your specific trip.

Yes! It’s a requirement of travelling with Contiki that you take out comprehensive insurance cover for cancellation, personal injury, death, medical expenses, repatriation expenses, evacuation expenses, personal liability & loss of personal property and Covid related expenses before you travel with us. It’s also super important to check that your insurance covers all of the activities you’ll be trying out, particularly any adventure activities (for all you adrenaline junkies).

Contiki social travel trips have a large degree of flexibility built into them to enable you to truly own your experience. This means that some trip elements are not included in the initial cost and may require additional budgeting.

Flights to and from your starting and ending points are not included in the cost of your trip. These can be added on during the booking process either online or via our contact center or booked independently by you.

Each trip contains the right amount of free time for you to explore or indulge your travel desires. We offer Free Time Add-Ons, which are additional experiences that are not included in the overall price. These add ons are highlighted on the specific trip page. Your Trip Manager will highlight these to you and organise their booking on trip. Exceptions may apply where pre booking is required but this will be made known to you in your pre departure information.

A number of meal times are left open for you to explore a region and its foodie offerings in greater detail, so budgeting for your taste in non-catered meals is important.

Travel insurance and visas are also not included in the cost of your trip, and should be booked separately.

Depending on where you’re travelling and your nationality, you'll likely need a valid passport and may also need visas to enter into certain countries - please check this well in advance of your trip departure date. Some countries also require passports to have 3-6 months left on them before the given expiry date.

It is your responsibility as the traveller to make sure you have the appropriate, valid documentation for the length of your trip. If Contiki requires any specific documentation, we’ll let you know either at the time of booking or before your trip.