6 Reasons to Travel On a Small Group Tour with Inspiring Journeys

Let’s be honest, group travel can be a little bit confronting if it is your first time. It brings forth visions of garish umbrellas, conveyor-belt photo ops, and exhausted crowds jostling for a moment’s personal space. The good news is, small group tours with Inspiring Journeys include none of those things. It’s not a typical package holiday but a personalised journey wrapped in luxury.

Previous travel experiences with friends, family and loved ones have taught you what you like and what you don’t, but these trips don’t begin to shed light on what you have not yet experienced_ luxury small group tours. If you’re undecided on small group travel, read on to discover six surprising benefits that could convince even the most independent explorers.

Intimate Group Sizes

In the tourism industry, the term ‘small group tour’ is thrown around to describe groups of up to 50 passengers, but small group tours with Inspiring Journeys never exceed 20 passengers. We feel that 20 people is just the right amount to slip into backstreet eateries, find space to relax, and create connections with locals and each other that will translate into moments that you will treasure forever.

Like-Minded Travelling Companions

The guests we welcome onto our Inspiring Journey’s coaches are diverse in age, ethnicity and lifestyle, and therefore, the diverse life experience of each passenger brings a new layer of perspective to your holiday. You can expect to be learning a wealth of history and knowledge from not only your Travel Director, but from your fellow enthusiastic travellers as well.

Whatever the reason for your journey – whether be it a personal pilgrimage or an unticked item on a lengthy bucket list – everyone on your tour will have one thing in common - they’ve chosen to share their travel experience with others. When you look back on your tour, the memories you have shared with others will just as unforgettable as the destinations themselves, and many of our guests leave with lifelong friends. So share a piece of yourself and expect laughs, snacks, deep connections and unforgettable memories in return.

Learning from a Local

When you’re trying to get under the skin of a destination in a limited timeframe, it is best to enlist the help of a local expert. Our Journey Directors and Driver Guides are the difference between a good tour and an unforgettable experience. Their passion and knowledge for the history, culture, and natural surroundings of your chosen destination will astound you, and they are more than happy to take care of the time-consuming aspects like organising tickets and check-ins.

With a small group, there is no need for concern of whether you will be able to hear your guide during the tour, and you will always have the chance to ask questions. Plus, they are always willing to go to the extra mile to help you customise your journey, even at the last minute.

Authentic Experiences Off-The-Beaten-Track

Our guests often tell us that the best part about their small group tour was the places they’d never thought to visit, and the people they wouldn’t have otherwise met. While Inspiring Journeys always include the highlights of an area, they also veer off the tourist trail to give you a real taste of authentic local experiences. Historic towns, nature trails, local dining, and cultural experiences that aren’t found in global guidebooks provide unexpected moments that are not easy to discover as an independent traveller.

Touring with a Touch of Luxe

Joining a small group tour certainly doesn’t mean you have to go without home comforts that you so dearly miss when you’re on the road. We believe that holidays are a time to feel pampered, and a chance to have someone else do the legwork while you put your feet up. Inspiring Journeys itineraries are designed to ensure your experience is in every way the luxury you deserve, from exclusive experiences, customisations, exceptional cuisine and world-class accommodation. It’s luxury worth leaving home for.

Take Only Memories, Leave Only Footprints

Travel is an incredible gift. It has the ability to open our eyes, hearts and minds to the unique cultures and natural beauty of the world. But with this gift comes a responsibility to protect the world for future generations. When you travel in a small group, you are already making a huge difference by minimising the environmental impact caused by independent travel. We place conservation and sustainability at the heart of every trip, and partner with accommodation providers that take responsible tourism seriously.

Furthermore, we are active partners with the TreadRight Foundation, the not-for-profit organisation that was launched as a joint initiative between The Travel Corporation’s family of brands and is the organisation at the heart of our commitment to Make Travel Matter. With their help, we support a number of initiatives to safeguard the planet, wildlife, and people in the communities that we visit for generations to come. Learn more about our sustainability ethos here TreadRight.org

Need More Convincing to Join a Journey Worth Sharing?

The shared camaraderie of a small group tour is one of its greatest traits. Journeys are not routes from A to B, they are intangible sensory experiences that seem to double in potency when you see the joy and wonderment on other people’s faces. In one recent group, we had a guest from Scotland who had never seen a kangaroo before; to all the Aussies in the group this was a regular occurrence but being able to witness the guest’s awe and delight as the joey bounced around made them feel like it was as special as their first time.

You may arrive on this journey by yourself or with a loved one, but these special experiences have a way of bringing people together. You will come from all different places, but you will leave feeling connected. Your journey has been deep and awe-inspiring, your goodbyes heartfelt.