Home > Compare Tour & Adventure Operators > Intrepid vs Topdeck
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.
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
1,147
No. of Departures
29,519
Avg. Trip Length
12 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$400
Accommodation
Mixed
Budget
Affordable & Premium
No. of Trips
65
No. of Departures
551
Avg. Trip Length
14 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$282
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 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 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
4.3
Thanks Intrepid. Booking with a company we had never used before we were slightly concerned at the lack of (tiny) details (prior to the trip), but true to our agent at Global Journeys, Hannah and Intrepid made it all look easy. I know what it's like wrangling parties of 10 or more (like herding fleas), but our group was always on time for meet ups, ...read more and our guide, Valentina Lorrasu was absolutely brilliant. It was her first tour with Intrepid, but she had researched our trip in great detail and was not only great at 'mothering us' along, but she handled some out-of-left-field issues with great aplomb. This was also our first overseas trip since 2019 (COVID), and we came home feeling we had received outstanding value for money, great hotels, terrific food and the sights around Sicily were a treat. Thanks Global Journeys, Intrepid and Valentina - terrific combination of professionals.
Our trip to the Galapagos Islands was one that was long planned and eagerly awaited, and proved to be everything we had hoped. We had decided that, since we were only going to be there once in our lives, we should spend as much time as we could. I wondered whether the 10 nights on the Grand Queen Beatrix might prove too much, but it was fantastic, ...read more and every day brought a new experience. The wildlife was spectacular and much of it incredibly tame. The opportunity to snorkel every day had us swimming with sea lions, penguins, white-tipped sharks and a huge variety of colourful fish. The unique land and marine iguanas were impressive and birdlife was prolific. Every island was somewhat different and beautiful in its own way.
Intrepid’s Grand Queen Beatrix was a lovely small ship and we were pleased that we had booked one of the balcony rooms. It allowed more air into the cabin and a place to dry wet clothes. The rooms did not have a lot of storage and we ended up with one of us living out of a suitcase, but that worked fine and was not a problem. The crew were wonderful and the guides excellent, food was delicious, healthy and plentiful, which we needed because the high level of activity every day meant increased appetites. We were only filled to capacity (16 pax) for a few days of the trip and our fellow passengers were great company.
The tour included one additional night both before and after the Islands in Quito at Le Parc Hotel. We also booked 2 further nights before and 3 after at Le Parc and made good use of them doing the hop-on/hop-off bus and day trips with to the Mindo Cloud Forest to see hummingbirds and tucans, and Mitad Del Mundo where the equator passes through the outskirts of Quito. We did all these tours with the Quito Tour Bus (quitotourbus.com) which proved good value for money. We also went up the Telerifico Cable Car with expansive views down over Quito and spent a couple of hours in the wonderful Botanic Gardens just one block from the hotel.
I had originally thought I might book a different hotel in the “old town”, but was very glad I had not. Although Le Parc was some distance from the old centre of Quito, it was a comparatively safe area and very cheap to get anywhere by taxi.
For anyone contemplating going to Galapagos Islands and Ecuador, my advice is to do an Intrepid cruise for as many nights as you can afford, and add a couple of extra nights in Quito, where there is much to see and do.
Intrepid’s Grand Queen Beatrix was a lovely small ship and we were pleased that we had booked one of the balcony rooms. It allowed more air into the cabin and a place to dry wet clothes. The rooms did not have a lot of storage and we ended up with one of us living out of a suitcase, but that worked fine and was not a problem. The crew were wonderful and the guides excellent, food was delicious, healthy and plentiful, which we needed because the high level of activity every day meant increased appetites. We were only filled to capacity (16 pax) for a few days of the trip and our fellow passengers were great company.
The tour included one additional night both before and after the Islands in Quito at Le Parc Hotel. We also booked 2 further nights before and 3 after at Le Parc and made good use of them doing the hop-on/hop-off bus and day trips with to the Mindo Cloud Forest to see hummingbirds and tucans, and Mitad Del Mundo where the equator passes through the outskirts of Quito. We did all these tours with the Quito Tour Bus (quitotourbus.com) which proved good value for money. We also went up the Telerifico Cable Car with expansive views down over Quito and spent a couple of hours in the wonderful Botanic Gardens just one block from the hotel.
I had originally thought I might book a different hotel in the “old town”, but was very glad I had not. Although Le Parc was some distance from the old centre of Quito, it was a comparatively safe area and very cheap to get anywhere by taxi.
For anyone contemplating going to Galapagos Islands and Ecuador, my advice is to do an Intrepid cruise for as many nights as you can afford, and add a couple of extra nights in Quito, where there is much to see and do.
Booking through Global Journeys was a smooth process. This tour gave me new experiences and adventure. My room in Nick's Pension Hotel, Ubud, had ants and cockroaches! The remaining hotels are of average standard. Our tour guide was helpful and approachable.
In India anything is possible. If you go with an open mind and just enjoy the differences from your home country, you will love this glimpse into India. Accommodation was clean and comfortable more so than premium but locations usually close to sights. Plenty of food available and options for those who didn’t want the local delicacies all the time. ...read more India is organised chaos at times but throughly enjoyable. If you are unsure, just book this trip and go. Embrace it.
This turned out to be a fantastic trip. Although I had some initial doubts after we landed in Mumbai. Mumbai is a very busy place and as such quite dirty but well worth seeing. The trip got better the more we explored. The red forts, the Taj Mahal and the many lakes were amazing. The food took a little bit of getting used to but over all was good. Nice ...read more to have some authentic Indian curries.
We enjoyed a wonderful holiday on our Intrepid premium tour of India arranged by Global Journeys. The indian people are so friendly, happy and content. Our guide Yaddu was amazing, his wealth of knowledge on the history of the towns we visited and the architecture was unlimited. Thoughly recommend this wonderful country.
4.6
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.
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.
Popular Trips
19 Days London to London
Operator: Topdeck
From 5,805
Save 1,094
