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At Experience Rhode Island, we carefully craft every part of the tour experience, from reserving your tour to the cleanliness and comfort of our vehicles, to give you the best time possible. When you are looking for a fantastic tour of our beautiful state or a great outing with friends, know that these are our specialties, and we would love to serve you.

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10 Places Every Rhode Islander Needs to Go!

We selected 10 Places Every Rhode Islander Needs to Go! These will surely make your visit to Rhode Island worth mentioning to everyone. Get to know these places and prepare to hop on the rhode for it.

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We picked 5 of the best date ideas that you will want to experience in Rhode Island. Share these memories with your special someone.

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• North America

Central America & Caribbean

• South America

North Africa & Middle East

Few travellers make it to this icy continent, but the lucky ones who do get to explore a frozen Eden ruled by the elements and teeming with wildlife.

G Adventures Land

G adventures sailing & cruises, g adventures private travel.

Whether it’s a family retreat or a girls trip, you can surround yourself with a hand-picked crew and customize a tour that fits you all perfectly.

The Geluxe Collection

Our new line of premium active adventures is officially here. With perfectly paced itineraries, one-of-a-kind accommodations and elevated dining, this is adventure at its finest.

National Geographic Journeys

Go deeper into the cultures and habitats of the places we explore. More is included and you’ll enjoy greater hands-on exploration, interactions with local experts, and freedom to roam.

National Geographic Family Journeys

Are you an adventure-loving family in search of meaningful ways to discover the world together? These tours are specially designed for travellers seven and up and their inquisitive families.

Jane Goodall Collection

Step deeper into the animal kingdom while respecting all of its inhabitants. Our incredible collection of wildlife-focused tours is endorsed by the world-renowned ethologist.

Roamies by Hostelworld

The thrill of adventure. The awesomeness of hostels. Get ‘em both on these immersive small group trips for 18 to 35-year-old travellers.

Why choose us

As the leader in small group travel for 30 years, we know how to do it right: flexible itineraries, freedom to roam, safety, peace of mind, and locally based guides.

Change the world just by having the time of your life. When you travel with us, you become a force for good by acting responsibly and creating positive impact.

Together with our non-profit partner, Planeterra, we ensure local communities touched by our tours benefit from our visits in as many ways possible.

Trees for Days

Leave your destination even greener than you found it! For every day on tour, we’ll plant a tree in your honour and ensure that our forests get to live their best lives.

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Why travel with G Adventures?

We’re the leader in small group adventure travel for more than 30 years. How’d we get here? By redefining the way travellers see the world. Check out how we’re creating the future of travel.

Small groups

Join a small group of like-minded travellers that, like you, are eager to safely and confidently experience all the things that make our world worth exploring.

100% guaranteed departures

Pack those bags and don't break a sweat because we guarantee every single one of our departures. As long as it's safe, you're going!

Locally based guides

At G Adventures, we don’t have tour guides — we have Chief Experience Officers. And they are all locally based, meaning they know the area you’re exploring like the back of their well-travelled hand.

Built to support local communities

We have always created our tours by building meaningful relationships with local communities, directly benefiting the people and places we visit.

Flexibility, freedom, fun

No matter the Travel Style, our tours balance well-planned itineraries with the flexibility to do your own thing and make the experience your own.

When you travel with us, you experience first-hand our commitment to making travel a force for good is in everything we do.

15 Best Tour Companies of 2024

Tour companies like Intrepid Travel and G Adventures can help you create the experience of a lifetime. Choosing the right company depends on your destination and travel preferences.

Guided tours can be a great way to experience a new destination, but you want to make sure you get the best experience possible. How can you find the best tour companies to guide your adventure?

Whether you’re looking for group trips, self-guided tours, river cruises, tours for solo travelers, or overseas adventure travel, you want to find a tour operator that can deliver a seamless, enjoyable, and authentic experience, all without zeroing out your bank account.

Here are the top 15 tour companies out there today. I’ll walk you through what each excels at and how to pick the best one for you.

• Best Tour Company Overall: Intrepid Travel
• Best Small Group Tour Company: G Adventures
• Best for Day Tours: Get Your Guide
• Best Tour Company for Solo Travelers: Go Ahead Tours
• Best Tour Company for Families: Adventures by Disney
• Best Tour Company for Seniors: Trafalgar
• Best Tour Company for Europe: Tauck
• Best Tour Company for Italy: Insight Vacations
• Best Tour Company for Ireland and Scotland: CIE Tours
• Best Iceland Tour Company: Nicetravel Iceland
• Best Tour Company for Spain and Portugal: Cosmos
• Best Egypt Tour Company: Exodus
• Best Asia Tour Company: Klook
• Best Tour Company for Israel: Click Tours
• Best Tour Company for Greece: Epos Travel Tours

Intrepid Travel : Best Tour Company Overall

When you imagine travel tours, you may picture massive group tours and a bus packed with 50 noisy, gawking tourists.

That’s not what you get with Intrepid Travel . This company specializes in adventurous and immersive small group tours with an average of 10 people.

Operating on all seven continents, Intrepid offers a huge range of trip types to fit any traveler. You can choose biking tours across New Zealand, river cruises in Europe, trekking in the Himalayas, or wildlife safaris in the Serengeti. There are options for all-female adventures, family expeditions, active trips for adventure travelers, or trips catering specifically to 18-29 year olds.

If you don’t want to spend the trip of a lifetime sitting on your butt looking out a bus window, Intrepid Travel is for you. Their group trips are designed to fully immerse you in the culture and beauty of a new place. Here are two examples of what you’ll get from Intrepid Travel:

With the Alaska: Hike, Bike, & Kayak tour, you are led by an expert guide on a range of active adventures through some of Alaska’s best scenery and national parks. You’ll go sea kayaking, cycle along the rugged Alaskan coast, and hike through Denali National Park.

If you’re looking for more of a cultural experience, the Premium Sri Lanka tour is an incredible journey through the culture, history, food, and wildlife of this island. You’ll explore ancient temples, eat incredible food with locals, and search for leopards in the country’s wildlife preserves.

One last perk: Intrepid Travel is a Certified B-Corp, meaning they are dedicated to doing good in the world. They donate to worldwide relief causes and offset the carbon footprint of every trip they operate.

G Adventures : Best Small Group Tour Company

If you’re looking for small group tours, G Adventures is one of the best in the category. Just like with Intrepid, their tour groups average 10 people, so, with G Adventures, you won’t have to deal with being part of a massive hoard of tourists.

So what sets G Adventures apart? Unlike many tour operators, they focus on helping you get exactly the experience you’re looking for instead of packing every day with a rigid schedule. Every trip offers a wide range of optional activities that you can pick and choose from to personalize your experience. Plus, you can opt for more free time to explore or hang out on your own.

I also love that G Adventures hires all local guides. They put a lot of emphasis on their guides, even calling them CEOs (chief experience officers). That means you get local, insider expertise on your trip. Your tour director will speak the local language, know the best spots to eat, and fully understand the culture.

If you’re looking for big luxurious hotels and resorts, G Adventures probably isn’t for you. Instead of going to the big chain hotels, G Adventures uses locally owned and operated lodgings.

This has two benefits. First, you get a much more authentic local experience. Big hotel chains don’t have the same charm and character as a true local hotel. Second, your money will go toward benefiting the local economy rather than some giant corporation. That’s a big win for G Adventures in my book.

Get Your Guide : Best for Day Tours

You may not need or want a fully guided multi-day group tour, But sometimes it’s nice to have the guidance of a local expert for a truly unique experience that you couldn’t get otherwise. Choosing day tours is a great way to get the benefits of guided group tours without being stuck with a tour group for your entire trip.

Get Your Guide is my favorite resource for finding amazing day tours, entry tickets, and other travel experiences. It’s perfect for more independent travelers who can manage the details of their own trip, but are looking for shorter guided tours.

How does it work? Get Your Guide is essentially an online marketplace where you can search for and reserve tours, museum passes, adventure activities, and more.

For example, let’s say you’re planning a trip to Sweden. On Get Your Guide, you could book a dog sled adventure to see the northern lights, a day cruise on an icebreaker ship, a “ghost-walk” historical tour of Old Stockholm, and a guided ice climbing excursion.

I’m already getting excited about that trip.

Go Ahead Tours : Best Tour Company for Solo Travelers

Solo travel can be a bit intimidating, especially if you don’t have a lot of travel experience. I’ve found that group tours can be a great way to ease some of the stress and make it easier to enjoy your trip as a solo traveler.

Go Ahead Tours is one of the best tour companies that specializes in trips for solo travelers. With their solo trips, you always get a private room at no extra cost, and the other travelers in your tour group will also be solo—so you don’t end up as the awkward 17th wheel in someone else’s family vacation. As a solo traveler with Go Ahead Tours, you get all the benefits and security of a group trip, and you’ll meet other amazing people traveling the world on their own.

Go Ahead Tours focuses on small group itineraries in tour destinations around the globe, from popular destinations to locations off the beaten path. Want a food-centric trip across Italy? Check. Want to visit South America and hike to Machu Picchu? Check. How about a wildlife safari in Kenya? Yep, they’ve got that. Go Ahead Tours offers the best group tours for solo travelers, and you may even make some new friends on the way.

Adventures by Disney : Best Tour Company for Families

Family travel can seem complicated, especially if you have younger kids. Group tours can help simplify planning the dream trip, but tour operators often plan trips focused on adults, so younger travelers may get bored quickly.

Adventures by Disney is one of the few group travel companies that specialize in family-oriented trips and tours, from South America to Scandinavia. Disney Vacations designs their group trips to have something for everyone: wine tastings for the adults, adventure scavenger hunts for the kids, and sights and experiences that will engage your entire family.

Disney Adventures trips are a bit pricier than many other group travel companies, so not all families will be able to afford them. However, if you can make it work with your budget, your family will get an amazing experience that you just won’t find from more mainstream travel.

Trafalgar : Best Tour Company for Seniors

Trafalgar is one of the biggest (and best) group travel companies in the world. They offer hundreds of international trips to popular destinations around the globe.

Trafalgar’s guided tours are great for travelers of all age groups, but they cater particularly to senior travelers. The majority of Trafalgar guests are over 50. It’s also great for family tours to get grandparents and grandkids spending quality time together.

If you’re looking for highly active itineraries with adventure activities packed in, Trafalgar may not be the best for you. They focus more on cultural immersion, history, architecture, and local cuisine. Trafalgar is a great choice if you want to take a deep dive into the essence of your destination.

You can count on having a tour leader who is an expert in the local culture and history, and you will come home with tons of new knowledge.

Trafalgar focuses primarily on land-based tours, but they also offer a range of cruise vacations if you want to travel by sea.

Hotel stays, meals, transportation to/from the airport, and all the logistics are all arranged for you. You can even add on flights, extra hotel nights, and travel insurance so you don’t have to worry about any additional complications for your trip.

Tauck : Best Tour Company for Europe

Tauck is another big name in group tours that operates on all seven continents. While they have guided tours all around the globe, Tauck is an especially good choice if you’re looking for a group tour in Europe.

It’s easy to go to European cities, see the major tourist sites, and head home without really diving deep into the culture and spirit of the place. My favorite thing about Tauck is that their European tours are designed to give you more than just the standard tourist experience. Their Yellow Roads of Europe tours take you off the beaten path for a truly unique European experience.

Every Tauck tour pairs you with handpicked expert local guides who will help fully immerse you in the experience.

Tauck offers both river cruises and land-based group tours. If you want a unique European experience, imagine cruising through Western Europe along the Seine.

Insight Vacations : Best Tour Company for Italy

Almost every traveler dreams of a bucket list trip to Italy. What’s not to love? Amazing food, amazing sights, amazing culture, Italy has it all.

If you’re looking for the best guided tours in Italy, I highly recommend Insight Vacations . Insight offers tours all over the world, but their Italy tours are especially good. Whether you want to see the major sights, learn to live like a local, or sample the best food from around the country (or all of the above!) they’ve got tours for you.

As an example, you could choose their Best of Italy Tour for your next trip. This 11-day tour includes stays in Rome, Florence, Venice, and more. You’ll learn from local artisans, eat farm-to-table meals on the foothills of Mount Vesuvius, and get a VIP tour of the Vatican (including areas normally off-limits to visitors).

Insight’s tours are all led by local tour guides who speak the language and have in-depth knowledge of the culture and history of each site you visit.

If you’re traveling with a group of 10 or more people, Insight Vacations can also put together custom itineraries specifically for your group.

CIE Tours : Best Tour Company for Ireland and Scotland

If you’re into history, stunning scenery, charming towns, or good times at the pub, you would probably love touring Ireland and Scotland. CIE Tours is technically based in the US, but it’s partially owned and operated by the Irish government. It specializes in travel to Ireland, Scotland, and a few other European countries.

This dialed-in focus means that there are no better guided tours for Ireland and Scotland. I highly recommend their Taste of Scotland and Ireland Tour . In 11 days, you’ll experience sightseeing in Glasgow and Dublin, a day cruise on Loch Ness, carriage rides through the Irish countryside, and a feast in a historic castle.

Their tours have a great balance of exciting sightseeing and activities with enough downtime to relax or do plenty of exploring on your own. It’s a great way to get all the benefits of group travel without feeling like you have no control over your schedule.

If you want more freedom, CIE also offers independent adventures. They will build an itinerary for you and book your lodgings, admission tickets to attractions, and rental car (or you can opt for a private driver). You can choose from their pre-packaged itineraries, or build your own custom trip.

I also appreciate that CIE Tours has fairly affordable rates that include all admission tickets and most of your meals. Plus, they often offer discounts on airfare!

Nicetravel Iceland : Best Iceland Tour Company

Maybe you’ve always been intrigued by Iceland’s wild, untamed beauty (I know I have). If you want to experience this first hand, Nicetravel Iceland is one of the best group travel companies in this amazing country.

Nicetravel Iceland by three local Icelandic families, so they have a lot of local expertise. They offer trips ranging from 8 hours to over a week and have itineraries to suit any type of traveler, whether you want to relax in natural hot spring pools or hike along the glaciers and coastlines.

They focus on small group tours, and you’ll never have more than 19 people in your group. Most of their tours start from the capital, Reykjavik, and will drive you to various destinations in Mercedes Sprinter Vans. Way better than the huge tour buses many other companies use.

In addition to standard tours for sightseeing, they also have a range of tour options for more adventurous travelers. You’re in the right place if you want to explore caves, hike on glaciers, or raft down raging rivers.

Cosmos : Best Tour Company for Spain and Portugal

For a tour operator on the Iberian Peninsula, Cosmos is one of the best choices, especially if you don’t want to spend an arm and a leg. Cosmos has been guiding group travel for nearly a century, and they employ expert local guides to help you get the most from your trip.

The Cosmos Best of Spain and Portugal Tour is an incredible 13-day group travel itinerary. You will stay in 7 amazing cities across the two countries and visit a wide range of historical sites.

Cosmos is also a good choice for responsible travel, as they have several initiatives to support local communities and planet-focused nonprofits like the African Wildlife Foundation, The Ocean Cleanup, and Trees4Travel. I appreciate companies that are taking steps toward sustainable travel.

Exodus : Best Egypt Tour Company

It’s hard to visit any travel website without seeing a picture of the Great Pyramids. Egypt has captivated the minds of explorers and travelers for centuries, and it is worth having on your bucket list.

If you want a guided tour of Egypt, I highly recommend Exodus Travels . With destinations on all seven continents, Exodus Travels is one of the most popular group travel companies for adventurous travelers, and their Egyptian tours are particularly good.

With 9 different guided tours in Egypt, you can find the perfect itinerary for your trip. Exodus Travels is a true expert in the industry and hires incredible guides for their group travel excursions.

Plus, Exodus Travels also offers trips that are perfect for family travel.

Klook : Best Asia Tour Company

Whether you want to experience the hustle and bustle of downtown Tokyo or an adventurous trek to Everest Base Camp, Klook is one of the best group travel companies for Asia.

Klook is more than just a tour operator. It is a marketplace for everything travel, from airline tickets to hotels to tickets to museums, theme parks, and more. Klook offers trips for small groups or individual travelers all around the globe, but they are based in Asia, and that’s where they focus.

Klooks South Korea Tour will take you to Nami Island, through beautiful gardens, and into a centuries-old palace in Seoul.

Click Tours : Best Tour Company for Israel

Click Tours specializes in group travel in Europe and the Middle East, and Israel is by far their most popular tour destination. In Israel, Click Tours will offer trips ranging from 3-day highlight tours to 18-day deep-dive cultural experiences.

They focus on small group travel, and your tour group will have 15-24 guests. That means you get more personal attention and a more authentic experience of the country.

A tour of Israel with Click Tours will focus on historical and archeological sites. You’ll visit temples and ruins that are thousands of years old as well as dive into the amazing food and rich culture of Israel.

Epos Travel Tours : Best Tour Company for Greece

If you’re looking for a group travel trip to Greece, Epos Travel Tours is a local company based in Tripolis that offers tours across the country.

Since Epos Travel Tours specializes only in Greece, you can expect catered trips and insider knowledge. They are truly the experts in travel to Greece, and their trip itineraries are designed to help you get the most from your trip, whether you want to visit historical sites or delve into amazing food and culture.

If you’re into history and architecture, their tour of Ancient Corinth is hard to beat!

Best Tour Companies FAQ

Which is the best tour company in the world.

In my experience, Intrepid Travel is the best tour operator. They have amazing small-group tours.

What are the top travel companies?

The top travel companies for tours include Intrepid Travel , G Adventures , and Trafalgar .

Is Globus or Trafalgar better?

Trafalgar is usually the better choice. They offer amazing all-inclusive tours around the world.

Are tour companies worth it?

Group travel can be worth it if you want the stress and planning taken out of your trip.

Who is the biggest tour company?

Disney is the biggest tour company by revenue.

How do you know if a tour company is legit?

It is a good idea to look for reviews of a tour company on TripAdvisor.

Jakob Thygerson

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The 10 Best Group Travel Tour Companies for 2024

Caroline Morse Teel

Caroline Morse Teel is the Executive Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Caroline has a passion for adventure travel and has hiked to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro and the bottom of the Grand Canyon in pursuit of a good story. Follow her around the world on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline .

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For those truly epic, once-in-a-lifetime destinations, you want to leave your itinerary to the experts. Whether your dream is to see the Big Five on an African Safari, trek tall mountains, explore European cities, or something even wilder, a group tour is the easiest way to do it.

However, picking the wrong group tour company is the quickest way to ruin your trip. Make sure you choose a tour company that aligns with your goals and travel styles. Do you want an intimate group tour or do you prefer to make lots of new friends in a big group? Does the price line up with what you like (luxury vs. budget)? Is the itinerary going to all the places you want to see? 

We’ve done the research and found the very best group travel tour companies for 2024 for every type of traveler.

Best Overall Group Travel: Exodus Travels

With trips on every continent, Exodus Travels covers anywhere on this planet that you could possibly want to go, from popular destinations like the Amalfi Coast to well off-the-beaten path adventures like Tajikistan. This award-winning group travel company boasts thousands of repeat customers who sign up for trips year after year (97% of past participants would recommend Exodus Travels to a friend). 

These small group tours operate with only around 8-16 people, and always feature experienced local leaders who can give you a unique insight into your destination. Exodus Travels caters to any type of travel style, including trips broken down by type of activity (think walking, cycling, multi-adventure, winter, or cultural) as well as type of traveler (family, age group, etc.). There are curated collections (coastal, “away from it all”, European wilderness, and trips of a lifetime) to inspire you, as well as self-guided options for when you want all the benefits of a group tour planner without the actual group. Looking for that special safari? Exodus Travels just partners with the African Wildlife Foundation to create carefully curated luxury adventures that go above and beyond the standard safari. 

Exodus Travels tours work for almost any budget, with options that range from affordable to premium. 

Top Trip: Explore under-the-radar Europe by foot on Exodus Travels’ Lakes & Mountains of Slovenia walking tour .

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Best Adventure Group Travel: World Expeditions

World Expeditions has been taking adventurous travelers to remote locations all over the world ever since its first group trek through Nepal in 1975. Today, World Expeditions offers active itineraries on every continent. Intrepid travelers can opt for trips themed around mountaineering, rafting, cycling, hiking, and more. 

World Expeditions aims to leave communities and places where they operate tours better than they found them. Trips are created using the company’s Thoughtful Travel Charter as a guideline, which emphasizes respect for the environment, sustainability, having a positive impact on local communities, protecting wildlife, and more. 

World Expeditions’ trips are capped at just 16 people to provide a good experience for participants, and there are no single supplements for solo travelers willing to share a room with someone of the same gender. 

Top Trip: Summit Africa’s tallest mountain on a fully-supported trek up Kilimanjaro on World Expeditions’ eight day trip up the beautiful Lemosho Route . 

Best Budget Group Travel: G Adventures 

For travelers on a budget, G Adventures offers cheap group tours that make dream destinations accessible to nearly anyone. (Think: sailing the Galapagos for just $1,014 , criss-crossing India’s Golden Triangle for $799 , or spending 8 days in Bali for less than $749.)

G Adventures is one of the best tour companies for solo travelers as well, as most trips don’t have a single-supplement. You can choose to share a room with another G Adventures solo traveler, or pay extra to have your own space.

G Adventures keeps costs down by opting for cheaper hotels and local meals, and making certain activities optional (for an additional cost). Pick your travel style—options range from “basic” to more luxe tours run in partnership with National Geographic. Family tours, local living tours (featuring homestays), and wellness-focused tours are also available. 

Top Trip: G Adventures’ China Express trip is a great way to see the highlights of China if you’re short on both time and budget. 

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Best Educational Group Tours: EF Go Ahead Tours

When you really want to learn about a destination, consider a group trip with EF Go Ahead Tours . EF is the world’s largest private education company, and the Go Ahead Tours arm capitalizes on the company’s relationships with local educators, historians, and tour guides to create group trips that take you deep into a destination. 

These small group tours generally cap at 38 travelers, and feature unique educational experiences. For a bucket list trip, EF Go Ahead Tour’s special event tours are particularly enticing, as they offer behind-the-scenes access to tough-to-plan trips like Oktoberfest in Munich or Cherry Blossom season in Japan. 

Intimidated by solo travel? EF Go Ahead Tours is a great option for solo travelers, since it offers designated trips for solo travelers , where everyone is traveling alone, making it less intimidating.  

Top Trip: Bring the tastes of Italy home with you on EF Go Ahead Tours’ Food & Wine: Piedmont & Tuscany tour (operated in partnership with America’s Test Kitchen), where you’ll learn how to make local dishes. 

Best Responsible Group Travel: Intrepid Travel

Looking for a responsible group travel operator that focuses on bettering the communities and destinations they visit? Intrepid Travel is the world’s largest travel B Corporation, a certification for companies doing good. 

Intrepid Travel’s tours focus on sustainability, diversity, inclusion, and sustaining communities. The company has its own charity, The Intrepid Foundation , which has donated over 10 million dollars to over 160 community organizations. 

Intrepid Travel’s small group tours attract a wide range of travelers, but they are especially great for younger travelers, as they have a large number of trips designed for people aged 18-35 . (Other trips, including family-focused trips, are geared toward any age.)

Top Trip: Experience foodie trip of a lifetime Intrepid Travel’s South Korea Real Food Adventure , which includes time in three cities and an overnight temple stay.

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Best Private Group Travel: Kensington Tours

Whether your group consists of just two people or involves taking the entire extended family, Kensington Tours will take all the hassle of planning out of the equation. This private group operator creates personalized trips and itineraries tailored to your preferences, while their experts handle all the logistics and bookings. 

Plans are entirely flexible, and can even be changed while on the trip on a whim. Need some inspiration? Browse Kensington Tours’ travel ideas , to get some ideas for your next adventure. 

Top Trip: Sail around the stunning shores of Croatia and the Dalmation Islands on a private luxury catamaran on Kensington Tours’ fully customizable tour . 

Best Polar Group Travel: Chimu Adventures

Whether you’re headed north to the Artic or south to Antarctica, Chimu Adventures has the perfect polar group trip for you. Chimu Adventures has some of the most variety for polar trips, with options to fly, cruise, or a combination of both to get to your destination. For an ultra-unique Antarctica trip, Chimu Adventures offers cruises departing from Australia or New Zealand (most Antarctica trips depart from Argentina).

Chimu Adventures is one of the cheapest group trips to Antarctica, with rates starting under $6,000.

Top Trip: If you’re pressed for time (or simply don’t have the stomach for the Drake Passage), Chimu Adventures’ Antarctica Fly Cruise will get you to the ends of the earth quickly and smoothly.

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Best Group Tours for Solo Travelers: For the Love of Travel

Group tours can be a great way to meet new people, but they can sometimes skew on the older age range. If you’re between 25-39 and a solo traveler looking to meet new people, you’ll love For the Love of Travel . All participants on the trips are between 25-39, and according to the company, 80 percent are solo travelers—so you’ll make friends fast. Hoping to meet someone who will be more than just a friend on your next trip? Trips include a balanced number of “gal and guy spots” to ensure an even balance of genders within groups (and of course, non-binary genders are always welcome). 

For the Love of Travel offers weeklong (or longer) international trips as well as shorter weekender trips to closer destinations like Mexico or Costa Rica—perfect for people without a lot of vacation time.

Top Trip: Sleep in a glass igloo under the Northern Lights, go sledding with huskies, and warm up in traditional saunas on For the Love of Travel’s Lapland tour , already booking dates for 2024.

Best Biking Tours Group Travel: DuVine Cycling

Biking through the rolling hills of Italy or across the mountain roads of Chile sounds like a dream, but the logistics seem daunting (especially if you don’t want to haul all your own stuff from point-to-point). Enter: DuVine Cycling , a luxury small group tour company that specializes in bike trips. 

With trips across Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the United States, DuVine Cycling is a cyclist’s dream. Choose from all-biking trips or mix things up with a cycle and sail bike tour or a multi-sport adventure —no matter what, everything is included, from luxury boutique accommodations to top-quality name brand bikes. 

Top Trip: DuVine’s Holland Bike Tour promises “tulips, windmills, beer, and cheese”—what more could you need?

Best Luxury Group Travel: Abercrombie & Kent

Abercrombie & Kent has been delighting discerning travelers since 1962. Today, they take travelers on unforgettable adventures across over 100 different countries and all seven continents. Although Abercrombie & Kent’s trips are pricey, they encompass once-in-a-lifetime experiences like private jet tours around the world or luxury chartered cruises .

There are trips designed for solo travelers and families , and the small group journeys max out at around 14-18 guests.

Top Trip: Swim with whale sharks in the Philippines, feed proboscis monkeys in Malaysia, and photograph wild tigers in India on Abercrombie & Kent’s Wildlife & Nature: Around the World by Private Jet trip , already booking dates into 2024.

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We spent the day with John, he was just amazing, knowledgeable and kind. He took us to amazing sites and stopped for lunch for one of the best pizzas I've ever eaten. My partner is in a wheelchair, cannot walk at all, after another company canceled the tour, just one day in advance, we were lucky enough to find an experience on Maui tours. It was really worth it, the landscapes are beautiful. John had the patience to accompany us to any place we ask to stop and took us to some other amazing placesThanks to make our visit to Hana possible.

We got to spend the day with Chris, he was very engaging and knowledgeable! Not only did he take us to some awesome sights, he was prepared with snacks and drinks. He also stopped at great places for lunch and ice cream. We had a great time with him and he made our day amazing and memorable! Thanks Chris!

Great trip with Luke. My son got to dive off rocks into a waterfall, we saw how chocolate was made at the cacao farm, ate organic ice cream from a truck, had an amazing comfortable car and knowledgeable, careful driver. The driver is able to customize the trip a bit, which makes things great. At one of our stops, I heard some ladies complaining about getting back on the uncomfortable bus, so I had to thank Luke when we got back in the very comfortable SUV! I would highly recommend.

We booked this tour not knowing what to expect besides it was a tour to the famous road to hana. When you book a tour you don’t really know what to expect how it’s gonna go or with who. Spencer was our tour guide and wow all i can say is highly recommend and he over exceeded expectations if you’re going to book a tour make sure it’s worth spencer. Spencer commmunicated with me the day before pick up showed up at the exact time of pick up he made the experience comfortable and there was not one moment where we were quiet he taught us about the culture the island and history behind every location we visited beautiful experience with an amazing tour guide you won’t be disappointed the road to hana is a beautiful experience but when you have a tour guide that makes the time more enjoyable the experience is better you won’t be disappointed.

We had an amazing day with Shayne. He was extremely knowledgeable and considerate of everyone in our party and our abilities (there were 5 of us including 11yo, 9yo, and 7yo). Everyone thoroughly enjoyed our tour especially the red sand beach. The girls have enthusiastically retold their favorite parts of the tour to friends and family. Definitely amazing memories made! Don’t hesitate , book the tour and ask for Shayne! Mahalo Shayne!

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The Top 15 Tour Operators in 2021

Scott Bay is a magazine editor specializing in travel, architecture, and gear. He was previously an assistant editor at Travel + Leisure . His work has also appeared in Wired , Architectural Digest , Wallpaper , Robb Report , Saveur , Daily Beast , and more.

Note: If you’re looking for our most recent recommendations, check out the 2023 list of our favorite tour operators .

This year's World's Best Awards survey was open for voting January 11 through May 10, 2021, as destinations around the world were lifting COVID-19 restrictions. Survey rules have always allowed readers to reflect on their travel experiences over a three-year period. We hope that this year's honorees will inspire your own travels as you get back out into the world.

Linking up with the right tour operator can take an amazing trip and turn it into a trip of a lifetime . This might seem like magic, but their in-the-know expertise and long-standing relationships open the doors for the seemingly impossible — a private Jeep safari with a professional tracking team in the depths of Torres del Paine or one-on-one cooking classes from a chef that runs a Michelin-starred restaurant in the south of France. And if any group has traversed the world enough to discern the best tour operators out there, it's the readers of Travel + Leisure .

Every year for our World's Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Hotels were rated on their facilities, location, service, food, and overall value. Properties were classified as city or resort based on their locations and amenities.

The companies that made the list have the skills and connections to create itineraries that reflect their clients' personal interests. No. 3 VBT Bicycling Vacations curates two-wheeled trips all over the globe . One reader said, "Their staff make all the difference." No. 2 Mountain Lodges of Peru puts together highly personalized trekking adventures to Machu Picchu. As another reader exclaimed, "This is the way to visit Machu Picchu!"

But at the top of the list is Quasar Expeditions. Though primarily known for its cruises (the company won the small-ship ocean cruises category this year), it also operates a roster of dynamic safari-style excursions in South America. Read on to find out what sets it apart and which other companies join it on this year's list of the best tour operators in the world.

1. Quasar Expeditions

Quasar Expeditions is for adventurers. The highly specialized itineraries are designed to make guests feel like they're James Cook or Charles Darwin. "Quasar Expeditions' guides are the ultimate, passionate gatekeepers to the Galápagos Islands," one reader said. "Their enthusiasm and love of the islands and the wildlife encourages you to share in their passion and desire to conserve the natural beauty and habitat of the area while still allowing low-impact tourism." Another raved, "Excellent isn't a high enough rating to describe our experience with Quasar Expeditions. Extraordinary in every way!" And while Quasar is best known for its Galápagos trips, it gets high marks for its Patagonia itineraries, which takes guests into the best parts of Chile's Torres del Paine and Argentina's Los Glaciares — two of South America's most spectacular national parks.

Score: 99.58 More information: quasarex.com

2. Mountain Lodges of Peru

Score: 98.93 More information: mountainlodgesofperu.com

3. VBT Bicycling Vacations

Score: 98.70 More information: vbt.com

4. Classic Journeys

Score: 98.60 More information: classicjourneys.com

5. TCS World Travel

Score: 97.55 More information: tcsworldtravel.com

6. Black Tomato

Score: 97.25 More information: blacktomato.com/us

7. Inside Japan Tours

Score: 96.84 More information: insidejapantours.com

Score: 96.72 More information: tauck.com

9. Wilderness Travel

Score: 95.71 More information: wildernesstravel.com

10. Trek Travel

Score: 95.71 More information: trektravel.com

11. Geographic Expeditions

Score: 95.70 More information: geoex.com

12. Thomson Family Adventures

Score: 94.89 More information: familyadventures.com

13. Greaves

Score: 94.74 More information: greavesindia.com

14. DuVine Cycling + Adventure Co.

Score: 94.64 More information: duvine.com

15. Odysseys Unlimited

Score: 94.39 More information: odysseys-unlimited.com

See all of our readers' favorite hotels, cities, airlines, cruise lines, and more in the World's Best Awards for 2021 .

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Enjoy a 2-hour private driving tour of Westminster and Central London, the hub of British Royalty, Power, and Politics, in an iconic London Taxi.

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Fortress Malta. From The Knights of St John to World War Two - click here to find out more

This is a wonderfully varied and scenic tour of Malta – a tiny island with a warm welcome and proud military and cultural heritage. The Second World War siege will be our main focus, but we also examine the indelible marks that other cultures and events have left behind: the unspoilt ancient walled city of Mdina, the renaissance architecture of the Knights of St John, the brief occupation by Napoleon and the extant Victorian fortifications

The Battle For Berlin - click here to find out more

The Battle for Berlin was the decisive action that brought an end to the war in Europe. The tour will focus on the fierce and bitter action from the point when the Red Army crossed the Oder River to the eventual fall of Berlin.

Wellington in Spain | A Classic Peninsular War Tour - click here to find out more

This eight-day tour, the second in our series of 'classic' of Peninsular War tours is led by award winning Peninsular War historian Nick Lipscombe. It visits some of the most beautiful and historic parts of central Spain and Wellington’s most notable battles and sieges during the period 1809 – 1812.

The Pompeii Experience | Archaeological delights of the Bay of Naples - click here to find out more

This comprehensive archaeological tour of the Bay of Naples and the events of AD79 not only includes the well-known and impressive remains of Pompeii and the superbly preserved Herculaneum but also those lesser known, but nonetheless important sites such as the seaside villas of the wealthy at Oplontis.

The Vietnam War | From Defeat at Dien Bien Phu to the Fall of Saigon - click here to find out more

Appealing to history and culture enthusiasts alike, this tour combines the key locations of the Vietnam war, with the stunning highlights of that country. Vietnam offers a rich culture and history, combined with delicious local cuisine with a French twist. Hanoi, with its leafy tree lined avenues, plays host to fascinating, thought provoking museums and military sites.

The Holocaust - click here to find out more

In this 8-day tour to Poland, we visit the sites of the former ghettos in Warsaw, Lublin and Krakow alongside four of the concentration and death camps - Treblinka, Majdanek, Belzec and Auschwitz-Birkenau - that played such a significant role in this genocide.

The Raise & Fall of Nazi germany - click here to find out more

This tour tells the whole story of the Rise and Fall of the Third Reich chronologically from its birth in 1919 Munich, to its bloody end in Berlin in 1945. Led by Historian Nigel Jones, this tour will visit all the significant milestones marking Adolf Hitler's ascent and Germany's descent into the abyss.

Finland 1939. The Winter War - click here to find out more

This tour follows the fortunes of the 9th Soviet Army attempting to cut Finland in two at its narrowest point in time for Stalin’s 60th birthday. Ex Parachute Regiment colonel and historian Robert Kershaw uses his Arctic training background and broad military experience to explain the nature of this amazing victory against seemingly insurmountable odds.

Discovering the Western Front - click here to find out more

This five-day Western Front tour provides an overview of the major events involving British and Empire forces in Northern France and Belgium: it is both an introductory tour for the novice and an essential ‘aide memoire’ to those more familiar with the First World War.

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We are also a leading provider of school trips to many schools in the UK and Ireland and organise bespoke battlefield studies and staff rides for The Army, RAF, Royal Navy and other MOD establishments. We can also create a wide range of tailor made tours for individuals, small groups and organisations.

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Established in 2009, The Cultural Experience now offer tours all over the world. From the battlefields of the Zulu War in South Africa to the War Of the Roses in the UK, all bases are covered. If for any reason you cannot see the tour you would like to do, you can either see our future planning page or contact us to arrange your own bespoke tour.

Each of our guides are experts in their respective fields. Authors, historians, lecturers and fellows guide you through battlefields in France, America, India, Israel, Canada, Belarus and more. They guide you throughout the day, and dine with you in the evening, as all Cultural Experience tours include a three course meal in the evening.

Another benefit of a Cultural Experience tour is that a maximum of 22 passengers are accommodated on each tour. This means that we can include more in our daily activities as there is less time spent waiting for others to catch up.

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8 Travel Companies That Make Seeing The World a Breeze

Whether domestic or international, planning a trip can be stressful. These 8 travel companies can make your next trip unforgettable.

Dorian Smith-Garcia • May 30, 2024

There’s something fun about pulling out that luggage to pack the night before a trip, or dusting off that passport to check off another country on a bucket list. Traveling is a great way to unwind and see the world through a new perspective. Sometimes, however, the logistics of getting from here to there is overwhelming. From navigating visas for international destinations to simply managing hotel reservations, flights and ground transfers, it can be a bit much for some people to handle. 

If this sounds familiar, then a tour or travel company is a great solution. These organizations manage all of the booking and logistical details on behalf of their customers. Essentially, travelers only need to show up and bring the necessary documents — often with must-haves like visas or paperwork already managed by the company. 

Whether traveling domestically or abroad, here are 8 popular travel companies to consider. 

Best Travel Companies for International Trips

When traveling abroad, one of the best ways to check off multiple “must-see” spots in one trip is with a tour package. Whether within one country or with pit stops through multiple countries, this can be a great way to see a multitude of places within one itinerary and price. 

Most international tour operators manage tours across several continents and may even offer packages for the US. The biggest concern will be finding a tour operator that offers accommodations to fit the traveler’s style as well as determining group size and if a local guide is provided. 

Perillo Tours

Perillo Tours is probably best known for its advertisements boasting about immersive trips through Italy. However, the company offers a range of options that include Spain, Greece, and Hawaii. Along with pre-set itineraries across Italy, travelers can also request a custom itinerary that’s designed to specifically cater to the needs of the group. 

The company started operating tours in 1945, making them one of the oldest options in Europe. Meanwhile, larger group functions like companies, churches or even clubs can also request custom bookings with Perillo Tours . 

G Adventures

G Adventures is a Toronto-based travel company that offers a variety of trips for both international and US domestic excursions. The organization launched in 1990, making it a fairly established operator. For travelers that don’t want to get stuck in massive group trips, G Adventures is a solid choice . 

The service promises to keep the groups small, with no more than 12 individuals. Key guarantees include local guides, flexibility for solo time , the option to be a single add-on to a tour, and the promise of immersive lodgings that allow participants to “live like a local.” With a wide array of itineraries that are as varied as Antarctica, Japan, and across the US, this is a great go-to for anyone that doesn’t want the hassle of creating their own itinerary. 

Kensington Tours

If money is no object, opting for a private tour will always be preferable to group travel. Kensington Tours boasts access to tours in over 100 countries across the world, and private guided tours if budgets allow. Along with international destinations, the organization also breaks US itineraries further into categories such as the lower 48, the US National Parks with the West, and Alaska. 

Likewise, Kensington Tours also has premium options like a villa experience and voyages which includes river cruises. Key features of a tour with this operator include personalized journeys, local guides, and 24/7 support. 

National Geographic Expeditions

It only makes sense that an organization that’s made a name for itself on immersive historically and geographically accurate media would also be a solid choice for a tour operator. National Geographic Expeditions is the travel arm of the same company that has a magazine and channel with documentaries dedicated to everything from wildlife to history. 

While this is probably a better pick for couples, solo travelers or non familial groups, there are specific upsides to traveling with National Geographic. Not only will guests have access to global tours, but they’ll be joined by scientists, photographers, and historians. Plus, participants can see experts working on NatGeo projects and research. Note that National Geographic’s tours are very popular and the site is currently booking for 2025. 

Best Travel Companies for Domestic Trips

Prefer to stay local for the next trip? Here are 4 travel companies that make domestic travel easier. However, note that in the US, tour operators are often regional given the size of the country. This means that many may only provide tour services for specific parts of the country or even a single city. 

So, when looking for a tour operator, it’s always a good idea to start a search with a visit to the local tourism board’s website for the intended destination(s) to see if there are any approved local operators serving that location. 

Southwest Adventure Tours

Active travelers that want to explore the national parks through the American Southwest will love Southwest Adventure Tours . The organization exclusively focuses on tours throughout the Golden Circle region which is the four corners where Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico meet. This includes Mighty 5 national parks like Zion, and Bryce Canyon. 

Choose from 12 available tour packages with lengths ranging from five to 12 days. Everything from accommodations to national park entrance fees are included in the tour packages. 

Adventures by Disney

Who doesn’t love the mouse and his house? Beyond the parks and cruise ships, Disney actually operates a tour company called Adventures by Disney . Yes, people can absolutely book domestic trips which can include park admission or cruise ship itineraries. But this tour operator also manages international tours. 

What sets Adventures by Disney apart from other operators? How about having Mickey himself driving the tour bus and other costumed characters from shows and movies popping up along the way? Additionally, a tour managed by this company can even include private access to coveted places like the Sistine Chapel. And of course, the white glove service that is renowned by Disney’s hotels, cruises, and parks is also available on its tours. 

Insight Vacations

The US is a big place and that means there’s a lot to explore. It’s unlikely anyone can truly see the country in just one trip, but Insight Vacations offers a wide range of tour options covering popular cities as well as national parks. Likewise, there are even seasonal options such as fall foliage tours for the New England region. 

Note that the operator also offers tours to international destinations. Key features that make Insight Vacations a nice option is that the operator offers “business class” tours. These packages prioritize small groups, only book four and five-star hotels, include top-rated dining, and offer an expert travel director along with insider access. 

Get Your Guide

This final entry is better suited for independent travelers who might need just a bit of help to build out a day or two of their entire itinerary. Get Your Guide is ideal for booking a day trip while already in town. Along with getting great deals, the process is easy and a traveler can book tickets for excursions or local tours with their mobile phone while on the go, or a laptop in their hotel. 

Get Your Guide covers activities around the world, but is great for the US since travelers can filter by city and find activities for same-day entry that are affordable and available. If hanging with a multi-day group tour is unappealing, then this is a smart alternative. 

Which Travel Company is Right for You?

Some people prefer to be hands-off with travel planning and let someone else manage all of the logistics. If this sounds familiar, then most of the tour groups listed above are going to be incredibly appealing. Meanwhile, more independent travelers that simply need to round out an existing itinerary will appreciate the flexibility of a service like Get Your Guide. 

Whichever one a person chooses, always be sure to understand what’s included in the tour fees, that the operator is authorized and accredited to work in the jurisdiction, and what refund or cancellation policies are in place for the “what ifs” of travel. 

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The best tour operators in the world: 2023 Readers' Choice Awards

By Condé Nast Traveller

It’s been a challenging few years for tour operators but the names below are in it for the long haul (as well as the short and medium), honing itineraries and managing expectations. So who prepared your travel documents this year? Red Savannah and Black Tomato scored highest for first-hand knowledge, and Exodus Adventure Travels and Abercrombie & Kent for on-the-ground support. But when it came to all-round endeavour, Scott Dunn and The Turquoise Holiday Company were leaders of the pack. Both report a surge of interest in Asia, as well as multi-generational travel, solo adventures to Namibia, Bhutan and Mexico, and authentic experiences such as outback stations in Australia and bear lodges in Canada.

These are the best tour operators in the world, according to the 2023 Readers' Choice Awards . The scores below are percentages representing overall average levels of satisfaction.

The best general tour operators in the world 2023

15. Cox & Kings. Score 88.00

14. Hayes & Jarvis. Score 89.44

13. Carrier. Score 90.73

12. Simpson Travel. Score 91.48

11. Kuoni. Score 92.82

10. Mr & Mrs Smith. Score 93.29

9. Kensington Tours. Score 94.14

8. Audley Travel. Score 94.77

7. Original Travel. Score 95.44

6. Cazenove + Loyd. Score 95.92

5. The Ultimate Travel Company. Score 96.75

4. Abercrombie & Kent. Score 97.12

3. Elegant Resorts. Score 97.39

2. Red Savannah. Score 97.96

• The Turquoise Holiday Company. Score 98.42

The best travel specialists in the world 2023

15. Wild Frontiers. Score 94.81

14. Martin Randall Travel. Score 95.17

13. Intrepid Travel. Score 95.40

12. Wilderness. Score 96.54.

11. Inntravel. Score 96.88

10. Oxford Ski Company. Score 97.15

9. Kirker Holidays. Score 97.47

8. andBeyond. Score 97.61

7. Ampersand Travel. Score 97.65.

6. InsideJapan Tours. Score 97.79

5. Steppes Travel. Score 97.88

4. Black Tomato. Score 98.03

3. Exodus Adventure Travels. Score 98.15

2. Healing Holidays. Score 98.35

• Scott Dunn. Score 98.70

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WHY NEW SCIENTIST DISCOVERY TOURS

Great itineraries with a science focus, to appealing destinations, curated by us.

OUR EXPERTS

Drawn from our extensive network of editors, journalists, academics and authors

PEACE OF MIND

We choose our tour-operating partners very carefully ensuring they hold ATOL licenses and/or they have relevant bonding in place to provide financial protection.

GOOD COMPANY

You will be travelling with like-minded guests who enjoy the discovery of science. This leads to better interaction with our tour experts and deep organic conversations with fellow guests.

SOLO TRAVELLERS

All of our tours, cruises, expeditions and weekenders are perfect for solo travellers. If you want your own room, you will need to pay a solo supplement. However, if you are happy to share a room with a fellow guest of the same sex, we will do all we can to match you with another guest so you do not have to pay the solo room supplement.

SUSTAINABILITY

We want to help you discover science through the joy of travel. We want to achieve that in a way that doesn’t harm the environment, people, cultures or wildlife.

Hence, we have set out the following guidelines around impacts, relationships and sustainability for how Discovery Tours operates.

• We recognise that flying is a luxury that comes at a considerable cost to the planet. As a tour operator we cannot realistically avoid this impact, but we would urge all our customers to think carefully about when and where they fly. To assist in this, we offer alternative travelling arrangements avoiding flying for our tours wherever practical. From 2021, we will be fully separating the cost of travel options from the cost of the tours to give our customers the full freedom to make informed decisions. 
• Many experts see carbon offsetting as a useful short-term tool for mitigating the effects of our activities on the climate , when employed in conjunction with emissions reductions. If you wish to calculate the carbon impact of your flight and offset emissions, we could recommend the official UN platform for carbon offsetting, which ensures that your money benefits only emissions mitigation projects certified under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
• We only work with tour operating partners who have clear published sustainable tourism policies and/or are members of the Association of Independent Tour Operators (or similar body) who work with their members to embed sustainable tourism practices.
• Our tours operate with full respect for local cultures, animal welfare, and the scientific, ecological and cultural significance of the places we visit.
• We will not undertake any tours or experiences that in the view of the New Scientist editorial team contradict best practice or our values. For an issue where there isn’t clear cut best practice, we will err on the side of caution.

We aim to tread lightly and help our guests appreciate and protect this beautiful world we live in.

If you have a query, idea or just want to chat, email us at [email protected]

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Detroiters get 1st look inside revived Michigan Central Station during tours

Detroiters on Friday get their first look inside revived Michigan Central Station after Thursday's blowout opening night concert .

Visitors, who had to sign up in advance for tours for the Detroit train station, will encounter a range of activities and exhibits honoring the station's history and six-year restoration. Tours continue daily through June 16, but they are fully booked. The station will be open for self-guided tours on Fridays and Saturdays through August.

The first floor of the station, by then with some shops and other features expected to be built out, is scheduled to be open to the public in September.

Follow along here to experience Detroiters' first steps inside the renovated station.

Michigan Central Station tours: How to visit Ford's renovated train depot

3:40 p.m.: A job loaded with smiles

John Martin is a new Michigan Central ambassador, after making a career out of cable TV advertising and spending a couple of more years working part-time gigs. Friday was just his second day of work after he snagged the job just in time for the station’s reopening.

Martin grew up in Lincoln Park and later worked in downtown Detroit, so he spent most of his life watching the city up close.

“Being that I worked down here, I’ve always been interested about what’s going on in the city, and that never left me even after I found another job,” he said.

He toured Michigan Central’s open house back in 2018 after it was acquired by Ford and has since been stunned by Detroit’s numerous and gorgeous renovations.

After he stopped working one of his part-time jobs earlier this year and almost simultaneously came across the Michigan Central ambassador position, he knew he could take the job and have a good time with it.

Martin stands at the doors of the Grand Hall and greets people as they enter with smiles widening and eyes lighting up at their first sight of the hall.

“One of my jobs that I didn’t do this year after working it for 12 years was at a golf course … You get a lot of interaction with folks. You’re not always putting out fires, but there always seems to be one on your shift. So, I thought, jeez, I could come in here and how many fires could I have? People are coming in here awestruck, they’re not complaining,” he said.

3 p.m.: Streets around train station returning to normal

By Friday afternoon, Michigan Avenue opened to vehicles after being closed for Thursday's opening festivities, and there was no traffic congestion even as thousands of people descended on the train station for the first day of public tours.

As workers outside continued to dismantle the concert stage, about 1,800 visitors walked through the train station as of 3 p.m., Michigan Central spokesperson Dan Austin said.

A total of 5,000 visitors were expected Friday, with tours ending at 10 p.m., he said. 

1:55 p.m.: Details make the difference

Christina Roki of Sterling Heights, and Grant Sloan of West Bloomfield, two automotive content creators who were invited to opening day by Ford, said they were brought to tears by the stories preserved inside Michigan Central Station.

“What we appreciate about it most is how much detail Ford cared to preserve to show the story. They kept part of the graffiti on the walls, they preserved a lot of the tickets they found … Even the brick, all the chisels we see on the brick, they didn’t try to make fine cut lines, they still want to show all the history that this building has,” said Roki.

As their tour guide led from room to room in the building, they remained at a loss for words.

“The inside was literally mind-blowing. I feel like I was walking in on such a big piece of history that’s been preserved for so long, so it’s crazy to think that this is something they’ve been working on in the past few years,” said Roki.

But for the two metro Detroiters, one of the most significant parts was just to see how Michigan Central had been given new life, narrowly dodging demolition. Sloan remembered times passing by the station with his friends just before the renovation began to see the graffiti and decay; now, to see that part of modern history meshed with its historical past, he said to step inside the new shiny floors was an awesome experience.

“Any Detroiter will agree that this building was such an eyesore for such a long time. Growing up in Detroit and knowing its history but never seeing it operational… But now seeing it up in running, it’s really touching to see that Ford took on such a large project,” said Sloan. “It’s early but I think it’s safe to say that the investment already paid off.”

— Kylie Martin

1:45 p.m.: Returning soon

Southwest Detroit resident Jennifer Serra set an alarm in hopes of scoring tickets to see the train station on its first day of public tours. 

“There's just not enough wonderful words to describe it,” Serra, 45, said after securing tickets and touring the station Friday. 

The only problem? She had somewhere else to be this afternoon and wanted to spend more time in the station. She’s already made plans to come back for another tour in a few days. 

“I feel like it's like a symbolic representation of what goes on in our city,” she said of Michigan Central Station. “I feel like there's just these landmarks in certain cities … that just really kind of embody the overall history of what's going on. I feel like this helps us bring a little bit of closure to some tough times and show renewal.”

— Adrienne Roberts 

1 p.m.: 'Another crown jewel'

Tom Schultz and his wife, Sylvia Ross-Schultz, are both born and raised Detroiters, but more than that, they’re Detroit-lovers.

“We’re so glad to see it getting so much better, and it’s beautiful … It’s just in my heart, it’s been the neatest thing,” said Ross-Schultz. “It’s another crown jewel in the renovation of Detroit.”

“I made the statement, and I was wrong, that (the comeback) would never happen in my lifetime,” said Schultz. “The rebirth is off the charts.”

Remembering the good old days of Michigan Central Station in the 1970s, the couple knew they had to tour the station on opening day, and so did Ross-Schultz’s cousin and her husband, Renee and Tom Toft. With ancestors who worked in the building, the families are woven into the fabric of Michigan Central, as well as the city of Detroit.

Additionally, the Tofts took what they called the “falling apart” tour of the station back when Ford purchased it in 2018.

Now, the four stood waiting for their tour in awe at the renovated front of the building.

“Instead of just knocking it down, to bring it back to this grandeur is absolutely fantastic,” said Ross-Schultz.

“You see the work they did out here, they recreated everything the right way,” said Tom Toft. “It’s spectacular. We haven’t even gone inside yet but I know its going to be spectacular.”

12:40 p.m.: Eager to return

Donny Wilson and his brother Paul Wilson had never been inside the train station until Friday morning, but they’re all ready to come back.

Donny Wilson, 41, an influencer who lives in Oak Park, wants to bring his family and friends to the station to see it. 

“I can't wait until all this stuff is actually in there …the shops, hotel …” Donny Wilson said after touring the station.

Paul Wilson, 42, a Detroit resident, said he’s just thought of the station as a ruin his whole life — until now. “It’s so cool how they refurbished everything and still kept a whole lot of the building intact,” Paul Wilson said.

Noon: 'Berliners are obsessed with Detroit'

NPR reporter Bobby Allyn, 35, walked quickly toward Michigan Central Station as he prepared to interview President Joe Biden’s director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Arati Prabhakar, at Newlab on Friday. He said he was super excited to be in Detroit, having heard so much about the city when he lived in Berlin.

“Berliners are obsessed with Detroit because of techno music,” Allyn said. “It’s the birthplace of techno. Look up Jeff Mills of Detroit and techno. You’ll see. When you go to Club Berghain in Berlin, it’s impossible to get in but if you wear a hat that says, ‘Detroit,’ they let you in.”

Allyn, a technology correspondent , reports on startups, artificial intelligence, privacy issues and tech litigation. While he was directed to the building next door to Michigan Central Station, the whole site is part of the mobility hub led by Ford Motor Co. Allyn said he couldn’t wait to see the inside of the restored train depot after the interview.

— Phoebe Wall Howard

11:50 a.m.: Memories rekindled outside Michigan Central

Bob Bilkie, 63, and Shari Bilkie, 62, of Northville walked the side streets surrounding Michigan Central Station as they waited for the noon public tours to begin. They parked at 10 a.m. and took in the sights of the Corktown neighborhood on the cool, cloudy day.

As they approached their 41st wedding anniversary on Monday, they talked about dates at Lafayette Coney Island in Detroit, ordering their lemon meringue pie and Faygo Red Pop. That’s pretty much all Bob Bilkie could afford as an intern at Detroit Edison. At lunch, he ordered coney dogs with lots of onions and mustard because that’s what he could afford. Now Bob is an investment adviser and Shari is a compliance officer for a financial firm.

Being in Detroit together during this special time also celebrates memories of their families. Her grandfather went to Cass Tech High School and owned Ward’s Bar in Dearborn. They went to the old Tiger Stadium around the corner as a family. His father worked at American Motors as a fabricator, and his grandfather worked for the railroad.

“He probably worked here,” Bob said, glancing up at the 18-story Beaux Arts-style building from the corner of Wabash and Marantette.

Shari said smiling, “It is so cool, the fact that they took something decrepit, falling apart, an eyesore and turned it into something absolutely beautiful.”

11:35 a.m.: The morning after and a new dawn

On a much noticeably cooler and windier morning compared with Thursday, Corktown appeared to be just waking up after last night’s celebration. 

With much of Michigan Avenue still closed off to vehicles Friday morning, the few businesses that were open had just a couple of customers. 

The train station, however, was bustling with activity, albeit a different kind of energy compared with Thursday night, as workers dismantled the concert stage that the night before featured acts including massive music concern in Roosevelt Park a night earlier that featured Diana Ross, Eminem, Jack White and Big Sean. 

— Adrienne Roberts

11:25 a.m.: Michigan Central prepares for company

The sounds of Motown and techno music filled the halls of Michigan Central Station, spilling from speakers in a gallery plastered with vintage posters less than an hour before the doors officially opened to visitors on Friday.

Inside the station, hundreds of workers dashed about, putting final touches on exhibits scheduled to attract 60,000 people over 10 days.

A woman from Chicago leading a group of eight South Korean government officials, walking through the renovated station half an hour before the official open, explained that the visitors oversee small- and medium-sized businesses and they’re looking at the 30-acre innovation zone created by Bill Ford, executive chair of Ford Motor Co.

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