Small groups big adventures

Delve into rich cultures, histories and cuisine with a fully-coordinated guided tour. Professionally led and planned to perfection, you're in great hands. 

Angelique Anderson from House of Travel Rotorua shares six great reasons to jump onboard.

Some of the AMAZING off the beaten track destinations trending for 2025!

1. Variety is the spice of life

With such a variety of tour-based adventures available (and with the world the size that it is) there’s a style of trip to unearth every corner of the globe. You’ll find itineraries that cater to whatever your travel desires are – from cycling tours and mountaineering expeditions, wildlife safaris and trail walks. Forget the ‘fly-by’ approach that’s previously been linked to touring, trips are highly detailed, with in-depth exploration throughout. With an average 15 people per tour, you won’t be fighting for the views or unable to get the attention of your tour guide. In fact, such is the nature of a small tour, you’ll consider your guide a close friend by the end.

2. The inaccessible made accessible

From traditional foods to customs you wouldn’t otherwise be aware of, small group touring ensures you experience local cultures first-hand. Independently, you might successfully navigate your way to Tuscany’s stunning countryside, but in a tour group you’ll also discover a century-old Tuscan farmhouse – you’ll step indoors and meet the farmer and his wife, he’ll pour you Cinzano and she’ll serve a huge bowl of fresh tortellini. You’ll often have the opportunity to live like a local in unique residences with local hosts. You get greater authenticity and more surprising experiences with a guided tour.

3. Forge lasting friendships

Small group touring totally eliminates the solitary nature of independent travel. With guided tours you make instant friends the first day of your trip – over dinner (wine helps) while regaling tales of previous travelling antics. You’re sharing every moment and memory with others, every giggle and every embarrassment, as well as everything from the breath-taking scenery to the unique local cultures. Imagine the incredible people you will meet as you share an extra spicy Sri Lankan curry or the friendships formed while chatting with Myanmar monks at the top of Mandalay Hill.

4. Save yourself some time

The itinerary is pre-planned, right down to the finest detail. From what time you need to catch the local bus, to the very tickets you’ll need to board with. Because gallivanting the globe always presents time-consuming challenges, from language barriers, to customs, transport and finding legitimate pricing, guided holidays work it all out for you – beforehand. And because you have no responsibilities you’ll have oodles more time to work with. More time for the important things – sightseeing, socialising, eating, exploring and above all, making unforgettable memories.

5. Hiccups? What hiccups?

With 6,500 languages spoken worldwide, speaking the local lingo is difficult. Travel independently and you’ll face all manner of stumbling blocks, from new-city navigation, to tricky immigration and laborious passport handling, but take a guided tour and you’ll gain the expertise of a savvy tour guide. Common pit-falls are avoided; decoding the subway, finding central (and available) accommodation, ensuring taxi-drivers don’t take both you and your money for a ride, it’s all made easy.

6. Knowledge is power

With years of experience under their belt, what travel’s leading tour groups don’t know about the destinations they visit, isn’t worth knowing. Take a guided tour and your guides will constantly – and effortlessly – smooth the way. They’re consistently on-hand to answer the unknowns for you. From the Wi-Fi access code to knowing which adapter will work, the best places to eat and how much to tip, they’re a walking travel encyclopaedia at your very disposal. From the first day to the very last, enjoy the added reassurance that someone else has your back.

Forget all your pre-conceived ideas about group touring, the advantages are as vast as the world is large. Experience one and we guarantee you’ll want to book another.