2017 RANKING & REVIEWS
TOP RANKING BEST TOUR COMPANIES
How Tour Companies Can Help You Plan Your Dream Adventure
You’ve booked a few weeks off work for this summer and you’re ready for the adventure of a lifetime. Now all that’s left is planning the trip. If you’ve got a packed schedule, are unfamiliar with trip planning, and prioritize luxury and convenience, then you need to quickly start looking at top tour operators.
Award Emblem: Top 6 Best Tour Operators in the World
Fortunately, we’ve got you covered with a list of some of the best tour companies to help you get your vacation planning started. Bon voyage!
See Also: Top Travel Sites | Ranking | Best Travel Booking Websites and Online Travel Agencies
AdvisoryHQ’s List of the Top 6 Best Tour Companies
List is sorted alphabetically (click any of the tourist agency names below to go directly to the detailed review section for that tour operator)
Top 6 Best Tour Operators | Brief Comparison & Ranking
Tour Companies | Highlighted Features |
| Absolute Travel | Special interest luxury travel |
| Artisans of Leisure | On-the-road perks |
| Classic Journeys | Company and employee incentives program |
| Gray & Co. | Extensive press coverage and accolades |
| Journeys International | Earth Preservation Fund |
| Trek Travels | Bicycle trips |
Table: Top 6 Best Tour Companies | Above list is sorted alphabetically
What To Consider When Researching Tour Operators
When you’re researching different tour companies, there are a few things you should keep in mind aside from sightseeing and hotels while planning your trip:
- Travel insurance: The last thing you want is to be stuck in a foreign country with an injury or disease. Travel insurance provides a financial safety net for overseas medical bills or an emergency flight back home.
- Baggage insurance: While you should limit the number of valuables you pack, baggage insurance can provide you with compensation if your luggage is lost or delayed.
- Activity level: Many tour companies provide an activity level rating so that travellers choose a trip that is appropriate for the amount of physical exercise they want to engage in (i.e a walking tour compared to a hiking trip).
All-in-One Change Management Tools
Top Rated Toolkit for Change Managers.
Get Your Change Management Tool Today...
AdvisoryHQ’s Selection Methodology
What methodology does AdvisoryHQ use in selecting and finalizing the credit cards, financial products, firms, services, and products that are ranked on its various top rated lists?
Please click here “AdvisoryHQ’s Ranking Methodologies” for a detailed review of AdvisoryHQ’s selection methodologies for ranking top rated credit cards, financial accounts, firms, products, and services.
Detailed Review – Top Ranking Best Tour Companies
Below, please find the detailed review of each of the tour operators on our list of the best tour companies. We have highlighted some of the factors that allowed these tour companies to score so well in our selection ranking.
Absolute Travel Review
Absolute Travel is a luxury tour and travels company that organizes one-of-a-kind trips for its customers. Their travel tours are put together by a group of dedicated travel specialists who design trips around the interests and desires of individuals.
Their travel and tours specialists work with individuals to determine what style of traveling they prefer. Some prefer a more rugged experience whereas others want to enjoy the local culture in luxury. There are even those who want a combination of the two.
A Wide Selection of Destinations
The travel specialists at this tour agency have a comprehensive knowledge of destinations all over the world. This knowledge has been cultivated through their own experience and through their personal relationships.
Travelers can browse several destinations listed on their website. As one of the top travel tour companies, they have specialists who have explored every inch of these destinations. Individuals bitten by the travel bug can enjoy adventurous, customized trips to every continent on the planet (except Antarctica).
This travel and tours agency prepares sample itineraries for specific destinations to give travelers an idea of all their options and what they can expect from this tourist agency.
Special Interest Luxury Travel
For some travelers, it’s not about the destination, but about the experience. You may not be very picky about the exact country you go to, but there may be a specific passion that you want to explore all over the world.
If you want to travel by interest, you’ve picked one of the best travel tour companies to help you do just that. This tour operator helps travelers tailor trips to their particular interests or desired activities.
From food tours to safaris, this tours and travels company has what travelers need. They offer a number of special interest luxury travel options, including the following:
- Private safaris
- Luxury wellness retreats
- Golf vacations
- Luxury honeymoon destinations
- Culinary trips
- Wine trips
- Solo travel
- Special occasion trips
- Philanthropic travel
- Luxury adventure travel
- Beach trips
- Luxury family vacations
Luxury Travel Blog
This travel tours company curates an excellent blog on their site. This blog allows potential customers an opportunity to read more about the benefits of travel, find inspiration for their own trips, and gain insight and answers to questions about exploring the world.
Don’t Miss: Top Credit Cards for International Travel | Ranking & Reviews | Best No Foreign Fee International Credit Cards
Artisans of Leisure Review
Artisans of Leisure specializes in customized private tours. It is a tour operator designed for individuals who want to travel in comfort, style, and luxury with a tourist agency that pays close attention to detail.
This tour agency is focused on providing quality service for customers from the day they start planning their trip to the day they come home.
Source: Pexels
Private, Flexible Trips
This is one of the best tour operators for people who want private, exclusive trips that are tailored to their interests and schedule. This travel and tours agency arranges a personal driver and expert driver in each destination.
The tours and travels professionals at Artisans of Leisure arrange:
- Sightseeing
- Accommodations
- Airport transfers
- Regional flights
- Visas
- Any other logistics (in advance)
In addition to tailoring the trip to the customer’s interests, these travel tours experts also take your daily energy levels into consideration when making adjustments during the trip.
On-the-Road Perks
Artisans of Leisure customers enjoy a number of benefits and advantages while traveling through this travel and tours company. These privileges include:
- Room upgrades
- Special meals
- Late check-out
- Complimentary spa treatments
- Day tours
- Tickets to performances and cultural events
- Reservations at renowned restaurants
- Access to private homes, gardens, and more
Destination and Interest-Based Tours
This tour agency offers trips to destinations all over the world. They offer an extensive number of tours in Europe and Asia.
In addition, this tour agency offers special interest tours like the following:
- Culinary tours
- Family travel
- Honeymoons and romance
- Active & adventure
- Art, design & architecture
- Shopping
- Philanthropy
- Jewish & heritage
- Garden tours
- Special diets
- Shore excursions
- Accessible travel
- Celebration tours
- Learning activities
Related: Top Travel Credit Card Offers | Ranking | Best Credit Cards For Travel (Reviews)
Classic Journeys Review
Classic Journeys offers a local, intimate approach to luxury travel. It is one of the travel tour companies that organizes trips with small groups led by local guides. This travel and tours agency focuses on providing a luxury adventure that is filled with authentic experiences.
As the travel and tours agency puts it themselves, “How you travel is as important as where you go.”
User-Friendly Website
Since a lot of luxury tour companies offer one-on-one planning and assistance, their sites are usually bare bones operations with basic information. It’s usually difficult for potential customers to get an idea of what types of trips are offered before setting up an appointment.
Classic Journeys has an easy to navigate, user-friendly website that allows travelers to search for trips based on a number of criteria.
Like all of the best travel tour companies, Classic Journeys offers a wide array of destinations that travelers can choose from.
This travel and tours company also allows users to search by tour type. This travel and tours agency offers:
- Cultural walking adventures
- Culinary tours
- Family multisport
- Private journeys
Cultural Walking Adventures
You can soak up a lot of a new place by exploring on foot. This is one of the travel tour companies that offers luxury walking tours with a full-time, local guide whose expertise helps travelers learn as much as possible at a relaxed pace.
As one of the best travel tour companies, Classic Journeys offers week-long walking tours in Argentina, Bhutan, Brazil, Chile, China, Croatia, Cuba, Italy, Morocco, New Zealand, Panama, Peru, Thailand, Turkey, and many more places.
Company and Employee Incentives Program
Classic Journeys offers something pretty unique from other tour companies. They offer custom-designed travel programs for brands that want to organize company and employee incentives.
This can help cultivate relationships with valuable clients and reward high performers in a company. This tour agency’s website details the following benefits:
- Quality that elevates your brand
- Curated itineraries
- Focus on value and ROI
- Extravagant experiences
- Scalable yet personal packages
- Comprehensive service
- Easy planning and marketing
Popular Article: Best Travel Insurance Reviews| Best Places to Buy Travel Insurance Online for the U.S.
Gray & Co. Review
Gray & Co. plans “private trips for active travelers.” It is one of the best tour companies for discerning travelers who want to travel in comfort, style, while experiencing the high level of service and the flexibility expected from a private trip.
Comprehensively Researched Travel Destinations
Gray & Co. diligently researches all of the travel destinations they offer. They provide a curated list of destinations that they love and are very familiar with. Even so, as one of the best tour companies, they are ready and available to help travelers plan a trip to a destination that is not listed on their site.
Individuals interested in working with this travel and tours agency can also search for trips based on the season they prefer to travel in. This tour operator breaks things down by spring/fall, summer, and winter.
Expert, International Team
Gray & Co. is a travel and tours agency that boasts several expert guides that help plan one-of-a-kind adventures for their clients. They cultivate a global network of friends, drivers, contacts, bike mechanics, and more to provide a comfortable and convenient travel experience.
Travelers who want to learn more about the tours and travel specialists who will be helping them plan their trip can read more about them on the team page.
Extensive Press Coverage
Gray & Co. has received several press mentions and favorable reviews for the quality of the trips that they organize. Additionally, members of the Gray & Co. team have contributed writing to several publications where they share their extensive knowledge and experience with readers.
This travel and tours agency has been mentioned or reviewed in:
- The Globe and Mail
- CNN
- The New York Times
- USA Today
- Travel + Leisure
- Town & Country
- Forbes
- CN Traveler
- And more
Read More: Top Sites to Compare Travel Insurance Quotes | Ranking | Travel & Holiday Insurance Comparison
Journeys International Review
Journeys International is a tour operator with a long history and a great reputation. It is one of the best tour companies, and it has been planning creative trips for its customers since 1978.
Easy to Find Suitable Trips
As one of the top tour companies, Journeys International offers an easy way to find trips that are suited to each customer’s needs. Customers can use filters to search for trips that suit the kind of vacation they want.
One filter is the types of trips that this travel and tours agency provides:
- Signature adventures
- Journeys for women
- Scenic adventures
- Active adventures
- New adventures
- Staff-led adventures
- Private and customized trips
- Journeys for families
- Cultural adventures
- Wildlife adventures
- Small ship adventures
- Exploratory adventures
- Group trips
Travelers can also filter by comfort level:
- Simple
- Delightful
- Superior
- Deluxe
- Uncommon
And finally, travelers can filter based on their preferred activity level:
- Gentle
- Active
- Vigorous
- Challenging
- Demanding
Detailed explanations of all of these different categories can be found in the key on this travel and tours agency’s website.
Accommodations for Families
As one of the top tour operators, Journeys offers a variety of trips for travelers who want to travel with their families. The trips can be customized for parents who want an easy-going trip with their kids or people who want to organize a massive, multigenerational adventure.
Earth Preservation Fund
Travel has become more accessible to more people and that is truly a wonderful development. But it means that there are certain responsibilities those who are privileged enough to travel have to be aware of. One of those responsibilities is sustainable travel and a respect for local communities, environments, and economies.
Many travelers want to work with tour companies that show an awareness of and commitment to the destinations they frequent. Since 1979, Journeys has supported preservation programs (educational, cultural, and environmental in nature) through the non-profit arm of their travel and tours agency, the Earth Preservation Fund (EPF).
Some of this travel and tours agency’s projects through EPF include:
- Stand with Nepal Earthquake Relief Campaign
- Save the Asian Elephant (Earth Day network, India)
- Birds of a Feather orphan education and conservation training (Uganda)
- Lares Valley Reforestation (Peru)
A portion of each trip’s revenue is donated to the Earth Preservation Fund.
Free Wealth & Finance Software - Get Yours Now ►
Trek Travels Review
Trek Travels is the travel and tours agency of choice for those who want to take cycling trips around the world. They help explorers and globetrotters access the best roads, hotels, restaurants, attractions, and more on Trek bikes that confidently get them where they want to go.
Bicycle Trips All Over the World
Travelers can use this travel and tour agency’s Trip Finder to browse bicycle adventures from all over the world.
Bicyclists can enjoy the beautiful views, fragrant olive oils, and rich wines of Andalucia. They can take in the relaxing views of the California coast, enjoy a vibrant Cuban adventure, and ride the ancient, mythical trails of Peru.
This travel and tours agency offers several amazing trips in Europe, North America, Latin America, and the Asia Pacific.
Comprehensive Packages
Included in the price of each individual’s travel package is:
- Two or more guides
- Use of Trek bike and gear
- Accommodations
- Most meals
- Social hour to meet and mingle with the other participants
- Snacks and drinks for each ride
- Private tours, tastings, and entrance fees
- Support (a support staff member riding alongside the group as well as one driving behind)
- Local research
- Transportation during the trip
- Luggage transfers
- Trek travel merchandise
- Gratuities
- Trip photographs
Available Extras
While the packages offered by this travel and tours company are great, there are add-ons that travelers can purchase for additional peace of mind. These add-ons include:
- Single Supplement for solo travelers
- Bike upgrades
- Travel assistance
- Travel Protection
- Club TT
Source: Pexels
Conclusion – Top 6 Best Tour Companies
Finding the best tour companies can take your trip from stressful to wonderful. Tour operators can help you plan your trip, customize it to your interests and comfort levels, and make all of the necessary arrangements so that all you need to do is soak up the views and have the time of your life.
AdvisoryHQ (AHQ) Disclaimer: Reasonable efforts have been made by AdvisoryHQ to present accurate information, however all info is presented without warranty. Review AdvisoryHQ’s Terms for details. Also review each firm’s site for the most updated data, rates and info. Note: Firms and products, including the one(s) reviewed above, may be AdvisoryHQ's affiliates. Click to view AdvisoryHQ's advertiser disclosures.
