Best Tour Companies Small Group Tours & Trips

Highlights

• Embark on a journey to Iceland and experience its magic in any season – whether that’s soaking up the midnight sun or searching for the Northern Lights!
• Chase waterfalls in a country known for its flowing cascades. Visit popular sites like Gullfoss and Geysir in the Golden Circle and then head off-the-beaten-track to sites like Gljufrabui and Gluggafoss.
• Explore Southern Iceland – a world of striking contrasts – with a local leader who knows all the secret spots. Walk past blue-white icebergs at the Jokulsarlon Glacier, ford the fjords and soak up the silence of the surrounding grey sand desert.
• Visit Thingvellir National Park – the Eurasian and American tectonic plates may now be pulling apart, but over a thousand years ago, this was the site where Iceland's first parliament came together.
• Choose your own adventure in Reykjavik with loads of free time – whether that’s soaking in geothermal seawater at the famed Blue Lagoon or snorkelling at Silfra Fissure.

Highlights

• Sip your way around Waiheke Island off the shores of Auckland during an Exclusive Experience, cellar doors to learn about their production methods, sample some seriously excellent wine and enjoy a winery lunch.
• Explore the concepts, rituals and stories of ancient Maori warfare and peace in a feast of culture and cuisine in Te Pa Tu. A local expert will guide you in celebrating the abundant harvest and you’ll hear stories through haka, song and drama before a 2-course feast.
• Be amazed by Tongariro National Park as you spend the day exploring its volcanic landscapes, then retire to your chateau-style Feature Stay where you can sit back and soak in views of Tongariro’s dazzling peaks.
• Cruise the waters of iconic Milford Sound on a Premium day cruise, where you’ll enjoy drinks and canapes on board as you look out for the waterfalls, local wildlife and learn about the area.
• Soak up one of the best parts of New Zealand’s South Island – it's wine! During your Feature Stay in Gibbston Valley, you’ll enjoy a wine tasting, indulge in a 3-course dinner and watch the sunset over the mountains (maybe from the on-site hot tubs)!

Highlights

• Stay in the resort of Yllas in the heart of Finnish Lapland, a cross country skier's paradise
• Pallas-Yllastunturi National Park - officially where the world's cleanest air has been measured
• Ski in ski out 3* family run accommodation based in the Lappish village of Akaslompolo
• Snow sure destination
• Opportunity to see the Northern Lights!

Highlights

• Enjoy accommodation like no other – an opulently decorated heritage stay in Jaipur, a beautiful converted houseboat on the Kerala backwaters and a suave heritage hotel in Kochi are your Feature Stays on this trip.
• Find out what makes Indian cuisine so special during Exclusive Experiences, including local-lead food tours in Agra and Madurai, home-cooked meals with local families, and an ayurvedic cooking demonstration and dinner.
• Discover the beauty in buildings that lie across India, from Jaipur’s Amber Fort and Royal City Palace to Agra’s Red Fort and iconic Taj Mahal, and see architectural influences from a multicultural past in Puducherry and Kochi.
• Take part in Exclusive Experiences to remember – cruise down the Ganges with local musicians, and witness a lively performance of kalarippayattu.

Highlights

• Explore Australia’s oldest temperate rainforest with a visit to takayna / Tarkine– home to unique species that have evolved over hundreds of millions of years and are a living connection to the Gondwana supercontinent.
• Hike the Dove Lake Circuit in Cradle Mountain National Park – passing the immense lake, high peaks of the mountain and lush vegetation while looking out for wombats.
• See the highlights of the picturesque Tasman Peninsula, including the rock formations of Tasman Arch and Devil’s Kitchen, the Tessellated Pavement and the tragically historic Port Arthur.
• Join a bush tucker experience and learn all about the culturally rich landscape with a palawa (Tasmanian Aboriginal) guide then browse through the Salamanca Market in historic Hobart.
• Discover the rugged beauty and delicious flavours of Bruny Island as you sample local delicacies and explore the national parkland where towering cliffs fall away into the crashing sea.

Highlights

• Spend the night in a women-run guesthouse in the Pankisi Valley, surrounded by lush, green mountains, and take part in a zhizhig galnash cooking class to learn the local cuisine.
• Enjoy cooking demonstrations and masterclasses by local cooks and artisans, including learning how to make churchkhela (traditional candle-shaped candy) and khinkali (Georgian dumplings).
• Meet local producers at the Telavi markets, then head to a local farm and cheese maker for a tour of the factory and a delicious, included tasting.
• Take a hike in the striking Caucasus mountains to perhaps one of the best positioned churches in Europe – Gergeti Trinity Church.
• Taste some of Georgia’s favourite cuisines and dishes with included lunches and dinners, including khachapuri, khinkali, churchkhela and qveri wines.

Highlights

• Visit Sigiriya's Lion Rock – a UNESCO World Heritage site – and if you’re game, climb the steps to the top for amazing views over the jungle.
• Explore an area of Sri Lanka only recently opened to tourism – considered to be off-limits for years due to the civil war, the gates to Jaffna are now open to adventurers once more. Discover Tamil culture and see Point Pedro – Sri Lanka’s northernmost point.
• Kick back in the sun on Trincomalee Beach’s bright and sandy shoreline. Enjoy the open skies, swaying palm trees and glittering waters, then stop by a local village to join the community in making a traditional Tamil meal.
• Witness ritual and devotion in the spiritual heart of the country during a visit to Kandy’s Temple of the Tooth.
• Observe wild elephants from basic tree houses and hopefully catch an outstanding sunset in Wasgamuwa National Park – one of the most biodiverse protected areas in Sri Lanka.

Highlights

• Take an elaborately decorated chicken bus to a local market and witness the larger-than-life vegetables this region’s known for – decide for yourself whether it’s the result of the fertilizer or the blessings from God. 
• Gaze in wonder at the jungle-shrouded limestone temples of Tikal, one of Central America's most impressive Mayan sites, as howler monkeys call from the canopy.
• Relax and recharge on the white sands of Caye Caulker, a tiny Belizean island made for beach BBQs, snorkel trips and lazy afternoons spent swinging in a hammock.
• Explore Livingston – a one-of-a-kind riverside town where the Afro-Caribbean Garifuna population heavily influences the local culture.
• Take a scenic boat ride on Lake Atitlan to Santiago Atitlan, with 95% of the population of Mayan descent, and meet the shamanic keepers of Maximon and share a bottle of local spirits with them as they tell you stories of local life.