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Best escorted tour providers in 2025 – and the worst
The UK's biggest, best and worst escorted tour companies, as rated by thousands of their customers in our survey of nearly 20,000 holidays
With a good escorted tour provider, you could climb Kilimanjaro, cycle across Sri Lanka or go wildlife spotting in the Shetlands with a group of like-minded travellers, and the full financial protection that packages afford.
You might think escorted tour providers are much of a muchness, but our survey of nearly 20,000 holidays found big differences between the best and worst companies.
The UK's top-scoring provider, HF Holidays, offers five-star customer service and exceptional value for money, while the two companies at the bottom of the table, Leger Holidays and The Adventure People, received just a two-star rating for their accommodation offerings.
You can compare customer scores and prices in the table below and, for extra peace of mind, all the companies that have our Which? Recommended Provider status guarantee that they won't apply surcharges in 2025 – so the price won't go up after you book.
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Best and worst escorted tour providers
| 87% | £175 | n/a | ||||||||||
| 86% | n/a | £372 | ||||||||||
| 83% | n/a | n/a | n/a | |||||||||
| 83% | n/a | n/a | n/a | |||||||||
| 82% | £180 | £224 | ||||||||||
| 82% | £236 | n/a | ||||||||||
| 82% | n/a | n/a |
Using the table Based on a survey of 19,958 holidays taken in the past two years from 12,119 Which? Connect members and members of the public in August/September 2024. Sample sizes in brackets. Star ratings are based on one to five stars. The more stars the better. n/a indicates we did not receive enough responses to report on a company in that category. Average price based on the median price per day of holidays taken by survey respondents with the company named in ALL categories of holiday. Short-haul destinations are defined as anywhere less than a five-hour flight from London. Customer score based on a combination of overall satisfaction and how likely people are to recommend the company.
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Which escorted tour companies does Which? recommend?
HF Holidays – 87%
HF Holidays offers guided walking and activity holidays in Europe and throughout the UK. It also owns and manages many of the UK properties that feature on its tours.
Travellers were impressed by its excellent guides and value for money.
Which? verdict Offering five-star customer service, HF Holidays is the top-rated escorted tour provider in our survey.
Read the full HF Holidays review or visit the HF Holidays website.
Audley Travel – 86%
Audley Travel is a luxury tour operator providing holidays based around individual preferences and interests.
Customers were very impressed overall, and Audley scored a full five stars in five out of seven categories, including customer service and the tour itself.
Which? verdict: Audley Travel provides exceptional escorted tours.
Read the full Audley Travel review or visit the Audley Travel website
Intrepid – 83%
Adventure travel expert Intrepid aims to get you off the beaten track with carefully curated itineraries that can include anything from jungle trekking to rafting.
Customers loved the knowledgeable guides, quality accommodation and sustainable ethos
Which? verdict: The best-rated adventure travel operator in our survey
Read the full Intrepid review or visit the Intrepid website
One Traveller – 82%
Family-run One Traveller specialises in fully-escorted solo holidays for older travellers, with no single supplements.
It’s top of our solo holidays table and performs extremely well as an escorted tour provider, too. Customers loved its varied trips with caring and helpful tour managers.
Which? verdict: The best provider of escorted tours for solo travellers
Read the full One Traveller review or visit the One Traveller website.
Exodus Adventure Travels – 82%
Exodus Adventure Travels specialises in adventure and activity holidays, promising sustainable travel in small groups.
It was praised for its passionate guides, good-value itineraries and low-carbon options.
Which? verdict Whether you're heading for jungle, mountain or glacier, the knowledgeable advisors at Exodus Adventure Travels will make sure your adventure goes off without a hitch.
Read the full Exodus Adventure Travels review or visit the Exodus Adventure Travels website.
Great Rail Journeys – 82%
GRJ’s small-group escorted tours visit some of the world’s most celebrated rail routes.
But it’s not just the itineraries that have proved popular, customers were impressed by its exceptional guides and five-star organisation.
Which? verdict: Well organised rail holidays with excellent guides.
Read the full Great Rail Journeys review or visit the Great Rail Journeys website.
Jules Verne – 82%
From multi-destination trips, such as the three week Grand Tour of Indochina, to more affordable breaks, customers have rated the tour and its overall organisation five stars.
Jules Verne was praised for its interesting itineraries – especially on cultural tours – and its knowledgeable local guides.
Which? verdict: Top of the table for cultural tours and an excellent option for other types of escorted tour.
Read the full Jules Verne review or visit the Jules Verne website
Riviera Travel – 82%
Although Riviera Travel is well-known for its river cruises, it also provides highly rated escorted tours to a wide range of destinations, from Japan to the Canadian Rockies.
Customers loved its ‘very knowledgeable and helpful’ guides and praised its hand-picked hotels. It has a range of rail-only European cultural tours for those who don’t want to fly.
Which? verdict: Riviera Travel is an excellent provider of escorted tours, with trips to some fascinating locations around the world.
Read the full Riviera Travel review or visit the Riviera Travel website
Trailfinders – 82%
Trailfinders is consistently one of the UK’s top tour operators, as it specialises in adding tailor-made touches to your holiday.
It's not cheap, but you can expect great customer service and value for money, and a five-star-rated tour.
Which? verdict: If you’re looking for a far-flung or complex escorted tour, Trailfinders is an excellent option.
Read the full Trailfinders review or visit the Trailfinders website directly.
What are escorted tours and how do they work?
Guy Hobbs, Which? package holiday expert, says:
‘Escorted tours are great if you want someone else to manage the logistics of a complex sightseeing or activity holiday and you enjoy the company of fellow travellers. Many firms specialise in certain types of holiday, or more adventurous destinations.
‘You'll usually travel in a group, follow a fixed itinerary and be led by an experienced guide who arranges all of your transport and activities. Tour leaders also offer destination insight and resolve any problems along the way.
‘Most escorted tours are offered as all-inclusive packages, so the price includes flights, hotels, meals, activities and any entrance fees. Do check what is included so you know how much the total cost of the holiday will be.
‘The best escorted tour companies offer a hassle-free experience, knowledgeable tour leaders and seamless itineraries, as well as top-notch customer service when things go wrong.
‘If group trips aren't for you, explore at your own pace with the best and worst self-guided tour operators for 2025.’
How we researched escorted tour companies
In August/September 2024, we asked 12,119 Which? Connect panel members and members of the public to complete an online survey about their experiences of booking and going on holiday in the past two years. Our results are based on 19,958 holidays. We only reported on companies in any given category when we received at least 30 relevant responses.