The Best Tour Companies for 2026

With trips on every continent, Exodus Adventure Travels covers anywhere on this planet that you could want to go, from popular destinations like the Amalfi Coast to 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 Adventure Travels to a friend).

These small-group tours operate with only 8-16 people per trip and always feature experienced local leaders who can offer unique insights into your destination. Exodus Adventure Travels caters to all travel styles, including trips broken down by activity (walking, cycling, multi-adventure, winter, or cultural) and by type of traveler (family, age group, etc.).

Exodus Adventure 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 the Lakes & Mountains of Slovenia walking tour.

There’s something undeniably romantic about the idea of biking through the rolling hills of Italy or along the winding mountain roads of Chile—the kind of trip that makes you feel like you’re part of the landscape itself. But let’s be honest: planning the route, hauling your gear, and figuring out the logistics can take the shine off that dream pretty quickly. That’s where the experts at ExperiencePlus come in. They handle every detail—from carefully planned itineraries to seamless luggage transfers—so all you have to do is pedal, take in the view, and enjoy the ride. Before any trip even begins, ExperiencePlus leaders personally scout every route, searching for the smoothest paths, the most breathtaking views, and those hidden local gems you’d never find on your own. Every curve and climb is carefully chosen to strike that perfect balance between challenge and joy—because they know it’s not just about getting from A to B, it’s about savoring the journey in between.

As a tour operator specializing in bike trips, ExperiencePlus provides premium, expertly maintained bikes equipped with all the thoughtful extras, such as roomy panniers for your essentials and a water bottle cage to keep you hydrated on the go. Add in seamless luggage transfers and support every step of the way, and all that’s left for you to do is pedal.

With trips across 22 countries in Europe, the Caribbean, and South America, you’re bound to find the bike adventure you’ve been dreaming of. You can pick the adventure that fits your travel style perfectly: ExperiencePlus offers self-guided cycling tours throughout Italy, or guided group tours across the globe.

Top Trip: The Bike Across Italy trip takes you on a culinary and cultural journey of a lifetime.

True to its name, EF Adventures focuses on adventure travel, offering a variety of biking, hiking, walking, and multi-sport tours across Europe, Asia, Latin America, and North America.

EF Adventures makes planning complicated tours easy, taking care of flights, transfers, guides, equipment, optional tour extensions, and more—so all you have to do is show up.

After an action-packed day of outdoor exploration, guests can unwind in luxurious accommodations, ranging from 3-star to 5-star properties, each selected to reflect the destination's unique charm. Whenever possible, EF Adventures chooses hotels with pools or spas, ensuring travelers have the perfect place to relax and recover.

Want to stay motivated in your fitness goals pre- or post-trip? Join EF Adventures’ Strava Group for some friendly competition.

Top Trip: Connections mean everything on a good tour group, and EF Adventures has the ultimate hookup—the brand’s parent company owns a men’s and women’s pro cycling team. Experience the behind-the-scenes perks on EF Adventures’ Tour de France trip, in which participants will get to ride iconic sections of the Tour de France, experience insider access to the EF Pro Cycling team, and watch the thrilling race finish from a VIP section on the Champs-Élysées.

For travelers who love the freedom of going at their own pace but still want the reassurance that all the logistics are expertly handled, Macs Adventure is the ultimate match. Specializing in self-guided walking and cycling tours, Macs Adventure takes care of every detail, from accommodations and luggage transfers to detailed route notes and GPS navigation. The result? You get all the thrill of independent travel, without any of the stress.

Over 90 percent of Macs’ trips are self-guided hikes, with the remaining 10 percent dedicated to cycling adventures (a segment that’s growing fast). Each itinerary is carefully curated to showcase the best of a destination—its landscapes, food, and culture—while helping travelers venture beyond the crowds.

One trend Macs Adventure keeps seeing—and that perfectly explains the rise in self-guided travel—is travelers’ growing desire to get off the beaten path. As overtourism continues to impact popular “bucket list” spots, more people are seeking quieter trails and lesser-known regions such as the Slovenian Alps.

Island walks are also having a moment, Macs Adventure reports. Travelers are discovering that places like Madeira and the Azores not only offer stunning scenery but also have ideal climates for year-round hiking—making them ideal escapes during the winter months.

Top Trip: The legendary West Highland Way in Scotland has been Macs’ most-booked destination for more than two decades, and for good reason—this is the country’s finest long-distance walk.

World Expeditions has been taking adventurous travelers to remote locations around the world 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 the communities and places where it operates tours better than it 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 an eight-day trip up the beautiful Lemosho Route.

G Adventures offers cheap group tours for travelers on a budget, making dream destinations accessible to nearly anyone. Think: sailing the Galapagos for just around $1,000, crisscrossing India’s Golden Triangle for $697, or spending 8 days in Bali for less than $700.

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

G Adventures keeps costs down by opting for cheaper hotels and local meals and making certain activities optional (for an additional fee). 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: The China Express trip is a great way to see the highlights of China if you’re short on both time and budget.

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. EF Go Ahead Tour’s special event tours are particularly enticing for a bucket list trip, 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.

Whether you’re headed north to the Arctic or south to Antarctica, Chimu Adventures has the perfect polar group trip. Chimu Adventures has some of the most variety for trips to the polar regions, 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 from Australia or New Zealand (most Antarctica trips depart from Argentina).

Chimu Adventures is one of the cheapest group trips to Antarctica, and you can find great last-minute bargains on their deals page if you can be flexible with dates and itineraries.

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

Group tours can be a great way to meet new people, but they can sometimes skew towards the older age range. If you’re between 25 and 39 and a solo traveler looking to meet new people, you’ll adore For the Love of Travel. All participants on the trips are between 25 and 39, and according to the company, 80 percent are solo travelers—so you’ll make friends fast.

For the Love of Travel offers weeklong (or longer) international trips as well as shorter weekend 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 the Lapland tour.