Best and worst escorted tour providers 2024

There's so much more to package holidays than fly and flop beach breaks. 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 more than 8,000 holidaymakers found big differences between the best and worst companies. The UK's top-scoring providers, Ramble Worldwide and HF Holidays, are both hiking specialists offering great customer service and exceptional value for money. And both are Which? Recommended Providers (WRP), too. Exodus Adventure Travels is also a WRP and offers a wider range of holidays, from culture and art led city tours to rafting, canyoning and zip-lining.

At the bottom of our table sit rail and coach specialists, Great Rail Journeys and Leger Holidays, and over-50s holiday provider, Saga. Its escorted holidays, from monkey treks in Borneo to street food tours of Vietnam, sound appealing, but one reason Saga fell flat is its three-star customer service rating. One in three Saga customers told us that they'd had a problem.  

You can compare customer scores and prices in the table below and, for extra peace of mind, all the companies have our WRP status guarantee that they won't apply surcharges in 2024 – so the price won't go up after you book.

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Best and worst escorted tour providers 2024

What are escorted tours and how do they work?

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 specific 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. 

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 2023.

Which escorted tour companies does Which? recommend?

Ramble Worldwide, 88%

The top rated escorted tour operator. Ramble Worldwide (formerly Ramblers Walking Holidays) offers more than 200 small-group walking holidays in the UK, Europe and around the world, hosted by expert tour leaders.

Customers appreciated Ramblers' ‘superb guides’ and the good organisation of its itineraries. 

Which? verdict An excellent option for walking holidays, with great customer service and five-star value for money. 

Read the full Ramble Worldwide review or visit the Ramble worldwide website.

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 value for money, HF Holidays is the cheapest WRP for escorted tours.

Read the full HF Holidays review or visit the HF Holidays website.

Exodus Adventure Travels, 86%

Exodus Adventure Travels is an escorted tour provider that 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.

How we researched holiday companies

In August 2022, we asked 8,361 Which? Connect panel members and the public to complete an online survey about their experiences of booking and going on holiday in the past two years. We only reported on companies where we received at least 30 responses.