Our Best Tours to Book Well in Advance

You’ve heard the old saying, “It’s the journey, not the destination, that matters.” Well, with 22 years of experience in creating small group tours, we’re confident in saying that both the journey and the destination matter! But something that often goes overlooked is the period of time before embarking on the journey – the dreaming, discussing, and planning of your next small group tour.

With over 50 tours to choose from, and departures open for both 2021 and 2022, we have plenty of options for you to consider.  Below, we’ve listed a few of our favorite tours to book well in advance, to allow ample time for planning – and dreaming.  Some of these tours are longer in duration, some visit dream destinations, and others necessitate some special pre-trip shopping.  Read on to learn more!

• Classic Safari: Kenya & Tanzania – As the name suggests, this safari tour offers unparalleled wildlife viewing in several national parks and preserves. It’s never too early to book a safari tour, and never too soon to begin researching the parks you’ll visit, the game you’ll encounter, and the special gear you’ll want to pack.

• Egypt & the Eternal Nile – This singular small group journey through antiquity includes Cairo and the Great Pyramids, Abu Simbel, and cruises along Lake Nasser and the Nile, to name just a few highlights of what is the trip of a lifetime for many. And as one of the world’s most historic destinations, Egypt lends itself to some pre-trip reading (or watching) to begin to get a sense of this nation’s place on the world stage.

• Exploring Australia & New Zealand – A three-week adventure Down Under, our longest trip visits the Great Barrier Reef, Uluru, Sydney, Auckland, and a handful of beautiful locales on both of New Zealand’s main islands. As this trip covers a lot of ground (and time), pre-trip planning is essential. Be sure to pack smart, and familiarize yourself with the weather you’ll experience during your trip.

• Insider’s Japan – Our Japan tour presents guests with an immersive experience in a truly foreign (and truly fascinating) culture, where rich traditions and sparkling modernity collide. For those who have never visited Japan, it may prove useful to do some research on the culture, cuisine, and history of the country before you go. Plus, if you plan on bringing medicine into Japan, you will need to complete a form that takes a few weeks to process. Information on this form will be contained in your pre-departure documents.

• Machu Picchu to the Galapagos – Combining two of South America’s greatest treasures, this trip defines “wish-list travel experience,” and these two destinations present a wealth of fascinating material to study before you go. In addition, our Galapagos touring features a number of boat rides and wet landings, so be sure to pick up the appropriate gear before your trip.

• Patagonian Frontiers – One of our greatest small group tours for nature lovers, Patagonian Frontiers offers a small-ship cruise through dramatic Southern Patagonia, then a three-night stay in breathtaking Torres del Paine National Park. As the weather in this part of the world can be just as wild as the scenery, this tour requires some foresight in preparation and packing.

• South American Tapestry – An 18-day tour spanning three sprawling and diverse nations, South American Tapestry includes the Andes, Iguazu Falls, Buenos Aires, Rio, and much more. Just like Patagonian Frontiers, the weather and the duration of this tour mean that you should take some time to think through your gear and clothing before embarking.

• Southeast Asia Odyssey – Our 19-day trip through Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand offers a host of new experiences and innumerable travel riches. As many of our guests won’t have had the experience of traveling through Southeast Asia before, some research and reading about these exotic locales before the trip is recommended, and can lend valuable and interesting context to your travels.

So wherever you plan to travel in the future, be sure to savor the leadup just as much as the actual adventure!