10 of the best tour operators

Times

7 days ago

Whether turning up at a port to see the ferry melting over the horizon or thinking you're heading to an authentic Mexican cantina only to find a generic cocktail bar, a trip to a new place inevitably contains moments of disappointment. However, booking with the right operator can ensure you're spending your holiday budget, and more importantly time, in the way that feels most meaningful to you. More than doing the admin, offering on-the-ground knowledge and crafting thoughtful itineraries, they also offer a steady hand to hold when things go awry. From high-end adventures to budget-conscious journeys, these are the companies that go the extra mile so you can travel with confidence.
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Jet2holidays is now the UK's largest tour operator and has won awards for its excellent service at reasonable prices. It refunded customers quickly during the pandemic, has promised not to apply surcharges this year and, unlike many fly-and-flop merchants, includes hold luggage in its headline prices. It has beach holidays in two to five-star hotels in 65 destinations across the Mediterranean, Canary Islands and other corners of Europe, from ten UK airports, as well as city breaks.
Try this: Seven nights' all inclusive at the four-star Landmar Costa Los Gigantes in Tenerife on June 19 starts at £994pp, based on two adults sharing, including baggage allowance, flights and transfers.
• Read our full guide to the world's best adventure holidays
Inntravel was pioneering slow travel long before it became mainstream. It specialises in self-guided walking, cycling and cross-country snowshoeing holidays, which come with minutely detailed trip dossiers and work with a network of small, locally owned hotels and guesthouses. Many of its holidays are also designed with rail travel from London.
Try this: Journey by Rail Along the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Perfect for those who don't have the fitness or 30 days spare to do this section of the journey on foot, it includes stays in five cities en route including Burgos, where you'll find El Cid's tomb, and Monforte de Lemos, built around a fortress, which now houses a stunning parador where Inntravel customers stay. Nine nights' B&B and rail travel start from £1,105pp, based on two sharing.
inntravel.co.uk
Jules Verne runs escorted tours and cruises worldwide, from Croatia to Cuba, and is great for solo travellers who aren't necessarily looking for trips especially for singles, but do want holidays that don't involve paying a swingeing supplement if they don't want to share a room. The group size on each tour is typically about 15 and nearly 40 per cent are travelling solo. More than half of its escorted tours have departures where no single supplement applies.
Try this: The Golden Road to Samarkand escorted tour of Uzbekistan has no single supplements on selected dates as well as solo departures. Eleven nights' half board and flights starts at £2,495pp.
vjv.com
Owned and managed by the same family for more than 50 years, this is your go-to for lesser-known/undiscovered Greece and its islands (Cyprus, Portugal and the Azores, Scandinavia and Latin America are also in its portfolio). Forget glitzy and soulless all-inclusives, it specialises in value-for-money small hotels and resorts as well as villas with pools and its holidays are brilliant for getting under the skin of a destination.
Try this: The two-bedroom Anthilia Cottages in Sivota on Greece's Epirus coast are a ten-minute walk from the village and beaches and seven nights' self-catering costs from £709pp, including flights and transfers.
sunvil.co.uk
A trip to Japan is top of many people's wishlist but to make the most of it you need a specialist tour operator with impeccable attention to detail. InsideJapan has this in spades, offering group tours and self-guided trips that come with an indispensable, personalised 'bible' of tips and advice. All of its team have have had years of experience living, working and travelling in Japan, and know all the best spots, whether you want to see cherry blossom or hunt down the best manga stores in Tokyo.
Try this: The 14-night Gastronomic Adventure is a whistle-stop tour of all the best food and culture hotspots across Japan and starts at £3,060pp, based on two travelling and excluding flights.
insidejapantours.com
Trailfinders has specialised in round-the-world tickets and multi-city flights for more than 50 years and now provides everything from tropical fly-and-flops to city breaks and escorted tours; while it has an online presence, you have to ring to book and will always get a bespoke deal. It really came into its own during the pandemic because of its finance model: it ring-fences customers' money in a separate account, so could refund quickly.
Try this: The Worldwide Explorer around-the-world package includes flights and five nights' accommodation (room only) on a route from London that includes Singapore, Sydney and San Francisco and starts at £1,379pp, based on two travelling.
trailfinders.com
If you're keen to go green, Pura Aventura, a Brighton-based tour operator, is certified B Corp and tailor-makes holidays away from the crowds to Latin America, Spain and Portugal. It donates one per cent of its revenue to fund a rural reforestation development project in Nicaragua and carbon balances every holiday by 160 per cent (a mile for every kilometre travelled) so that customers can travel 'positive'.
Try this: Classic Costa Rica Away From the Crowds swaps the tourist trail for lesser-known routes in Costa Rica and starts at £4,900pp, based on two sharing, including 17 nights' B&B, some meals, transfers and activities.
pura-aventura.com
If insider access is your thing, A&K, which specialises in top-notch hyper-bespoke holidays, operates on the 'it's not what you know but who you know' principle and has a bulging little black book. In business for more than 60 years, it's particularly strong on Africa, whether you want a super luxe small-boat Nile cruise or a private safari — but with 55 offices in 30 countries, its reach is worldwide.
Try this: A&K's Cultural Treasures: Around the World by Private Jet departs on May 6 and includes everywhere from the Taj Mahal and Abu Dhabi's modern wonders to a Sicilian wedding party and the Bhutan's tshechu festival. It costs £120,800pp.
abercrombiekent.co.uk
A key marker of Kuoni's reliability is that honeymoons and special occasions make up a quarter of its business; it's also strong on family holidays. All of its trips are tailor-made and it was one of the best travel companies for refunds during the pandemic. It sells holidays worldwide, including a strong European programme ranging from Malta to Montenegro, and while it's premium, it's not all top end — there's now a broader range of resorts in the Maldives, for example. It's hot on sustainability, fair employment rights and animal welfare (elephant rides have been removed entirely from its tours), and a big plus for those who'd rather chat in depth about their trip face-to-face is that it has 30 stores across the UK.
Try this: Kandolhu is a tiny idyll in the Maldives that's exclusive to Kuoni. Seven nights' all-inclusive, plus flights and transfers, starts at £3,899pp.
kuoni.co.uk
An expert in highly personalised, tailor-made private tours, Audley offers trips to more than 80 destinations. Its USP is a team of specialists who've all travelled extensively in their regions, returning each year, so they can curate trips that are out of the ordinary. You can expect the best local guides and stays in interesting hotels, homestays and lodges.
Try this: An eight-night Highlights of Canada's west self-drive trip, with bear, moose and elk spotting in Banff and Jasper National Parks, starts at £2,645pp, including flights, stays in hotels and B&Bs, and car hire.
audleytravel.com
• Best tours for families• Best group tours for solo travellers• Best tours for couples
Additional reporting by Hannah Summers and Imogen Lepere