We believe less is more with small group touring - less queues, less waiting, a more boutique experience, and more chance of getting to know your travel buddies. And better still, more personal interaction with your local guide. Because of our small groups, we have more freedom of choice of where our travellers stay and dine, with the option of selecting boutique and local experiences. A small group means a more local insight to each destination - and, you're not just 'another number'. We know from our traveller feedback that once you've toured in a small group, there's no going back to big group coach touring.

'SOLOS ONLY' HOLIDAYS

'Discovery'

Our maximum group size for any tour won't exceed 22 travellers, and for many tours, it's less.

For most European and North American tours, most group size maximums are not more than 22 travellers.

For Asia, and developing nations, group size maximums may be as low as a 12 travellers. The information about the group size and what to expect is provided for each tour on our website.

'Get Going'

Our active trips 'Get Going', for anyone that enjoys walking and adventuring in the great outdoors, are a more intimate. Group sizes vary but as a guide, usually no more than 14 or 16 travellers. A group of 6 to 10 is regular.

'Relax'

Our Relax holidays are resort-style trips. We usually have groups anywhere between 16 to 38 people, but the group size could be less or more. Over the years our return favourites include Bali, Fiji and Port Douglas.

Our years of travel experience have helped us hit the sweet spot for our 'Solos Only' holidays – the best number of people, mixes of age, and style of trip.

We will help you find the right solo trip for you. We match tours and trips based on personal preferences and age.

On our ‘Discovery’ tours, there’s planned group activities and also down time, creating the time for the freedom to make your own discoveries. However, with our ‘Get Going’ active tours you may be in remote areas so mostly it’s a group experience through the day. In the evening, you’ll come together for dinner but you’ll find there’s time when you can retreat to your ‘own space’.  

We have a wide variety of travel styles but there’s always a group leader for our tours.

A group leader means the trip is escorted from the start to the end in each destination. On some of the tours with very small group sizes, local guides are used in each destination, rather than the same guide throughout, but this is not so often. For clarity, your tour escort joins you in the destination and not from Australia.

With our resort packages a group coordinator/host from Encounter Travel is there to host the group. For our small group walking trips an experienced outdoor walking guide/s leads the group. And for independent cruise fans we created 'Cruise Circle for Solos'; join a group onboard for evening dining together.