Our 5 recommended small group tours

Immerse yourself in the culture and traditions of the most fascinating regions on earth, as you share your experiences with a smaller group of like-minded travellers. Group sizes on our small group tours are restricted to a maximum of 25 but are usually comprised of around 16–20 travellers, providing guests with a more intimate experience.

Travelling in smaller groups also allows us to visit places that are otherwise inaccessible, whilst staying in unique heritage hotels and homestays that often don’t have the facilities to accommodate larger groups. Guests can gain a unique insight into local culture, with a series of intimate experiences designed to lift the veil on some of the world’s most extraordinary peoples and cultures.

We’ve picked out a selection of small-group tours below that will give you an idea of what they are all about, and highlighted their unique features:

Tuscan Food & Wines

Join a small group of food and wine enthusiasts for our Portofino, Florence & Tuscany tour, where you’ll learn the secrets of Tuscan cuisine, visit the stunning hill towns of Volterra and San Gimignano and enjoy a guided tour of magnificent Florence. Guests on this tour will benefit from smaller groups, as they enjoy several personal cookery demonstrations and small-group classes, together with a visit to the Podere le Marronaia Estate, for a tasting of some celebrated Tuscan wines, and a delightful lunch at an authentic Tuscan farmhouse restaurant.

Historic Paradors of Hidden Spain

Guests on our Historic Paradors of Hidden Spain tour will stay in three different paradors – small, luxury hotels located in converted historic buildings, such as monasteries and castles. The tour is based in lesser-known parts of northern Spain, travelling west from Bilbao through Asturias and into Galicia, and then into the Picos de Europa mountain range. Enjoy a series of excursions from your comfortable paradors, one of which is centred around a 15th-century stone tower in a quiet corner of a Galician town, whilst another is set in a 17th-century ducal palace.

Costa Rica – Nature’s Paradise

Discover and explore one of the world’s most breathtaking natural treasure troves on our Costa Rica - Wildlife, Rainforest and Caribbean Beach tour, which includes a stay in the heart of the Tortuguero National Park. Guests will benefit from smaller groups on this tour as they journey through dense rainforests, listening and watching as their expert guide points out spectacular wildlife, including the vibrant quetzal, together with three-toed sloths, monkeys and caimans. Enjoy a series of hikes, bathe in hot springs and explore the stunning Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, all with a smaller number of other nature enthusiasts.

Peru, Ecuador & the Galápagos Islands

Another one for nature lovers, our Peru, Ecuador and the Galapágos Islands tour combines the weird and wonderful wildlife of the Galapágos Islands, famously observed by Charles Darwin, together with some of South America’s greatest Inca treasures. Guests will travel in small groups, accompanied by expert guides, through Peru’s fabled Inca Sacred Valley, visiting the ancient lost city of Machu Picchu and colonial Cusco, then on to lofty Quito. Four nights in the remote Galápagos Islands, where small groups allow for more intimate encounters with the fearless, unique creatures that inhabit this archipelago, complete this fascinating tour.

Riads of Marrakesh & the Colours of Morocco

Guests on our Imperial Cities of Morocco & the Sahara Desert tour will experience some authentic Moroccan hospitality, as they stay in two riads – traditional houses or palaces built around a central courtyard, now converted into hotels. In addition to exploring the bustling cities of Marrakesh and Essaouira, this tour includes small-group excursions into the foothills of the Atlas Mountains, where guests can enjoy an intimate look at traditional life in the Berber villages that dot these gentle forested slopes, where life has remained unchanged for centuries.