**This is not a review of the tour companies we traveled with,but instead just my thoughts about group tours in general**
So you're planning a trip to a cool destination and you're feeling overwhelmed trying to decide which things to do, how to get to them, who wants to do what, and then coordinating everything into an awesome vacation. This is where group tours are especially handy! These are also great if you are travelling solo, but don't want to be alone too. Also, sometimes a group tour is the only way to easily access the activity you're looking to do.
When you're with a group of people, sometimes it can be hard to make everyone happy and see everything that everyone wants to see. Group tours are pretty good about having a variety of options to appease your whole crew. They also typically offer other add-on excursions as alternative options for those who want different experiences. For example, the multi-day tour we went on with GJ Travels offered a glacier hike option on the third day for those who wanted a more adventurous activity, while those who didn't want to do that stuck with our guide to visit black sand beaches and some other stops. Tour operators also often offer options for their tour lengths, from one day to multiple days, depending on what you're looking for and how much money you'd like to spend.
The tour with GJ Travels that our group did in Iceland was the first multi-day one I've ever done, other than school trips way back when. I enjoyed getting to see so much of a country that's beautiful landmarks are so extremely spread out, without having to worry about getting a car and potentially getting lost. Especially seeing how baron some of the roads were. I'm a landmark driver, so I think I would have been completely out of my element. It was also nice that the individuals on the tour could still explore what they were interested in- some spent more time in giftshops than others, some really wanted to explore anywhere they could at each stop, some preferred to stay in the bus at times to rest, we could do alternate excursions, and we all sat down to breakfast around the same time where we were able to chat and get to know one another. It was possible to do this at lunch and dinner occasionally too, depending on where we stopped. It was nice not worrying about picking accommodations, but you also had to trust that the tour company would give you a decent place to stay. Thankfully they did, and I'm sure they all do, but I really had no idea what to expect in this aspect!
I've done a few day tours now with friends and also as a solo traveler and I enjoy them every time. I especially like these because planning how to get around a place is still an aspect that stresses me out, I even need a GPS to basically go anywhere in a place that I've lived practically my entire life! But I'm getting better about it. So options like the full day tour of northern Ireland where I was able to explore a ton of different locations in one day with a knowledgeable guide, touring an ice cave in Iceland with Lara that was super remote and we couldn't have gotten to on our own in, looking for jaguars in Belize, snorkeling at Hol Chan Marine Reserve in Belize, and whale watching in Grenada gave me once in a lifetime experiences that I wouldn't have been able to get otherwise. I've also met some really great people while on these tours and made some awesome memories!
If you're traveling, even in your own country, and looking for something fun to do, give a tour a try! AirBnb also offers experiences now where you can do these little mini tours with a local guide. I've yet to do one of them, but I'd like to give it a try one day. Let us know your thoughts about group tours in the comments below!
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