5 Great Alternatives To Contiki You Should Totally Check Out

Looking for alternatives to Contiki? These 5 travel operators are your best options 💁‍♀️

Contiki is undoubtedly one of the most well-known and biggest travel brands for under 35s.

But bigger isn’t always better, and there are a few fantastic alternatives to Contiki which you may not have heard of.

Why seek alternatives to Contiki?

The two main reasons people will look for other travel companies like Contiki are price & the style of tours.

Price

At the time of writing, the average cost per day for a Contiki tour is $180 (£116) per day.

This may be too high for you, and if so, then you’ll be happy to know that there are a few Contiki alternatives that come in cheaper – but there’s two which are definitely won’t.

Style of tours

Contiki is just one of the 42 brands under the control of The Travel Corporation.

And while big travel companies have its perks, some people think being too big can negatively affect their travel experience.

This is why people – like yourself, look for alternatives to Contiki as they seek a more honest experience with a smaller, more hands-on and intimate travel company.

But don’t think that Contiki isn’t all that – because it sure as hell is 🤛

According to TourRadar, Contiki is rated excellent from over 5,100 passengers with an impressive 86% claiming their Contiki tour was excellent.

9.7

Accommodation

95%

Transportation

100%

Meals

95%

Value For Money

95%

Tour Guide

100%

But does Contiki offer the intimate tours that other travel operators provide? No, they don’t.

The truth is that unless you pay a lot more and go with a company like G Adventures or Intrepid Travel, then you’re really not going to get the close group tour experience you’re after.

Here's our list of the five best alternatives to Contiki:

Busabout

Busabout describes themselves as “the alternative way to travel”, and that’s thanks to their unique travel styles.

With Busabout you can pick from pre-planned, guided tours or you can build your itinerary and travel on your own terms with the award-winning Hop-on Hop-off Travel Passes.

Travel at your own pace without restrictions

Build your ideal itinerary with the Busabout trip planner

Part of the company that owns the Contiki brand

You can explore Europe, North America, Africa & Asia

There is no upper age limit with Busabout (average age range is 18-45)

UPDATEBusabout has suspended all trips until 2022. Learn more.

Topdeck Travel

Topdeck is wildly popular and probably the most similar tour operator to Contiki – hence why so many people compare Topdeck vs Contiki.

With a massive 274 tours to choose from and almost the same trip types and destinations, Topdeck Travel is one of the best alternatives to Contiki.

In January 2020, Topdeck launched a new “Feel Real” branding that promises to offer more immersive, raw and off-the-grid destinations and experiences.

Topdeck has a slightly older age range than Contiki (18-39)

Topdeck tours include your accommodation, meals & transportation

Topdeck Travel does not charge single supplements, but Contiki does

Always great deals and Topdeck discount codes available

Topdeck trips are a little bit less “party” than Contiki tours

Intrepid Travel

Intrepid Travel offers a more authentic travel experience than Contiki with a big focus on authentic real-life experiences, and local secrets you won’t find on Google.

They do this by using tour guides who are born and raised in the country you’re visiting.

A significant difference between Contiki and Intrepid Travel is the group sizes. The average Intrepid tour group size is about ten compared to Contiki’s which can be upwards of 22-30 in a group.

So if you’re looking for small groups and big adventures, then Intrepid Travel is definitely a great alternative to Contiki.

1,000 trips across 100 countries in a variety of styles

Authentic real-life experience with a focus on responsible travel

With an average of just ten people, Intrepid has a much smaller group size compared to Contiki

A great balance between organised activities and your own free time

They only use local born & raised tour guides

G Adventures

Another small-group tour company on our list of alternatives to Contiki has to be G Adventures.

G Adventures is the ultimate sustainable small-group tour company building meaningful relationships with local communities and helping the people and places they visit.

Unlike Contiki, there is no upper age limit for G Adventure tours (except their 18-to-Thirty-somethings trips), so you’ll be sure to get more of a mixed bag of travellers if you wish, or you can opt for tours with people your age – it’s entirely up to you.

You can travel with 18-35s or jump on a tour with no upper age limit

They offer lifetime deposits so you never lose your deposit if you can’t make your initial trip

Big focus on supporting local communities

All about an authentic and unforgettable life-changing experience

Lots of deals and promotions available throughout the year

Travel Talk Tours

Travel Talk has to be on the list of alternatives to Contiki tours because they have pretty much the same demographics as Contiki.

Travel Talk Tours is a UK based operator and has a large following of expats living in the UK & Europe – so exactly the same type of people who travel with Contiki. For this reason, you’ll find many similarities between these two brands and their tours – lots of Croatia sailing, Greek Island hopping and a few festival trips to choose from also.

Strictly for 18-39s only

Premium accommodation & transportation included

Tours to Europe, Middle East, Asia & Africa

Very similar passengers to Contiki (same ages & nationalities etc.)

Generous deals & discounts with up to 50% off at times

Travel Talk also focuses on the same 18-39s age group that Topdeck Travel, so slightly older than Contiki, but not as high as Busabout, Intrepid Travel or G Adventures.

Whatever your reason for seeking an alternative to Contiki is, take comfort in knowing that there are other options available.

All alternative travel operators listed also offer the high-quality and highly rated tours that you’d expect from a global brand like Contiki.