The best travel groups for young adults are the small-group operators built around an 18–35 crowd: INTRO Travel, One Life Adventures and TruTravels lead on traveller ratings across the 6,079 trips we track, G Adventures has by far the widest choice, and Contiki remains the biggest name for big-group Europe trips. Expect roughly £80–£150 per day depending on the operator and region — and most people on these trips book solo.
- Ranked by average verified-traveller rating, not by who pays us — 78,000+ reviews across the eight groups below
- Typical cost: £81–£147 per person per day (medians from live prices we track daily); budget picks from ~£72/day
- Group sizes range from ~14 (Intrepid) to ~50 (Contiki, Expat Explore) — size changes the whole trip
- Booking solo is normal: on most of these trips the majority of the group arrived alone
- Every trip links to the operator's real departures — we never take the booking or the payment
What counts as a travel group for young adults?
A travel group here means an organised small-group trip where you join a set departure with other travellers your age, a leader, accommodation and transport sorted — you book a spot, turn up, and the logistics are someone else's problem. The good ones for young adults are built specifically around an 18–35 crowd: hostels or shared rooms rather than coach-tour hotels, a social pace, and groups where turning up alone is the norm, not the exception.
That's a different thing from a meet-up app or a chartered coach holiday. Every company below runs real scheduled departures you can book this year, and all but the last three appear in the live inventory we track daily — which is where the numbers in this article come from.
We track 6,079 group trips aimed at 18–35s, with live prices and verified traveller review counts updated daily. The ranking below orders operators by their average traveller rating across every trip of theirs we track, with review volume as the tie-break; per-day costs are the median of each operator's live per-person prices divided by trip length, in GBP, as of 18 July 2026. Nobody paid to be on this list, and placement can't be bought — the data decides.
- Avg rating
- 4.81 ★
- Verified reviews
- 16,863
- Typical cost/day
- £112
- Trips we track
- 39
- Avg rating
- 4.84 ★
- Verified reviews
- 12,166
- Typical cost/day
- £121
- Trips we track
- 24
- Avg rating
- 4.76 ★
- Verified reviews
- 15,021
- Typical cost/day
- £81
- Trips we track
- 28
- Avg rating
- 4.77 ★
- Verified reviews
- 12,731
- Typical cost/day
- £126
- Trips we track
- 424
- Avg rating
- 4.74 ★
- Verified reviews
- 12,195
- Typical cost/day
- £122
- Trips we track
- 113
- Avg rating
- 4.50 ★
- Verified reviews
- 9,114
- Typical cost/day
- £147
- Trips we track
- 351
| INTRO Travel | One Life Adventures Our pick | TruTravels | G Adventures | Contiki | Intrepid Travel | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg rating | 4.81 ★ | 4.84 ★ | 4.76 ★ | 4.77 ★ | 4.74 ★ | 4.50 ★ |
| Verified reviews | 16,863 | 12,166 | 15,021 | 12,731 | 12,195 | 9,114 |
| Typical cost/day | £112 | £121 | £81 | £126 | £122 | £147 |
| Trips we track | 39 | 24 | 28 | 424 | 113 | 351 |
INTRO Travel
The highest-rated travel group for young adults in our entire catalogue, and it isn't close on volume either — nearly 17,000 verified reviews averaging 4.87. INTRO runs guided 'first week done for you' style trips in Southeast Asia and Australia with a group leader, a WhatsApp group before you fly, and an itinerary built for people who've never travelled alone before. The crowd skews 18 to late-20s and almost everyone arrives solo.
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One Life Adventures
One Life runs a shorter list of trips and runs them extremely well — 4.81 across nearly 12,000 reviews. Philippines, South Korea, Japan, Sri Lanka: places the big-bus operators barely touch, done at a pace that balances big days with actual downtime. Groups cap around 20 and the vibe is social without being a moving bar crawl.
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TruTravels
The best cost-per-day of the top tier — a median of £81 a day for island-hopping trips through Thailand, Bali, the Philippines and Sri Lanka, rated 4.80 across almost 15,000 reviews. TruTravels is openly social: sunrise hikes and snorkelling by day, beach bars at night. If your picture of a group trip involves a longtail boat and twenty new friends, this is that.
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G Adventures
G Adventures' 18-to-Thirtysomethings range is the biggest young-adult trip list in the world — we track 424 of their 18–35-friendly departures across every continent, averaging 4.75. Hostel-style stays, local transport, small groups around 16, and per-day costs from £27 on the cheapest trips. It's the safe answer when you know where you want to go and want a well-run group there.
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Contiki
The original travel group for young adults — running 18–35-only trips since 1962 — and still the default picture most people have of one. Big coach groups (up to ~50), packed itineraries, and unbeatable social momentum: a Contiki Europe summer is a specific, famous experience. It rates a solid 4.71 across 7,600+ reviews; just know that group size is the trade-off for the atmosphere.
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Intrepid Travel
Intrepid runs the smallest groups here (~14) and the most culture-forward style — local guides, homestays, real public transport, B-Corp credentials. Its dedicated 18-to-29s trips carry the young-adult energy while the wider range skews all-ages. The 4.51 average is the lowest of our top six, largely because the range is vast; the young-adult departures rate well. Pick it when the destination matters more than the party.
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MacBackpackers
A specialist pick: only three trips, all Scotland, all superb — 4.87 across 2,600 reviews, matching INTRO's rating at a fraction of the commitment. Hostel-based Highlands and Isle of Skye loops from Edinburgh at around £72 a day make this the easiest way to test whether group travel is your thing at all — a long weekend, not a life decision.
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Expat Explore
Big-coach Europe like Contiki, but priced to move and without the age cap — the crowd skews younger anyway, especially on the summer multi-country loops. Nine countries in fourteen days is a genuine option here. It trades depth for coverage: if this is your one shot at Europe and you want the full highlight reel, the value is hard to argue with.
We may earn a commission if you book through this link — it never changes your price. Why
- You want the classic big-group Europe summer
- A strict 18–35 age cap matters to you
- Social momentum beats a lie-in, every day
- You'd rather 16 people than 50
- You want choice — any continent, any budget
- You want local transport and hostels over a coach
Every trip on this site shows a cashback amount by the price — £15 to £70 back after you travel, paid from our commission, not added to your price. Activate it before you book; the pill on any trip page explains the rest.
US-based travel groups worth knowing (that we don't track)
Three more names come up constantly in this search, all US-based and booked direct rather than through the inventory we track — so we can't verify their review data the way we can above, but they're legitimate and worth a look if they fit your situation.
EF Ultimate Break runs 18–35 trips aimed squarely at American college students and young professionals, with payment plans as the signature feature. Under30Experiences does small groups of roughly 8–16 for ages 21–35 with a nature-and-culture lean. FTLO Travel pitches slightly older — social trips for solo travellers roughly 25–39 — with a more grown-up, long-weekend-friendly style. If you're UK or Europe-based, the eight operators above will almost always be the better-value route.
How to actually choose your travel group
Four things separate a trip you'll rave about from one you'll endure. First, group size: fourteen people (Intrepid) and fifty people (Contiki) are completely different holidays — small groups bond tighter, big groups have more people to click with and more room to hide. Second, party level: every operator above sits somewhere between 'a few beers at sunset' and 'the itinerary is built around the bar' — read the trip page, not the brand homepage, because it varies trip by trip. Third, pace: count the one-night stops on the itinerary; more than half means you'll spend the trip packing. Fourth, the real cost: the sticker price rarely includes flights, some meals and activities, so compare per-day costs on a like-for-like basis — which is exactly what the numbers in this article are.
If you'd rather answer five questions than read eight reviews sections, our matchmaker does this filtering for you — it asks about your crowd, pace and budget, then ranks real departures honestly. It's the fastest route from 'no idea' to a shortlist.
Common questions
What is the best travel group for young adults?
By average verified-traveller rating across the 6,079 young-adult trips we track, INTRO Travel leads (4.87 from 16,794 reviews), followed by One Life Adventures (4.81) and TruTravels (4.80). The best one for you depends on style: Contiki for big-group Europe, G Adventures for the widest choice, TruTravels for value in Southeast Asia.
How much does a group trip for young adults cost?
From live prices we track daily: median per-person costs run £81/day (TruTravels) to £147/day (Intrepid), with budget picks like MacBackpackers around £72/day and G Adventures trips starting near £27/day. A typical 10-day trip lands between £800 and £1,500 before flights.
Can I join a travel group alone?
Yes — it's the norm, not the exception. On most 18–35 group trips the majority of travellers book solo, and operators like INTRO Travel set up group chats before departure so you know people before you land. Many trips also carry no single supplement.
Is 30 too old for a young adult travel group?
No. Contiki runs to 35, G Adventures' 18-to-Thirtysomethings range covers your thirties, and operators like TruTravels and Expat Explore have no hard cap — their crowds simply skew twenties. If you're 30+, FTLO (roughly 25–39) and Intrepid's small groups also fit naturally.
Are group tours worth it compared to travelling solo?
For a first big trip, usually yes: logistics, safety and an instant social circle are what you're paying for. You pay a premium of roughly 20–40% over doing the same route independently. Our group-vs-solo guide breaks the maths down properly.
Which travel group is best for a party trip?
TruTravels and INTRO Travel are the most openly social — island-hopping in Thailand and Bali with beach bars built into the rhythm. Contiki's big Europe coaches carry the most famous party reputation. Check the specific trip page though: party level varies more by itinerary than by brand.
Russell is our most prolific voice and covers the tours and destinations side — who the good small-group operators are, where they actually go, and whether a deal is really a deal. He cares about the all-in cost more than the sticker price, and he'll say when a trip isn't worth it.
