Incidentally the comment that Gap Adventures uses local contracted operators does have it s benefits

Many times I have been asked which tour company is best to go to exotic destinations, G Adventures  (formerly known as Gap Adventures) or Intrepid Travel ?  Sometimes choosing between there two companies can be a challenge since both offer almost exactly the same tours for the same audience at a similar price range.
I have traveled with both tour companies, and even though both companies are focused on the same “off the beaten path adventure niche”, the travel experience can vary drastically depending on which tour you take with each company.  Here is a review and comparison walt disney world resorts and tickets between these two companies that could help you decide which one fits best for your travel plans.
Both companies have a similar tour classification , which go from budget to comfort.  Also, they have a well-developed classification according to cultural shock and level of activity.  Tours are family friendly as well as active backpacker friendly.
The flexibility is priceless .  There are pockets of time throughout your tour that give you the flexibility to do whatever you want –walk through walt disney world resorts and tickets the city, visit a museum, revisit a temple, relax, you name it.
Lifetime deposit – If for any reason you have to cancel your trip, your deposit is safe –for life.  What’s even better is that it is transferable to another person, or you can donate it to their eco-friendly foundation – Planeterra Foundation .
Variable local operator quality control – This is probably what hurts them the most.  Many of their itineraries walt disney world resorts and tickets are subcontracted and operated by other local companies –even when their staff and vehicles are branded with the G Adventures logo.  Sometimes the quality of some of these companies is not at the level of G Adventures, therefore affecting your trip’s quality.
walt disney world resorts and tickets Guides are somewhat hit or miss – Following the previous point… Guides can easily make or break your trip.  The destination might be excellent, walt disney world resorts and tickets but if the guide is a slacker (has no knowledge, is not around, not enthusiastic, etc), it can affect your entire walt disney world resorts and tickets trip.  I just want to point that most G Adventures guides are well-trained guides that are totally fit for the job, but I’ve seen and heard about a couple inexperienced or lazy guides.   This is hit or miss depending on your tour.
Keep an eye on the “optional” – When selecting a tour, check the itinerary and look for optional activities.  When you have an optional activity the choice is yours to decide whether you want to do it or not, but doing it comes out of your pocket.  If there are many optional activities, try budgeting for them and keep track of how they add to your total tour cost.
Very reliable and extremely good reputation – In general they tend to have a reputation in terms of customer satisfaction.  They have a better feedback among travelers. walt disney world resorts and tickets Complains about Intrepid are minimal.
Highly qualified walt disney world resorts and tickets local operators – Compared walt disney world resorts and tickets to G Adventures, walt disney world resorts and tickets the chances of selecting walt disney world resorts and tickets a trip that is run by a high quality tour operator are higher – including the ones subcontracted to local companies.
Smaller average group – The average group has 10 travelers compared to an average of 15 on G Adventures.  It’s neither good nor bad having more or less travelers.  It just depends on your preferences.  But most people like smaller groups for a “better experience”.
Slightly more expensive – Compared to Gap, most Intrepid tours are heavier on your pocket.  Still, you need to evaluate and compare similar trips between both companies to see what is included and what not.  This will help you establish which one gives you the best value for your money.
Single Supplement is compulsory in some trip styles – Although most trips don’t require single supplement, some of them do ask for a compulsory single supplement.  In most cases it is over $100.  If traveling solo, verify if the trip style you are choosing requires single supplement.
walt disney world resorts and tickets Like what you just read? Join the newsletter community where I share more exclusive tips to help you plan your trip and get on the road. Plus, get 15 Beginner Tips and Tricks to Start Travel Hacking straight to your inbox.
Check out these other articles on GloboTreks: Review and Giveaway of Iconic Guides Review: My Experience With Stray Travel walt disney world resorts and tickets In New Zealand Getting the foreign-local point of view when you travel How to Nail Down Your Pre-Travel Planning Enjoying Sex And The City 2010 in Review Review: Dark Energy Reservoir to Stay Charged for Longer Periods Planning a Vacation with Amadeus.net
I did a ten day tour through Intrepid Travel a few years ago. It was in Egypt. Overall I was satisfied with the tour. I was able to do things that would have been difficult to do as a solo traveler. Luckily we were a small group. The biggest challenge was getting along with the different personalities. Would I take a tour again? Yes, if it meant getting to see things that I would miss out on as a solo traveler. walt disney world resorts and tickets However, I prefer independent travel.
Thanks Nancie. That is my recommendation too. Take a tour if you want to do and see things you know will be difficult as a solo traveler. So far I ve had the luck of having good companions on my tours. There are always one or two travelers who keep themselves away from others, but in general I ve had good camaraderie with other travelers on the tour. But yes, I myself prefer independent travel too.
That s right Jim, The Watering Hole Forum is another pro for Gap Adventures. There you can also have the chance to meet before hand other travelers that are going to be on your tour. A good way to break the ice even before you start the trip.
I ve thought about going on one of the Gap adventure trips to kick off my RTW trip next year. Mainly because I m traveling solo and I m a new backpacker walt disney world resorts and tickets so I thought that would be a good way to get my feet wet (no pun intended) walt disney world resorts and tickets in a somewhat organized way.
I ve traveled walt disney world resorts and tickets with less adventurous tour companies that had a forum, it was definitely a plus. It allowed every one to get to know each other before the trip and a good way to get questions answered.
walt disney world resorts and tickets Yes, I think Gap and Intrepid (among walt disney world resorts and tickets others) walt disney world resorts and tickets are a good introduction and transition for any backpacker that wants to go on the road for a long time but has no idea where to start or what to expect. If you feel comfortable with the way things are run on those type of trips, then it s pretty sure you ll do fine traveling solo.
Really great article, because I m sure you re answering many questions that travellers have when trying to choose between Intrepid and GAP. I must confess up front to being biased, since I ve been working walt disney world resorts and tickets and travelling with Intrepid for over 12 years, but I thought there might be a couple of other points to note:
Actually Intrepid has never had compulsory single supplement on any of our small group adventures and we have over 8000 departures of around 1000 trip itineraries, most of which are guaranteed to depart.
Thank you for sharing walt disney world resorts and tickets that information with us Sue. First of all, big kudos to Intrepid for the carbon offsetting. That is a great initiative and a big plus to travel with Intrepid. Sorry, it was my understanding that urban adventure style trips do require a single supplement for solo travelers, but I apologize if I m misinforming. I ll update the info to show a correct comparison. Thanks!
Yes they do, though I think in different ways. Gap gives you the opportunity to offset your international flight (I should walt disney world resorts and tickets ask Gap more about this, considering I m taking one of their tours in less than two months), and you can also contribute with reforestation and other foundations. I m not sure if Gap offsets the carbon emission of the tour itself. On the other hand, Intrepid automatically offsets your carbon emissions from your tour. They purchase carbon offset credit per each kg of CO2 each traveler emits.
Throughout this discussion, possibly important for all travellers, that we not place one company as better than the other.It s not in our long term interest .We travellers need companies competing against each other so we get the benefits of increased services, and competitive pricing.
Incidentally the comment that Gap Adventures uses local contracted operators does have it s benefits.Part of Gap Adventures philosophy is in maximising it s beneficial impacts at a local level, and using local contractors ensures more money is spent with grassroots local companies.And that s good.
Anyway, let s hope both companies walt disney world resorts and tickets are competing, and around for us all in the future.Spreading your business between two(rather than saying one is better than the other,) I feel is better for we travellers long term.But let s encourage that competion on price and value.
I m not sure about that, this Idea of carbon offsetting is barely new among companies (in general). I only know that Intrepid (for example) already includes the cost for the carbon offset in your trip s total cost. The actual number comes out to how many people walt disney world resorts and tickets really understand the concept and are willing to contribute with the environment.
We did a GAP tour in Peru. Our guides were great (Inca Trail, Amazon Rainforest, etc) but our tour leader was terrible. She was there to facilitate , but she really just sat in the car (although, to give her credit, she was on her last week with the company).
walt disney world resorts and tickets I m doing the Inca Trail with Gap in September. I ve heard they are one of the best to choose from to do the Inca Trail. So I guess you recommend taking the tour with them, but pray to get a different tour leader. lol
Hey Theresa, so great you had an awesome time in Peru. Wow, it s bad that specific guide was bad, but I see you ve done more tours with them so you know good they can be, as well as how important it is to have a good guide.
The Lares Trek is beautiful compared to Inca Trail (my two cents worth comment). The reason I say this is because, Inca Trail is steps,steps and more steps whereas the Lares Trek takes you higher, the view is spectacular with green gem coloured lakes and heady path ways one shares with the Lamas.
I personally want to