Holiday types · Escorted tours
Escorted tours
Someone else does the driving, the logistics and the queuing. In some countries that's a preference; in others it's the only sensible way to travel.
Someone else does the driving, the logistics and the queuing. In some countries that's a preference; in others it's the only sensible way to travel.
Both get called 'escorted', and the experience is not comparable.
A group tour means a coach, a fixed itinerary, a guide, and twenty to forty other people. It's cheaper, sociable, and you go where the coach goes. A private car and driver means the same route at your pace, stopping when you want, for surprisingly little more — in India, Sri Lanka and Oman it's standard practice and costs a fraction of what people expect. For most couples and families we'd recommend the private version. For solo travellers, a group tour solves the single-supplement problem and gives you company.
Countries where we'd suggest a driver or a guide rather than self-drive.
Private driver throughout the north, then a beach. India is not a self-drive country.
Car and driver for the whole island. Slow roads, and it costs very little.
Guides at Angkor and Hue change what you understand. Worth the first day at minimum.
Goa, Kerala or the north — all better with a driver than a hire car.
Four regions in eleven nights, which only works with someone else driving.
A guide and a 4x4 throughout — there is no other way to do this.
A guide for your first Angkor day. The difference between stones and a civilisation.
Not a driving country for visitors — but the rail network does the job better.
The exception. Excellent roads, English signage — this one you can drive yourself.
For couples and families, private nearly always. For solo travellers, a group tour solves both the cost and the company. We'll price both.
On group tours, yes. With a private driver, the driver is not usually a licensed guide — we book separate local guides for the sites where it matters.
India, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Vietnam and anywhere on safari. Oman, South Africa and Malaysia are perfectly easy to self-drive.
Yes. Tell us where you want to go and how long you have, and we'll build the route, the driver and the hotels around it.
Where the logistics are genuinely hard, or the history needs explaining.
Two countries, four internal flights, and Angkor properly explained.
Delhi, Agra and Jaipur with a driver, then a week on a beach.
A guide is not optional on safari. It's the whole product.
Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea within a five-hour drive.
Permits, trailheads and porters. Not a trip to arrange yourself.
Self-guided by rail, with every ticket and hotel booked ahead.
Guide prices, per person, based on two sharing, including return flights, accommodation and transfers where stated. They indicate what a holiday of this type has typically cost and are not an offer or a quotation. Your price depends on dates, party, board basis, departure airport and availability, and is confirmed in writing before any payment is taken.
No forms with twenty fields. Send us the rough shape and we'll come back within one working day with real options and real prices.