Budget vacations

Traveling overland is one of the best ways to reduce the cost of your trip, with local public transport and purpose-built vehicles a convenient way to explore an entire country – or several – in one tour. Overlanding vehicles are an adventurous and sociable way to travel, particularly popular in South America and Africa. Often you will camp at night, and shop in local markets, with passengers and tour leader sharing duties. It’s a very immersive experience, as you’ll spend time, and money, in rural communities that most tours skip entirely.

Our budget vacations will also use public transport to get around much of the time. You never know who you’ll be sitting next to, so if you’re game for sparking up a conversation, you can expect some memorable encounters. And don’t assume you’ll be cramped or hot the whole time. Air-conditioned public buses from Mexico City, sleeper cars across India, and high-speed rail in China – going budget doesn’t necessarily mean compromising on comfort.

Our organised budget tours aren't just about saving money; they're about removing stress, pointing you in the right direction, and saving you time to enjoy an experience rather than faffing around with paperwork or dealing with unexpected problems. Our self guided and small group tours mean less hassle, less to do, and 24/7 backup – perfect vacation peace of mind.

Joining a small group tour spreads the costs of travel and allows you to cover much more ground, as experts are planning your itinerary – and local guides can translate, resolve problems and show you their secret, favorite haunts. The whole group shares the cost, and if you’re traveling solo you will be sharing a room with someone of the same sex, with the option of a single supplement.

Our self guided tours, such as for walkers and cyclists, give you a lot more independence – you choose where you eat every day, and you can up- or downgrade your accommodation as your budget dictates. But you still benefit from support when needed, and detailed route notes.

We have many brilliant local tour operators among our partners. Their vacations tend to be less expensive as the companies in the destination itself rather than overseas. Do be aware that one of the reasons that many trips are cheaper is that the financial protection regulations in the destination may be less onerous. While most of our partners outside the UK and EU have good financial protection in place, we still always advise all of our travelers to purchase insurance that covers supplier failure or cover for unrecoverable monies, and to pay by credit card or PayPal. Read more in our locally run vacations guide.

While many of our small group tours include a full itinerary, others keep most activities optional. If you want to take a hot air balloon flight in Cappadocia, or a cookery lesson in Kochi, we will happily recommend someone to book with, but it’s entirely up to you. That makes your overall vacation much less expensive, as you don’t need to pay for everything as part of an all-inclusive package, and you need only do the things that really interest you.

Traveling out of season, and avoiding school vacations if you can, is one of the best ways to enjoy a budget vacation. Flights and accommodation can be considerably less expensive if you go off-peak. Importantly, though, avoiding high season doesn’t mean missing out. In fact it can mean cheaper wildlife watching permits, quieter trekking trails, fewer mosquitos, less humidity, and encounters with local people who are genuinely happy to see you outside of busier months. Going off peak also means that destinations benefit from a longer tourism season, and in places that have a tendency to get crowded during high season, it means a more enjoyable experience for you, and the communities you’re visiting.