Witness nature's awakening with over 4,400 spring tours across Europe in January 2001. Perfect weather, blooming landscapes, and comfortable temperatures make this ideal for exploration, backed by 36,700 spring travelers.
Simple stays with essential amenities. Typically guesthouses, hostels or hotels rated below 3 stars — clean, no-frills, and great for value-conscious travelers.
Comfortable and reliable 3-star stays. Expect private rooms, en-suite bathrooms, and solid amenities — a great balance between comfort and cost.
Upscale 4-5 star hotels and lodges. Enjoy high-end service, refined comfort, and premium locations — ideal for travelers seeking extra indulgence.
This is the 10th Explore holiday, we have covered places like Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Vietnam, Cambodia, Cuba, India and this just covers 5 holidays.
These are not for everyone, as some are very full on, but the two Balkan trips were easy, although some of this group had not read the itinerary properly and this was a bit too much for them!
The Cuba and South America were what I call, sanitised back packing, as sleeping out in the open and you can have very early starts, around 4 am and late finishes.
However, you really see the place and interact with the local people. This is why we love Explore tours.
If you want total comfort and not really interact, then Saga or like is for you, as you do have to rough it on some trips.
One trip in particular was India, two days going up the Ganges on a wooded raft, inches from the water and sleeping on the bank at night with the snakes and wild dogs, just an amazing experience, and you know you are alive!
Another was in the jungle of Cuba, no tent, just under the stars, but I did get attacked by the smallest ants in the night, but still a fantastic experience, one I won’t forget!
Our tour guides have all been very good, but on this trip, Constantin went beyond the norm.
The only criticism on this trip was no local experts and Constantin had to do it all, which makes it very difficult for him to become an expert in every area, town etc.
Sightseeing Tours
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Guest House, Hotel, Villa
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Bucharest, Sofia, Black Sea Regi
Bucharest, Sofia, Black Sea Region, Kaliakra, Transylvania, Sibiu, Belgrade
Scandinavia has astonishing sightseeing for those who like nature or history. The experience was even better with Contiki. Ollie our trip manager and Tamas our drive provide a lot of historical information, curiosities and we were able to drive to some other places for sightseeing. Highly recommend it.
Sightseeing Tours
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Lodge, Resort, Hotel
Age Range
18-35 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Copenhagen, Helsinki, Stockholm
Copenhagen, Helsinki, Stockholm, Oslo, Elverum, Torgås
It was an amazing way to see so many awesome-inspiring Greek places. The archeological sites and locations were an adventure to be had (make sure to pack hiking shoes!) and our group became like family as we discovered all new places and history together. Would 10/10 do it again in a heartbeat.
Sightseeing Tours
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Bungalow, Hotel
Age Range
18-35 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Athens, Nafplion, Galaxidi, Kala
Athens, Nafplion, Galaxidi, Kalambaka, Zagoria, Corfu, Olympia
This trip was amazing! Our tour guide was absolutely incredible in giving us all of the information we needed. The bus drives were planned out well so we were never on them for too long before stopping. I would've liked to have more time in Split, but other than that, everything was the perfect amount of time and I would highly recommend this trip.
City sightseeing
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Hotel
Age Range
18-35 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Split, Budapest, Ljubljana, Plit
Split, Budapest, Ljubljana, Plitvice Lakes National Park, Dubrovnik
I am genuinely amazed.Bus drivers were very careful, and the guides were extremely well-informed and fluent in English. Accommodating hotels that prioritize safety and cleanliness, accompanied by cooperative personnel. There are charging connections and WiFi on board! The weather was perfect, and we made some wonderful new friends!
Romania surprised me in many good ways, sufficient infrastructures, kind people and beautiful landscapes, and what can be better than experiencing all these on two wheels! Speaking of the crew, Raz and Geo, what a dream team! They led us to the most enjoyable itinerary and kept everyone safe and sound. They had done an up and beyond job accommodating everyone’s needs, at all time, and that’s not a small thing given 11 of us with wide range of fitness and physical capability. Highly recommend people come to see Romania and do it on two wheels.
Bicycle tours
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
It was a great experience with many highlights throughout our tour. We particularly enjoyed the many immersive stops (i.e. wine tasting, weaving, truffle hunting, pasta making, etc.) in addition to our guided tours. Our tour guide, was very well versed, knowledgeable, and helpful and provided good insights and tips throughout our trip. I can't imagine someone else doing a better job than she did! The local experts were also on top of their games.
Cultural, religious and historic sites
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Lodge, Villa
Age Range
5-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Rome, Venice, Capri, Perugia, Sa
Rome, Venice, Capri, Perugia, San Gimignano, Florence, Rapallo
I enjoyed the variety of places we visited. I especially liked having a local guide at each location to learn about the history and culture of each place. The only regret for me was that we couldn’t spend more time in Lake Bled. I liked that we were able to take the boats over to the island, but I would have also enjoyed seeing a view of the lake from a higher vantage point to be able to see the entire lake with the island in the middle. Otherwise, I was fully pleased with the itinerary of the tour.
Food tours
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Hotel
Age Range
5-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Dubrovnik, Vienna, Sarajevo, Lju
Dubrovnik, Vienna, Sarajevo, Ljubljana, Zagreb, Plitvice, Split
