10 Important Questions to Ask BEFORE Booking a Group Tour
Except for trips with family, friends, and other journalists—in small groups of fewer than six people—I never imagined myself on a group tour. Would my wanderlust, curiosity, and obsessive planning clash with a canned itinerary? And how on earth would I spend all that time with complete strangers?
But because I—along with three other family members—wanted to travel to Africa, we knew that a self-guided safari and multi-country adventure on our own wouldn’t be as enriching. We signed up for a 12-day National Geographic/G Adventures trip through Southern Africa, traveling to South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana.
Spoiler alert: I would definitely take another group tour. But not without asking these 10 questions first.
Will there be free time?
Group tours pack in as many activities as possible so that a typical day begins at breakfast and ends at bedtime. Basically, you are only alone while sleeping at night. For introverted people—or those who like to wander through shops or explore a town solo—ensuring there’s free time is important. Look for an itinerary that allows for free time. Another option is to book two or three days in the destination before or after the group tour so you have that guaranteed free time.
Looking for local guides can enhance your knowledge of the destination.Wirestock/iStock
Are my guides local?
On our Africa trip, our guides were from Zimbabwe and because of this, we learned a lot about their culture—beyond the trip’s itinerary. They openly shared information about their home country such as family dynamics (including the common practice of having multiple wives), education systems for children, and—in one case—we visited the market in Zimbabwe that our guide frequents. This kind of intimacy can’t be achieved if the guide is flown in from another continent.
Is the itinerary flexible enough to make choices?
It’s highly unlikely 100% of a group tour’s activities will appeal to you. There are always going to be attractions, museums, and restaurants that aren’t visited—but you’d love to check out. Find an itinerary that offers choices on certain days, or even includes a day on your own. Having a free day in Cape Town allowed me to go wine tasting with a local tour company—while my family chose to visit Table Mountain instead. Everybody was happy and not reluctantly doing something they’d rather not do.
What are the accommodations like?
Before booking, I visited the websites of every hotel and lodge on the itinerary. I wanted to make sure they were decent, had good reviews, and were places I’d stay if not on a group tour. If traveling independently, it’s easy to switch hotels, but not if you’re in a private game reserve (as we were for two of those nights) on a pre-paid reservation without your own transportation. You’re essentially stuck. There is no hotel across the street to check into. Definitely review all the details—including accommodations—before saying “yes” to any group tour.
Review accommodation details before saying “yes” to any group tour.Gunter Nuyts/Shutterstock
Will I be with the same group the entire trip?
In our case, the 12-day tour was organized into three sections. This meant the four of us were the only travelers on the first section (Cape Town), then we met up with 12 others in Johannesburg and for safaris in South Africa, and then five people in the group departed from Johannesburg while the rest of us went on to Zimbabwe. This isn’t a make-it-or-break-it scenario but helpful to know ahead of time. If you’re looking for a tour where the group bonds and gels, then one where the participants don’t change is probably best.
Do meals meet my diet, eating habits, and lifestyle preferences?
As a pescetarian, this was my first question before I booked as I didn’t know much about African cuisine. I’ve traveled to many meat-heavy countries where dining was a challenge. My contact at National Geographic was able to confirm that, yes, there would be fish and vegetable options at every meal. Consider lifestyle preferences, too. Are you an early riser or a night owl? Do you need an afternoon nap or time to unwind? Most group tours can share an itinerary before you book and they are often available online for anyone to view, even if you haven’t put down a deposit.
What is the tipping culture and expectations?
Tipping was the most complicated part of our trip. It wasn’t so much about the cultural implications (some countries around the world expect tips while others build them into the bill) but planning it all out before we even got on our first flight from the U.S. We were instructed to bring small bills in U.S. dollars, which was easy for us to do but not for our Aussie counterparts. For 12 days of tipping maids, bellmen, drivers, tour guides, and safari guides, that easily added up to $20-$40 daily. And since you can’t withdraw U.S. dollars in another country, managing that money becomes a real pain because who carries $300+ in cash around? That’s where hotel safes became our BFF.
Are there flight discounts through the tour operator?
Before you spring for airfare on your own, ask if the price will be less should you book through the tour operator. Sometimes travel companies arrange discounted fares with airlines. Another reason to book through the tour operator is so every aspect of your trip is linked—avoiding any complications or miscommunications.
Ask which attractions or local experiences the tour offers access to.minoandriani/iStock
Does this tour provide access to attractions or local experiences I could not get on my own?
We knew that National Geographic would bring us to people and places we could not access ourselves. For example, in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, we ate dinner in a local woman’s home and learned more about the community through her perspective. Then, at a lodge where we stayed, that’s within a private game reserve, an activist helping to preserve cheetahs hosted a presentation about that topic. For our family alone, booking those experiences would have been difficult, if not impossible.
How are airport transfers handled?
One of the worst parts of a trip—at least to me—is landing in a foreign country, jet-lagged, and determining how to get to the hotel on your own. We booked airport transfers through our tour ahead of time so we could take that worry out of the equation. Plus, there’s nothing sweeter than walking out of customs and seeing your name on a sign!
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