Top 15 Tour Operators of 2025: Readers’ Picks

This year’s World’s Best Awards survey was open for voting January 11 through May 10, 2024, as destinations around the world. Survey rules have always allowed readers to reflect on their travel experiences over a three-year period. We hope that this year’s honorees will inspire your own travels as you get back out into the world.

Linking up with the right tour operator can take an amazing trip and turn it into a trip of a lifetime. This might seem like magic; however, their in-the-know expertise and long-standing relationships open the doors for the seemingly impossible — a private Jeep safari with a professional tracking team in the depths of Torres del Paine or one-on-one cooking classes from a chef that runs a Michelin-starred restaurant in the south of France. And if any group has traversed the world enough to discern the best tour operators out there, it’s the readers of iBestTravel.

Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, iBestTravel asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Hotels were rated on their facilities, location, service, food, and overall value. Properties were classified as city or resort based on their locations and amenities.

Jeeps at Nordenskjold overlook on a tour with Quasar Expeditions, voted one of the world's best Tour Operators — Courtesy of Quasar Expeditions

The companies that made the list have the skills and connections to create itineraries that reflect their clients’ personal interests. No. 3 VBT Bicycling Vacations curates two-wheeled trips all over the globe. One reader stated, “Their staff make all the difference.” No. 2 Mountain Lodges of Peru provides highly personalized trekking adventures to Machu Picchu. As another reader exclaimed, “This is the way to visit Machu Picchu!”

However, at the top of the list is Quasar Expeditions. Though primarily known for its cruises (the company won the small-ship ocean cruises category this year), it also operates a roster of dynamic safari-style excursions in South America. Read on to discover what sets it apart and which other companies join it on this year’s list of the best tour operators in the world.

1. Quasar Expeditions

A couple in Torres del Paine, Patagonia, with a jeep from Quasar Expeditions, voted one of the world's best Tour Operators — Courtesy of Quasar Expeditions

Quasar Expeditions is for adventurers. The highly specialized itineraries are designed to make guests feel like they’re James Cook or Charles Darwin. “Quasar Expeditions’ guides are the ultimate, passionate gatekeepers to the Galápagos Islands,” one reader noted. “Their enthusiasm and love of the islands and wildlife encourage you to share in their passion and desire to conserve the natural beauty and habitat of the area while still allowing low-impact tourism.” Another acclaimed, “Excellent isn’t a high enough rating to describe our experience with Quasar Expeditions. Extraordinary in every way!” Moreover, while Quasar is best known for its Galápagos trips, it earns high marks for its Patagonia itineraries, which take guests into the best parts of Chile’s Torres del Paine and Argentina’s Los Glaciares — two of South America’s most spectacular national parks.

Score: 99.58
More information: quasarex.com