A great tour operator can turn a good vacation into an extraordinary one. Our readers’ favorites this year are experts in their fields, whether they’re arranging the perfect family safari in Zambia, a cycling tour in France, or cultural immersion in Japan. These companies were valued for their tailored itineraries and access to normally off-limits experiences. However, their greatest value might be their ability to save travelers time — they will iron out the logistics that could take non-pros countless hours. Therefore, that’s a priceless benefit for many travelers.
Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, we ask 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. Readers rated tour operators on their staff and guides, itineraries and destinations, activities, accommodations, food, and overall value.
Japan has long been a popular destination with readers, and last year, our editors selected it as Destination of the Year. InsideJapan Tours (No. 8) taps into parts of the country that are not as well known, and it provides super organized, step-by-step itineraries for both first-time visitors and those who return every year. “They provided a booklet for us to self-guide for ten days after a tour of Honshu Island. We haven’t stopped raving about the service of their office and have spread the word to many,” wrote one reader. Another remarked, “InsideJapan made sure every step of my journey was amazing.”
“Wild Frontiers designed a trip that matched exactly what we were looking for,” wrote one reader, describing this year’s No. 3 tour operator. Specializing in adventure travel, Wild Frontiers creates custom-made trips to far-flung destinations from Uzbekistan and Tibet to Greenland and Antarctica. Furthermore, they are just as skilled at planning a multigenerational family trip as they are at crafting an intimate honeymoon.
10. Thomson Family Adventures
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Score: 96.65
More information: familyadventures.com
9. TCS World Travel
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Score: 96.77
More information: tcsworldtravel.com
8. InsideJapan Tours
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Score: 96.98
More information: insidejapantours.com
7. MT Sobek
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Score: 97.01
More information: mtsobek.com
6. Jacada Travel
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Score: 97.02
More information: jacadatravel.com
5. Terra Incognita Ecotours
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Score: 97.18
More information: ecotours.com
4. Scott Dunn
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Score: 97.38
More information: scottdunn.com
3. Wild Frontiers Adventure Travel
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Score: 97.65
More information: wildfrontierstravel.com
2. Gray & Co. – Private Active Journeys
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Score: 97.89
More information: grayandco.ca
1. Classic Journeys
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Score: 98.23
More information: classicjourneys.com
“Excellent variety of trips and top-notch tour guides” is how one reader characterized this year’s winning tour operator. Among some of its globe-spanning expeditions is a cultural tour through Cuba that hits Cienfuegos, Trinidad, and Havana – while meeting artists, horticulturalists, farmers, a Santeria priest, and cooks along the way. Moreover, there is a sporty journey through Puget Sound’s San Juan Islands for kayaking (while getting up close to passing orcas), hikes through rainforests, and soaks in natural hot springs. One reader summed it up by declaring Classic Journeys “could not have been better.”
