Guided Tours and Tour Packages, Planned and Booked by Phone

What a tour package includes

A tour package is a trip with the days already planned: hotels in each city, transport between them, a guide who knows the places, entry to the main sights, and usually breakfast with some group dinners. What you add on the phone is the part tour brochures leave out, the flights. The expert lines up your arrival with the tour start, adds a night before it if the flight lands late, and books the return after the final day so nothing is rushed.

• Round-trip flights from your city, timed to the tour, with the fare rules explained before you pay.
• Hotels for every night of the itinerary, plus extra nights before or after if you want them.
• A tour director or local guides, sightseeing and entrance fees as listed by the tour operator.
• Transfers between airport, hotels and cities by coach, rail or private car depending on the tour style.
• Meals as stated in the itinerary, with dietary needs noted at booking.
• One number to call before and during the trip if anything changes.

Tour styles we book

Escorted group tours

You travel with a group and a tour director from the first hotel to the last. Everything between is arranged, which makes escorted tours the easiest way to see several cities or countries in one trip. They suit first-time visitors to Europe, travelers who prefer company, and anyone who does not want to plan trains, tickets and hotels themselves.

Private and small-group tours

The same routes with your own guide and driver, on your dates and at your pace. Families with children, couples marking an anniversary, and travelers who need a slower walking pace usually choose this style. Prices are per group, so a party of four to six often finds it costs little more per person than a large coach tour.

Self-guided and rail itineraries

Hotels, rail passes and transfers are booked for you, and the days are yours. Popular for Italy, Switzerland, Japan and Spain, where trains make city-to-city travel simple. The expert builds the sequence so each leg fits, then books the flights around it.

Multi-country and special-interest tours

Food and wine routes, walking and hiking trips, river and small-ship cruises combined with land tours, wildlife safaris, heritage trips to India, Uzbekistan or Egypt, and pilgrimage travel. Tell the expert the theme and the countries, and they compare operators that run that route.

Popular tour destinations

Each page below explains how the destination is usually toured, the best months, and what to ask for on the call.

Italy toursGreece toursSpain toursPortugal toursParis & France toursSwitzerland toursGermany toursIreland toursScotland toursIceland toursCroatia toursIstanbul & Turkey toursEgypt toursJordan & Petra toursUzbekistan & the Silk Road toursIndia toursNepal toursBhutan toursSri Lanka toursJapan toursChina toursVietnam toursCambodia & Angkor Wat toursThailand toursAustralia toursNew Zealand toursMexico City toursHawaii tours

Looking for a beach or city package without a guide? See all vacation packages, or cruise packages for ocean and river itineraries.

How booking a tour by phone works

1. Call and describe the trip. Dial +1 (323) 800 6001 with your destination, rough dates, number of travelers and any must-sees. Say if anyone needs a slower pace or a ground-floor room.
2. Get matched options. The expert compares tour operators for that route and reads back the two or three best fits, with hotels, pace, group size and what meals are included.
3. Add the flights. Fares are compared across major airlines from your home airport and timed to the tour. Any fare rule that matters, such as change fees, is explained before you pay.
4. Confirm and travel. Payment is taken securely by phone, and the itinerary, e-tickets and tour documents arrive by email. The same number answers 24/7 before and during the trip.

Who tours suit

Tours work for people who want to see a lot without organizing it: first visits to Europe or Asia, multi-city trips where the logistics add up, milestone trips such as anniversaries and retirements, solo travelers who like company at dinner, and families who want the days planned. Seniors and travelers with mobility needs are well served by tours graded for a gentle pace; the expert checks stairs, walking distances and coach access before recommending one.

Groups of ten or more, whether a club, a congregation or a family reunion, can take a private departure or block space on a scheduled tour, and the flights can be held while names are collected. See group flight booking for how that works.

Tour packages by region

Europe

The classic first tour: Italy from Venice to Rome, Spain and Portugal, Greece and its islands, the Alps of Switzerland, Ireland and Scotland by coach, Iceland's ring road, and river routes through Germany and France. Rail-based self-guided trips are easy here, and escorted tours cover two or three countries in ten to fourteen days.

Middle East and Central Asia

Egypt with a Nile cruise, Jordan with Petra and Wadi Rum, Istanbul and Cappadocia in Turkey, and the Silk Road cities of Uzbekistan. Guides matter most in this region, which is why escorted and private tours are the usual choice, and why they are booked far in advance for spring and autumn.

Asia and the Pacific

Japan by bullet train, India's Golden Triangle, Nepal and Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Cambodia with Angkor Wat, Thailand's north and its islands, and long-haul favourites Australia and New Zealand. Flights are the biggest part of these trips, so pricing tour and airfare together makes the largest difference.

Americas

Mexico City and the colonial towns, Peru and Machu Picchu, Costa Rica's rainforests, Canada's Rockies, and Hawaii island-hopping. Shorter flights mean these tours fit a week's vacation, and a beach extension is easy to add.

When to book

Spring and autumn departures for Europe, Japan and the Middle East fill four to eight months ahead, and the best flight fares are usually found in the same window. Summer tours in Scandinavia, Iceland and the Alps book early too. Winter is the quiet season for most of Europe and a strong one for Egypt, India, Southeast Asia and Australia. If your dates are flexible by a week, say so on the call; moving a departure by a few days often opens better tours and cheaper flights.