10 Best Private Travel Agents & Tour Companies

Explore the top 10 private travel agents & tour companies for stress-free vacation planning. Perfect for every traveler type, from adventure to leisure.

Tobi Miles
By
Tobi Miles
December 21, 2023

Booking and planning a vacation is no easy task. Sure, it’s fun to go on vacation, but the planning process is often research-intensive, expensive, and stressful. That’s why many travelers cleverly choose to book their trips through private travel agents. So, what are the best travel agents and tour companies?

The best travel agents and tour companies are G Adventures, GO Sports Travel, and Kensington Tours. These travel agencies cater to several countries and continents and include packages that cater to every type of traveler. Other tour companies like Bamba Travel, Intrepid, Amadeo Travel Solutions, and Contiki Travel can help you book your perfect vacation.

The best private travel agents have long-standing relationships with local businesses, sports leagues, airlines, and hotels. Choose your private travel agent based on what kind of vacation you are looking to experience. Follow along as we highlight the 10 best private travel agents and tour companies.

How Do I Find a Trustworthy Travel Agency?

You can easily find trustworthy travel agents and tour companies if you pay attention to customer feedback. Look for private agencies with strong online presence because you are more likely to find helpful feedback about their services. Compare the agency you have in mind with its competitors and see how they would complement your ideal vacation.

It’s also important to look for private travel agents that have great working relationships with local businesses. That way, you can support the local economy and ensure that you get an experience that is authentic to your location. Local businesses are more likely to collaborate with reputable agencies and tour companies.

Trustworthy travel agencies are also quite transparent about their tour packages. You should be able to find a clear itinerary and understand what the package entails before you choose a provider. Reach out to a travel agency or tour company if you are confused about the budget breakdown or itinerary.

Best Private Travel Agents and Tour Companies

Booking trips through travel agents take away much of the stress that comes with planning a vacation. Private travel agents and tour companies do the work for you and ensure that you can maximize your time of leisure. Follow along as we highlight the 10 best private travel agents and tour companies that can help with your next vacation.

1. G Adventures

G Adventures is among the best private travel agents because of how easy they make everything. They put together extensive travel itineraries centered around exciting destinations like Cuba, Mexico, and Costa Rica. Their travel packages vary in cost, duration, location, and activities.

G Adventures divides its packages into categories based on the types of activities they offer. For example, they have hiking packages for active tourists, and casual sailing opportunities if you crave leisure.

2. GO Sport Travel

Look no further than GO Sport Travel when planning your vacation if you’re a sports fan. One of the best private travel agents and tour companies, GO Sport Travel focuses on sports packages and low-cost, desirable tickets. They offer sports travel packages for anything you’d need from NFL games to European football club games.

GO Sport Travel caters to travelers from all over the world and can help plan trips in Spain, Canada, Belgium, Brazil, the USA, and beyond. They make it easy to get tickets to big games and sports events all over the world that would otherwise be able to get on vacation, especially when traveling abroad. Whether you’re traveling for business or leisure, GO Sport Travel does all the work for you to secure tickets to the best events in exciting locations.

3. Kensington Tours

The best private travel agents and tour companies cater to travelers that want to go just about anywhere. Kensington Tours is no exception, and their tour packages can take their clients to every continent. The most unique thing about Kensington Tours is that they can plan private tours centered around your heritage.

They collaborate with Ancestry to help plan vacations centered around your cultural background. From there, you can work with Kensington Tours to make sure your vacation suits your tastes when it comes to how active you are.

4. Bamba Travel

Some travelers love vigorous hikes and immersive safari tours whereas others prefer oceanside drinks and fun boat excursions. Bamba Travel offers travel packages centered around wellness, hiking, boat tours, wildlife, sports, and more. Simply tell Bamba Travel what type of experience you’re looking for and they will tailor your vacation to your budget and preferences.

They also offer fixed packages if you don’t want to tailor your vacation. Their existing packages cater to every type of vacation you could imagine, so that’s a great option. Bamba Travel can help you explore Europe, South America, the Middle East, and beyond.

5. Travel Talk

Reliable and easy to work with, Travel Talk is one of the best private travel agents and tour companies. They work with locals in the destination that you book your trip to and ensure you get the best experience possible.

Travel Talk can help makes plans for groups as big as 55 people. It’s worth keeping up to date with their website as they frequently offer limited offer coupons for several of their packages throughout the year. Consider Travel Talk for holiday travel as they can help put together great tours of the famous European Christmas markets.

6. Amadeo Travel Solutions

Whether you seek adventure or informational trips to historic destinations, Amadeo Travel Solutions has a tour for you. Their trip packages in the Las Vegas area are centered around exploring the iconic terrain of Horseshoe Bend and the Grand Canyon. Trips to Washington DC and Boston involve exploring historical destinations like the Freedom Trail.

Some of their tours only last one day whereas others, such as the Magnificent West package last 7 days. They also support great causes and work with One Tree Planted to help the environment.

7. Intrepid

Intrepid is an easy-to-use travel agency that categorizes its packages based on every type of traveler. They offer food, family, cycling, and water tours spanning several countries and continents. You can also book calm retreats and adventurous sailing excursions through Intrepid.

Some of their packages are geared toward adventurous travelers whereas others give families time to explore urban landscapes in New York City. You can also customize your ideal vacation through Intrepid with their Tailor-Made option. With affordable packages, last-minute planning, and many locations to choose from, Intrepid is one of the easiest travel agencies to work with.

8. Bindlestiff Tours

Bindlestiff Tours offers some of the best tour planning in North America. They offer a wide variety of tours in Western Canada, Alaska, and the western United States of America. Travelers that like to fill their trips with as much adventure and time outdoors as possible should consider Bindlestiff Tours.

All of Bindlestiff’s tour guides are equipped with local knowledge that will paint a clear picture of the environments you explore. Whether it be the Grand Canyon or Yosemite, you can find affordable tour packages that include transportation and comfortable campsites with Wi-Fi. Their National Parks Mini Explorer 3-Day tour is the most popular package they offer.

9. Local Adventures

Like many of the best private travel agencies, Local Adventures has cultivated great relationships with businesses all over the world. They offer several tour packages for each location that they work with, such as Albania, New Zealand, and Canada. Whether it be the 7-Day Taste of Central Europe Tour or the 10-Day Exploration of Armenia Tour, Local Adventures offers many idyllic foreign vacations.

Local Adventures runs several holiday sales throughout the year, so it’s worth periodically checking their website for the best savings. They also offer several financing options so you can plan a budget-friendly vacation.

10. Contiki Travel

Contiki Travel has one of the biggest selections of any travel agency or tour company. You can choose between over 350 travel packages with Contiki Travel. Island hopping excursions in Greece, two-week European tours, and scenic Japanese journeys only scratch the surface of Contiki Travel’s tour packages.

Their website lets you easily enter your specific travel guidelines. This includes everything from your travel budget to the ideal trip duration for you. Contiki Travel offers many tour packages that span multiple cities and states, such as the LA to the Bay package. Consider Contiki Travel if you want to get the most out of your vacation while putting in the least work possible.

Final Thoughts

G Adventures, GO Sport Travel, and Kensington Tours are some of the best private travel agents and tour companies. Other agencies like Travel Talk, Amadeo Travel Solutions, and Bamba Travel are great for planning any type of trip. The best travel agents cultivate relationships with local businesses to share the best connections with you possible.

Consider Intrepid, Bindlestiff Tours, Contiki Travel, and Local Adventures when you plan your next trip. It’s important to look into reviews and research the location before you settle on a tour package.

Tobi Miles
Tobi Miles
Article updated:
July 18, 2024 8:11 AM

Tobi Miles is a University of Florida graduate turned globe-trotting culinary explorer and digital nomad expert. As the founder of "Bytes & Bites," he combines his passion for international cuisine with practical advice on remote work, inspiring others to experience the world through food and cultural immersion. With 32 countries under his belt and a knack for uncovering hidden culinary gems, Tobi is redefining the intersection of work, travel, and gastronomy for a new generation of adventurers.

Recommended Reads

No items found.