For many young adults who’ve done little to no traveling on their own, venturing abroad can feel daunting. That’s why group tour companies are becoming increasingly popular among 18- to 35-year-olds. Not only do these companies provide a sense of security for aspiring nomads “seasoning” their passports; they also make it easy to plan around school and work schedules, while offering affordable pricing and flexible payment plans.
If you’re a young working adult or college student looking for a cost-effective way to see the world, then peruse through our roundup of the best group travel companies geared toward you. With guided support and similarly aged travel companions, you can satiate your wanderlust stress-free while making new friends along the way.
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1. G Adventures
One of the world’s largest independent adventure travel companies, G Adventures provides more than 750 small group tours across all seven continents. A wide range of travelers and drawn to its large portfolio, but two of its signature ‘travel styles’ can’t be beat for young adults: 18-to-Thirtysomethings and Roamies.
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Partnering with Hostelworld, G Adventures created Roamies specifically for 18- to 35-year-olds, offering small group tours with the social atmosphere found in hostels around the world. There are more than 40 Roamies itineraries in Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Many Europe itineraries allow you to explore multiple countries and regions in one trip.
G Adventures’ 18-to-Thirtysomethings trips specialize in fast-paced and affordable itineraries that appeal to young people. Some popular tours include Galapagos Adventure: Snorkelling and Sea Lions (nine days), Paris to Rome: Picnics and Pizza (seven days), and Seoul to Osaka: Beaches and Big Cities (20 days), as well as multiple U.S.A. road trips such as four days along California’s Highway 1.
Quick facts about group tours for young adults with G Adventures:
- Average guided tour group size: 10 to 16 people
- Price range: Depending on the destination and length of trip, tours range from $101 to $6,149.
- What’s included: Accommodations, activities listed on the itinerary, and some meals
- What’s not included: Airfare, some meals, and tips
- Primary audience: Roamies and 18-to-Thirtysomething are specifically geared towards the traditional college-age and young adult market.
- Destinations: More than 100 countries across all seven continents
2. Contiki
Tour operator Contiki has specialized in group travel for people ages 18 to 35 since 1962. Today, this popular group travel company for young adults offers more than 200 trips across six continents. Popular tours include an 11-day Greek Island Hopping adventure, the 12-day European Discovery, and 11-day Cape Safari and Falls in South Africa.
To up the level of adventure, Contiki travelers stay in a diverse range of accommodations—including hotels, hostels, lodges, and boats—all covered in the cost. Local transportation is also included, while trip managers, local guides, on-site team members, and on-road cooks are all knowledgeable and have a strong passion for travel to make each experience hassle-free.
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Other Contiki highlights that appeal to young adults include “PTO friendly” itineraries that span two weeks or less, and booking advantages such as $200 fully refundable deposits, no booking or change fees, and the option to pay over time, interest free.
Quick facts about group tours for young adults with Contiki:
- Average guided tour group size: 12 to 50 people depending on location; no more than 16 on Detour trips led by a local host
- Price range: Most of Contiki’s trips are in the $1,000 to $3,000 range, but some are as low as $252 (for a four-day ski trip) and some as high as $8,271 (for a 45-day European adventure).
- What’s included: Accommodations, transportation within the trip, admission prices, most breakfasts, and many dinners
- What’s not included: Pre-and post-trip transportation, activities during free times, some meals, and tips
- Primary audience: Contiki is a specialized group travel company for young adults that exclusively offers group tours for people ages 18 to 35
- Destinations: United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand
3. International Volunteer HQ
Voluntourism continues to gain momentum as a popular way for college students and young adults to travel while tangibly making a positive impact on the world. This is at International Volunteer HQ’s core—a mission that has earned it countless awards over the years.
Myriad projects such as refugee support, special needs care, marine conservation, and construction span multiple areas of interest and studies. IVHQ offers dedicated programs for college students that can be utilized as internships, studies abroad, or other ways to earn academic credit. Young adults who are not in school can search for trips that cater to their age group.
Regardless of which project you choose, you’ll be in the presence of other young, likeminded adults who want to give back to the places they visit in a more hands-on way. The two times I traveled solo with IVHQ—in 2013, for its sea turtle conservation project in Bali and in 2014, to help build a school just outside Cusco, Peru—I was impressed by how organized the company was when it came to both the planning and on-site support.
Quick facts about group tours for young adults with International Volunteer HQ:
- Average guided tour group size: 12 people per project
- Price range: $285 (for one week in Nepal, Peru, and South Africa) to $11,417 (for 24 weeks in Namibia), but most hover in the $500-to-$1,000 range.
- What’s included: Accommodations, some meals, airport pickup, and 24/7 in-country support
- What’s not included: Airfare, some meals, transportation to and from placement, and airport return
- Primary audience: College-aged students and young adults in their 20s and 30s, though all ages 16 and over are welcome
- Destinations: The Americas, Caribbean, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Oceania
4. Intrepid Travel
For more 30 years, Intrepid Travel has helped travelers experience local cultures around the world—all while creating positive change, mostly through consciously handpicked charities, in the communities its groups visit.
All of Intrepid Travel’s group tours utilize experienced, local leaders to handle the trip logistics, while activities are designed for those who are more socially conscious and seek authentic, local experiences. Getting from one place to another each day is included in the trip experience, and utilizing local transportation is part of the cultural immersion, which can mean anything from a Japanese bullet train to a Thai tuk tuk.
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The company’s trip itineraries for young adults are called 18 to 35s Tours. These tours build in plenty of free-time to explore your own way. Understanding the limited budgets of college students, Intrepid’s tours for young adults offer simple accommodations, “off the beaten path” activities, and fewer inclusions to keep down costs.
Popular itineraries for college-age students and young adults include Real Turkey (15 days), One Week in Thailand: Kayaking and Hilltribes (eight days), and Essential Scandinavia (nine days).
Quick facts about group tours for young people with Intrepid Travel:
- Average guided tour group size: 10 people
- Price range: $324 (for five days in Morocco) to $5,959 (for 39 days in South America)
- What’s included: Local leaders, simple accommodations, some activities, local transportation, and some meals
- What’s not included: Airfare, some meals, optional activities, and tips
- Primary audience: Traditional college-age students and young adults 18 to 35 years old.
- Destinations: More than 70 itineraries throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East
5. EF Education First
Founded in 1965 in Sweden and widely recognized as a leader in group tours for young people, EF Education First is a global education company specializing in language, academic, cultural exchange, and educational travel programs. EF Education First has grown to become one of the world’s largest international education companies, offering every imaginable way to see the world, experience a new culture, learn a language, or earn an academic degree.
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Programs specifically designed for young adults include EF Gap Year, EF Ultimate Break, and EF College Study Tours:
- EF Gap Year offers experiences tailor-made for young adults taking time off between high school and college; programs range from short-term to semester-long to full academic year. A 10-week gap year program called The Voyager (running in spring and fall 2025) visits Australia, Thailand, and Japan, and it includes language learning, internships, and service learning in environmental conservation.
- EF Ultimate Break trips are vacations for 18- to 35-year-olds ranging from about a week to a month or longer. These popular group tours for young people include Italy and the Greek Islands (15 days, five cities), Thailand: Island Paradise (22 days, seven cities), and Iceland Winter Escape (six days, one city).
- Specifically for college students, EF College Study Tours are faculty-led study abroad programs that include Healthcare and Nursing in the Dominican Republic, Intercultural Studies in South Africa, and many more.
Quick Facts about Group Tours for Young Adults with EF Education First
- Average guided tour group size: 10 to 40 people, depending on the specific program
- Price range: Programs range from $649 to $22,000.
- What’s included: All flights and local transfers to each stop of your itinerary, all accommodations and some meals, one-on-one mentorship and 24/7 travel support before and during your program, program leadership and direction by full-time EF Field Directors and Student Life Coordinators, guided excursions, and hands-on workshops with local experts
- What’s not included: Some meals, optional activities during free time, and some tips
- Primary audience: U.S. college students and young adults ages 18 to 35 years old
- Destinations: EF Education First has tours in more than 60 countries around the world
6. AdventureWomen
More than just a tour company exclusive to women, AdventureWomen itineraries are thoughtfully designed—by women—to empower women and cultivate a sense of community. While not specifically designed for college students, the itineraries are perfect for female college friends or young adults looking to stretch their comfort zones in a safe environment.
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On the company’s trips, young women can expect small, multigenerational groups that allow bonding with each other as well as connecting with local women along the way. Popular tours include the 14-day Morocco: Sahara Sands, Markets, and a Feast for the Senses, which involves sharing a meal with a local family, a luxury desert camp experience, and riding camels through the Sahara, as well as the 10-day Patagonia: Expedition and Cultural Exploration, where you’ll journey through farms and mountains on horseback, sharing in experiences with locals along the way. Moderate, active, high energy, and challenging activity ratings cater to different fitness levels.
Quick Facts about Group Tours for Young People with AdventureWomen
- Average guided tour group size: 12 to 15 people
- Price range: Upscale
- What’s included: Accommodations, most meals and activities, ground transportation, tour guides, and some gratuities
- What’s not included: Pre- and post-trip transportation, alcohol, some gratuities, and certain meals
- Primary audience: Women seeking to travel with other women
- Destinations: All seven continents
7. IES Abroad
While not a tour company, per se, IES Abroad is notable among the best group travel companies for young adults because it’s one of the leading providers of cultural education opportunities for college students. With more than 130 programs throughout Europe, South America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, and Africa, its offerings run the gamut from short-term summer programs (one to two weeks), to full-time semester internships and entire academic year immersion.
College students can find places to study abroad based on a wide variety of subjects as well as languages of instruction. Program examples include studying abroad for business and economics in the Amsterdam; internships for business, social media marketing, and other subjects in Cape Town; and language and culture studies in Nagoya, Japan.
If you’re a college student, consider this your reminder to also check out the study abroad options at your school. Even if you don’t use IES Abroad, international colleges and universities often offer their own study abroad programs that cost the same (or less) than a semester at your home institution. And if your college or university doesn’t have a study abroad office, it will still have access to IES Abroad’s programs.
Quick Facts about Cultural Education Opportunities for College Students with IES Abroad
- Average guided tour group size: Varies depending on course size
- Price range: To study abroad, it will cost anywhere from $4,972 (for a three-week term in the Galapagos Islands) to $27,100 (for a full semester in Dublin); internship prices range from $6,500 (for a summer in Berlin) to $12,990 (for a full semester in London).
- What’s included: Personal advising before you go, access to academic opportunities, guaranteed housing, and health and safety support
- What’s not included: Pre- and post-trip transportation, meals, optional tours and weekend activities
- Primary audience: Traditional college-age students
- Destinations: IES Abroad partners with 500 colleges and universities around the world, including in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, and South America
Dave Parfitt also contributed to this story.
