- I’m a travel journalist who’s been been on several Trafalgar tours in recent years.
- Like many other travelers, I’m a repeat customer because I love Trafalgar’s expertly curated itineraries and helpful travel directors.
- These are my personal recommendations for the best Trafalgar tours in 2024.
Family-owned since 1947, Trafalgar is a global guided vacation company offering more than 300 itineraries to 72 countries across six continents, with tours ranging in length from a long weekend to a month. The company has arranged tours for more than 5 million travelers, with trips geared to solo travelers, families (including single parents), foodies, and more.
Over the past few years, I’ve taken several Trafalgar trips. Statistics say I’m not alone, as the company has a repeat travel rate of more than 50 percent. In my opinion, this strong customer loyalty is thanks to expertly-curated itineraries and seasoned travel directors who go above and beyond to ensure your vacation goes smoothly from start to finish. Insights from local specialists along the way add nuance and insider information.
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Two hallmarks of the Trafalgar Tours brand are authentic meals and unstructured conversations in the homes of locals as part of the “Be My Guest” experience. I’ve found breaking bread with people from around the world to be a true privilege and a big reason why I continue to gravitate towards Trafalgar tours in 2024.
All on-trip transportation, transfers, and accommodations are included, plus many meals and experiences. With someone else taking care of tedious details, you’re free to relax and enjoy the sights. The maximum number of participants on a Trafalgar tour is between 20 and 52 people, depending on the destination. On the low end, Africa trips max out at 20, while North American trips can have up to 52 people.
The Best Trafalgar Tours for 2024
If you’re considering taking a guided group vacation in 2024, these are my hand-selected picks for the best Trafalgar tours to take in 2024, based on factors like unique destinations, one-of-a-kind experiences, and bang-for-your-buck value.
1. Best of Italy with Trafalgar
Live la dolce vita on Trafalgar’s Best of Italy tour. Marvel at Rome’s iconic Colosseum and Bernini fountains, visit Pompeii with an expert guide, and soak in the breathtaking scenery of the Amalfi Coast, including celebrity-studded Capri. Landlocked Assisi is a perfect complement to canal-laden Venice, where you’ll watch master craftsmen blow glass just as they have for centuries.
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Visit Verona, the romantic city of Romeo and Juliet, fashionable Milan, and serene Lake Como. In Tuscany, admire Pisa’s Leaning Tower and watch a leathermaking demonstration in magnificent Florence. A stop in the Instagram-worthy hill town of San Gimignano is icing on the cake before you depart home from Rome.
- Length: 13 days
- Starting price: $2,903
- Average group size: 40 people
- How to book: Book directly through Trafalgar
2. Wild West, Cowboys, and Buffalos
History and nature are in the spotlight on the Wild West, Cowboys and Buffalos tour, a fine choice for guided family tours. From Salt Lake City, Utah, to Rapid City, South Dakota, you’ll be surrounded by grandeur at national parks including Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Badlands, and Mount Rushmore. Your family won’t soon forget tasting potato-flavored ice cream in Idaho, seeing a herd of bison, and exploring the Oglala Lakota Living History Museum.
- Length: 9 days
- Starting price: $3,236
- Average group size: 45 people
- How to book: Book directly through Trafalgar
3. European Traveller from London to Rome with Trafalgar
If you want an overview of Europe and don’t have a tremendous amount of time, the 2024 European Traveller tour Trafalgar will satiate your wanderlust. It’s a modern-day version of the Grand Tour. You’ll experience the pageantry of London, savor the elegance of Paris, enjoy Alpine scenery in the lakeside Swiss city Lucerne, and visit Italy’s trifecta, Venice, Florence, and Rome.
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Guided tours bring each destination to life, while leisure time allows you the opportunity to sip a leisurely glass of wine at a chic café. In Rome, a Be My Guest evening introduces you to an Italian family, for an authentic window into contemporary life in the Eternal City.
- Length: 10 days
- Starting price: $2,475
- Average group size: 40 people
- How to book: Book directly through Trafalgar
4. National Parks and Native Trails of the Dakotas
If you’re seeking an immersion into the Indigenous communities of South and North Dakota, National Parks and Native Trails of the Dakotas tour is perfection (read my tour review here). Visits to Pine Ridge, Rosebud, and Standing Rock reservations will introduce you to members of these Tribal Nations, who share their personal stories as well as their efforts to establish tribal tourism as a viable source of community income. Stops at national parks, including Badlands, Mount Rushmore, and Theodore Roosevelt, will take your breath away.
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You’ll gain perspective into the history and traditions of the Tribal Nations as you learn how First Nations communities have connected to the land for generations. All proceeds of Indigenous experiences go directly to the participating communities.
- Length: 9 days
- Starting price: $3,072
- Average group size: Average 45 people
- How to book: Book directly through Trafalgar
5. Best of Portugal with Trafalgar
Portugal is enjoying a moment in the spotlight, attracting visitors thanks to its beauty and fabulous culinary scene. The Best of Portugal itinerary from Trafalgar starts in Lisbon, a sea of pastel-colored buildings perched on seven hills. It then ventures to the Algarve Region, where you can indulge in a home-cooked lunch at a stud ranch, endless views of the Sagres Peninsula’s dramatic cliffs, and sun-kissed beaches. Traverse the Douro Valley’s cute towns with terraced vineyards punctuated by castles before settling in gracious Porto for a few nights, with the chance to taste the city’s namesake fortified wine.
- Length: 11 days
- Starting price: $2,156
- Average group size: 40 people
- How to book: Book directly through Trafalgar
6. Best of Scotland
Scotland’s scenery is spellbinding. Heather-covered hills, rugged coastlines, and wide-open skies, plus castles dropped in for good measure, add to the panorama. Trafalgar’s 2024 Best of Scotland tour traverses this bonnie country, from the charm of Edinburgh to the romance of the Scottish Highlands. You’ll contemplate the depths of Loch Ness, see the famed golf course at St. Andrews, and explore the Isle of Skye’s bonanza of breathtaking lochs and glens.
- Length: 7 days
- Starting price: $1,436
- Average group size: 40 people
- How to book: Book directly through Trafalgar
7. Wonders of Kenya with Trafalgar
With its pioneering conservation efforts, Kenya is one of the best countries to view Africa’s Big Five: lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and African buffalo. Wonders of Kenya is a safari adventure that starts and ends in bustling Nairobi. Visit Aberdare National Park and Samburu National Reserve, home to species of giraffes and zebras only found in this region.
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A stop at Ol Pejeta Conservancy, East Africa’s largest black rhino sanctuary, sheds light on efforts to fight poaching. At Sweetwaters Sanctuary, get acquainted with orphaned chimpanzees and watch colorful birds fly at Lake Nakuru National Park. Spend two nights at Maasai Mara National Reserve, where pods of hippos can be seen at the lodge’s watering hole. A full day of safari and time spent with the Maasai community are highlights.
- Length: 9 days
- Starting price: $4,725
- Average group size: 20 people
- How to book: Book directly through Trafalgar
8. German Christmas Markets
Mulled wine, oompah bands, and holiday merriment await when you book the 2024 German Christmas Markets tour from Trafalgar. Germany is home to some of Europe’s best Christmas markets and you’ll visit many of them, in addition to touring Frankfurt and enjoying Hansel and Gretel-style country landscapes.
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There’s Yuletide cheer aplenty at the Eisenbach Christmas market, held in UNESCO World Heritage Wartburg Castle and in Dresden, home to Germany’s oldest Christmas market. The Leipzig Christmas market is a festive addition to this youthful university town. At Nuremberg’s venerable market, gingerbread hearts hang from the stalls. Your trip ends in Berlin, where a sightseeing tour shows off top sights such as the Brandenburg Gate and leafy Tiergarten park. Dinner with a local family offers a glimpse of what it’s like to live in this thriving metropolis.
- Length: 8 days
- Starting price: $2,903
- Average group size: 40 people
- How to book: Book directly through Trafalgar
9. Treasures of Thailand with Trafalgar
From golden temples to sizzling street food, Treasures of Thailand is a plunge into this country’s heart. The itinerary is rich in experiences; you’ll practice tai chi, enjoy a massage, and take a cooking class in busy Bangkok.
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Visit a floating market where merchants paddle along canals in their sturdy canoes laden with fresh fruit and vegetable. Ride a train skirting the waters of the Kwai River. Explore Ayutthaya, the ancient capital of old Siam, and Sukhothai, a powerful kingdom that enjoyed its golden age during the 13th and 14th centuries and shaped modern Thailand. In Chiang Mai, enjoy the colorful Sunday market, join a family in their stilt house for a Thai-style lunch, visit a sacred temple, and spend time with a local monk.
- Length: 11 days
- Starting price: $3,225
- Average group size: 25 people
- How to book: Book directly through Trafalgar
10. Impressions of South America
Trafalgar’s 2024 Impressions of South America visits Brazil, Argentina, and the Amazon. It starts in Manaus, Brazil, gateway to the Amazon, where a tour reveals the city’s Golden Age architecture. Journey upstream on the Rio Negro as you immerse in the Amazonian jungle, the world’s largest rainforest, trying your hand at piranha fishing and visiting a wildlife refuge.
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In Rio de Janeiro, you’ll dive into Copacabana’s glorious beaches and ride a cable car to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain. A quick flight brings you to the thundering roar of majestic Iguazu Falls. In Buenos Aires, a passion for tango is palpable; glimpse the city’s Pink Palace and taste its cosmopolitan flair before flying home.
- Length: 12 days
- Starting price: $3,121
- Average group size: 40 people
- How to book: Book directly through Trafalgar
