Group tours get a bad rap.  When you hear “group tour” you tend to think of people shuffling off a bus with poor ventilation and an obnoxious tour guide.  But if you book the right group tour, it’s an awesome opportunity to meet new people while visiting far off places.

This type of vacation is awesome for those who love making new friends, are uncomfortable traveling by themselves, or want to learn about an area without reading through stacks of guide books and lots of Googling.  This type of vacation is a nightmare for introverts who have no interest in talking to other people, loathe the idea of an itinerary, or are more interested in doing their own thing than going with the flow.

Pros

• Making lifelong friends who share similar interests

• Learning about the places you see from knowledgeable guides

• Safety in numbers when visiting destinations that may be uncomfortable alone

Cons

• The risk of being trapped with people you want to throat punch from day one

• Needing to follow a schedule so you’re unable to stay longer at sites that interest you (or leave from ones that don’t)

• More likely to visit the tourist traps, and less likely to get an authentic taste of the local culture