When I was planning my trip around Sri Lanka, I knew there were many places I wanted to see, and that I would be traveling solo. While Sri Lanka was a destination I had long dreamed about, I couldn’t find others willing to shell out the money and the time to join me. And we decided this was not the right fit for our entire family (vacation and time off from school, money, and distance from the U.S.).
Considering all of this, I thought it would be more fun to go with a tour group: built-in travel companions, a safety net, and help navigating a culture very different from my own. I was right! My small group tour through Sri Lanka was a phenomenal experience. It took a lot of courage and bravery, and to be honest, I nearly canceled. But I am so glad I did it. (More coming on thoughts as a middle-aged mom traveling solo, so be sure to subscribe.)
I opted to do the G Adventures tour around Sri Lanka. I arrived in Colombo ahead of time to enjoy the capital city, then met up with the tour at the appointed time and place.
I picked the G Adventures classic express tour over other options because of the pricetag, the itinerary, and the timing (more on all of those below). It was a whirlwind of a trip – lots of movement and going from city to city. We spent a fair amount of time inside a well-appointed van shuttling from place to place. But it was well-organized and overall a wonderful experience. (Note that quite a few of my fellow travelers had bought a bundle that included the tour I was on with a sailing cruise of the Maldives, which sounded divine.)
Table of Contents
Should I go on a guided tour at all?
Repeating what I said in my Intrepid Travel Review…
I am not, in general, a guided tour person (which is now kind of funny given that I have done two in the years I’ve had this website and have already booked another!). I did a guided tour once around China that was necessary at that time due to government restrictions.
For my first small group tour as an adult, my travel companion and I decided to take a trip to Turkey. The tour was the right fit as we needed to maximize our time and our limited budget.
This time, I was traveling solo in a country I knew was incredibly different from my own. While I wasn’t overly worried for my safety, it did play a factor in my decision. Also, I wanted support and travel companions. So I opted for a small group trip.
Some other reasons why I would recommend tour packages instead of a DIY travel agenda:
- when culture and language are incredibly different and it helps to have assistance navigating it
- value of lodging and transportation combined into a package
- having someone else take the time to make all the decisions, inquiries, and bookings when you don’t have time
Picking the right tour (for pace, style, and itinerary) is important. There are countries where a guided tour isn’t necessary and likely more restrictive and costly than helpful (like Costa Rica, Portugal, Switzerland, Iceland, Ireland, and Canada). But in some places, it makes sense.
Of course, if you are overwhelmed by planning trips and enjoy the freedom of letting someone else do all the bookings and travel arrangements, tours are a great option, regardless of country.
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Pros to a guided tour with G Adventures
Some of these are the same thoughts I had after my first Intrepid tour, but there are some additional things to consider about a G Adventures trip…
Transparent and Thorough Itinerary
The itinerary posted online, and the notes, were incredibly accurate. Even items listed as “optional” were planned in advance (e.g., the hike up Ella Rock). I’ll say more about this below, but with the Intrepid tour, my companion and I spent a lot of time before the trip booking restaurants and excursions we wanted to do as the Intrepid itinerary was barebones. But with G Adventures, the days were filled with what was listed on the itinerary (even when it said “free day,” the guide was prepared with transportation and ideas). There is no expectation that travelers on a G Adventures tour will have done prior research or have their own excursions booked prior to the tour.
The Price: A Good Deal for What You Get
Let’s start with the biggest thing to consider when looking at tours —pricing. Sri Lanka is fairly affordable against foreign currencies in general, but still, the tour package was very well priced for what we had. The cost covered everything from transportation in the country (travelers are responsible for their own airfare to arrive to and from the country of choice) to lodging, meaning we didn’t have to worry about any of the little details. We all contributed cash to a tipping kitty and the guide took care of all tips throughout the trip.
Of course, the lodging reflected the price. We were not put into luxury hotels because that’s not what we paid for. But everything was clean and comfortable. Honestly, we weren’t in the hotels much at all given all the activities and sightseeing we were doing!
Local Guides Are a Game-Changer
One of the standout features of the tour was having a local guide with us. There’s something special about being shown around by someone who has lived in the country his whole life. It added depth to our trip. A local guide can also provide insights that you won’t get from a guidebook or a general tour, making the whole experience more authentic. Additionally, I had a few experiences where I very much appreciated having someone who spoke the language and was versed in the culture to handle a few situations on my behalf.
All the Logistics Handled: Freedom to Enjoy the Journey
One of the best parts about going on a guided tour is the peace of mind that comes with having everything taken care of for you. You don’t need to think about where you’re staying, how to get from point A to point B, or what to do next. G Adventures handled all the logistics for us—transportation, lodging, and navigation—leaving us free to focus on enjoying the sights and sounds of each place we visited. It made the whole trip feel much more relaxed and enjoyable.
Small Groups = More Intimate Experience
Unlike larger, impersonal tours that crowd you onto a big bus, our group was small, which made a big difference. The smaller group meant we could move easily and have more personal interactions, both with our guide and fellow travelers. Our group felt like a family by the end of the week and made the entire journey much more fun.
Perfect for Solo Travelers
As someone in this category, if you’re a solo traveler, this is a fantastic option. It’s a great opportunity to meet like-minded people. On my Sri Lanka trip with G Adventures, there were quite a few other solo travelers, and we stuck together! As I mentioned above, I also found comfort in the additional safety net and support as a solo traveler.
G Adventures Gives Back
G Adventures was founded in 1990 with a clear emphasis on responsible travel. They explain that they are “a social enterprise as much as we are a small group travel company.” (Read more about G Adventures’ commitment and core values on their website.) Not only did we visit a cafe and store supported by G Adventures that gives women economic opportunity, but we also spent a couple of nights at a sustainable farm outside of Ella. While I was surprised we didn’t use local transportation much, that is likely due to constraints around public transportation and infrastructure in Sri Lanka itself. Otherwise, I felt as though our G Adventures tour lived out its core values and ethics from the beginning to the end of my experience with them.
Cons of a guided tour with G Adventures
The Group Dynamic: Not Always Ideal
Not everyone is going to enjoy being “stuck” with the same group of people for the duration of the trip. I could see how it can feel a little limiting, especially if you are blindly assigned a roommate that you don’t enjoy. (Note that you can pay more for a single accommodation to avoid that possibility.) I lucked out in the roommate lottery on my Sri Lanka trip, but there is a certain risk there.
A Bit More Restrictive (Problem for the Independent Traveler?)
If you’re someone who likes to plan their own trip down to the tiniest detail, this sort of tour might bother you. As I shared, G Adventures definitely had the expectation that you were on and with the tour for most of the trip. Our tour was thoughtfully organized, but it wasn’t necessarily the perfect fit for every personal preference. Overall, the itinerary hit the highlights and things I likely would have picked anyhow. But if you are someone who enjoys more freedom to explore a whim, this is likely going to feel restrictive.
How are Intrepid and G Adventures different?
At first, I thought it was the particular tour I selected, but reading more Internet reviews and threads, it seems to hold true that, for whatever reason, G Adventures appeals to a younger audience than Intrepid Travel.
G Adventures, however, offered more support and infrastructure than the Basix level Intrepid Travel tour I was on. For G Adventures, we never carried our luggage. Dinner and lunches were, if not provided, then arranged for us, assuming we’d be there. If traffic had us running late, we made decisions about changes to the itinerary or dining options as a group.
While the Intrepid tour was an outline and support traveling throughout the country, G Adventures was intended to be a group tour where we stayed together and did nearly everything together. When my entire tour group wanted to branch off and take the excursion I had planned for myself to Sigiriya Rock (it was definitely not part of the G Adventures itinerary), our guide was a bit surprised. We all had to sign waivers that we were leaving the tour for the day. Whereas on our Intrepid tour, they got us to the city and we were given recommendations, then free rein.
I have to say: traveling alone, I rather appreciated and enjoyed the more structured environment for this trip.
Perhaps, though, the most telling testimonial about G Adventures is that nearly every single person on my tour was a repeat customer – this was not their first G Adventures trip. They booked with G Adventures again and again because it is such a successful and fun way to visit a new country.
Perhaps going on a small group tour makes me less of a “traveler” in some ways? I don’t know. I know that plenty of backpackers scoff. But it is so wonderful that, for people like me, there is an option between backpacking alone and a gigantic tour bus. The G Adventures tour I was on was the exact thing that I needed at the exact time I needed it. And I am grateful for the experience.