G Adventures is a popular company that offers small group adventure tours. I’ve done many G Adventures trips as a solo female traveller. Here’s my answer to the question is G Adventures a good tour group for solo female travellers.
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What sort of tours does G Adventures do?
G Adventures offers a wide variety of small group tours. There are usually around 12-16 people on each tour. Each tour can vary in length from a few days to a few weeks or more. You’ll have a guide with you who is from the country you’re travelling from, so they’ll know the language and local customs. There will be some guided activities that you do as a group, but you’ll also get some free time on most tours as well. You can usually also choose to have meals with the group as well. These are all things that make G Adventures a good tour group for Solo Female Travellers.
G Adventures offers tours all around the world. They offer a variety of different travel styles as well. The Classic tours offer a good balance of comfort and affordability. If you’re younger and want to travel on a tighter budget, the 18-30 something tours might be perfect for you. Or if you want a bit more time focussing on nature, there are National Geographic tours. There are so many types of trip in all corners of the world. Why not check out the G Adventures website to find out more about this company and what tours they can offer you (affiliate).
Why is G Adventures a good tour group for Solo Female Travellers?
Will there be other solo female travellers?
You can never 100% guarantee that there will be other solo female travellers on any tour – but on all the tours I’ve been on, there have been. If this really matters to you, you can phone G Adventures and try to ask them – they might be able to tell you the answer before you book. I’ve always found other solo female travellers who are friendly and instantly become good friends. But I’ve also become good friends with other people who have joined not solo. If two female friends are on the tour, they’ll often be open to becoming friends as well. So although it’s very likely there will be other solo female travellers, you can still have a great time even if there aren’t.
What about the costs – is there a single supplement for G Adventures tours?
One of the things that I think makes G Adventures a good tour group for Solo Female Travellers is that they offer the chance to pay no single supplement. You can choose to share a room with another solo female traveller on your tour. And this way, you’ll avoid paying any extra. It can be a great way to make friends quickly, as if you’re sharing a room you’ll have plenty of time to talk. And if there are no other solo females on your tour, you’ll get your own room and still not have to pay anything. Of course, you can always choose to pay the single supplement if you want to guarantee yourself your own room so you have your own space.
Will I make friends easily on the tour?
I’ve made friends really easily on all the G Adventures tours I’ve done. All the people on your tour are going to have some similar interests and values. You can instantly start talking about past travel experiences with people, and what you’re looking forward to on the trip. And once you start the tour, you’ll have so many shared experiences to talk about. I’ve made some great friends who I’ve kept in touch with for years after tours.
Of course, you might not become best friends with everyone. There might be one or two people on your tour who you don’t like, or someone that you find really annoying. You can’t expect to be friends with everyone you meet in life. But from my experience, as long as you’re open to meeting new people, you’ll get on fine. And even if there are one or two people you don’t bond as well with, there will almost certainly be others who you become best friends with within a week.
How much free time will I have?
Every G Adventures tour is a bit different, so it’s worth checking the detailed itinerary on the website. On the tours I’ve done, there has often been a few hours of free time in a day. On longer tours, there might be one completely free day. Often there are optional activities for a slight extra cost, so you can choose whether to do these with the group or you can choose to have more free time to yourself. It really depends on what you want. Dinners in the evenings are often not included, so again you’ll have a choice whether to join the group for dinner or have the evening to yourself. I’ve found the G Adventures tours really flexible to suit to different people’s desires for different amounts of free time.
Does it feel safer to travel in a group?
In some regions of the world, I feel a lot safer travelling with a small group tour like G Adventures. I’ve done a lot of trips around the world completely solo, where it’s just been me. But sometimes, it can feel safer to be part of a group. This is especially true for countries that have less tourist infrastructure, or where the language is very unfamiliar. You’ll have a guide to help with the language and organising things like the local transport. If you’re travelling with a chronic health condition, it can also feel reassuring to have a local guide who could help you find a doctor if needed. If you’re unsure about travelling solo, a small group tour can be a great first step, where you can feel safe on your first trip as you build confidence.
Is G Adventures an ethical way to travel?
Another reason why I think G Adventures is a good tour group for Solo Female Travellers is that the company places a strong focus on ethical, sustainable travel. They will always try to use local hotels and restaurants, rather than big chains. This means your money goes directly to the local people in that country. The guides will be from that country as well.
G Adventures also has a lot of charitable projects, in nearly all the countries where it offers tours. A visit to these charitable projects is often included in the tour, so you can see how G Adventures is trying to help the local community. For me, it was really important to see that my money was going towards something good – especially when visiting less developed countries and seeing the poverty that so many people lived in.
Are there any negatives?
For me, G Adventures is my favourite small group tour company for a solo female traveller. All the tours I’ve done have been great. And I’d definitely recommend everyone tries at least one tour. But a small group tour might not be the travel style that suits all solo travellers. Some people can feel restricted by the planned itinerary and lack of freedom. Other people might prefer to choose their own hotels to guarantee a level of comfort they’re used to. Others may prefer to stay longer in each place than the tour itinerary allows. Or you might want to try to travel more cheaply than the cost of a tour. Everyone has a different travel style, and that’s fine. But at least give it a try.
Would I recommend G Adventures?
I’d really recommend trying at least one G Adventures tour as a solo female traveller. As long as you’re open to new experiences, you can have a great time. Maybe try a G Adventures trip in a country or region where you feel less confident travelling by yourself. Or try a G Adventures tour as part of a longer travel trip, so you can do the G Adventures tour and then spend some time afterwards travelling on your own. Just take the plunge and book your first trip! I promise you, you won’t regret it!
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