Don't use G Adventures, we were on a tour of Spain, Portugual, and Morocco. They allowed a tour member with Covid to be on the tour and 8 members of 14 were infected, and removed from the tour with no compensation. My daughter and I were abandoned in a small town in Portugual with no accommodation, no transportation and unable to speak the language. We were told to contact our insurance provider. This is not an acceptable way to treat paying customers. When I tried to contact them they did not answer my emails, or phone calls and it took well over a week to get the necessary documents for the insurance claim. I have used G Adventures in the past and enjoyed myself, but their service has definately deteriorated. DO NOT BOOK A TOUR WITH G ADVENTURES. read more

I'd give a Minus Rating if I could. We booked in January, 2020 for a March trip. Then Covid-19 hit and eventually they cancelled the trip. They offered the usual credit on a future trip. We rebooked and they cancelled again. Our travel agent requested a refund which was denied. We went to our credit card company and demanded a full refund. They sent the request and eventually we received a full refund with the caveat it might not stick. Sure enough, we just received notice from the card company the charge is back. Another related complaint is that if/when you rebook for the same trip, it will cost more. Just offering a credit on a future trip doesn't cut it, especially after they cancelled twice. I don't know if our Attorney General or fraud investigators can help. read more

As a season backpacker, I decided to do a G Adventures "YOLO" trip through Southeast Asia that would allow me to see multiple sights without the worry of booking lodging and transportation......My thorough review is below. PRICE-I paid about $3500 (incl. flights) for a 32 day trip. After experiencing the trip, I could have planned the same trip for $2000 cheaper by using a Lonely Planet guidebook. In addition, you will pay AT LEAST $600 more to eat and do optional activities that are not included. (1/5 stars) LODGING- For the amount of money I paid and the cost of hotels in SE Asia, I felt cheated based on the quality of the places that we stayed. Out of 15 hotels, I would say 3 were "adequate". It was so bad that during the trip we went to some third-world village down the Mekong River and slept in some children's bed while they slept outside LOL. It was even weirder because the grandmother was sleeping in the closet who spent half the night moaning. Many of the places were dirty and cost under $12 a night. (1/5 stars) CEO-The guide was more worried about eating free food than actually guiding us. He was pretty shady as he kept pressuring people to eat his buddies restaurants every time we stopped in a city for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Given that we paid out of pocket, I thought it was pretty appalling and towards the end of the trip I myself broke away from the group to actually go sightseeing. I also thought the was unnecessary pressure to tip those who actually did guide and drive us around which makes me wonder if G Adventures was actually paying them. (2/5 stars) ITENIARY-The one good thing about this trip was that it covered ALOT of ground in that it went through Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos. I felt satisfied in that I saw and did a lot of fun things (mostly due to my own initiative). (3/5 stars) In conclusion, while G Adventures does an excellent job marketing, you can assume that you would save more than half the cost if you did the trip yourself. In addition, while I met SOME cool people, most of the people I traveled with were spoiled rich kids with a propensity for getting wasted (drunk). I can't understand for the life of me why you would pay so much money to go to a cool place like Hanoi Vietnam only to waste away in a bar. Whether it was the price, my fellow travelers, or the quality of service, G Adventures is not for me. read more

I had a phenomenal experience with G Adventures! We did the Uncover India- Delhi to Goa tour a few weeks ago. Everything was great. The tour was considered YOLO and while our itinerary was packed, we had a great combination of scheduled activities and free time. We stopped in nine places during our 15 day tour. We saw so much more than what we could have on our own! Our Chief Experience Officer was phenomenal. He went above and beyond our expectations to help us and provide us with the best experience. He was very kind, informative, and accommodating. Unfortunately due to a snow storm back home, we missed the first day of our tour. G Adventures was in constant contact with us. They had someone waiting at the airport to take us to a hotel. They also arrange a transfer for us to meet up with our tour group 5+ hours away. We would have been lost (literally) without their constant contact and assurance that they would reunite us with our tour group. I have some comments for a lot of the negative reviews I am seeing: -Of course you can do it cheaper on your own, but you don't learn from your CEO or bond with fellow travelers. It also takes time to determine where you want to go, book hotels, arrange transportation, find food, etc. G Adventures took all the stress out of it. -If you read the itinerary, you should not be surprised by long travel days or your less-than-luxurious accommodations. G Adventures provides a ton of information on the 'tour details' tab of every tour. We found that information extremely useful and accurate. If anything, we were pleasantly surprised at our accommodations. -The tour is what you make it. You can spend all of your free time doing more activities or you can spend it sleeping in you accommodations. If you don't like the other people on the tour, don't spend your free time with them. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend G Adventures to anyone looking for a wonderful cultural experience. read more

I booked "Realm of the Polar Bears" with them for May. Even though their website prominently states "100% Guarantee Departures." they cancel this trip without giving me a reason. Furthermore, they refuse to give me back my $1000 deposit, stating only that I can use the deposit toward their other trips within 2 years, effectively "guaranteeing" that I must travel with them. . Per Pilotplans.com website, this is happening much more frequently since 2020, and their customers have had problems with refunds, sometimes waiting up to a year to get their refund. I booked another trip with them just to avoid the hassle of getting a refund, but I will never book with them again read more

G Adventures provided subpar accommodations, misrepresented the Kenya and Tanzania trip, and then proceeded to not issue any kind of adequate resolution. They have refused to provide any kind of compensation even though I did not complete 30% of the trip due to their misrepresentation. They filled up the Jeeps to the point you couldn't enjoy the safaris and then forced me to sign a document saying no refund in order to get me to the airport otherwise I would have been stuck in Tanzania in the middle of nowhere with no way of getting to the international airport. They clearly do not care about the customer and you should go with a better tour operator. read more

AVOID THIS COMPANY!!!! First, let me say that we are seasoned travelers. Hoping that issues with COVID were resolved, in 2021, we worked with our travel agent to book a trip to Australia and New Zealand scheduled for February, 2022. We were very excited about the trip and needless to say, when Australia and New Zealand remained closed to visitors due to COVID, G Adventures cancelled the trip. The Airlines provided a full refund and G Adventures said that they would hold our deposit for a later date. Initially, this was actually OK with us because we really wanted to take the trip. When we went to re-schedule, the specific trip was no longer offered. Another trip was added with a drastically different itinerary. Given the fact that the chosen trip is no longer offered, our travel agent has requested a refund of our deposit. So far, they have refused, stating that we can use the deposit for another trip. Given the unusual circumstances, we feel that a refund is in order. Why would anyone want to work with a company that uses such deceptive practices. read more

SHADY, SKETCHY, UNDERHANDED Let me start by saying I've been on at least nine G Adventures tours and I've convinced more than a few friends, colleagues and acquaintances to book with G over the years, touting their former virtues to everyone I know. NEVER AGAIN. I was booked on a G trip to Hawaii for November. My travel agent warned me not to book with G this time, saying they've become sketchy and she tries to avoid them. I thought she was crazy. I made her do it. I should have listened. G canceled my tour for no apparent good reason. I know a number of people who have traveled to Hawaii recently and they said it's open and there is no problem. G gave no logical explanation. But that's not even the real issue. Remember: G canceled a guaranteed departure tour that I was still ready, willing and counting on going on. I did not pull out, ask to postpone or otherwise try to change my plan. This was G's unilateral decision. And then G said it was KEEPING my $350 deposit. This is insane. Basically, they were holding MY MONEY hostage as a "future deposit" to force me onto some future G Tour. After expending way too much energy and frustration fighting with G, the company finally agreed to return my money. Hallelujah. But NOPE. It decided to pull even more shenanigans. My charge back came through and it is only $290 of MY $350. Because G decided to make ME pay the travel agent for something I'm not responsible for paying. In fact, no one should be paying the travel agent, because the tour was canceled. Travel agents generally do not get paid until AFTER a trip is over. If G wants to pay the travel agent anyway, that is up to G. But it has NO business using MY MONEY to do it. This is G's responsibility to pay no matter the circumstance. Why the hell is it coming out of my pocket? I never again want to deal with a company that engages in such shady business practices. Consider yourself warned. read more

This was my first trip to India and first time using a tour group. G-Adventure was recommended to me and I decided on their short, eight day Golden Triangle tour to test the waters so to speak. Overall it was a positive experience. The group was limited to fifteen and we had a phenomenal CEO (chief experience officer). Thank you Shakti! Accommodations were "standard" tourist type but the "hotel" used in Delhi (The Aster Inn) was disgusting. Surely for a few dollars more the company could have upgraded to more palatable lodgings. In fact, many in our group that were staying on elected to switch accommodations when we returned to Delhi. With the wide array of available budget hotels, there was really no excuse for this. My other issue was that in reality this was a six day tour-which to be fair, is clearly defined in the itinerary. Our time spent in Delhi was too short and limited to a walking tour of the old section; it left out several "must see" attractions such as The Lotus Temple, Gandhi's House, India Gate, and Humayun's Tomb. Thankfully, I arrived several days prior and hired a private guide. I would have been disappointed if I missed these sites and a few others that I enjoyed visiting. I do think the company would do well to suggest visiting these sites independently before or after the tour. I would probably use them again, especially in emerging countries or remote areas that are outside of my comfort zone and when I'll be traveling alone. They are single friendly and offer a reasonable solo supplement which was a selling factor for me. I'm sure the group dynamics and our group leader impacted my positive experience. I have an upcoming trip to Australia in the fall but since there will be three of us we won't use a tour company. I would also compare similar tour companies in my future planning. read more

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I did a tour with Gadventures in December 2017 to Jan 2018. I wouldn't recommend doing a tour with this company for many reasons. The tour guides will try to scam you and won't let you cancel any activities and make you pay or you be kicked out of the tour group. read more

They cancelled my trip twice (6 months apart), and each time I lost money due to the cancellations. Now they are trying to charge me more to go on the same trip, and refusing to make any concessions. They also resist refunding deposits even when they keep cancelling your trip. Just pay the extra money and travel with Intrepid. read more

I don't know why National Geographic works with this company. Terrible customer service, hours on the phone, can't get my information online. Canceled my credit card and have blocked any future payments just to get out of this trip. read more

I went on a G Adventures trip to Africa this past December. No complaints regarding the trip. I found out, however, that the company charged me 25% more than other passengers -- if you go on a trip and are American, DO NOT book through the American web site. They charge different pricing for people from other countries. I was the only American on my trip -- the others were Canadian and European -- and my price for the trip, booked through the G Adventures web site was the highest. Disappointing and discriminatory practice to say the least. Addition: To any Americans who read this, go to the bottom of the G Adventures homepage and change the country to "Canada". Look up the trip you're interested in and do the conversion from CAD to USD. You will notice a sizeable price difference. For my trip, about 25%. If you book a trip, do it as a Canadian or European. read more

So..........two days before I was leaving for Antarctica with G Adventures...they cancelled the trip. During the Thanksgiving holiday. They didn't order the right parts of the engine in time. Yup, that's right. Engine Failure. Can you imagine me being stranded out in the middle of nowhere....not I. I still want to go. It's on my bucket list. The bad part is....the best they could do is reschedule me for a trip a year later. Crazy part? They actually have ROOM on the March trip in two months....but they won't let me have it unless I pay $$$$. The lowest cabins that I bought are already sold out. Disappointed. Don't use them. Go with another company. read more

Trip= amazing. booking experience= THE WORST I've had. I booked online and worked with the Gap Adventures office in Canada. I live in California, USA. When I booked my trip my bank statement reflected a fourty something dollar international fee. I was extremely confused since, I live in CA, the tour cost was charged in New York. When I called Gap Adventures to inquire further, I was told that my tour was charged in London, and that they could not do anything about my fee. To add insult to injury, I later booked airport transfers, which were again, charged in London for whatever reason and i was charged yet another international fee. I am out of money in international fees that I was never advised of. This is not fair and not legal. I was never refunded and never received a proper response from Gap tours. It's such a shame because the trip itself was great, but just thinking of the nightmare the booking process was makes me want to never book with them again. BEWARE OF THE HIDDEN FEES! read more

Trying to get a refund for the canceled Cover-19 trips is an absolute nightmare. What are they thinking when it comes to customer service and reputation! read more

RIPPED US OFF for over $8,000!!! G Adventures will not refund us or credit us our hard earned money! Due to COVID_19 we could not travel. I have anxiety attacks and fell sick due to G Adventures treating us disrespectfully. We both are not working due to Covid_19 . Our money is in their pockets and due to their services I am in a bad mental and physical state. read more

I am writing this review mid-way through what was supposed to be a four week trip in Indochina with GAP Adventure travel. I left the trip two weeks early because it was, by far, the worst travel experience of my life. I am an experienced and patient traveler (solo and group travel), a forgiving and understanding consumer, and an agreeable group participant. Yet, despite this, I was left with no other decision than to abandon this GAP trip in order to salvage what was left of my time in Asia. Why did I travel with GAP to Asia? As a high school teacher from the US, I wanted to experience Asia with the help of a knowledgeable guide. As a woman traveling alone, I wanted to be taken seriously when I asked questions. As an American, I wanted to travel in a way that would be sensitive and aware of the cultural context and history of this region of the world and the U.S. After searching for group travel companies, I settled on GAP because of the promises made for this type of cross-cultural experience and group leadership. The group tour, both leadership and participants, was the exact opposite. Group Leader: The GAP brochure states: "They will provide information on the places you are traveling, make suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. For specific areas such as cultural sites or jungles, you will also have a local guide or area expert to impart their knowledge." What actually happened: The group leader showed up on the first day of travel wearing a T-Shirt that read: "FBI, Female Body Inspector". The group was almost entirely female. He proceeded to wear the shirt throughout the trip. While in Thailand (the first leg of the trip) he was meant to be our leader (logistical person) and guide (tours, introduction, etc). He took us to a boat and told us, "this river is just like in Venice". We visited a temple (Wat Po) and he gathered us around as a group and told us that this is a Buddhist temple. This was the only context given during 5 days in Thailand. The lack of guidance and leadership persisted throughout the trip. We would arrive in a location and be told simply where we were, "You are now in Hanoi" and then what time we were leaving the next day. While I appreciate the freedom and flexibility of unplanned days, I also expected at a minimum, context. For example, while in Laos our guide (both tour leader and local guide) did not once mention the word "land mine" or "war". How can one visit literally the most bombed country per capita on earth and never hear these words mentioned? While driving for 6 hours on the roads of Laos our tour leader slept and played video games while we passed by village after village. When I approached the tour leader and asked questions or asked for more information about something or even requested that he provide more formal information to the group, he shrugged this off or made a joke of it. Nearly every question I asked on the trip was responded to with a joke, a sarcastic comment, or some reference to my being a woman. Again, if I wanted to risk being shrugged off or not taken seriously, I would have made the decision to travel independently. I took this trip seriously as a learning experience and decided to spend the extra money to go with a leader and group to maximize the learning. This absolutely did not happen. What about the group? GAP writes this about group travel, "you will be travelling with like-minded individuals from all over the world. " My experience: From the start, group members frequently and unabashedly said things such as (and trust me, this is just a small sampling): "Look at the little Asians. They look like action figures on bikes." "I would never eat in this market. I bet the food is filled with lice." (this said in front of a group of local shop keepers) " Look, there are some queers" On the topic of homosexuality: The level of intolerance toward gay and transgender people by both the group members and the leader was insufferable. I could not believe that people spoke this way, so openly, in the 21st century. Every day, our group leader found some way to mention the "girly boys" and how we needed to stay "far away from the girly boys of Asia". I was horrified at the laughter that these comments generated. I wish I had more than 5,000 words to review my experience. Full disclosure: I am currently in a quest to receive a refund for the portion of the trip not taken. When the group leader was replaced (because of group complaints) the new group leader said he'd rather "start fresh" than hear my concerns about the trip thus far. I just couldn't risk another two weeks with a similar type guide or group. edit: GAP did refund a portion of my trip as a gesture of goodwill. read more

What's in a letter? In the case of G Adventures, the letter G stands for giddy. Or at least it is where my travel experiences are concerned with this tour company. G Adventures was first recommended to me over 2 years ago by my Aunt who had used them for one of their more luxurious tours back in the day. I was completely new to the tour group concept so I honestly didn't know what I was getting myself into. I've wanted to travel more, but wasn't necessarily interested in doing it entirely on my own. I wanted to do it as part of a relatively structured plan. And maybe make some friends along the way. Two years later, I've now done three separate domestic tours with G & I'm looking to do my first international one in 2017. How do I love G? Let me count the ways. Tour groups certainly aren't a new concept & the opinions I've received on them are wide ranging. For some of my friends & family, they'd prefer to just grab a backpack, venture out on their own & get lost, confident any problems along the way would work themselves out. Others I know prefer a big group of people with 5-star treatment all the way in the ultimate lap of luxury & relaxation. But most people I know just simply haven't tried it. Depending on where you go, what you do, & how much you do, the cost of a tour can vary. I'd compared G versus other well-known tour companies like Tauck, Globus, & Contiki and found the prices & experiences (at least on paper) seemed to be competitive. So in early 2015, I decided to dip my toes into the G experience by booking a 9 day U.S. east coast tour. The tour included places I'd been to (Boston & Philly) & a number of places I hadn't been (Washington DC, Pennsylvania Amish country, Niagara Falls, New York's Finger Lakes region, & of course New York City). I decided to go with a Classic tour which typically is a good mix of structure with flexibility & at a pace that works for most age groups. Among my first tour experiences included a ride on the Maid of the Mist at Niagara Falls, a tour of Hershey's Chocolate Factory, seeing the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns, a tour through NYC's Ground Zero, the Freedom Trail in Boston, and a delicious culinary experience at Philly's Reading Terminal Market. Yeah, we covered a ton of ground in nine days. Some of these stops were setup by G while others we were free to explore ourselves at our own pace. Our accommodations included 2 and 3 star hotels (Comfort Inns, Days Inns, etc.) & our group was relatively small at just 12 of us. On my first trip alone I met people from Austria, Belgium, England, New Zealand, Columbia, & Germany. Truly a great whirlwind first experience. For 2016, I pushed myself into less familiar terrain including a 9 day U.S. tour of the Deep South (a region I'd never been to before) which included stops in Charleston, Savannah, Atlanta, Nashville, Memphis, Jackson, & New Orleans. Later in 2016, I added a trip to the U.S. Pacific Northwest including stops in 5 national parks. That trip was 15 days long & included the cities of Seattle, Coeur D'Alene, Kalispell, Bozeman, Jackson Hole, Boise, Bend, Eugene, & Portland. The National Park stops included Mount Rainier, Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, & Crater Lake. For 2017, I'm looking to book a G tour of Ireland sometime in the summer. This will mark my first trip to Europe. I assume I now have your attention about this company after all of that. Each of the tour guides I had on these trips were extremely knowledgeable about the terrain they took us to & were super flexible about letting us craft out the days to our liking. The tour guides have generally been in their late twenties to early thirties and have all spoken English & often two or three additional languages. If you're young & want a faster pace at a cheap price, the Yolo tour style might be up your alley. For those who prefer tours on the water via cruise ships, the Marine style might work for you. And for those looking to slow down & travel in comfort, the Comfort style is comparable to Tauck's tour style. I have been immensely impressed by G in the 2 years (& 3 tours) I've used them. I've most definitely caught the travel bug ever since I started using them & every tour makes me more excited for the next. Their customer service department has always been quick to respond to any questions I've had and their website does a great job laying out every tour option in full. Admittedly their mobile app could use some work, but small potatoes in the big picture. So yes, I recommend G Adventures if you're looking to dip your toes into the tour group concept or looking to dive in head first. The options are wide ranging, the experiences are well planned out, and the tour guides are full of the energy and enthusiasm necessary to make sure everyone has the best tour possible. See the world, make some friends, and create memories. That's travel as it should be if you ask me. read more

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Gap based on a couple of tours - Costa Rica Quest (CRQ) and Southern Explorer (SSR). CRQ I just took and Southern Explorer I did a few years ago. Gap provides generally good value for the money (hotels, transfers from place to place, activity choices, etc.) but in both cases I think they cut a couple of corners with hotel choices to meet the desired price tag. None of them were unlivable, but were unpleasant and ones I would not have chosen myself. The amount of enjoyment you have on your tour will be made up of the activities (tour dependent), the tour leader (one I had was great, one was good), and the other folks in the group (one instance was great with a good age range, one the demo skewed old - they were nice enough but it wasn't what I was looking for). Apologies that this review is not chock full of details, but since most won't apply to you as you'll be with different people and a different leader and likely a different itinerary its not worth writing. I believe that the administrative office is generally run well, they are on top of things, provide good information and where they've made mistakes they've made an appropriate refund. I'm somewhere between a 3.5 and 4 on this, so I'll round up to a 4. read more

I signed up for your tour de Mont Blanc trip and read all the requirements over and over again. I trained with 30 pounds and actual hiking backpack weight was 15-16 pounds. I met with the team on July 6th. I specifically asked the coach saying I hike slow. He said we were on holiday and we should not worry and we were not in a rush to finish. Day 1 of hiking, I am nervous and 75% of the way done, I am told I am "too slow" and I need to leave. I asked about future hiking but not given any guarantee. I am asked to return to Chamonix or another town and wait for the group. I said I would think about it. I still insist on going to the first Refugio. My coach is getting shitty at this point and being unfriendly. I was hoping with WiFi, I can see other options. But that Refugio has no internet options. I see my coach is absolutely unconcerned about my financial investment or effort put in getting here. He keeps telling me to return, saying it was really hard hike and I am an "extremely selfish" person if I continued, since he has to be with me and not rest of my group. By this point in time, with the name calling, I realise it is best to reply monosyllabically and minimalise conversation. Next day he makes me sign the release waiver, I decide to go to town and come back with a guide. Next morning team has left and I am about to boot up, talk to the ski patrol person, he tells me I can do it. I explain my coaches concerns. But he says we have light till late so I can fo it. He is also upset by how my Guide has treated and talked to me. I then hike in my own to second Refugio. On the way,, talked to a French couple and their guide and they were shocked by my guide's way of treating me. He went ahead to the Refugio and told him I was still hiking. This is where things get interesting. About 20-30 mins, I see him Standing on the trail and he goes ballistic and says, "the French police called him and told me I was in the trail" I had professionally hurt him. I was the most selfish person he had ever met. He told me, GET OFF THE MOUNTAIN NOW" I just do not react, I feel he is unhinged and I am not keen on triggering him. He has given up my space in the Refugio (that I have paid for) and I have to get a taxi (45 Euro) into town and hotel (120-150 Euro). I spend an hour talking to US office and UK office and I decide to solo it. The US officer thinks it is harassment. (How my guide is talking/treating me) He had created an environment of hostility. I return the next day to continue my hike. 2 days later, Robin against asks to talk to me and says, "I am irresponsible by continuing on hike when I had said I would be returning to Chamonix.  I had put my life and my team members life in danger and I had spoilt the company reputation by getting the French police involved.  So they were cancelling my reservations at the Refugio's from now on. " I just said okay, are we done. I Redid my reservations and carried on hiking. Now he sees me on the trail, "he says we are going to be crossing paths for the next 4 days, can we not be grouchy" I said Sure. Then he would give me suggestions Etc. Not that I asked or needed since I spent 30 Euro getting "the touring of Mont Blanc" book which is really detailed. There is no specification of speed on your hiking listing. Even the US officer from your company said hike at your pace. If this is not so, we should have been briefed so the first day. Not asking me to return after the first day of hiking. There was no effort put in seeing if there were other options. I start earlier each day or reduce the weight of my pack. I am over 40 and a women and this is no way to treat a customer. Name calling, being rude, creating an hostile environment. You all have every effort to mess my trip up, but I persevered and if not for kind angels like the ski patrol and other folks on the trail, I would not have finished the tour. read more

GAP Adventures should be a top consideration for anyone looking for "adventurous" type of vacation, or wanting to immerse in local culture a bit during the tour. My busband and I have joined GAP tours to Machu Picchu, the Galapagos Islands, and Turkey. Each time, we had a local tour guide who's well-versed, caring and responsive to the group's needs, and always ready and happy to share with us bits of "local experience". Based on our experiences, we'd use GAP again and give a recommendation to our friends. read more

My husband and I had never done a group travel tour before...as we usually go on our own, but we used GAP for a trip to the Galapagos Islands. Though the booking process could be confusing, everything went very smooth and we had a FANTASTIC trip! I would recommend this trip to anyone interested in the Galapagos.. I wrote a blog about my trip, which is posted here: http://pinkbirdcreations.blogspot.com/2008/06/our-boat-in-galapagos-life-on-board.html and here: http://pinkbirdcreations.blogspot.com/2008/05/ecuador-and-galapagos-islands-photo.html There is a more detailed review with heaps of photos, Happy Travels! read more

Absolutely awful experience. A few days before the trip, I was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. I had also tested positive for COVID. They were unwilling to accommodate and wanted to charge us thousands simply to push back our trip. I found them to be extremely unprofessional. Do not book your trip here! read more

Please note I have not gone on my Timeless Vietnam tour with G Adventures yet. I booked it several months ago and will be going this December. Be careful and proactively check your flight status online, because it might change and they won't bother to tell you about it. Our friend booked the same tour for the same date as us and noticed three days ago that the departure flight date had changed to one day earlier. I called their customer service today to verify, and they confirmed that yes, it had changed. I didn't receive an email, phone call, or any notification of this change. What if I couldn't accommodate the flight change with my schedule and found out too late on my own, had I not checked? The customer service agent said that their flight agents don't work on the weekend and I would have received an email notification on Monday, but I don't buy that, since my friend checked three days ago on a THURSDAY. And if that truly is how they function, they should change and have these "flight agents" available over the weekend as well, because people in society don't just travel on weekdays. Wish they notified us of this important trip change. read more

Ohhhhh Gappppp, you came and you gave without taking, but I sent you away.. ohhhh Gappppp! Gap Adventures is my first experience booking a vacation with a company. Usually I plan out where I want to go and what I want to see, and I book everything on my own. It's a tiring process, so I was more than happy to leave it to the capable hands of GAP Adventures. GAP adventures for those who don't know, they are a travel company that specialize in adventure travel. They have pre-planned vacations all over the world and you go with a small group of individuals. The one I've booked is the "Absolute Peru" adventure, a 21-day adventure filled trip! Pricewise, GAP is pretty reasonable. Expect to pay a little over $500 a week. Not too bad considering everything is included (some but not all meals). The types of activities that we are planned to do, if I were to have planned a trip of similar magnitude, I would never have gotten in half the activities in. Though they do have a lot of information on their website, you're bound to come up with more questions and concerns. Our travel specialist, Marissa, has been nothing short of helpful, answering all of our questions and doing it within a day or two. I'm extremely impressed with the service we've received at GAP. I don't know how the tour will go, I'll have to update this review later. But all in all, GAP has been impressive thus far. read more

I went to Morocco trip this past September. The only good experience was the awesome tour guide (CEO) we had. If I was to write this review before the trip, I probably would have given them a 5 Star for the email response to sell me and collecting money. If you purchase the Insurance, Air ticket etc.. from G Adventure, make sure you have enough money with you to deal with any issue arise during your trip on your own, G Adventure sub contract all there services and it will be your responsibility to deal with the company they have contracted with, even if your stuck in a third world country. During the trip our group experience medical issue and airline cancellations. read more

Group travel depends completely on the make-up of the group and your CEO (tour leader). I've traveled with G Adventures on 7 tours since 2008, just returning from my favorite tour in Jordan. Primarily because I am American and do not have an unlimited supply of vacation days and it is the most convenient way to get around. Secondary, because some of the countries I choose to travel to, I would rather go with a group as a solo female. I have to say if I based my opinion on my first G tour, I may not have gone back. The group was "just ok" but I was there to enjoy a country and that is what I did. The tours I did subsequently were fantastic and I have kept in touch with people from all over the world from that point on. It's the luck of the draw, but I have been pretty darn lucky! read more

I put a deposit down on a trip 6 months before the trip and cancelled it less than 30 days later. They do not refund ANY part of the deposit but will hold on to it for a trip in the future. Thanks a lot. It was clearly stated in the paperwork and I am sure I read it but at the time, of course, I was all sent to go. I wont be booking again with them as life is not 100% predictable. read more

Not much value here. Pretty much the only thing they do is arrange local travel (buses and internal flights) and lodging (hotels, most of which were disappointing and lacked good value). Pros: has some other people to travel with, don't have to think about arranging your own logistics Cons: not great value (e.g., you could do the trip at less than half the cost and stay in nicer places), most activities were optional and you had to pay separately for them, you're stuck with the same people the whole trip, they charge more for Americans and Canadians than Europeans (about 50% more), the "CEO" doesn't seem to do that much, and it's a "one size fit all" type of approach to travel, so if you don't like the itinerary, too bad (or you just do things on your own, but why pay someone to do that?). I wouldn't do this trip with Gadventures again, and much prefer choosing my own travel style and then looking for local tours if I'm interested in traveling with other people while I'm there (or just meeting people to do things with). read more

This review is in reference to my most recent tour with G Adventures to Bangkok, Cambodia, and Vietnam via the "Cambodia on a Shoestring" YOLO trip. For the sake of comparison, I feel that it is critical that I highlight the fact that the two G Adventures excursions I joined prior to this last one were very well organized and planned. Both the Inca Trail and the Jaguar Trail tours I joined were equally educational and enjoyable and offered a variety of activities that were engaging and enlightening. With the bar set so confidently high, my expectations coming in to the "Cambodia on a Shoestring" tour were exceedingly good. Perhaps that is why I feel so let down following the conclusion of my last G Adventures Trip. As a traveler, I took every measure to ensure this trip would go without a single snag. I purchased my insurance, provided my CEO with any required documentation, and asked as many questions as I needed to before embarking on my journey. However, for several reasons, I feel G Adventures fell well short of expectations. In the process of booking my trip, I emphasized that I preferred a tour with a larger group. The options I was considering at the time were either the New Zealand North Island trip or the Cambodia on a Shoestring trip. I expressed to the customer service representative who was assisting me in making a choice between the two that the size of the group is essential to me and that I would prefer the tour offering a relatively larger group of travelers. I also asserted that I preferred the tour which offered more optional activities. The customer service representative assured me that the Cambodia on a Shoestring tour fulfilled both of my requirements. Upon arrival in Bangkok, however, I was surprised to learn that I had been placed in a group of only 5 people. As our journey unfolded, I also found that very few optional activities were provided and that our itinerary was rather regimented. I understand that YOLO packages are generally more adventurous and tailored to suit the expectations of younger travelers. However, certain safety precautions should still be observed and I feel many of those precautions were overlooked on my last trip. The most obvious and notable example of this disregard to safety was the overall quality of the modes of transportation provided and the rash negligence the drivers had for safety. Ironically, our bus encountered a flat tire en route to one of our destinations right next to a billboard that was promoting road safety! Rather than exercise caution and drive at a reasonable speed, our bus driver exceeded the speed limit and ran over what seemed to be every pothole along the way, thereby resulting in our flat tire. As a result of his negligence, we were forced to pull over and wait 3 hours for a replacement bus. This delay threw us off schedule and by the time we reached our destination, no time was left for our group to explore. During my last two trips with G Adventures, my CEO seemed adequately knowledgeable of the cultural aspects of our trip and spent time relaying the knowledge to our group, giving ample time for questions and discussions. This element was desperately lacking on my last G Adventures Tour. Very little knowledge was dispensed and more time was spent instructing us on where to go and what time to meet than enlightening us on the unique cultural values and traditions we all set out to learn more about. On several occasions, our guide was in fact too tired to join us for some of the planned activities and opted instead to stay in her hotel room. Taking into account the aforementioned mishaps and oversights, I feel utterly disappointed with the overall quality and poor planning of my last trip, especially following two rather exhilarating tours. I feel that due to the misinformation I received from G Adventures to assist me in performing my pre-trip planning, our CEO's overall lack of knowledge, enthusiasm and involvement in some activities, and the utter disregard to important safety precautions and practices, I would not recommend this trip to anyone and I am hesitating at considering G Adventures for any future travel plans or recommending their tours to my friends. read more

You can tell a lot about a company by the way they treat their customers in the midst of a pandemic. G Adventures refuses to give any refunds even if trips are cancelled due to Covid. Instead they offer a travel credit. It's ridiculous. I booked my trip with Amex and as a result was able to get my money fully refunded despite their lack of cooperation. And after how they treated me, I will never travel with them ever again. Whoever runs their operation clearly does not have a clue what they're doing. As an avid traveler (over 40 countries in the past ten years) they would have made a lot more money from me in the future had they done the right thing. Instead, I will be giving my money to other tour operators who put their customers first. Wake up G Adventures and learn what the Lifetime Value of a customer looks like. Don't let your greed and shortsightedness destroy the long term potential of your company. read more

We just returned from one week with GAdventures in Africa. What an amazing experience. Our group was filled with people who were equally excited to be on this adventure. Our CEO Wes was incredible with all of the guests. He was gentle and patient with everyone and his endless knowledge of the area and all of our excursions was incredible. The lodging at all three locations was beyond beautiful. Like taken out of a novel the scenery was breath taking and at times beyond belief. Our time in Kruger Park and on the Private Game Reserve was beyond all expectations. If you get a chance to do Africa, do it with GAdventures.....it is an experience of a lifetime. read more

I traveled solo on the 11 day YOLO Serengeti Safari to Zanzibar as my first trip with G Adventures and I couldn't have been happier. The whole trip was well organized and communicated well from the beginning, including comprehensive pre-departure trip details and very helpful packing list. The tour leaders really made it what it was for us. They knew the Serengeti area extremely well and exactly where to look for each animal, so that we were successful in seeing the Big 5 animals and more! They were also a blast to be around and made the participation camping experience a smooth one. I can see how everyone's experience will differ based on the ultimate mix of people in the group but that's the risk you take with any tour group (ours turned out to be a great group of people). Based on the things that were within G Adventures' control they really excelled and made the trip a great one. I would definitely book another G Adventures trip again and will likely do so within the next year to a new destination! read more

Definitely not worth your money, you may save some little money, but the quality of the accommodations and the activities are so poor...Basically, we did 9 days that could have been 2/3, as most of the days were spent travelling or in cheap places with few things to see (so they could save money on accommodation I assume) and very little time was spent on​ places of interest as for example Siam Reap Temples (where we spent just a few hours! crazy!!), I guess because of the costs of the tickets etc Not worth your money, at least for Cambodia on a shoestring, which is the tour we did. read more

Be very careful!!! I came across a very interesting trip to India through Gap Adventures. It was a "Limited Edition" tour, meaning that they could not verify the trip until numbers were confirmed. I talked to the very friendly agent who explained that it was a formality and it would book up and if there were any problems I would get a full refund. Based on this I put my $500 deposit down and waited for 45 days. As my partner and I both needed to coordinate work schedules etc. we phoned in early January to confirm the status of the trip (March departure). They advised us that no one else had signed up and based on that it may or may not go. I explained that I had been patient but could wait no longer as I had to confirm my arrangement with work and also I would have to make alternate holiday arrangements. I was told I was SOL. I explained that I was more than willing to commit as long as they could commit to the trip but they refused to either guarantee the trip or return the money. They said I could wait to their cut off date and I might get a refund or alternately I could get charged an additional $700 (50% of the trip value) as a further penalty if they decided to proceed. When I asked how many people they need to proceed they could not commit. I had no option but walk away and forgo the $500 on a trip that will likely never happen because they could not fill the spots and they simply pocket the money. At that point there was no way I was travelling with this outfit nor was I risking $1200 more. Incredibly disappointing experience ....one of those moments that makes you question your faith in humanity. Stay clear of any company that finds this type of customer service acceptable!!! C. read more

Just returned from a 14 day Turkey Explorer trip with G. I'm very happy with the experience and would take another trip with them again in the future. Our guide was fabulous, full of enthusiasm, knowledge and love of her country and for showing it to foreigners (in perfect English, but a somewhat heavily accent). I took the comfort tour which was definitely worth the extra $$ for a private A/C bus, flights between 2 cities vs driving, small group (12 max) and better accommodations, most of which were good or outstanding (a few were just ok). The itinerary was designed to maximize the sightseeing experience and minimize wait times in order to see as much as possible in a short timeframe. Our guide got us into popular and crowded places during less traffic times (between giant tour busses of people) and allowed us some free time for exploring, shopping, photo taking. Also some of the downtime activities (boat rides, beaches) were a welcome contrast to seeing ruins and historical sites. All in all, I'd recommend G Adventures. The reservation system wasn't perfect. I thought I booked a private room, but there was no record of it when I arrived (my guide resolved the problem so that I paid for a single only when I was scheduled to share so I actually saved money), and the airport shuttle driver took me to the wrong hotel, but these weren't huge problems. Note: be sure you budget additional $ for 2 meals a day on your own, plus tips (hotel, driver, guide) as well as additional costs of optional activities (whirling dervishes, performances, baths, etc). They add up to at least $500, closer to $700 extra. Other tours include some of these costs (trip insurance, 3 meals/day, even water). read more

I did a GAP Adventure to Ecuador (Inland and Amazon) and for $900 for 16 days, my partner and I felt we got a great deal. Our guide Henry was a local but works for several tour companies as a freelance guide. He was well educated, spoke English well, and took good care of our group. He handled the logistics of getting us around and made sure we knew all of the options for things to do with our time at each stop. For my first introduction to travel in South America, I thought the trip was excellent. Having some time both before and after the GAP tour to explore Quito and then Bogota Colombia was a great thing to do as well. I'll be looking at GAP again for further exploration of South America in the future. read more

G Adventures should not have such a low rating. People should not book group tours without knowing exactly what the tour is (for example, don't book a YOLO tour if you're not into drinking and partying, or if you want to stay at nicer hotels) -- RESEARCH what you're getting into. And of course the trip will be cheaper if you plan everything yourself. The benefit of a group tour is that every detail is planned for you so you save yourself hours of research and the trip is completely worry-free. I did the Thailand, Laos & Vietnam Adventure for 22 days. It was my first time traveling "alone" (though of course I met the other group members once I arrived), and I could not have asked for a better experience. I would recommend this trip to everyone. We got to experience a little bit of everything, and because of G Adventures we were able to do things we would have never thought of ourselves! For example, we had a homecooked meal with a local family while in Luang Prabang, Laos, and received blessings from the elders in a traditional baci ceremony. We also had an overnight homestay in a Laos village, which including dancing and playing games with the village children. Another highlight for us was the street food tour in Hanoi, Vietnam during which I tried snail and eel, and a variety of local food that I wouldn't have thought safe to eat unless with a guide. Of course, in addition to this, there were the typical tourist attractions and highlights including the Halong Bay cruise. The accommodations were all fine. Most nights we stayed in a pretty nice hotel with air conditioning. Only 2 nights there was no air conditioning -- at a hotel in a riverside village in Laos and at the Laos homestay. Every hotel we stayed at was in the city center and close to all the attractions we wanted to see. Our tour leader Charin was great. He made sure we got to do all the optional activities we wanted to, that we had great food everyday (at every restaurant he made suggestions for us), and that we were all generally taken care of. If we needed anything he would arrange it for us. He even got up at 4 am on my departure day to make sure I got safely on the cab to the airport. read more

Ever have a feeling like you've entered a nightmare? Well, you will once you book w/G Adventures. We initially booked an Amazon cruise. It was cancelled due to Covid July 2020. Unlike their competitors - they refused to refund any money paid. Had to use it on another trip. OK. So then we booked a trip for July 2021 to Egypt. Absolutely fantastic trip. Well organized & great tour guide. We were so thrilled that we decided to book another G Adventure - this time the Amazon cruise in July 2022. Having travelled the world, we contacted the US Embassy in Peru to confirm what's required with regard to Covid while visiting Peru. We also contacted G Adventures multiple times (you're on hold for at least an hour each time!) to confirm what was required. We were told up until the day we left the US that no testing was required for the cruise - just the proof of vaccine (we've had 4 shots so far). We boarded our flights to Peru & the nightmare began. Alfonso was our initial GAdvent contact in Lima, Peru. We were told to meet in hotel lobby next morning @ 6:30am for flight to Iquito to board our boat. Alfonso showed up at 6:20 and we boarded van for airport by 6:30am. Alfonso took headcount & said we were all there and started the early morning drive. Halfway to airport the van suddenly turns around & we headed back to hotel! Apparently Alfonso miscounted & someone had "slept in". So he forced everyone to return to hotel to fetch them! After waiting 15 minutes I went inside to inquire what was going on. We did not leave again until 7:20am which meant we barely made our flight with no time to catch a real breakfast (they gave us a yucky bagged breakfast of an egg salad sandwich which I could not eat & was counting on eating a nice breakfast at airport). Why did we return?? Why did he not count correctly? Why did they not tell her to take a taxi to airport? Got to Iquito and we were then put on bus to boat waiting at River. About a mile from boat the new guides (Uber & Robinson) stand up and announce a "surprise" Covid test! Bus literally pulls off road and 17 of us are taken into a hotel lobby where a woman is sitting in scrubs waiting to test us. No notification back in Lima. Why not test us there? Why not tell us?? I called G Adventures from the bus and was told "nope - no testing required". 3 of the 17 people on ship tested positive & were kicked off the bus! Why wait until after we all sat together on plane & bus? Why not test in Lima? Their bags were literally removed from the bus and placed on the sidewalk as we pulled away. Turns out 1 of 3 was actually negative!! The tests they used aren't reliable so they retested-but it was too late-our ship had left. As far as boat-its an OLD wooden boat w/approx 16 cabins. The smell of mold and mildew was so bad in our cabin that I could hardly breathe. My eyes were watering & we once again contacted G Adventures. They moved us to another cabin. Not as bad as original one. We slept in all our clothes at night. No AC control (the thermostat on wall is only there to let you think you have control). It was so cold in room our windows frosted. You get a sheet - but no blanket. Fortunately, I had my own blanket. Then there's the pirates. Yup - pirates along the Amazon (Google it). When we questioned why there were "patrols" going on at night we were told that a prior guest had an issue with his CPAP & said he was OK but they really knew he wasnt...so they have people who roam the ship (with guns?) in case we ever need something. That didnt sound right so we Googled Amazon cruises out of Iquito & learned the truth. There have been repeated attacks on boats along Amazon at night while guests sleep. So the cruise lines have hired armed guards. Why lie to us? And if you're going to lie - come up with a better story than a guy with a CPAP.. The daily tours were OK & the guides tried their best but it became clear that the locals really dont like Americans. We'd smile & wave at passing boats and rarely if ever get a response. They made it clear that we were not welcome. By comparison - we recently visited Egypt & folks in the streets kept saying "Welcome to our country!" & waved to us. Totally different vibe in Peru. What we saw was primarily birds in trees. If you're into birds & have a good set of binoculars this might be more fun. I was hoping for more time spent in the jungle looking for monkeys & other animals. Got back to Lima & had a transfer set up. Alfonso said they'd be there @4:30am. We waited until 5am & no transfer. Hotel called Alfonso (they woke him up) & he said he'd contact the transfer company. 5:15 & still no ride so I decided to call Alfonso. He answered & sounded like he had fallen asleep again. I asked about our transfer & he said he called & there was "no answer". So that's it?? You went back to sleep?? I had to call him 5 times before a taxi eventually showed up. How can this happen? The entire trip felt very disorganized. Would not recommend!(Ran out of space) read more