As I travel around the Middle East and Africa solo, I’m reminded of the benefits of tours. These regions are fascinating but travelling alone can be exhausting. Having to figure out everything for yourself including public transport, navigating tours and choosing the right accommodation in the right places for what you want to see is both challenging and time-consuming.
Sometimes all we want is for someone else to make the decisions for us and not have to constantly move outside of our comfort zone. If you're unsure whether to take an escorted holiday, this article covers why escorted travel is good for solos.
Escorted Travel
Planning your perfect holiday can be tricky if you have limited knowledge of what’s available in your destination. Sometimes as a solo, it helps to have expert knowledge and also someone to book your holiday through. If your dream break is one where you can choose exactly the type of experiences, scenery, and activities whilst staying in the perfect destination, a bespoke holiday is ideal. Tailor-made travel is the way forward if you have a limited holiday period, or it’s a particularly special break; such as a birthday, for instance.
Dealing with experts in the areas you’re interested in visiting is a sure-fire way to make sure you know where to go. Especially if you’re looking for the best places to go out on a weekend night in Rio de Janeiro for example.
Getting insider knowledge from someone that has been there and knows the area is such an advantage when you want to be making the most of your holiday rather than having the worry of choosing somewhere you may not like or that doesn’t cater for your diet, for instance.
That’s where escorted tours can come in.
See the Pena Palace in Sintra on an escorted tour
What Is Escorted Travel?
Escorted tours mean that you choose a package beforehand with an itinerary that you like the look of. These will have been created for you by experts knowledgeable in the local area. An escorted tour means a tour guide will also be with you for most of your journey. If you are a solo traveller going for the first time, this may make you feel more reassured and safe. The use of a guide is also great for local knowledge and specialist expertise.
These types of tours are usually carried out in small groups which means you will also get to meet fellow travellers on the same journey as you. It’s a great way to make new friends if you are feeling a little unsure about travelling alone. An escorted tour will also organise your transport from A to B. And include sightseeing tours and also some optional extras tours if you wish to take them.
They also makes sure there is time on the itinerary for you to fit in some rest and relaxation. Or even take a chance to do a little exploring yourself if you so wish. It takes a lot of the stress of travelling away as all flights, transport and accommodation will have been pre-planned for you. If this is your first solo trip an escorted tour is a great way to start you off on a solo adventure.
Explore the Great Wall of China
What Kind Of Places Do Escorted Tours Go To?
Escorted tours can take you all over the world! You can travel by rail through Bruges, Chamonix or Lille. Or enjoy a deluxe Swiss railway tour or perhaps an Alpine adventure. By air, you can take tours to Australia and New Zealand or Canada and the United States. If you are keen to see parts of the world such as Argentina, Brazil and Chile, escorted tours have it covered! If you are feeling cautious about travelling such long distances on your own, an escorted tour offers you the security of fellow travellers and an expert guide.
These types of tours are also fantastic if you have your sights set on destinations such as China and Japan. As there is so much to see and do in these places, having a set itinerary can often help. You’ll be able to see places such as Beijing, The Great Wall of China, Tokyo and Kyoto all safe in the knowledge that you have a professional guide.
* Check all tours, itineraries and prices for escorted travel
See Mount Fuji in Japan
Wendy Wu
For fully inclusive escorted tours, Wendy Wu cover everything for solos. Their packages include the flights, hotels, most meals, the tour, transfers and visas, making it super easy for you to travel as all the hassle is done for you. And they have dedicated solo traveller departures on some of their favourite tours, which means they are only for like-minded solos.
With most other companies the international flight price is usually excluded. Choose from a holiday to Japan, Sri Lanka, India, Cambodia, China or Vietnam. They also include a free lounge pass and chauffeur transfer within 50 miles of a UK airport. And if you don’t mind sharing with another solo traveller, there’s no single supplement. Wendy Wu are the UK’s leading Asia specialist and have won numerous British Travel Awards. Prices from £2,390 p/p for 10 days in India seeing the Taj Mahal, Delhi and Jaipur.
Taking an escorted tour takes the pressure of figuring out everything for yourself. It ensures that the itinerary you are following is one that is tried and tested and makes the most of your time a destination so all you have to do is just turn up and enjoy your holiday with no stress.
* Check all tours, itineraries and prices: Wendy Wu
Have you ever taken escorted travel?
