The popularity of escorted touring holidays is a growing trend in travel that is gathering momentum, so how do you feel about an escorted touring holiday, is it for you?
If you think an escorted touring holiday is not for you, it is definitely time to think again, and shake off all those outdated preconceptions of being hurriedly transported by coach from one place to the next.
Travelling in a group of like-minded people provides you with the opportunity to experience something special with other people and make new friends. There are lots of reasons these days for people travelling on their own, and an escorted touring holiday is a great way to holiday for the solo traveller.
It is also easier to interact with local people in more informal, authentic settings and try your hand at local crafts and traditions. Increasingly people want to experience more authentic, localised, responsible travel experiences and escorted touring holidays are the perfect partner for these. They help you engage with people and places that would otherwise be out of reach and you end up having more transformative experiences as well as being able to venture away from more the well-known tourism circuits and experience immersive activities within a local culture.
The social element is a major incentive to take the plunge and book an escorted touring holiday. You will start the tour as stranger’s, but you’ll end it having made new friends and the adventures that you have shared will be ties that may well bind you for life.
A big advantage is all the planning is handled for you, so you don’t have to worry about deciding on where to visit, what to see and how much time to spend in any one place. It takes away all the stress and allows you to sit back, take in the sights and enjoy your holiday.
Tour managers are so important, whatever size the tour group is. They are generally hand-picked for their interesting life experiences, expert knowledge levels, fun personalities and caring qualities. A good tour manager will not just look after their group; they will become friends with their guests and help the individual’s gel.
We can access many different types of escorted touring holidays to find exactly the right touring holiday for you. Here is a taster of two fantastic touring destinations in China and India and what you could be experiencing on your escorted touring holiday.
Travelsphere is an escorted touring specialist and they have been in the business for 50 years. Wherever you choose to explore, however you choose to travel, Travelsphere believe it’s the people you’re with that make all the difference to your precious time away. From fascinating history to awe-inspiring natural wonders and the chance to learn something new, shared experiences in good company are something you’ll never forget. All their award-winning tour itineraries are carefully crafted so you can take in a destination’s most iconic sights, its famous traditions, culture and cuisine, while still discovering its hidden treasures. Travelsphere love to share the journey of discovery, exploring new lands and experiences with you which is why we trust them and recommend them.
You can travel all over the world with Travelsphere, and escorted touring holidays are the ideal way to explore a country you may not ever consider visiting for all sorts of reasons. China could be one such place, however don’t discount it as this amazing country has so much to see, do and experience.
Here are the highlights of this 16-day tour. It begins with a three-night stay in Shanghai and a chance to discover the city's highlights on a tour. Then, you'll travel by train to Yichang and embark on a four-night cruise of the Yangtze River. You will sail through the magnificent Three Gorges region and step ashore to visit the Jade Emperor Scenic Area, a fascinating sacred site. After disembarking the ship your journey continues by train to Chengdu, where you'll visit the Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Centre. Next stop is Xian, home of the famous Terracotta Army before your holiday comes to an end in Beijing. You'll have three nights here to explore highlights including the Summer Palace, Tiananmen Square and the incredible Forbidden City. And finally, you'll also head to Mutianyu to walk along part of the iconic Great Wall of China.
And if that isn’t enough, each tour includes a range of optional excursions, so you can tailor your holiday even further, for this tour these include Xian by Night, Beijing Hutongs and Rickshaw Ride, Xian Tang Dynasty Show and Shanghai Acrobats including dinner.
As the tour title states China really is an unmissable experience.
Wendy Wu Tours is a leading touring specialist, specialising in extraordinary tours to China, Southeast Asia, Japan, India, Sri Lanka and most recently, South America. Their philosophy is a simple one, to provide you with a truly inspiring travel experience. Many of the tours will take you off the tourist trail, with a focus on getting you amongst the local people to glimpse their day to day lives. With Wendy Wu, you can also add extra explorations en route to your destinations, with stopovers in places such as Dubai, Hong Kong or Singapore.
By taking care of all of the aspects of your holiday, you are left free to concentrate on all of the good stuff, making your time away enjoyable, enlightening and memorable.
With the diversity, cultural riches and variety of landscapes of an entire continent, a holiday to India is one incredible experience! Between the towering Himalayas and Kerala’s beach fringed tip, there’s millennia’s worth of history to discover, think Taj Mahal and Varanasi, and friendly locals of all creeds and cultures to meet. So, sip on chai, devour plenty of curries and submerge yourself in the sense assaulting, life-affirming land that is India!
A visit to the Taj Mahal: The magnum opus of Mughal architecture and considered by many to be the most beautiful building in the world, the Taj Mahal is that spectacular! Built by Shah Jahan for the favourite of his wives, Mumtaz Mahal, who died after giving birth to their 14th child, it took a work force of 20,000 to realise his vision for the mausoleum. The building is constructed of white marble, set on the river amongst beautifully laid out gardens, the stone designed to reflect the varying moods of the sky, this play of light is a beautiful device that represents the presence of Allah.
Ganges boat ride: Varanasi is India’s spiritual city, and it is along the holy river Ganges, mother Ganga, that most of the action takes place. Taking to the waters at dawn you will experience a unique sight – as the sun rises, the Hindu locals and pilgrims come together on the riverfront ghats to pray, perform rituals and a wash away their sins in the river before going about their days. It is also a great way to appreciate Varanasi’s colourful architecture, the palaces and ashrams rising up behind the ghats are a wonderful sight and a glimpse at the city’s long history. Seeing and experiencing this morning rite and the beauty of the city is one of Varanasi’s must-do activities.
The incredible city of Deli: A city with an estimated population of over 18 million, home of the world’s largest Hindu temple and the country’s largest mosque, Jama Masjid, Delhi doesn’t do things by halves. Here, Mughal, colonial and modern sit side by side in an exhibition of some of India’s grandest architecture - the Red Fort is incredible - whilst around it buzzes an increasingly cosmopolitan populace. Delhi is the perfect introduction to the country for which it is capital, showcasing all the things that makes India India. From incredible food and awe-inspiring monuments, to representatives of all the numerous ethnic groups and religions living harmoniously side by side.
We sincerely hope we have inspired you to consider booking an escorted touring holiday and put both China and India on your list of countries to visit, please do get in touch and we will be happy to chat more about the possibilities with you.
