Small Group Explorations

Our tours are designed by travellers for travellers, with a regional approach that allows more time in a destination to avoid unnecessary travel days. The Product Designers behind Collette tours are our in-region experts. They’re not interested in creating cookie-cutter itineraries because they are travellers like you, and they’re curious about a destination’s culture, food, history, and the people. They are driven to identify unique, immersive, and hidden wow experiences that take our tours to the next level. When it comes to creating an itinerary, our Product Designers work hard to craft experiences that spark understanding, change and happiness through the power of travel.

Whether it’s the history of the place, the location, or the amenities, your accommodations are every bit as important as the destination itself. Our unique 4-star and above hotels are hand-selected to reflect your inclusive itinerary while providing you with comfort, convenience and a few extra perks. And whether you’re resting your head in a tented safari camp in Africa, a castle in Ireland, or on a ship sailing through a fjord in Patagonia, you’ll be well cared for.

We know that one of the best ways to immerse our travellers in a region is through food. While dining experiences vary on each tour, you’ll eat in local restaurants and in locals’ homes. Learning the local flavour of a place means farm-to-table lunches, shopping in local markets, taking cooking classes and enjoying the fruits of your labour. That’s just a small taste of what you can expect.

Free time varies depending on the tour. Sometimes it’s a free morning, afternoon, or evening. Free time gives you a chance to explore points of interest on your own; to let your curiosity lead you into a shop, wander down a charming cobblestone alley, strike up a conversation with a local, or even enjoy a meal with fellow travellers who might have been strangers on day one.

Tour pacing varies by itinerary, and each destination's sightseeing and activities are unique. Pacing is subject to personal interpretation, but tour activity levels help set expectations in relation to your fitness. For the pacing of a tour, please refer to the “Your Tour at a Glance” section on our website specific to the tour page. This describes the number of nights you will stay in hotel while on tour, the number of meals, and the activity level. The day-by-day descriptions under the “Itinerary” section will provide additional detail about the number of activities included each day.

In our brochures, the Tour Activity Level is featured on each tour itinerary in a circle. The definition of each Activity Level is listed here. If you have additional questions regarding a specific tour, please inquire at the time of reservation. For your comfort, we recommend packing comfortable walking shoes so you can fully enjoy every aspect of your tour.

Wherever possible, Collette itineraries are designed to avoid a roundtrip road journey from the itinerary’s point of arrival. While a motorcoach is the main mode of transportation, our guided tours spend the least amount of time on it as possible. We also use local transportation to explore a destination — think dog sleds, trains, tuk tuks, trolleys, jeeps, or even public transportation.

A guided tour attracts travellers who have shared interests and who come from all walks of life. Because of this, expect travellers who are curious about culture, food, and history, and who welcome making meaningful connections to the local people and places we visit. One of the best things about group travel is that it builds camaraderie amongst our travellers.

We like to say that our Tour Managers are part tour guide, part concierge and part friend. When you go guided with Collette, you’ll be in good hands with the benefit of a highly trained expert (many of our Tour Managers have been with us for more than 20 years). They are passionate travellers who draw on their own rich backgrounds to enhance your journey, and you can count on them for a bit of historical information, a restaurant suggestion, or even a good laugh. They are at your service every step of the way.

In addition to your Tour Manager, you will also meet up with Local Guides. Having a Local Guide by your side means that you get all the benefits of having an insider show you around. Since they call the destination home, they can provide you with an insider’s scoop on everything from the best place to find authentic cuisine to how to spot a rare and exotic bird high up in the treetops.

Collette tours are designed to give travellers immersive experiences. You’ll get the “must-sees,” but you’ll also have access to experiences that you’d be hard-pressed to find on your own. People-to-people moments, like learning what life is like in an African township during a home-hosted lunch in Zimbabwe, learning to play the bagpipes in Scotland, engaging in meaningful dialogue with Native Americans, or meeting with a North Korean defector in Seoul, South Korea to hear about their life, can transform a traveller’s experience.

Explorations tours include Impact Moments. These are visits to social enterprises, nonprofits, or organizations that directly benefit the local community. Impact Moments tell stories, spark conversation, and preserve cultures. They are moments that stay with travellers long after the trip has ended. For instance, in Morrocco, visit the Amal Centre, a culinary training centre in the suburbs of Marrakech which brings together women in difficult situations, training them on everything related to food service.