It’s a big world out there. But when it comes to exploring it, some travelers prefer to think small.

Small group, that is. With small group tours, you get all the benefits of guided travel tours: The planning and logistics are all taken care of, and you can just sit back and enjoy expert tour leader insight and insider access to must-visit sights. But small group tours also allow for experiences only accessible to smaller-sized groups and the ability to better utilize unique forms of local transportation.

Tour companies are paying attention and offering travelers more options to explore the globe with like-minded companions — but just fewer of them. Trafalgar, one of the oldest and most trusted brands of the tour world, recently launched its first collection of Small Group Tours, featuring 22 itineraries with an average of 16 guests.

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Expertly hosted with a dedicated travel director handling all details, these new itineraries incorporate a mix of local transportation options such as smaller vehicles and trains that might not be an option for larger groups. Boutique hotels and inns are among the accommodations, helping to immerse travelers in a destination. And special experiences include lunch with a local fishing family in Getaria on the San Sebastian and Beyond trip, a guided visit of the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre and river cruises through Kinabatangan wetlands during the Wild Encounters of Borneo small group tour, and a visit to a traditional Swazi Chief’s village in Eswatini on the Best of South Africa itinerary.

“For small-group travelers, the trip is less about seeing as much as possible and more focused on slowing the pace to immerse more deeply in the places they’re visiting,” says Simon Jones, CEO of Trafalgar. “Our Small Group Tours invite travelers to go well beyond the traditional tourist path.”

Globus recently introduced four new small group itineraries in Asia and Africa designed to give travelers ample time and opportunity to explore some of the world’s most fascinating destinations. The 13-day Legacy of Japan with Hokkaido Small Group Discovery tour includes some of Japan’s classic highlights, but also ventures into the country’s northern frontier with visits to hot-spring towns and artisan villages along with authentic cultural encounters.

The 13-day Namibia: Land of Contrasts with Johannesburg is another new Small Group Discovery trip from Globus. Travelers tour Johannesburg along with one of Africa’s least-explored landscapes, with visits to the sand dunes in Sossusvlei and the wildlife sanctuary of Etosha National Park on the itinerary. Connections with Indigenous cultures and wildlife sightings like desert-adapted elephants are among the memorable experiences.

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Italy specialist Perillo Tours is offering its first women-only departures in 2027, both of which are small group tours capped at just 20 guests and led by an experienced female tour director. The nine-day Women in Sorrento tour includes accommodations at a cliffside hotel overlooking the Gulf of Naples, limoncello demonstrations and tastings, and an exclusive lemon grove experience hosted by a local family that has cultivated Amalfi’s famous lemons for generations.

Perillo’s nine-day Women in Umbria tour features a guided truffle hunt with expert hunters and their trained dogs, a private cooking class in the Tuscan countryside, and wine and olive oil tastings at small, family-run producers. Stops at artisan workshops introduce the makers behind Umbria’s ceramics, stained glass, weaving, and chocolate traditions.

▶ TourScoop takeaway: There’s a group tour style for almost every kind of traveler, and we love seeing additional options become available for small group tours. The kinds of cultural immersion and connections with locals possible with small group tours often lead to truly transformative travel experiences.

New small group tours help immerse travelers in destinations around the world originally appeared on TourScoop.com. 

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The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.TourScoop.com,LuxuryVacationist.com, andFamilyVacationist.com are owned and operated by Vacationist Media LLC. If you buy an item through a link in our content, we may earn a commission.