Escorted travel you may have heard of. Hosted may be a new term or you may have heard of it, but not sure what it is? Today we are going to be discussing the differences between escorted and. hosted travel.
Escorted vs. Hosted Travel? They are both great ways to explore new places. I wouldn’t consider one better than the other they both have their benefits.
Escorted
You will be touring with a group, the group size depends on the itinerary and company used to book. This is a great opportunity to meet new friends! Your group will be escorted with a tour guide throughout the entire trip. Your tour guide will be able to share history, fun facts, tips, and things you wouldn’t even know to ask. Many Escorted tours are themed around an interest such as wine, art, history, etc.
The complete itinerary and details are set in advance and typically won’t be altered unless something unexpected happens and it needs to be changed. When the unexpected does happen you are not alone you are with a guide who has a backup plan. Transportation is taken care of throughout the entire trip except for free time. The amount of free time varies by itinerary and the company. Because the itinerary and details are set in advance you will have a great idea when you book of all the costs and anything not included so you will know what you need to budget for.
Benefits of Escorted
- You can maximize your time and budget with all the details planned and these types of trips help alleviate unknown or unexpected situations, especially for those who haven’t traveled extensively.
- The social aspect and built-in travel partners and friends make for a new type of experience – meeting new, like-minded individuals can enhance your adventure and provide long-lasting friendships.
- Information provided by your tour guide is invaluable and there are simply some locations that must be done escorted because of the remoteness of the location, for example.
- Escorted tours can often provide higher quality at a better value.
Hosted
Hosted can sometimes be mistaken as an escorted tour because it does come with a guide (host). The way hosted travel works, you will select the itinerary with the locations you are looking for. Some companies allow minor changes to the itinerary with some exceptions. You will have the flexibility within that itinerary to tour on your own.
Your host will pick you up from the airport and take you to your booked accommodations. Once you have checked in your host will be available to recommend things, answer questions, help with tickets, and help with anything unexpected, but will not accompany you.
This is a great option for someone who likes the security of having things planned out and having someone that can recommend things to you while maintaining flexibility to explore on your own and make your own agenda.
Benefits of Hosted
- Local guides that can provide personalized recommendations
- Your hotels will always be in a safe, convenient area
- Support, on-site, so if anything happens you have someone in the same time zone, language and knowledgeable of the area to help
- Still, have the benefits of an escorted tour where the host can help set up access to museums and tours while giving you guidance on how to explore on your own.
- Flexibility for minor changes to the itinerary
- Explore on your own, at your own pace.
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9 Comments
I hadn’t heard of hosted trips before, thanks for explaining! I think where we don’t do a ton of travel that a hosted trip would be best for us and make me feel most comfortable, especially knowing there would be someone with our language nearby in case we got lost or messed something up!
I agree! Thanks for stopping by!
This is a great resource about the benefits of escorted trips and hosted travel. Personally I like escorted trips because I can rely on professional experts while I chill and go with the flow of the group.
Yes! You really have the opportunity to experience different cultures in a way that is safe and educational. I love that the guides are always there with so much information to share.
Hosted sounds like my kinda holiday. When I was younger the group vibe would have been cool but now the hosted sounds better.
I like the idea of hosted travel. I haven’t had the opportunity to experience it, but locals can definitely give you more insight into their city/town.
Absolutely, knowing you have a local just a text away is so nice. Having someone to recommend not to miss things and that can help with the language barrier is so nice.
We have hired a tour guide on trips before. We prefer not to travel in a group because we have our own style of travel. The one group trip we did was to the Galapagos Islands, as you have to visit the islands as a group with a tour guide per the rules of the protected areas.
I totally understand preferring to travel your own way. I love that the hosted option is available for that reason. So many people prefer to do their own thing when traveling.