Best and worst self-guided tour providers

With hundreds of companies to choose from, which ones offer the most knowledgeable guides, the nicest accommodation, and the best value for money? Here, we reveal satisfaction ratings for the self-guided tour providers that are used most by Which? members. 

These reviews cover self-guided tour providers - that's companies offering activity holidays which do not take place in a large group and are mostly not accompanied by a guide. To read our full reviews, click on the links in the table below.

For holidays with a planned itinerary and accompanied by a dedicated guide, see our best-rated escorted tour providers. Alternatively, our table of package holiday providers covers traditional beach, resort or poolside packages. For more specialist holidays, find out how companies ranked for city breaks, ski trips and villa holidays.

To be named a Which? Recommended Provider (WRP), companies must be highly rated in our survey. This year, we have taken extra steps to assess their treatment of customers throughout the coronavirus pandemic. We have also spoken to customers who were left out of pocket and scrutinised their refund policies for cancelled holidays.

How you rate self-guided tour providers
WRP	Holiday company (sample size)	Average price: short/ long haul	Accommodation	Customer service	Description matching reality	Organisation of holiday	Value for money	Customer score
	Inntravel (34)	£150 / -						91%
	Trailfinders (131)	£150 / £196						89%
	Audley Travel (43)	- / £258						88%
	Virgin Holidays (56)	£75 / £150						79%

Using the table: Star ratings are based on one to five stars. The more stars the better. Sample sizes are in brackets next to each holiday company. A dash indicates we did not receive enough responses to report on a company in that category. WRP stands for Which? Recommended Provider. Average price: Based on the median price per day of all holidays taken by survey respondents with the company named. Short-haul destinations are defined as anywhere less than a five-hour flight from London. Customer score: Based on a combination of overall satisfaction and how likely people are to recommend the company. Companies with the same customer score are presented in alphabetical order. 

How we researched holiday companies

In March and April 2020, we asked Which? Connect panel members and the public to complete an online survey about their experiences of booking and going on holiday in the last two years. We only reported on companies and star rating categories when we received at least 30 responses.

You can have your say on what we research and help us achieve change by joining Which? Connect