4.9
Excellent# of trips
70
Type
Global operator
Service level
budget
Travelers age
5 — 65
Trip prices
$1,049 — 8,799
Tour languages
English
Overview
Tour Types
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Editoral Review of SmarTours
Founded in 1996, smarTours promises its customers the “Best Travel Bargains” by offering mostly all-inclusive guided tours throughout much of the world.
What Makes SmarTours Stand Out?
- Airfare included
- Affordable trips
- Numerous ways to save
- Local guides
- Destinations around the world
SmarTours offers affordable tours along with great itineraries. Included in the price of all their tours is international airfare from the U.S., first-class hotels, sightseeing excursions, and English-speaking local guides.
SmarTours draws a large repeat business, taking travelers to such far-flung destinations as Thailand, Morocco, Japan, Peru, Patagonia, India, and Australia.
Who Will Enjoy Traveling with SmarTours?
- Budget travelers
- Social travelers
- History and culture lovers
Travelers who love traveling and care about experiencing the destination above all else - tourist sites, history, and culture - will love the feel of a SmarTours trip.
These tours are definitely for the budget minded - SmarTours offers numerous deals and specials throughout the year, and provides many other ways you can save money as well, including referring your friends and being a repeat SmarTours traveler.
Trips are comfortable and well guided, if not luxury or especially unique in tone. Airfare is included, which is a major selling point for SmarTours travelers.
SmarTours is perfect for the traveler who wants to get the most out of their travel experience, in terms of inclusions and time spent exploring the sites, both with a guide and with free time. If you are looking for a more cultivated, personalized experience, the SmarTours focus on keeping costs low doesn’t always allow for this. That said, this is budget travel that strives to appeal to a wider range.
SmarTours caters to all ages that are looking for good prices. They are largely popular amongst middle aged, 50+ travelers, and families.
Top Destinations
SmarTours travels all over the world, including Africa, Asia, South America and Cuba, Western and Eastern Europe, and the Mediterranean. Diverse itineraries are available in each destination.
SmarTours Travel Style
- Large coaches
- River and small ship cruises
Except for its cruise offerings -- primarily river cruises as well as Greek Island and Galapagos cruises -- transportation is generally by bus. Group sizes can reach 40 and beyond, but may also be smaller depending on the popularity of the trip. SmarTours will design custom trips for groups with at least 25-30 travelers.
Accommodations are between value and premium, comfortable with a step above basic amenities. You won’t spend much time in your hotel, as SmarTours makes the focus about the travel experiences on the ground. They care about ensuring that you have as much time as possible to explore with the guide and on your own.
Why Choose a Tour With SmarTours?
SmarTours is a complete bargain package for budget minded travelers. If you are looking for an unbeatable value, don’t mind a large group and want tours focused on exotic destinations, then SmarTours is a perfect choice for you.
About the company
smarTours was founded in 1996 with one goal in mind: to provide high quality, exciting group tour packages to some of the most fascinating countries in the world at the lowest possible price. The team at smarTours believes deeply that high quality international travel should be affordable, and we work tirelessly to deliver affordability.
At smarTours, most of our travelers in any given year are repeat customers – they had such great experiences with us before that they decided to travel with us again. And many of our customers are so happy with smarTours that they have made traveling with us an annual tradition, reaching 5, 10, even 15 trips with smarTours! In other words, we must be doing at least a few things right.
Unbeatable Value: We provide exceptional value for your money, and it does not take that much time visiting our website to figure that out. However, it can be difficult to compare the value provided by different tour operators because the tours are so intricate and multifaceted. If you take the time to really peel back onion and evaluate the tours offered by smarTours, we are confident that you would come to the conclusion that our loyal customers have – that smarTours provides unbeatable value.
Phenomenal Tour Guides: If you ask anyone who has been on an escorted tour, they will tell you that the tour guides are an essential ingredient to making the trip a success. The importance of tour guides is not lost on us at smarTours, which is why we are relentless in our pursuit and retention of the very best tour guides. We are proud to say with confidence that our tour guides are phenomenal, and many of them have become celebrity-like figures within the smarTours community.
smarTours Price Protection: We have had a price protection policy since we started in 1996, and we thought it was time to share it with you. If you reserve a spot on a tour and we later lower the price, we will make up the difference for you! We do not penalize you for booking early, so you can reserve your spot with confidence that the price will not get any better (lower) for that particular date. Also, to be clear, if you reserve a spot on a tour and we later increase the price, we will not raise your price to match the new price!
Focus: Unlike most of our competitors, we focus exclusively on providing affordable group tours to foreign, largely exotic destinations. In the travel business, it is particularly easy to get distracted by new trends and themes, but we have chosen to focus on what we do best. We are extremely deliberate in introducing new tours because we have set a standard that our loyal customers have come to rely on, and we are committed to meeting and exceeding your expectations.
SmarTours Trips & Specials
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Associations
United States Tour Operators Association
USTOA is a nonprofit professional association representing the tour operator industry.Its members are made up of companies who provide services worldwide but who conduct business in the U.S.
FAQ
Are flights included?
Do I need Travel Insurance?
Travel insurance is highly recommended for all trips with Smartours. You can purchase through them or puchase your own. See our article on Top Travel Insurance Options
What is the Average Group Size?
What is the age range?
Is there a Single Supplement for Solo Travelers?