The Best Travel Groups for Young Couples

Most small-group tours are built with solo travellers in mind first — but that doesn't mean they're not brilliant for couples. If you and your partner want the safety net, social buzz and "someone else has planned it" ease of a group tour, without being stuck in a group of retirees or, at the other extreme, 18-year-olds on their first holiday without their parents, there's a real sweet spot of operators built specifically for travellers in their 20s and 30s.

We've dug into five of the best-known names in this space — Intro Travel, TruTravels, G Adventures, Intrepid, and Ultimate Travel — to help you find the right fit. We've looked at who each one is really designed for, how big the groups get, what standard of accommodation you can expect, and how much is actually included in the price versus paid as extras once you land. Whichever you land on, with The Adventure People you'll always find it at the best price, with the option to add your flights and package the whole trip together in one place.

Why these tours work for couples, not just solo travellers

A quick note before we get into it: age-capped group trips are usually marketed at solo travellers, and solo travellers do tend to make up the majority of any departure. But as a couple, this actually works in your favour. You'll almost always be roomed together as a pair rather than split up (solo travellers are the ones paired up with a stranger of the same sex), and most operators offer a private or twin-room upgrade if you'd rather not share a dorm. You get all the benefits of a curated itinerary and a ready-made social group for shared activities and evenings out, while still getting your own space and time together when you want it.

1. Intro Travel — best for couples who want more included

Intro Travel designs its tours specifically for travellers in their 20s and 30s, and while its official cut-off stretches to 49, the group vibe skews firmly towards the younger end of that range.

What makes Intro different: their whole model is built around inclusivity of price — they don't do local payments, so virtually every activity listed in the itinerary is already paid for. That matters for couples because it means no awkward moments mid-trip working out who owes what for optional extras, and a much more predictable overall spend.

• Group size: small — averaging 12–16 travellers, with a maximum of around 16–22 depending on the trip

• Accommodation: a genuine step up from the backpacker norm — Intro puts real effort into "boutique" stays, and its premium range (tours with "Experience" in the name) adds upgraded hotels and resorts on top

• Inclusions: extensive — accommodation, most activities, most meals and some inter-country flights are typically bundled in

• Strongest destinations: Thailand, Vietnam, Bali & Indonesia, and Japan, where the "Experience" and Premium-tier trips are particularly popular

Why couples care: if you'd rather pay more upfront and know almost everything is covered than nickel-and-dime your way around a destination, Intro's model removes a lot of the friction that can otherwise become a point of tension on a trip. As with any operator we feature, you'll find Intro Travel tours at the best price on The Adventure People, and we can add your flights to the same booking.

2. TruTravels — best for couples who want value without feeling like backpackers

TruTravels caters to the 18–30s bracket in its marketing, but in practice comfortably accommodates travellers into their late 30s (there's a general upper age limit of 45, with a stricter 18–29 cap only on its dedicated Backpacker-style trips).

What makes TruTravels different: its "one price, one experience" promise means every traveller in the group does the same itinerary for the same price, with no optional upsells splitting the group into haves and have-nots. It also offers a genuine tiered choice — Classic, Backpacker and the more comfortable Flashpacker style — so couples can dial the comfort level up or down depending on budget.

• Group size: generally 10–20 people, capped at around 20

• Accommodation: mostly twin-share hotels (always paired by gender if travelling solo, but couples share as a pair), with some hostel-style stays on Backpacker trips and noticeably nicer hotels and resorts on Flashpacker trips

• Inclusions: accommodation, transport and headline activities included; food is largely not included, which keeps the upfront cost down but means a bit more day-to-day spending

• Strongest destinations: Southeast Asia — particularly Indonesia/Bali, Vietnam and the Philippines — plus a growing reputation in Morocco

Why couples care: the Classic/Flashpacker split means you're not locked into one comfort level. A couple wanting an affordable adventure can go Classic; a couple wanting the same itinerary with better beds and pools can pay up for Flashpacker. Either way, book through The Adventure People and you're covered by our best price promise, with flights bookable alongside.

3. G Adventures (18-to-Thirtysomethings) — best for range and reach

G Adventures runs a dedicated 18-to-Thirtysomethings travel style sitting inside its much larger global tour portfolio, which means an enormous range of destinations and trip lengths to choose from.

What makes G Adventures different: breadth. Few operators in this space can match its footprint — from Southeast Asia loops to African overland trips to the Inca Trail — so it's a strong option for couples with a specific bucket-list destination rather than a generic "somewhere sunny" brief.

• Group size: larger than most in this list — up to 22, averaging 10–16

• Accommodation: deliberately varied — hostels, hotels, homestays and camping, chosen to suit the destination rather than following one house style

• Inclusions: accommodation, activities listed on the itinerary and some meals; flights and some meals are extra

• Strongest destinations: Southeast Asia, Peru (including the Inca Trail), Costa Rica, and African overland routes including Morocco

Why couples care: the itineraries deliberately build in plenty of free time, so rather than being marched through a packed schedule as a pair, you get room to peel off and have your own moments together.

4. Intrepid (18 to 35s) — best for couples on a tighter budget who still want it done properly

Intrepid's 18 to 35s range sits within its wider "Basix" travel style — deliberately pared back to keep costs down without cutting corners on safety or organisation.

What makes Intrepid different: it's genuinely one of the smallest-group, most locally-immersive options here, and it's a certified B Corp with carbon-offset trips as standard — a point that matters to a growing number of younger travellers.

• Group size: the smallest average on this list — around 10 people

• Accommodation: simple and authentic — multishare dorms in some destinations, twin-share ensuite rooms in others, often in distinctive local stays (think a traditional hanok in South Korea or a guesthouse in India)

• Inclusions: fewer built-in extras than Intro or TruTravels — local transport and simple accommodation keep the headline price down, with more of the day-to-day spending left to you

• Strongest destinations: Morocco, Vietnam, Japan and Egypt are consistently Intrepid's best-reviewed 18–35s trips

Why couples care: the small group size (10 people, not 20) means a much more intimate, less "tour bus" feel — better for couples who want to actually get to know the group rather than blend into a crowd. It's also usually the most affordable route into a bucket-list destination on this list. 

5. Ultimate Travel — best for couples doing a gap year or working holiday together

Ultimate Travel is squarely built around the 18–35 gap year and working holiday market, with its heartland in Australia's East Coast, alongside New Zealand and Southeast Asia.

What makes Ultimate different: flexibility. Its East Coast "hop-on-hop-off" packages let you set your own pace between hostels and destinations, while still giving you a group leader and a ready-made social scene at each stop — a genuinely different model to the fixed-departure tours above.

• Group size: typically 10–20 people

• Accommodation: hostel dorms as standard (4–12 bed rooms), with some flashpacker and resort-style upgrades on longer East Coast tours; twin or private room upgrades are available for couples who'd rather not dorm-share

• Inclusions: core accommodation and a group leader are included, but many headline activities (skydiving, bungee jumping, reef trips) are optional paid add-ons rather than built into the price

• Strongest destinations: Australia's East Coast is Ultimate's specialism, alongside New Zealand and a growing Southeast Asia range (Thailand, Bali, Vietnam, Philippines, Sri Lanka)

Why couples care: if you and your partner are planning a working holiday or gap year rather than a fixed two-week trip, Ultimate's flexible, pass-based model suits an open-ended adventure far better than a rigid itinerary. Just bear in mind the lower headline price often reflects paid add-ons rather than an all-inclusive trip — factor that into your budget. Book through The Adventure People for our best price promise, and we can sort your flights too.

How they compare

Whichever style suits you and your partner best — all-inclusive comfort, flexible budget travel, or an open-ended working holiday — you'll always get it at our best price when you book through The Adventure People, with the option to add your flights and have the whole trip sorted in one place.

Ready to find your next adventure? Check out our full range of 18-30s tours.