Our pick of the best small-group tours this season

Small group touring has quietly become the thing our advisors recommend most. Here is why, and which departures we keep coming back to this season.

Why the group size matters

A tour capped at eighteen travellers gets into places a coach of fifty simply cannot. Family run restaurants, smaller guesthouses, sites with daily visitor limits. You also spend far less of your day waiting for everyone to get back on the bus.

Three we are recommending right now

• Japan in spring. Cherry blossom season books out first, so this one is worth locking in well ahead.
• Southern Italy and the Amalfi Coast. Better in shoulder season, when the coast road is quieter and the food is just as good.
• Vietnam and Cambodia. Excellent value, and a genuinely comfortable introduction to independent style travel in Asia.

Who it suits

Solo travellers do well on these, because the group gives you company without obligation and many operators waive or reduce the single supplement on selected departures. They also suit couples who want the logistics handled but not the whole day scripted.

A note on pacing

Read the daily itinerary, not just the highlights. Some tours move every night, others use two and three night bases. Neither is better, but one of them will suit you and the other will wear you out.

Ask us which departures still have space. Availability on the good ones moves quickly.