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Four years ago I found myself alone in Europe for the very first time and boarded a Contiki bus. Two years later I went back to Contiki for another unforgettable adventure in Europe. The two Contiki tours that I went on were both incredible experiences, but also two very, very different tours.

My first Contiki tour was a beast of a trip, where I visited fifteen countries in fifteen days and probably got fifteen hours of sleep the entire time. My second tour was much more laid back, where I had ten days to explore only three different countries.

Deciding on what tour to book can be an overwhelming decision, especially for first travellers scrolling through the hundreds of different options that Contiki offers. My hope is that this post will help break down Contiki’s different tour styles and have you choose a tour that’s perfectly suited to you and your travel style to make sure you have the most incredible experience in whatever destination you choose to visit.

What is a Contiki?

Let’s start at the very beginning for those who aren’t yet familiar with Contiki tours. A Contiki is an organized group tour exclusive to young travellers between the ages of 18-35, from all around the world. Contiki brings in travellers from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the USA, the UK, and South Africa. Group sizes range from 13-50 people and tours can span a couple of days, 1 week, 2 weeks, and even up to 45 days. As you can tell, Contiki offers a ton of different options – in fact, they have over 300 different trips to choose from!

Who Should go on a Contiki?

Contiki tours are perfect for anyone! Solo travellers, first-time travellers, adventure travellers, couple travellers, and experienced travellers who just don’t like the hassle and stress of planning their own trips.

Where do you want to go?

Contiki travels to six continents, so no matter where you want to go, there is a pretty good chance that Contiki can take you there. Choosing Contiki means that you’ll have a choice between visiting Europe, Australia, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and Asia.

Europe

Most travellers choose to do a Contiki tour across Europe so that they can maximize their trip by visiting so many countries in a short amount of time; that’s what makes Europe one of Contiki’s most popular destinations! Contiki’s Europe tours offer the most diverse accommodation options (discussed more later), like hotels, hostels, boats, and tents. Most Contiki tours through Europe are bus tours, so you’ll be travelling across the country via a comfy, air-conditioned road bus.

Australia

Contiki offers tours across every inch of Australia including Sydney, Queensland, and the Northern Territory. Australia is another awesome country for road trips, so Contiki tours down under are also experienced on the Contiki bus.

North America

If road tripping across the United States or experiencing the natural wonders of Canada sounds like a bucket list dream to you then Contiki’s lineup of North American adventures are for you. Tours across Canada and the USA provide pretty comfortable accommodation options and the Contiki bus will provide your transportation in between cities and states.

New Zealand

New Zealand is another country you’ll get to experience via the Contiki bus. Tours across New Zealand also feature a wide variety of accommodation options including some of the most unique special stays.

Asia

Contiki’s tours across Asia will put travellers up in comfortable accommodation and take you to the most stunning cities from Japan to China, Thailand, and Cambodia. Travelling across Asia with Contiki means a combination of bus travel and flights between cities.

Latin America

Visiting beautiful countries like Brazil, Peru, and Belize on Contiki’s Latin America tours. You’ll stay in unique, comfortable accommodations, with flights in between cities to maximize your time.

Tour Styles

Choosing where you want to travel to is only the first difficult decision that you’ll have to make. Once you’ve decided on your destination, you’ll need to choose a tour style. Contiki knows that one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to travel, so they offer 8 different ways to travel in order to suit your preferred style.

Discoverer – Go Everywhere

This tour style is perfect for people who want to make the most of their trip by visiting as many countries and destinations as possible. On these trips, no icon is left unseen, no city left undiscovered, no plate left thoroughly unlicked. You’ll go everywhere and experience everything, making this a true trip of a lifetime, regardless of how long your adventure lasts.

High Energy – Explore, Party, Sleep, Repeat

These high paced trips are crafted especially for the 24-hour traveller that’s looking to hit the major sights by day and keep the party rolling well into the night. High Energy tours are not for the faint of heart or those who enjoy sleep. 😉 However, high energy tours also feature some special stopovers and unique accommodations that aren’t featured on any other tours.

In-Depth Explorer – Live Local

The in-depth explorer is the most appealing tour style for those who are more culturally curious and interested in exploring the history of your destinations. Instead of visiting multiple destinations on these tours, you’ll focus on a specific region in detail and get to the core of a specific country’s culture.

Independent Insider – Designed for Freedom

This tour style is for those who like the idea of group travel but still want to stay in control of their own itinerary. The independent insider was designed with ultimate freedom in mind, so the tour is essentially a bunch of building blocks that you can mold to your liking. You can come, go, stay, and play exactly like you please to create your perfect dream trip.

Camping – Stretch Your Budget

This tour style is for you if you’re looking to make the most of your budget and stay abroad as long as possible. If you’re not someone who’s worried about the finer details of accommodation, this is definitely the most budget-friendly and adventurous tour style for you! These tour styles are only offered in Europe but will take you to some wicked campsites that are decked out with pools and bars making sure you’re still getting the authentic Contiki experience.

Sailing, Cruise, and Beach – Sun, Sea, and Sand

This tour style speaks for itself; crystal clear blue waters and white sand wait on these tropically inspired tours. On these tours you’ll spend your days snorkeling in secret coves and bays, exploring ancient port towns and whitewashed villages, eating delicious local food, all while handing out with your new Contiki pals.

Winter & Ski – Keep it Cozy

If you don’t mind the cold and are keen to explore the Christmas charm of some of your favourite destinations, then this tour style is for you. The winter season welcomes cheaper prices and fewer queues meaning you’ll save money and get to spend more time exploring your destination. Outdoor types can hit the slopes and experience skiing or snowboard atop some of the most stunning mountains in the world.

Short Trips and Festivals – For Life’s Moments

Oktoberfest in Germany, St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland, New Years in Paris, these are just a handful of the holiday’s just can celebrate abroad with Contiki. These short tours last only 3-4 days but will be jam-packed full of excitement whether you’re celebrating a traditional holiday, cultural event, or musical festival. This tour style is for you if you’ve only got a few days to work with and are set on having a particular experience on your trip. (PS because these trips are so short, you can also tack them on to another Contiki tour!)

Accommodation – Ways to Stay

Contiki has some really rad accommodations that you won’t get to experience with any other tour group. Depending on which region you’re travelling to, you’ll have the opportunity to stay in a traditional hotel or hostel, as well as some special stays that are property’s exclusive to Contiki travellers and will offer an unforgettable experience. Your chosen trip may be one style of accommodation or a combo of a few.

As a rule of thumb, the closer you are to downtown, the more basic your accommodation will be because you’ll be paying for location and not necessarily the highest amenities. However, as you get further outside of the downtown core, the quality of your accommodation will increase, but you’ll need transportation to get most places. On your Contiki tour, you’ll either be sharing a room with 1-3 people, with a maximum of 4 permitted in a single room. For the most part, you’re bunking with one other person. Unless you really must have a private room, I wouldn’t recommend paying the additional cost for the upgrade. Especially as a solo traveller, having a roommate is really fun and you’ll have an instant travel BFF before your tour even begins!

Budget

For any other trip planning process, I would normally say that budget is one of the first things to consider. At least for most people, budget will determine where you go, what type of accommodation you stay in, how long you go, and how many extra activities you do. But with Contiki offering over 300 different tour options, you’re pretty much guaranteed to find at least one trip that will fit whatever budget you’re working with.

Contiki’s short 3 and 4 day trips start at $400, while some of their two-week trips are around the $2200 mark, and their longest trips come in at around $5000. With that being said, it’s important to consider how your budget stacks up with your expectations. If you want to go on a two week trip of a lifetime across Europe in hotels, but all you can afford is Contiki’s 4-day Oktoberfest tour in hostels, you’ll have to decide whether you’re willing to compromise and see only one country, or if you’ll put off your trip for a little bit until you can increase your savings.

It’s also important to have a look to the “me-time optionals” offered with each tour. These excursions are not included in the price but are often tour highlights that you won’t want to miss. I recommend researching the ahead of time and determining which ones really are “can’t miss” experiences and including them in your budget, or if you’re more comfortable, you can forgo them and try to find a cheaper alternative on your own. I talk more about Contiki’s “me-time optionals” in my complete Contiki review HERE.

Finally, be sure to account for how many meals are included in your tour. In my experience, most breakfasts were covered in the cost of the tour, as well as a dinner or two. But for most lunches and dinners you’ll be on your own, so be sure to account for food in your budget.

Contiki also has a lot of different deals to keep an eye out for including last minute deals, where tours are crazy reduced for trips leaving within the next couple of weeks. If you can make a quick decision to travel within the next couple of weeks you may be able to save a few hundred dollars off of your tour.

And, if you go on a Contiki and absolutely love it, Contiki also offers discounts for returning travelers.