THE SMALL GROUP ADVANTAGE

LAND ADVENTURES
Small group travel provides the foundation for great adventures. It allows for more interaction, spontaneity and fun. On our land adventures, the maximum group size is 16 - guaranteed!

You might have dinner in a Vietnamese home or visit a family's ger in Mongolia. In a small group, you visit these places instead of invading them. Meals and hotel check-ins are easier and faster, and you don't trip over each other while visiting the sites and taking photos. True discovery requires spontaneity, a defining characteristic of small group travel. You'll get to know people better - your fellow travelers, the local people and your guides. Small groups afford memorable experiences that can last a lifetime.

All-inclusive
Our hassle-free, all-inclusive land programs include all meals, accommodations, land transportation, domestic departure taxes, entrance fees (to sites listed in the itinerary), transfers to and from the airport on arrival and departure days, bottled water and tips for hotel and restaurant staff. Simply put, leave the arrangements to us so that you can spend more time enjoying yourself!

Single Travelers: No Forced Single-Supplement Charge on Land Adventures
If you are traveling alone and are willing to share, there is no forced single-supplement charge on our main adventures. At ElderTreks, we don’t penalize people for traveling alone. However, if you want to be guaranteed a single room for the trip, this can be arranged at an additional cost.

SEA ADVENTURES
We Use Expedition Ships - Not Cruise Ships
Why take a trip on a massive cruise ship when you can travel by small expedition ship or yacht? Each is a very different trip. For anyone who hasn’t experienced both, we hope to highlight some of the differences:

Number of Travelers
Our selection of 16 unique sea-going vessels can accommodate between 8 – 200 travelers, allowing for a more intimate and personalized experience.

Wildlife Encounters
A whale is off the bow… On a cruise ship towering 10 stories or more, binoculars may be needed just to see the whale. On a smaller ship, you are often close enough to see distinguishable markings on the whale - a truly extraordinary wildlife encounter right before your eyes.

Guides and Crew
On expedition ships, the crew and guides are some of the top experts in their fields. Smaller travel groups allow passengers to have personal one-on-one conversations with them.

Shore Excursions
On a smaller ship, 2 or 3 excursions per day are typical and easily achieved. Exploration of our surroundings is part of the journey. This is rarely the intention or norm on a cruise ship.

On-board Comfort
On smaller ships, the predominant focus is on a 5-star experience. On cruise ships, the focus is usually on accommodations, meals, on board entertainment and activities. Expedition ships can deliver a superb, natural experience while being very practical and safe. They are designed to comfortably take you to some of the harshest and remote places on earth. Meals are surprisingly excellent.

Accessibility
Large cruise ships cannot get close to glaciers, shorelines or fjords, as they must remain in deep waters. Smaller ships can get right into fjords, up close to glaciers and can maneuver in tighter spaces, allowing you to feel more connected with your environment.

Dress Code
On smaller ships, the only dress code is dressing properly for your next excursion, whether it is a shore landing or exploring by kayak, Zodiac, or even by helicopter. Whether it is a tropical island excursion or visiting a penguin rookery in Antarctica, we dress for the weather to maximize our enjoyment and experience. Dinners are always casual.

Experience
Anyone who has traveled by cruise ship and smaller expedition ship will know the differences. One of the main reasons our travelers do choose us is due to the smaller group size. If you join us on a small expedition ship, your stories will be about stunning scenery, wildlife, meeting interesting people and learning about our world and its inhabitants. You’ll be coming home with memories that often change your views and appreciation of our planet.

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