Travel trends: Why going guided on all-inclusive tours is the way to travel in the future

Ever felt overwhelmed while making your own travel plans? When you go guided with us, our experts handle every detail for you! EF’s Global Safety Network and your Tour Director on the road have your back the whole way, which means you can fully enjoy your journey instead of searching for flights, hotels, transportation, local guides, all your meals, entrance tickets… you get the idea.

Opting for an all-inclusive experience is a travel trend that traveler Karen can get behind, too—she’s been on 10 tours with us, and has four more on the books. “I would say that my number one reason for going with Go Ahead, other than the Tour Directors, is the ease of the travel,” she said. “Everything is planned for you.” See why going guided on all-inclusive tours is the way to travel now and in the future.

You can skip the hassle of booking flights

(We have an in with top airlines, and can book your ideal airfare package in a snap.)

Do you absolutely love researching, tracking, and booking flights to and from your dream destination? We didn’t think so. (And if you do, more power to you! When you travel with us, you have the option to book your own flights if that’s your thing.) But if you get overwhelmed even thinking of this part of travel planning, one of the benefits of going guided vs. traveling independently is having round-trip flights handled for you. Here’s how it works when you go guided on our all-inclusive tours.

• We scout out the best flight itineraries for you & book them for the best price. Yep, we have a dedicated, in-house team of travel experts who can work with you to find and book your perfect airfare packages (and who lean on EF Education First’s over 55-year relationship with top airlines!).
• We include airport transfers on tour. The airline packages booked through us include airport pickup on your tour’s scheduled arrival day, as well as drop-off on your tour’s departure day. Your Tour Director and driver will meet you at the airport—with a green Go Ahead Tours sign in hand!—to whisk you off to your hotel once you touch down on tour.
• We can work any flight deviations into your airfare package. Want to arrive early for an independent pre-tour stay, or soak up even more adventure after tour on an independent post-tour stay? Our Travel Team can accommodate that when they book your flights. If you’re looking to add an extra stop here or there, we can work with you to include that in your flight itinerary, too.
• We have your back if anything changes. If we make changes to your tour itinerary that impact the flights booked through us, we’ll rebook them for you, no questions asked—and at no cost to you! (Need to reschedule for your own reasons? If you enroll in AnyReason Protection, you can skip airline cancellation fees.)

“I strongly recommend letting Go Ahead arrange flights,” said Group Coordinator Patricia. “We were in Italy in October when Alitalia suddenly went out of business. Go Ahead had no problems rebooking us to Lufthansa, but many other travelers were delayed, stranded, or left on their own.”

• Long story short: We take the stress out of flight planning. “Our biggest concern was booking flights and hotels, and it was a huge weight off our shoulders that Go Ahead took care of this for us,” said traveler Anna. “We were able to sit back and daydream about our upcoming trip without feeling stressed.” Read how going guided helped traveler Anna navigate the unexpected → 

Read more about booking flights with us → 

Expert tour designer Lael keeps an eye out for countries re-opening so you don't have to

Our experts help you navigate travel requirements

(So, no need to get caught up in endless research!)

Tracking down travel details, decoding country requirements, buying tickets for all those on-tour activities—pulling off the perfect trip requires a lot of know-how and legwork before tour and on tour. And, we’ll just go ahead and say it: Seeing the world has been even trickier than usual lately. But, when you go guided on our all-inclusive trips, our experts handle every important detail for you! Here are just a few of the things we take care of so that you can focus on the fun stuff, like finding your favorite gelato in Italy, or admiring all the historic ruins in Greece.

• We’ll keep you in the loop about reopening destinations. That way, you can lock in the trip you’ve been dreaming about for the past two years—and feel confident that our experts have designed secure, all-inclusive experiences with your well-being in mind! See countries that are open for travel →
• We keep track of the most up-to-date travel guidance and regulations. Our team will keep you informed if you need any specific forms or tests before tour or before flying home, and can expertly navigate any last-minute changes on tour. “Our Tour Director Dionysia did an outstanding job,” said traveler Theresa. “COVID regulation changes in Switzerland could have been a nightmare. It was handled with the professionalism that is a Go Ahead trademark. Thank you for a wonderful trip.” See country-specific entry requirements →
• We’ll tell you where to find necessary documents and tests. So, if you need a negative COVID test before flying home, your Tour Director will have it all arranged for you on tour. “Our Tour Director had a local pharmacist come to our hotel to administer the COVID test before our flight home,” said staffer Jamie. “She knew the exact type of test we would need based on where we were flying. We simply had to meet her and the pharmacist in the hotel lobby, pay $40, and wait for our results.”

We make traveling to multiple countries a cinch

(So you don’t have to spend even one second thinking about how you’ll get from London to Paris to Rome.)

If you imagine what it’s like to travel between a handful of countries on your own, the words “seamless” and “stress-free” probably don’t spring to mind. There’s the transportation to think of, which often involves flights. There are country-specific entry requirements to nail down (think: Visas and different COVID regulations). There are new languages to contend with, new hotels to find… you name it. Good news: The future of travel is all about leaving the multi-country arrangements to us!

When you go guided on our all-inclusive tours, our travel experts handle all those details so you can focus on embracing as many new destinations as possible on your Multi-Country trip of a lifetime. “Going through EF Go Ahead Tours made a very active trip doable and easy,” traveler Allison said after returning from her Italy & Greece tour. “We would have never been able to coordinate all of the logistics of the trip as smoothly as [our Tour Director] Gloria and EF Go Ahead Tours. The trip was so enjoyable and stress free due to the company’s and Gloria’s good planning.”

Check out 6 of the best European multi-country trips to book now → 

You can make authentic connections with local communities

(And you can be sure you’re traveling responsibly and giving back as you go.)

One beautiful thing about seeing the world is getting the opportunity to immerse yourself in new cultures. Since we believe in opening the world through education, we always bring you beyond a simple “hello” and make room for more personal, authentic moments with people around the world. The best part? When you meet local communities on our Small Group Tours, you can be sure we’ve carefully vetted the experience, and that the money spent on the visit is helping the community fund schooling, environmental initiatives, and more! Here are just a few ways we connect you with communities on tour:

• Meet the “Pomegranate Women” of the Nar Kadin Women’s Collective in Turkey (and sample some of their pastries!).
• Learn about the Maasai way of life from a village elder in Africa on a visit that helps fund schooling, and more. “They performed their ritual dances and shared many of their customs,” said traveler Darwin.
• Visit the Misminay community in Peru’s Sacred Valley, and enjoy an included lunch featuring naturally cultivated ingredients paired with live Andean music from the community musicians. “I will never forget this visit,” said staffer Jamie. “The welcoming community, the delicious lunch, the amazing views—it was all so special.”
• Visit Archanes Village in Greece, where local women whip up some of the best treats ever at a women’s co-op. “This is a very genuine visit to a women’s collective outside of Iraklio,” says staffer Tom. “The collective helps support local women’s employment through tourism and the sale of baked goods and preserves. Ingredients are all regional and help support agriculture in a fairly remote area of Crete.” See 5 unique places to visit in Greece →

“I’m already recommending [Go Ahead] to everyone I know and some I don’t,” said traveler Haley after her 2021 tour, A Week in Costa Rica: San José, Arenal & Guanacaste. “I’m very ethically and morally minded when it comes to making decisions and purchases. EF’s stance on being an inclusive company with no intentions of creating negative environmental impact or social impact are evident, and I could not be happier with my choice!”

You can have big bucket list experiences

(without having to lift a finger)

Dreaming of going BIG on a bucket list adventure? The trip of a lifetime is always worth it, but we’d be lying if we said planning all the nitty-gritty details yourself was simple—and that’s where our expertly designed all-inclusive tours come in. Here are a few of the big tourism trends that we help you pull off without a hitch.

• Set off on a safari in Kenya, Tanzania, and beyond. Can you imagine driving by lions in Africa and sipping a glass of Chenin Blanc at a safari lodge in a national park without having to lift a finger? That’s exactly how it works on our all-inclusive Safari & Wildlife Tours. We’ll handle all the logistics and find local safari guides who know the area like the back of their hand. That way, you can zip through game reserves in a 4x4 Jeep and snap photos of the Big Five without worrying about one. single. thing.
• Experience once-in-a-lifetime celebrations. Our experts will find hotel availability (which can be tricky when famous events draw people around the world) and will organize each day’s activities. That way, you can just enjoy yourself at events like Oberammergau, which only comes around once every ten years, Venice’s Carnival, and St. Paddy’s Day in Ireland. See all Special Event Tours →
• Dig in on a Food & Wine Tour. Sure, you’ll try local cuisine on every trip with us (and will eat something on independent trips you’ve organized yourself), but our expertly crafted Food & Wine Tours are specifically designed around culinary experiences at local farms, vineyards,and beyond. These food-focused adventures are as authentic as it gets, and bring you beyond the run-of-the-mill restaurants that every tourist goes to. Find out what an Italian agriturismo is & why you should visit →

When you think about the future of travel, going on all-inclusive tours should be the travel trend that springs to mind. What do you love most about all-inclusive tours? Let us know on our Facebook page!