The Prices of Budget Tours to North America
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Wondering what budget tours in North America might cost? We're here to help. With our comprehensive travel experience and thorough research, we've reviewed all tour options, visited multiple North America destinations, and evaluated the best tour providers. Below, you'll find a full guide to the costs and standout tours to help you choose the perfect guided tour.
North America offers a broad range of budget tours, from affordable group excursions to luxurious, all-inclusive tours, catering to every type of traveler. Prices depend on factors such as trip duration, included activities, and the quality of accommodation.
Why does North America appeal to budget travelers?
North America's affordability and range of options make it ideal for budget travelers. The region's natural and cultural beauty, along with its wallet-friendly options provide exceptional value for budget-conscious adventurers. San Francisco is known for its striking bayfront setting, stunning urban hikes, quirky personality, and reputation within the tech industry. Los Angeles, San Francisco, and NYC offer plenty of amazing museums and sights to explore. Los Angeles, San Francisco, and NYC are foodie destinations with fantastic cuisine and world-class restaurants. Budget travelers love Grand Canyon, Glacier National Park, and Sequoia National Park because of the affordable activities and social vibe. The affordable tour options here allow easy and affordable access to amazing experiences without breaking the bank.
How much do budget tours cost in North America?
The average price per day for budget tours in North America is $118, based on our analysis of 29 tours. While the overall prices can vary greatly, when we look at the daily price of these tours, the costs range from $68 to $150 per day.
Budget-friendly tours average around $93 per day, while higher-end luxury tours average about $142 per day.
Budget tours will usually provide less luxurious accommodation, have larger group sizes, and visit less expensive destinations. They will also sometimes have you pay for more activities on your own instead of including everything up front.
Mid-range tours often provide a step up in accommodation and transportation, and include more guided activities.
Luxury tours usually provide the highest levels of service, luxury hotels, more gormet food choices, comfortable transportation, and offer more all-inclusive payment options.
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The Best Tours in North America
Budget-Friendly Tours
Budget-friendly and affordable budget tours in North America average $93 per day, with daily prices from $68 to $110. Budget tours usually include hotels, meals, and activities that are not quite as nice as other tours. Often, they might only include transportation, lodging, and some activities, leaving you on your own to pay for meals and other attractions during the tour. This can be a very convenient and economical way to visit France without spending too much money, as it gives you control over the amount you spend on meals and extra services. If you're looking for a really great option, check out Mayan Trail here.
Mid-Range Tours
For typical budget tours in North America that fall in the middle range of prices, the average cost is $119 per day. Daily prices range from $114 to $127. Taking this step up in price from the cheaper tours to mid-range will often get you plenty of extra amenities and service for a great price. These tours usually include very comfortable hotels, meals at delicious local restaurants, comfortable transportation, knowledgable guides, and entry to many of the top attractions. One of the best tours is Essential Central Mexico.
Luxury Tours
Luxury budget tours in North America average around $119 per day, with daily costs ranging from $130 to $150. At this price, you'll be very well taken care of and pampered on your journey through the scenic destinations. Knowledgable guides, the best accommodation options, the finest restaurants, comfortable transportation, and quick entry into attractions are all part of the itinerary. Every luxury and detail has been planned and thought about so that you don't have to deal with any hassle, you simple show up and enjoy your vacation. One of the best luxury tours here is UNESCO Sites Mexico: Colonial Heritage and Charming Towns Tour.
Which tour companies offer budget tours?
A number of fantastic tour companies offer budget tours in North America. These are a few of the best, because they offer the highest rated service, provide the best overall quality, and have the most five-star guest reviews to prove it.
Intrepid Travel
Intrepid Travel is a large international travel company offering tours all over the world. Some of their most popular destinations include Australia, Thailand, Tanzania, and Italy. Many of the tours fall into the mid-range price category. The company's adventures often highlight activities such as camping, wine tasting, snorkelling, kayaking, cooking classes, island hopping, white water rafting, surfing, horse riding, whale watching, and bird watching.
See All Tours from Intrepid Travel
G Adventures
G Adventures is a large international travel company offering tours all over the world. Some of their most popular destinations include Thailand, Peru, South Africa, and Vietnam. Many of their tours are priced in the mid-range category. The company's adventures often highlight activities such as camping, island hopping, snorkelling, surfing, wine tasting, kayaking, cooking classes, water sports, jungle surfing, and canyoning.
See All Tours from G Adventures
Vibe Adventures
Vibe Adventures is a smaller tour company that offers tours to 4 countries, including Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and El Salvador. The small group sizes, often less than 13, make for a very personal experience. Budget travelers will appreciate the relative affordability of the company's offerings.
See All Tours from Vibe Adventures
TruTravels
TruTravels is a large international travel company offering tours all over the world. Some of their most popular destinations include Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, and Italy. Budget travelers will appreciate the relative affordability of the company's offerings. The company's adventures often highlight activities such as island hopping, surfing, snorkelling, camping, kayaking, and cooking classes.
Budget Destinations in North America
Wondering where budget tours visit in North America? With a variety of stops and destinations along the way, there's something for everyone.
Playa del Carmen
Playa del Carmen is a popular resort town that is filled with luxury resorts and stunning coastline. The area has world class diving and snorkeling as well as jungles and famous nightlife venues. Vacationers flock here to relax and enjoy the paradise-like setting.
Mexico City
While most vacationers head to the beach towns in Mexico, those that want to experience the heart of the country will go to Mexico City. This huge metropolis is filled with history, architecture, and culinary delights. There are beautiful squares and plazas, as well as parks and diverse neighborhoods.
Merida
Merida is the capital of the state of Yucatan. The city has both Mayan and colonial history and there are many colonial architectural landmarks that include cathedrals and palaces. Outside of town you'll find Mayan ruins and temples and in town there are museums and even live performances that educate visitors on the region's history.
Tulum
Tulum is a popular resort town on the Caribbean side of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. While it was once a backpacker hangout, today is has many upscale resorts and is well established as a vacation destination. The beaches are beautiful with white sand and blue water. There are also world-famous Mayan ruins, unique cenotes, and impressive resorts.
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Other popular destinations for budget tours through North America include Palenque, San Juan Teotihuacán, Chichen Itza, Puebla, and Chetumal.
Budget Tours vs. Independent Travel: Pros and Cons
Before deciding to book a tour or handle the planning yourself, it's important to consider the aspects of each travel style.
Organized Tours
Pros- Pre-planned itineraries reduce stress.
- Group discounts keep costs low.
- Affordable accommodations and meals included.
- Transportation is handled, saving time and money.
- Access to experienced guides for insights and tips.
- Opportunity to meet like-minded travelers.
- No need to research every expense in advance.
- Often covers popular destinations efficiently.
- Limited flexibility in itinerary or activities.
- Groups can be large, affecting experience quality.
- Less focus on unique or personalized interests.
- Unexpected extra charges for optional activities.
Independent Travel
Pros- Total control over your itinerary and expenses.
- Choice of accommodations that match your preferences.
- Flexibility to travel slower.
- Personalize transportation options to suit your needs.
- Explore off-the-beaten-path destinations.
- Time-consuming to find and compare low-cost options.
- Risk of overspending without careful budgeting.
- May miss out on group discounts for activities.
- Requires managing all transportation and logistics.
- Limited access to insider tips or local guides.
- Uncertainty about hidden costs or scams.
- Harder to predict overall trip expenses.
- Requires extra effort to ensure safety on a budget.
Which is cheaper?
Is independent travel cheaper than guided budget tours? The answer is not simple. Tours provide many of the services that you would otherwise pay for yourself on an independent trip. Hotels, transportation, food, entry tickets, guides, and activities are provided on organized tours, whereas you would pay for everything separately on your own. To deterine the difference in price, you would need to compare the combined price of everything in a tour with everything you would book separately. Sometimes you might want to stay in a cheaper hotel, or eat at a more expensive restaurant, so the price of a tour could be more or less than what you would otherwise pay on your own. Make sure you know what is included before making your comparison.
Also, before booking a tour, make sure you know exactly what is included as tour companies sometimes change their itineraries or included amenities to keep them updated with seasonal changes and customer interests.
More Tour Options
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Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.
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