What to Expect on Your First Small-Group Adventure
Booking your first small-group adventure can feel equal parts exciting and nerve-racking.
What’s the pace of the trip going to be like? Who will you meet? Did you pack all the right things? With the right adventure, a little preparation, and an open mind, you’re in for one of the most rewarding travel experiences of your life.
With Exodus, small-group adventures aren’t about ticking off the main sites or herding people on and off buses. They’re about immersing you in places most travellers miss, connecting with local communities, and sharing it all with our best local guides and a group of friendly, like-minded people.
So, let’s answer the big, niggling questions and get you adventure ready.
How to Choose the Right Trip for Your Travel Style and Fitness Level
We offer hundreds of extraordinary adventures worldwide, from gentle guided cycling through the Loire Valley in France to tougher treks summiting Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. The key is choosing something that fits your travel style and your energy levels.
Every trip we operate comes with an Activity Level rating. These aren’t just vague labels; they’re carefully designed ratings that take into account distance, terrain, pace, and sometimes altitude. For example, a Level 2 might mean relaxed walking with plenty of café stops, while a Level 7 could involve long, challenging mountain treks where there’ll be a rewarding view waiting at the top.
The most important takeaway is to choose a level that feels ‘comfortably stretching’ for you, and use our Fitness Guide if you’d like to train ahead of time.
Here’s a breakdown across trip styles:
Walking & Trekking
Trekking trips are graded by daily hours, distance, and elevation gain, from Activity Level 1 (Easy) strolls of 2.5mi-4mi (4km-6km) on gentle trails to Activity Level 7 (Tough) high-altitude summit attempts covering up to 15.5mi (25km) a day.
Cycling
Cycling trips span everything from easy rides (levels 1-2) on flat paths averaging 12.5mi-37mi (20km-60km) per day to Challenging tours (levels 4-5) tackling longer distances and climbs. Whether you’re a casual weekend cyclist or a seasoned Lycra devotee, there’s a cycling route to suit you.
Winter
Winter adventures range from easy snowshoeing (Level 1) with gentle two to three-hour outings, to challenging (Level 5) full-day treks at a strong pace. Trips are graded for both physical effort and technical skill, but don’t worry, beginners are always welcome at the lower levels.
Culture, Wildlife & Family
Not every adventure is about altitude and endurance. Cultural discovery, wildlife safaris, and family trips mainly focus on immersion rather than exertion. Most of the trips in this category are Easy to Moderate grades (levels 1-3). That might mean early morning game drives, brisk afternoon village walks, or a guided city tour, all at an easy pace suitable for mixed abilities and ages.
Tip: If you’re torn between what to choose, call a member of our team today. With over 50 years of adventure know-how, they can match you to a trip you’ll love.
What’s Included: Accommodation, Transport, Meals, Activities
One of the biggest joys of our small-group adventures is that the planning is already taken care of, leaving you free to immerse yourself in the experience. From where you sleep to how you get around, all the details are thought through with care.
When it comes to accommodation, which is included in the trip price, every adventure is also graded by a Comfort Level, so you know what to expect.
Most of our itineraries include a mix of different stays – from city hotels to remote lodges or mountain huts, so it’s important to note that the overall Comfort Level rating reflects where you’ll spend the majority of your nights.
At the Simple end, your group might sleep in mountain huts, local homestays, or tented camps. It’s immersive, authentic, and chosen for locations larger hotels can’t reach.
Classic, our most common level, offers comfortable guesthouses and hotels with private bathrooms, local character, and amenities like fans or air-conditioning in hotter climates.
Our Superior properties take things up a notch. You can expect extra comfort, thoughtful design, charming communal areas, and often features like pools or elevated views.
For those who are looking for something special, our Premium accommodation blends style with authenticity: boutique hotels, designer lodges, luxury tented camps, sometimes even palaces or lodges with standout flair.
Whatever the grade, accommodation is selected not just as a place to rest your head, but as part of the journey itself. Each stay is chosen to enrich your experience rather than distract from it.
Transport is equally well considered. Whether it’s a private minibus, a scenic train ride, a local ferry, or the occasional camel cart, you’ll move smoothly from one stop to the next with no logistical headaches.
Food, too, is always a key part of the adventure. Breakfast is usually included, many lunches and dinners as well. And when they’re not, you can rest assured that your expert guide will share their local knowledge on the best restaurants, which are often long-standing, family-run ones where the welcome is as warm as the food.
And then there are the activities, those ‘ta-da!’ moments that make the adventure. You can expect guided hikes, expert wildlife encounters, cultural tours, and special moments with the locals you simply couldn’t organise if you travelled alone.
Our guided group adventures are always led by expert local guides, and each day is designed to bring you closer to the people, places, and landscapes you came to discover. In short: the essentials are handled, the experiences are curated, and you’re free to focus on the adventure.
What a Typical Day on Tour Looks Like
On an Exodus trip, no two days are ever the same, and that’s part of the fun, but there is a certain rhythm to our small- group adventures that quickly feels natural.
You’ll usually start with a hearty breakfast before your leader gives the day’s briefing of what will happen and when.
Maybe you will set off on a gentle morning hike through rolling vineyards, or pedal along a scenic coastal path. For lunch, there’s often a pause for a picnic, café stop, or even a spontaneous market visit where your guide knows the local stallholders by name.
Afternoons might bring a cultural visit, a wildlife encounter, or a chance to rest before continuing on. And evenings are for unwinding together, often around a shared table in a family-run taverna or guesthouse, where conversation flows as easily as the wine.
You can also choose to explore solo or with your partner during your downtime. And remember, our expert local guide is always on hand when it comes to recommendations on what to do in the surrounding area.
That’s the beauty of our adventures, : they’re structured enough so you’ll never feel lost, but flexible enough to allow time for solo discovery.
Tips for Travelling Solo in a Guided Group
One of the most reassuring things to know is that more than a third of Exodus travellers book solo. So, you won’t be the odd one out; you will, in fact, be in very good company.
• Booking Rooms: When you book your trip, you’ll automatically be paired with a same-gender roommate. We’ve had many people arrive solo and leave with a new friend for future adventures after sharing a room. We never charge a compulsory single supplement, but if you’d prefer your own room, you can choose to add one at a very competitive rate.
• Meeting People: Every one of our travellers joins for the same reason: to discover the world. Friendships form naturally over shared meals, group activities, and even those “we made it!” moments on the trail or cycle path.
• Group Size: Our small groups (typically 8–16 travellers) mean you’ll get to know everyone’s name within a day or two. Our expert local guides are also brilliant at fostering camaraderie and drawing people together, so even the quieter ones out there feel part of the adventure. Travelling solo in our groups means you’re never really on your own. We often have people tell us that their friendships and the WhatsApp group chat are still active long after the trip is over.
Packing Essentials and Preparation Checklist
There’s no denying that the right kit makes for a smoother adventure.
Each trip comes with detailed Trip Notes and a Kit List, but here are some tried-and-true essentials:
• Footwear comes first: Comfortable, broken-in walking shoes or cycling shoes are non-negotiable. Blisters are not an adventure highlight.
• Practical items: Pack travel insurance documents, a universal adapter, and a power bank, just in case!
• Backpack must-haves: Water bottle, snacks, sunscreen, hat, and a lightweight waterproof.
• Layer up: Weather can always be unpredictable, so pack breathable layers you can add or shed easily.
• Personal touches: A book, journal, or deck of cards for downtime. A small gift from home is also a thoughtful way to thank a guide too!
Above all, pack light. Less luggage means more freedom to focus on the experiences ahead.
Small-Group Adventures – In Your Words
We can tell you all about our incredible small, guided group tours, but sometimes it’s better to hear it directly from the source: our community of like-minded travellers. Here’s what some of you had to say:
“Our first tour with Exodus – exceeded expectations! We were particularly impressed with the amount we were able to see during the 15 days in Sri Lanka. We also loved the group size of 13. We got to know each other well and formed a fantastic group of friends to share this unforgettable journey with.” – Ian B, Sri Lanka
“Excellent trip. Super guide. Great hotels. Lovely group. Outstanding landscapes. A once-in-a-lifetime cycling experience in South America. Highly recommended!” – Sigrid Grantham, South America
“I saw so much of Peru in a relatively short time. Good group representation: ages, couples, solo travellers. Quickly became a family under our excellent tour leader, Edwind.” – Stefanie, September, Peru
So, there you have it. Your first small-group adventure isn’t just about the places you’ll see, but the way you see them – deeply, authentically, and in the company of expert guides and like-minded travellers.
When you travel with us, expect connection, discovery, and memories so good you’ll already be planning your next adventure.
Find out more about our small-group adventures here.
