Which tour companies have the best tour directors?

These 15 tour companies say on their own websites who leads their group trips: a tour director, a tour leader or a tour manager and what that person does. Of them, EF Go Ahead Tours, Firebird Tours and Juniper Tours have the most Google reviews.

Which tour companies have the best tour directors?

These 15 tour companies describe their tour directors or trip leaders on their own websites; EF Go Ahead Tours, Firebird Tours and Juniper Tours have the most Google reviews. The cards show who leads and what they do on the trip.

Every line below was read from the company's own website on 3 November 2026; each card links the pages it came from.

Which of these companies protect your money?

10 of the 15 name a scheme that protects guest payments on their own websites, such as ATOL for UK flight packages, ABTA or USTOA membership, or a trust account; the rest do not name one on the pages read.

• APT: On its UK pages, air-inclusive packages are bonded under the ATOL scheme and funds paid are held in a separate bank account under Client Fund Protection; no ATOL number is given.
• Collette: Posts $1 million with the USTOA Travelers Assistance Program to reimburse advance payments if it becomes insolvent, though that sum may give only a partial recovery.
• Globus: Takes part in the USTOA Travelers Assistance Program, with $1 million posted to reimburse advance customer payments on bankruptcy, insolvency or cessation of business.
• InsideJapan Tours: ATOL number 9419 covers its flight-inclusive holidays.
• Jules Verne: ATOL number 11234 covers its air-inclusive holidays and it is an ABTA member, number V1661.
• Martin Randall Travel: ATOL number 3622 covers its flight packages and ABTOT number 5468 covers non-flight packages.
• One Traveller: ATOL number 9718 protects its flight-inclusive packages. A bond held by ABTA (number Y3177) protects packages without flights.
• Riviera Travel: Its help pages state it is bonded with the CAA and ABTA, with no numbers given.
• Swoop Adventures: ATOL number 10893 is held through ABTOT; bookings other than a package holiday are not financially protected.
• Walk Japan: Guests who book guided tours with accommodation directly are protected by Hong Kong's Travel Industry Compensation Fund; self-guided tours, tours without accommodation and bookings through agents are not covered.

Who to contact first

Start with the 10 companies on this page that name a scheme protecting your payments on their own websites, then add any other card that fits your dates.

• APT
• Collette
• Globus
• InsideJapan Tours
• Jules Verne
• Martin Randall Travel
• One Traveller
• Riviera Travel
• Swoop Adventures
• Walk Japan

What to ask each one to set out in writing:

• What the price includes and excludes, line by line: stays, guides, transfers, internal flights, park or entry fees.
• The deposit, when the balance is due and what you lose if you cancel.
• Which scheme protects your money and the number to check it.

Richard Jasinski · Uncompromised Travel · written from Valencia · first published 4 November 2026 · updated 4 November 2026