Disclaimer: Just so you know, I haven’t tried this exact tour, but I’ve done other trips with G Adventure, and honestly, they’ve always been awesome. Up to this point, I’ve been consistently impressed with the exceptional quality of their service.
Thinking about going on a trip with G Adventures? Well, here’s my take on it!
G Adventures is a company that’s all about small groups and eco-friendly adventure travel. They’ve been at it for more than 30 years and offer tours all over the globe.
So, I tried their 9-day Hiking Utah’s Mighty 5 tour, and it was my first time doing a group thing. I didn’t really know what to expect… In this review, I’ll share how my trip with G Adventures went and whether I’d recommend it to other travelers. (Spoiler: It was one of the best trip I’ve ever made!)
key takeaways
- G Adventures is based in Toronto, Canada.
- The male to female ratio on G Adventures average 60:40.
- G Adventures is a fantatic small tour group to explore the world in ways you wouldn’t be able to on your own.
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G Adventures Tours of Spain
Here’s are some G Adventures tour of Spain.
- Classic: Best of Southern Spain – 8 days
- National Geographi Journeys: Discover Moorish Spain – 8 days
- 18-to-Thirtysomethings : Spain & Portugal: Flamenco & Tapas – 10 days
- Marine: Sailing the Canary Islands – 7 days
- Active: Hiking Ibiza – 6 days
Who are G Adventure Tours perfect for?
Let’s break down G Adventure Tours and figure out who they’re perfect for.
G Adventures is a cool choice for all sorts of travelers. The company provides a diverse array of tours, each made for different travel styles:
- 18-to-Thirtysomethings Tours (budget-friendly tours, for the young and adventurous. Must be between 18 and 35 to join the party!)
- Classic Tours (mid-range tours)
- National Geographic Journeys (more expensive, better accommodations, more culturally centered, and typically attracts an older crowd)
- Active Tours (geared toward the outdoors, usually hiking; otherwise, often involves biking or kayaking)
- Marine Tours (travel through a country on a small, intimate boat)
- Wellness Tours (a traveling yoga retreat)
Where I believe G Adventures is truly valuable is when they provide experiences you couldn’t organize on your own or without a tour. Specifically, their marine tours (because their boats usually run on the smaller and more intimate side) and active tours (because they come with a guide).
Their 18-to-thirtysomethings tours are geared towards a younger crowd and are more basic but fantastic for university students on a summer break looking for adventure partners.
The Classic Tours are an excellent option for anyone. From what I gather, National Geographic Journeys typically attract older travelers or families and offer a more luxurious experience. I’m somewhat ambivalent about those since you could easily organize them on your own.
My G Adventures Utah Trip
I took this awesome 9-day Hiking Utah’s Mighty 5 tour with G Adventures in June 2022.
Originally, I had plans for a Mozambique tour, but thanks to the whole COVID mess, it got scrapped. Traveling to South Africa just wasn’t cutting it for me. And guess what? The cool folks on my trip – around 10 of us – had pretty much the same story of shifting plans closer to home post-COVID.
Our gang was a mix of everyone – a family of 3, 2 bros, 2 friends in their fifties, and yours truly as one of the two solo travelers. Lucky for us, we had a guide in training and, get this, two guides for the nine of us. Pretty special, right? Normally, you’d expect around 12-15 fellow adventurers, but I noticed G Adventures is spicing things up a bit in their catalog, adding more people to their more relaxed tours.
We hit up some awesome spots on this trip:
- Capitol Reef NP (2 days)
- Canyonlands NP (1 day)
- Arches NP (1 day)
- Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (1 day)
- Bryce Canyon NP (1 day)
- Zion NP (2 days)
Kinda bummed G Adventures changed their itinerary – I thought it was perfect! Loved starting with Capitol Reef and ending with Bryce and Zion, as it was super rewarding.
This Active Tour was a blast. I never thought I’d have the energy to hike day after day in this heat. (Yes, we hiked every single day!) But being on this tour, I’m always excited, looking for new places to discover.
Show me every tour on G Adventures’ Website
Highlights of my Tour with G Adventures
The Guide
For those of you who don’t know, I live in Montreal and have lived almost all my life in Canada. I never knew that our two countries’ national park cultures were so different.
Unpaved trails? I couldn’t believe it. Thank goodness for this trip, or I’d still be in the dark about what a cairn is!
Let me tell you, there was this one scorching day in Canyonlands on the Chesler Park Trail. If it weren’t for our guide, there’s no way I’d brave the desert like that.
Having a guide on a trip like this in a new country? It’s like having a travel fairy godparent. You’re always feeling safe, soaking up cool facts about what you see, and, bonus, you’ve got awesome company throughout the journey! And talking about the company…
The Company
Okay, okay, okay. I know my trip was an exception, given that it was during COVID… But, aside from me and the other solo traveler (who, funnily enough, was also a French speaker), everyone else on our tour was American.
I loved seeing some of the greatest Americana with people from there. Even though Canadian and American cultures are pretty similar, it felt like I got a sneak peek into the American way of life.
Not having to drive
One of the best parts of our trip to Southern Utah with G Adventures was that we didn’t have to worry about driving. It was so awesome to just kick back and enjoy the journey without the stress of being behind the wheel.
the drive from Vegas to Moab is this massive 500 miles. Wrap your head around it – we’d be cruising over 1000 miles (that’s 1600km!) in just 9 days! Now, picture tackling all that driving after trekking 10km in the desert every single day. Guess who took on the challenge? Our guide, of course!
The price
Yeah, when you look at the cost of a camping spot each night, a camping tour might seem a bit pricey.
But not having to stress about packing a tent, dealing with a rental car, driving around, and constantly checking the weather and the risk of flash floods in the area every day? That was awesome and totally worth the $2,199 USD G Adventures asked for.
The Narrows
Most of all, when we were in Zion National Park, we were lucky to have the right conditions to hike the Narrows, which has remained my favorite memory from this trip.
Lowpoints of My Tour
Honestly, my tour was almost perfect, except for one tiny thing – the places we stayed. But don’t worry, it’s not a big deal. Let me explain.
The “first night” of our tour was at the Golden Nugget in the Carson Tower. What does that mean for a Vegas non-expert? Well, it’s where the those are the cheapest rooms in this hotel that is pretty far from the famous Strip. The bathroom? Well, let’s just say it was clinging to its glory days, like an old friend holding on to stories. But hey, it was just one night, so not too shabby.
The second disappointment is that we only stayed in private campgrounds. I love camping in the national parks’ campgrounds, waking up in the wild, practically a stone’s throw from a hiking trail. I get why G Adventures had to do it, but it’s still a bit of a bummer.
I knew these things before booking the trip, and honestly, they wouldn’t stop me from booking it again if I had the chance.
Would I Recommend G Adventures?
I’d totally recommend G Adventures.
Even though I was somewhat disappointed with some of the accommodations on my tour, I genuinely enjoyed the experience. In fact, I’m still regularly checking out G Adventure trips whenever I have a week of vacation coming up.
None of my friends, my sister, or my boyfriend were interested in coming with me to the American Southwest, and I got tired of wanting for someone to join me. I’m glad I could finally experience this wonderful part of the US with like-minded people.
I hope you found this G Adventures review helpful!
G Adventures Cancellation Policy
Right after COVID, G Adventures introduced a Book with Confidence policy, letting travelers cancel or change their plans up to 45 days before departure, and it ran until December 31, 2023.
Now, their cancellation policy has changed and is back to what it was pre-COVID. you can snag a full refund up to 60 days before the adventure kicks off, with only a deduction of that $350 lifetime deposit.
