Intrepid Travel Reviews 

This is the first tour I have done alone without knowing anyone beforehand. I am a mature traveller and this ticked all the boxes for me, being a small group tour, in an exotic colourful country.
I have to say that it exceeded all my expectations and I would highly recommend it to any reasonably fit travellers. I will be back for more tours.

Right from booking and pre tour information to the last morning of departure everything went very smooth and professional while still feeling personal

This was my first trip with Intrepid (booking the Everest Base Camp trip) and I will start with the good.

- The online customer service was great
- Our mountain guide was incredible. He instantly brought the group together and dealt with everything. He made life so easy for us, had amazing knowledge of the people, the region, nature, religion and everything in between. He also really cared for the sustainability of the environment which was wonderful. He was the star of the show and is a credit to the Intrepid brand.
- The local porters were also amazing. Friendly, professional, humble and super human.

Now onto the reasoning behind this negative review

Firstly, getting to Lukla. This route is known to be a bit of a pain for all companies, but I do really believe it could have been executed much better by Intrepid. We were initially scheduled to fly from KTM. When bad weather hit, we were told we could either do a different trek or take a bus 9 hours to Manthali. We chose the latter as we’d travelled half way around the world to do EBC..We then spent the whole second day driving there. On the third day, the weather was not good enough and we had to extend (at a cost of $60 for each of us). Fourth day arrives and we are met with groups who were due to start with Intrepid 2-3 days after ours. We arrive at the airport and the other groups immediately catch their flight. We have to wait and flights stop running in the afternoon. AGAIN we do not have a flight. We have to extend again for another $60. At this point we’ve each paid an additional $120 and two separate Intrepid groups (who were due to start after ours) have made it to Lukla before us (and without additional cost). To add salt to the wound we are stuck in the basement of a dingy outhouse separate to the resort that the other Intrepid groups were booked into - Incurring food and drinks costs in addition to the extra charges we’ve had to pay. It was an awful way to start the trip and the first example of poor contingency planning by the company. All you needed to do was check the weather forecast to see that flights would likely not go ahead and plan accordingly. We finally made it on day 4 after all of this chaos.

Onto the main issue; during our stay at Dingboche, I developed a stomach bug(just before our hike to Lobuche), despite only ever eating in the Intrepid nominated tea houses - many others got ill at these tea houses, suggesting a poor hygiene standard overall. I was ill, so had to see the doctor as an emergency. I was told to take one days rest and then to continue my trek. I was given meds and sent on my way. I needed a days recovery before I could continue. However, I was told that, on the basis of safety, Intrepid would not support my continuation. While I appreciate a high sense of safety and risk prevention. This reason is complete and utter rubbish given what I saw from other intrepid groups and what was recommended by the doctor. We crossed paths with many Intrepid groups on our trek. Most of the travellers were ill to some degree, which is to be expected. However, one member of an intrepid group (scheduled a couple of days after ours) had to have an IV in Dingboche - Due to food poisoning, inability to eat and severe dehydration. Yes, an IV!! He was allowed to continue despite being in a far more high-risk situation than myself. Equally many members of all the groups we met all had diarrhoea. My conclusion was that it was evidently not a question of safety at all, it was simply a question of scheduling and planning from the company. I was in a small group, with one guide, and that, in combination with the tight schedule and the delay in us getting started, ended my trip and prevented me from getting to base camp. Should note that the guide and porter were absolutely fantastic in having to deal with this situation and supporting me while I was ill (as it wasn't their fault at all).

For many, this is a once in a lifetime experience. The total cost of the trip is into the thousands of dollars. This doesn’t mean that conditions should be nice. It’s an isolated environment and standards will be low and things will not always go to plan. I accept that. But to not make it to EBC based upon something outside of my control and, ultimately, a very strict schedule, was hugely disappointing and I do feel completely and utterly robbed.

So my advice: for this kind of trip, use a local company, who build contingency into the planning. They will afford greater flexibility and will ensure that your trip is not wasted on the basis of a tight schedule(in an environment, like I say, where disturbances are a common occurrence).

I have many more treks planned and will not be booking any trips with Intrepid after this experience. Equally I will highly dissuade all of my family, friends and followers from using Intrepid’s services for any adventure trip.

I recently returned from an amazing trip to Hobart and Southern Tasmania with Intrepid. As well as seeing southern Tasmania, incorporating Huon Valley, Port Arthur and the Tasman Peninsular, the tour also took us to Bruny Island where the scenery was just spectacular, especially as we travelled along the coastal roads.
Simon, the tour guide, was always ready to assist or answer any questions about the locations we visited. He took us to local food and beer processing businesses, where we could sample their cheeses and variety of beverages. He was always ready to make a quick detour so that he could show us a unique scene or location. He had a great sense of humour and I’m sure everyone on the tour enjoyed the trip as much as I did. There were visitors from the U.S. and everyone settled together in enjoying the events each day. We also dined together every night, trying different restaurants nearby to our hotel. The accommodation was very comfortable, being a 4 to 5 star.
I will have no hesitation in booking my next trip with Intrepid, following on from this amazing tour to Tassie…

Fantastic tour of Colombia! Just come back from 2 weeks away and it was all so good! Every detail is worked out, the guide was knowledgeable, accommodating and went above and beyond to help out. I can’t praise intrepid enough for running a great trip… maybe it could be a fraction cheaper, but you get what you pay for I guess!

I booked this trip very last minute, but everything was still incredibly well prepared and ran smoothly from start to finish. Communication was excellent throughout, and I always felt informed and looked after. The accommodation was clean and comfortable.

The food was another highlight, we were always recommended great places (by Chesda) to eat, often local spots that felt genuinely authentic. Every meal added something special to the experience.

Our guide Chesda, was outstanding. She was knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and approachable, you could ask her anything and she always had time for you. Partway through the trip I became sick and ended up missing an experience I’d described as unmissable. Chesda went above and beyond to arrange an alternative option so I could still go and experience it once I was feeling better. I’m genuinely grateful for her kindness, patience, and problem-solving.

On top of that, I accidentally left my glasses behind at one of the accommodation, without hesitation, Chesda organised for them to be returned to me, another example of how she consistently went out of her way to help.

This trip exceeded my expectations in every way. I’d highly recommend it, and I can’t thank Chesda enough for making it such a memorable and meaningful experience.

My lifetime journey was made very memorable by the team and Intrepid for their safety requirements. The knowledge of my guides in the area was superb

On 23rd October 2025 we did the one day Dehli Gandhi tour with Intrepid Travel. The guide Neah was excellent. She was very knowledgable about Gandhi’s life and his impact on India. She took us to several locations related to Gandhi and gave us interesting information. Neah interacted well with us and was happy to answer questions. I can thoroughly recommend this tour with Neah.

Traveling with Intrepid has always been fun. Our trip through Tunisia was better than expected and our guide Montasser was one of the best. October travel through the country was about the best weather you can get. Not a lot of touristy crowds and the hotels were fairly comfortable. Definitely a worthwhile trip.

I booked the premium in depth trip to India and unfortunately my visa hadn't arrived in time for my flight due to the delays (it took 12 days in the end). This is obviously my fault however Intrepid ignored all emails and messages for me. I was stranded in another country alone and they made no effort to help with no responses and when I did finally get something back it was just rude (your own fault, not our problem). Considering I am nearly £4000 down with this company thats incredibly disappointing. They refuse to refund a penny or give me even a discount for a future trip. Cowboys.

Just had an email from Intrepid who have ‘completed their investigation” of my complaints. The overall tone of the email is (my words) “sorry you didn’t like our version of “premium”…your problem..not ours”.

their lack of interest and lame justifications for poor service simply reinforces my opinion of them as a tour operator. To summarize my issues:
- very basic hotel in Casablanca
- no welcome drink offered at the welcome dinner
- van that had shock absorber problems (too much sway and lift) and a very squeaky seat (which finally got fixed in Fez)
- 3 bad western buffet meals with cold food
- purchasing fish from a fresh market where the fish had been siting at room temperature (ie warm…no visible ice) for hours (we didn’t get there until past 1 pm)
- taken to a very dirty restaurant and got food poisoning
So all in all….not Premium per my extensive travel experience

In late September, 2025, I spent 4 nights and 5 days on the “Best of Cairns, Great Barrier Reef & Daintree” tour in Australia. I can’t write enough positive comments about my time with Intrepid and especially with our extraordinary tour guide, Brendan W.

The tour itself was extremely well organized and highlighted amazing Australian gems but did so in a very classy way and in a manner that showed such respect for the land and the environment as well as for the indigenous people.

Our tour guide, Brendan, was the BEST! He is so knowledgeable about everything we saw and told us history, stories, and anecdotes in a lively, fun, and fascinating way — and often intriguing, too. Brendan was so kind and helpful and had a real way of reading people. His interpersonal skills and the rest of his personality make him perfect for this job.

I hope that my next tour is with Intrepid!! A+, for sure!

We have been on 5 Intrepid trips this year so far, so no guesses what we think of the company!
The most recent was a combined comfort trip to Egypt and Jordan.
We chose this one because it incorporated Abu Simbel and Alexandria. It was a fantastic trip. Going inside the Great Pyramid was a « pinch me «  moment as was seeing Abu Simbel, Luxor Temple, Petra and floating on the Dead Sea.
A very comfortable standard of accommodation everywhere, even in Wadi Rum desert! The food was a highlight for me too as a vegetarian I found it very easy to eat fresh tasty food to suit my diet everywhere.
Finally, a big shout out to our amazing guides Dalia in Egypt and Ahmed in Jordan for their seamless organisation, great communications and their knowledge. We particularly appreciated the fact that the guides had a great sense of humour, which is very difficult in a second language.
Well done Intrepid again!

Made a last minute decision to go on the Best of Morocco with Intrepid. Morocco had been on my wish list forever and I could not have been happier to finally take the plunge. The trip was super well organised and we covered more than 1500 kms seeing so much of this wonderful country, learning so much through their local guides and making the most of the many experiences that Morocco offers. I could not recommend it more highly.

I’ve been a loyal customer, having booked several trips with this agency, but this recent experience was beyond disappointing. There was a complete lack of understanding, or even basic customer care.

I had to speak to around ten different people, send emails to three separate addresses, and after all that effort, it took a full day just to receive a dismissive response saying that “nothing could be done.”

I had booked what was supposed to be a comfort trip, but the customer service was extremely rude and unhelpful throughout the process.
I felt completely isolated during the experience.

For a company that I’ve trusted and booked multiple trips with, the total lack of empathy or loyalty recognition was shocking.
Unfortunately, this experience has made it clear that the agency does not value its returning customers, and I will not be booking with them again.

Cuba is Magical
We very much enjoyed our 'Premium Cuba' tour in July this year but the 9 days were just not long enough and I wish we had gone on the longer, 'Best of Cuba' tour.
The tour was well organised and our guide, Adita (Ada) was wonderful. She was very knowledgeable, considerate, kind and fun to be with. Her English is good and she has a university qualification in languages. Highly recommended but I wish we had had more time in Havana and a hotel closer to the city centre.
We plan to return to see more with Intrepid.
Cuba is very hot in July. The occasional power cuts did not affect us as we had planned to have a break from phones and the internet.
Sarah @ Rob Beck, Auckland, NZ

Kruger was amazing.
Without our Intrepid guide (Daniel) I’m certain we would not have seen as much - he knew where it all was……So lucky
Our accommodation was also beautiful and very private.

This tour was great.
Price very reasonable.
Guide and driver excellent. Very helpful and informative.
I would certainly recommend Intrepid Tours
Note: I was a solo, older traveller

I applied to walk the Camino: 16/9/25 with Intrepid. At point of applying online on 25/8/25 it was mandatory to upload my passport, travel insurance & emergency contact details and pay in full, which I did. £1164

Two days later, the trip was not confirmed: 27/8/25.
My refund only arrived on 4 th September 2025 & Intrepid would not give me a date when the refund will be credited, they used general phrases; we are doing our best, we are expediting the refund. Totally unhelpful & unethical.
Customers are not interested in company policy if the company cannot be an ethical service delivery provider.
Questions
Why would Intrepid have mandatory processes of taking passport, travel insurance & emergency contact details & the full payment before confirmation of the trip?
This is such an unethical business practice & breach of personal data & one way contract. I thought Intrepid was a reliable company reading reviews.
Why was my money not refunded within 2-4 h ? Same time period to debit it ?
Why did Intrepid charge for a service that could not be delivered ? & keep the money for 10 days ?

I contacted Caminoways & booked the 6 day Camino walk starting 16/9 and paid in full after confirmation. I had an excellent experience!

I had not received my refund from Intrepid on my credit card. So I could not use my credit card & had difficulty with cash flow.
I urge Intrepid to change it processes, so no customer has to face the stress I had to face.

I totally enjoyed the 115 km walk of the Camino! Thanks to Caminoways!

Intrepid had the audacity to email me and offer me a “credit voucher” of my own funds; totally unethical almost bordering on fraudulent businesses practice again!
What happens if I died ? Who will know that Intrepid has £ 1164 of my money ?

Great small group tours with a local touch. Slightly more expensive but worth it.