So many people ask us the same question: Is AWAKE Tours a good alternative to Contiki?
The answer is yes, for the right traveller.
Contiki is one of the biggest names in social group travel, and they're great at what they do. For a lot of people, they're the first company that comes to mind when you start searching for a group trip in your 20s or 30s.
But not everyone wants the same style of holiday.
Some travellers want to see multiple cities or countries in one trip.
Others want to pick one incredible destination, settle in properly and build the entire week around something they've always wanted to experience.
A festival.
A yacht week.
Spring Break.
A Full Moon Party.
Coachella.
Ibiza.
Greek islands.
That's where AWAKE Tours is different.
AWAKE Tours runs experience-led group trips for travellers aged 18 to 39.
Instead of trying to fit ten destinations into one itinerary, most AWAKE trips are built around one place and one major bucket-list experience.
We want you to actually experience where you've travelled to, not spend half the holiday packing your suitcase again.
That might mean sailing Croatia during one of the biggest weeks of the European summer.
Doing Ibiza properly, with pool parties, clubs and a group to experience it with.
Going to Coachella without having to organise accommodation, transport and the entire weekend yourself.
Flying to Thailand for the Full Moon Party and island hopping afterwards.
Or heading to Cancun for Spring Break with an entire crew already waiting for you.
The destination changes.
The idea behind the trip doesn't.
Go somewhere incredible and make the week count.
Both AWAKE Tours and Contiki are social group travel companies aimed at younger travellers.
That's where a lot of the similarity ends.
Contiki offers a huge range of trip styles, including multi-country itineraries and tours that move between several destinations.
AWAKE is much more focused on event-led and experience-led travel.
Our trips are usually centred around a destination, festival, party, event or bucket-list experience.
You're not trying to tick six countries off a list in ten days.
You're going somewhere because something seriously good is happening there.
That means we can build the itinerary around the things people actually travelled there to do.
AWAKE trips change as new destinations and events are added, but our experiences include trips such as:
Cancun Spring Break
A proper Spring Break experience in Cancun with a group of travellers heading there for the same reason you are.
Coachella
One of the biggest music festivals in the world, without trying to organise the entire California trip through twelve different group chats.
Ibiza
Pool parties, major Ibiza clubs, beach days and nightlife with a group already there from day one.
Croatia Sailing
European summer, yachts, islands, swimming, nightlife and some of the biggest events on the Croatian coast.
Greek Island Hopping
A summer trip through the Greek islands built around beautiful destinations, nightlife and experiences such as Swedish Midsummer.
Thailand Full Moon Party and Island Hopping
Thailand's islands, the Full Moon Party and a group trip through some of the best-known destinations in the south.
AWAKE Active
A completely different style of AWAKE trip for travellers who want fitness, training and adventure alongside the social side of group travel.
The common thread is simple.
There is always a reason we're going.
A lot of people don't want to travel to Europe simply to say they've been to Europe.
They want to go because Ultra Europe is happening.
Or because they've always wanted to do Ibiza.
Or because doing Coachella has been sitting on their bucket list for five years.
That is the kind of traveller AWAKE is built for.
We start with the experience people actually want and build the trip around it.
Where should everyone stay?
What events should be included?
What transfers are annoying to organise alone?
What parts are better experienced as a group?
What time should be left completely free?
It makes the trip feel less like a traditional tour and more like the holiday you would have organised yourself if your entire group chat had actually managed to get its life together.
Another reason people search for Contiki alternatives is that they want social group travel without necessarily wanting the classic backpacker experience.
We get it.
You might still want to party until sunrise.
That doesn't mean you want to sleep in a 14-bed dorm afterwards.
AWAKE puts a lot of emphasis on accommodation, locations and experiences we would genuinely choose ourselves.
Depending on the trip, that might mean hotels, resorts, yachts or premium event experiences.
We like nice things.
We just don't like the attitude that sometimes comes with them.
We call it VIP travel without the VIP stigma.
Tables, bottle service, great accommodation and premium experiences where they make sense.
Still friendly.
Still social.
Still the kind of group where you can arrive knowing nobody.
Yes.
In fact, around 65% of AWAKE travellers join solo.
That's a huge part of what we do.
You do not need to bring five friends with you.
You don't even need to bring one.
People join because they want to go somewhere and either their friends can't come, won't commit, don't have the annual leave or simply aren't interested in the same trip.
So they book anyway.
You arrive solo.
You meet the group.
And within a surprisingly short amount of time, the fact that you arrived alone stops being relevant.
That's why group travel works so well for solo travellers in their 20s and 30s.
You still get the independence of booking your own adventure without having to spend the entire holiday by yourself.
Yes.
AWAKE trips are for travellers aged 18 to 39.
So if you've reached your early or mid-30s and you're searching for a Contiki alternative because you want a slightly different travel style, you're exactly the kind of person who joins us.
Being 31, 34 or 37 doesn't mean you suddenly don't want festivals, islands, nightlife or spontaneous overseas trips.
You might just want better accommodation while you're doing it.
Fair enough.
Different AWAKE trips attract slightly different age groups, so if age mix matters to you, message us before booking and we'll tell you which experience is likely to suit you best.
AWAKE probably makes sense for you if you want your holiday to revolve around a major experience rather than simply seeing as many places as possible.
You like travelling socially.
You still want some freedom.
You care where you stay.
You want nightlife, festivals, sailing, events or adventure to be part of the trip.
And you want to meet people who have booked for the same reason.
If your perfect holiday is a quiet coach tour where every minute is planned six months in advance, we're probably not your people.
If your perfect holiday starts with “imagine if we actually did this...” then we're getting closer.
The best Contiki alternative depends on what type of trip you're looking for. Some group travel companies focus on backpacking, adventure travel or multi-country itineraries. AWAKE Tours focuses on experience-led trips built around destinations, festivals, nightlife, sailing and bucket-list events for travellers aged 18 to 39.
There are similarities because both companies offer social group travel for younger adults. The main difference is the style of trip. AWAKE specialises in destination and event-based experiences rather than trying to be an alternative to every type of Contiki itinerary.
Look for companies whose age range extends throughout your 30s and whose accommodation and itinerary suit the way you actually like to travel. AWAKE Tours runs social group trips for travellers aged 18 to 39.
Absolutely. Around 65% of AWAKE travellers arrive solo, so joining without a friend or partner is completely normal.
Accommodation depends on the trip, but AWAKE focuses on hotels, resorts, yachts and accommodation we would genuinely choose ourselves rather than building the experience around cheap backpacker dorms.
AWAKE Tours is designed for travellers aged 18 to 39, with people joining across their 20s and 30s.
Contiki is brilliant if Contiki is the style of trip you're looking for.
AWAKE is for the person who sees a festival, destination or ridiculous bucket-list experience and thinks:
I need to do that.
So do it.
Don't wait until everyone else has the same money, dates and annual leave.
Choose the experience.
Book the trip.
Meet everyone there.
Your ticket to the biggest week of your life.
