GREAT CITIES
VERY SMALL GROUPS
VERY SMALL GROUPS
We love to spend a whole week in our Great Cities. Rather than rushing past Instagram sites, we enjoy slowing down and savouring these amazing archives of history and harbingers of emerging trends.
VERY SMALL GROUPS
VERY SMALL GROUPS
VERY SMALL GROUPS
We believe that very small groups of 6-12 travellers offer the "sweet spot” for walking tours of Great Cities: big enough to have others to share experiences, yet small enough to get personal attention and enjoy flexible plans.
WALKING TOURS
VERY SMALL GROUPS
WALKING TOURS
We believe the best way to see Great Cities is on foot. That's why we typically leave our hotel about 9 o'clock with walking shoes and daypacks, ready to explore the streets and fully immerse ourselves in that moment and place.
SOLO FRIENDLY
“A LA CARTE” DAYS
WALKING TOURS
TravelMaven's combination of flexibility, free time and optional meals makes our small group tours perfect for solo travellers. We keep our Single Room Charge as low as possible, and are also happy to help find roommates.
FEWER HOTELS
“A LA CARTE” DAYS
“A LA CARTE” DAYS
Packing and unpacking, and moving from hotel to hotel takes time and energy. Nobody likes to be told "bags outside your door at 7 am". That's why we carefully select central hubs and stay longer in as few hotels as possible.
“A LA CARTE” DAYS
“A LA CARTE” DAYS
“A LA CARTE” DAYS
Our tours include “a la carte” days when guests get a chance to do something they may have always dreamed about. Helicopter ride in Cape Town? Turkish bath in Istanbul? Thrifting in New York City? No problem!
FLEXIBILITY & FREE TIME
FLEXIBILITY & FREE TIME
FLEXIBILITY & FREE TIME
One big advantage of small groups is we can be spontaneous. For example, we can add things (like an unexpected gallery or cafe) at the last moment. There’s also lots of free time to relax at the hotel or hang out in a special place.
SIMPLE & SLOW
FLEXIBILITY & FREE TIME
FLEXIBILITY & FREE TIME
We prefer simplicity to complexity, and have found that less is often better than more. That’s why we like to immerse ourselves in Great Cities and savour special moments to the fullest, rather than making a whirlwind tour.
EXCELLENT VALUE
FLEXIBILITY & FREE TIME
EXCELLENT VALUE
TravelMaven’s offerings fall into the middle of the price range for walking tours, but offer excellent value due to their maximum size of 12 travellers, personalized service and convenient central hotel locations in these Great Cities.
Most TravelMaven tours are based on the abovementioned formula, with a few notable exceptions.
Our GERMAN CHRISTMAS MARKETS tour is unique due to its subject matter and the fact that we use two bases (Bamberg & Rothenburg ob der Tauber) to visit several cities in the region by train. A second unique feature is this tour is open to 20 guests (rather than 12) but offers the services of two Tour Concierges. This means that most days, guests get to choose between different activities (e.g. go to the ancient castle with Ursula, or go to the rail museum with Barry) in our city of the day.
Our KRUGER SAFARIS are very different from our regular formula. They are fast-paced and action-packed group tours created specifically for families with kids. Due to the nature of safaris, there isn't much walking, free time or flexibility. However, like our other offerings, these tours are solo friendly, offer excellent value, and are based in one hotel. Group size is limited to 36 guests, which is divided into smaller groups of six for safaris.
Finally, please note that our BEST OF SOUTH AFRICA tour blends elements of our regular formula (e.g. max 12 guests) with elements of our KRUGER SAFARI (e.g. less free time and flexibility) . Having said that, even when we're in Kruger the pace is a little slower, there's an option to visit the Lowveld Botanical Garden, and there's also a day trip to eSwatini (aka Swaziland). The Western Cape portion of this tour is basically a Great City walking tour, which means plenty of free time and flexibility, including 'a la carte' days in both Cape Town and Stellenbosch.
Ursula holding a small mug at a German Christmas Market