For more than a century, Collette has been crafting expertly guided journeys that pair genuine cultural immersion with seamlessly handled logistics. Founded in 1918, Collette is the longest-running guided tour operator in North America — and today, still family-owned, it takes travelers to all seven continents on more than 170 tours across five distinct travel styles.
Collette’s guided tours go beyond the ordinary, balancing the iconic landmarks you’ve always wanted to see with the authentic, local experiences that make a trip memorable. From Europe’s timeless cities to the wonders of Asia, Africa, and the Americas, every detail is handled — so you can focus on the discovery. This guide walks through everything worth knowing before you book: Collette’s travel styles, where it goes, what a tour is actually like, what’s included, how booking and payment work, and whether Collette is the right fit for you.
A few things set Collette apart from the crowded field of escorted-tour companies:
One of Collette’s real strengths is choice. Its travel styles let you match the trip to how you like to travel:
Collette’s original and most popular style — comprehensive, expertly guided group tours that take in the highlights and cultures of a destination, with an average of 32 travelers (maximum 44). Ideal if you want the full picture with all the logistics handled and the camaraderie of a group.
Launched in 2008, Explorations travel with an average of just 16 guests (typically 12–24) for a deeper, more immersive experience: hand-picked boutique accommodations, spontaneous local moments, culinary experiences such as pasta-making classes and farm-to-table lunches, and less-touristed sites larger groups can’t always reach. With no one-night stays and tours that often start and end in different cities, the pace is relaxed and the immersion is real. Every Explorations departure is carbon neutral.
Spotlights
Single-hotel stays that let you settle into one city and explore it like a local — perfect for travelers who prefer to unpack once and go deep rather than move each day.
Journeys to the world’s most significant religious sites and regions — from the Holy Land to the shrines of Europe — thoughtfully guided for travelers of faith.
Collette also cruises the world’s great waterways — the Danube, the Nile, the Yangtze, and more — pairing scenic sailing with its signature guided touring ashore. For a more luxury-focused river experience, Joan also curates luxury Bordeaux river cruises, luxury Danube river cruises, and luxury Rhine river cruises aboard boutique lines such as Riverside.
Select itineraries feature iconic train travel, from Switzerland’s scenic railways to classic European rail routes, for travelers who love the romance of the tracks.
Prefer to travel with just your own group? Collette offers private touring for parties of 10 or more, along with multigenerational family tours designed to bring every age together.
Wherever you dream of going, Collette very likely goes there. Its worldwide collection spans all seven continents:
Your Tour Manager. Every Collette tour is led by a regionally based expert who’s with you from arrival to departure, sharing insider knowledge and handling the day-to-day so you don’t have to. They contact you before the trip and are reachable throughout.
A typical day and pacing. Days balance guided sightseeing with built-in free time to explore on your own. Pacing varies by itinerary — some are leisurely, others cover a lot of ground — and each tour page details how many nights you spend in each hotel and how full each day is. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended, since the most memorable sights (historic old towns, for example) often restrict coaches.
Accommodations and meals. Collette hand-picks hotels chosen to reflect the destination, and the majority of meals are included — so you’re rarely hunting for dinner after a full day. Optional excursions let you tailor days to your interests, and can be pre-purchased (with the price locked in once your tour is paid in full).
Coach travel done fairly. On touring days, seats are rotated daily under the Tour Manager’s direction, so no one is stuck at the back for the whole trip.
Activity levels. Every itinerary carries an activity-level rating from 1 (leisurely) to 4 (highly active), so you can choose a trip that matches your pace and mobility.
Who it’s for. Collette describes its travelers as experienced yet curious — people who want to get beneath the surface of a place. Tours suit culturally curious travelers of all ages, from first-timers to seasoned explorers, and are a natural way to meet like-minded companions. Children over 5 are welcome when accompanied by an adult.
Collette tours are designed to be genuinely inclusive, so there are few surprises. A typical land package includes:
Typically not included: international airfare and airline fees, airport and departure taxes, airport transfers (free when you book air through Collette — see below), visas, customary end-of-tour gratuities for your Tour Manager, driver, and local guides, optional excursions, and pre- or post-tour extensions. Joan confirms exactly what’s included on your specific itinerary.
How to book. Collette tours are reserved through a travel advisor. Working with Joan costs nothing extra and adds real value in matching, logistics, and support.
Deposit and payment. A deposit (from $1,000 per person, or $1,300 with air) secures your reservation. The balance is generally due 90 days before departure — 120 days for river cruises, Antarctica, and Galápagos trips. Bookings made within 90 days are payable in full.
Air and door-to-door transfers. Airfare isn’t included, but Collette offers air packages, and there’s a real perk to using them: when you book air through Collette, you get complimentary private, door-to-door chauffeur service to and from the airport (within 50 miles), plus hotel and internal transfers. Booking air through Collette also lets them protect your flights if a tour date changes.
The Travel Protection Plan. Collette’s industry-leading plan — offered for decades — lets you cancel for any reason up to 24 hours before departure and receive a full cash refund, less the plan fee, with no blackout dates or hidden restrictions. It also includes travel-delay support, trip interruption, baggage loss or delay, missed-connection coverage (with Collette air), and medical and emergency assistance on tour. The plan is priced per person based on your trip cost and must be added at booking.
Loyalty. Repeat travelers earn credit toward future trips through the Collette Passport Club.
Collette occupies a comfortable middle ground in guided travel: more immersive and better supported than budget bus tours, and more accessible on price than the ultra-luxury guided lines. It’s an especially strong fit if you value the security of a century-old operator, a genuine cancel-for-any-reason protection plan, flexible pacing with real free time, and a choice between classic groups and intimate small-group Explorations. If your priority is a purely independent, unstructured trip — or the highest tier of luxury regardless of cost — Joan can tell you honestly whether Collette or another option suits you better. That impartial matching is exactly what a good advisor is for.
At Tasteful Voyages, Joan Qualls is a trusted Virtuoso travel advisor who helps discerning travelers find — and get the most from — the right Collette tour. Because Collette tours are booked through travel advisors, working with Joan costs you nothing extra and adds real value: expert matching of the right travel style, destination, and departure to how you like to travel; guidance on Classic versus small-group Explorations; and seamless handling of flights, transfers, travel protection, and pre- or post-tour extensions such as a river cruise or a safari.
Whether you dream of strolling through Tuscan vineyards, exploring the temples of Japan, or marveling at the natural beauty of Patagonia, Tasteful Voyages and Collette turn travel into a genuinely enriching experience.
Contact Tasteful Voyages today to plan your Collette tour, tailored entirely to you.
Yes. Founded in 1918, Collette is the oldest and longest-running guided tour operator in North America, recognized by the United States Tour Operators Association. It remains third-generation family-owned and is an award-winning operator, named Best Tour Operator (U.S.) at the 2025 Travel Age West Awards.
Collette offers five travel styles — Classic guided tours, Small Group Explorations, Spotlights (single-city stays), Faith-based tours, and River Cruises — plus rail journeys, private tours for groups of 10 or more, and multigenerational family tours, across all seven continents.
Classic tours are Collette’s comprehensive group style, averaging 32 travelers (maximum 44). Small Group Explorations travel with an average of 16 guests (typically 12–24) for a more immersive, flexible experience with boutique accommodations and deeper local access.
The land price typically includes a regionally based Tour Manager, hand-picked hotels, the majority of meals, sightseeing with entrance fees, in-destination transport, and everyday tipping for included services. Airfare, airport transfers (free with Collette air), visas, end-of-tour gratuities for your Tour Manager and guides, and optional excursions are extra.
No, airfare is separate, but Collette offers air packages. Booking air through Collette adds complimentary door-to-door chauffeur service and transfers and lets Collette protect your flights if a tour date changes.
Yes. Small Group Explorations average about 16 guests, and Collette also arranges fully private tours for parties of 10 or more, ideal for families or groups of friends traveling together.
Yes. Collette’s Cruising style sails the world’s great waterways, including the Danube, the Nile, and the Yangtze, combined with guided touring ashore.
Yes. Collette welcomes solo travelers, frequently offers solo savings on select small-group Explorations, and the group format is a natural way to meet fellow travelers.
It varies by itinerary. Every Collette tour is rated by activity level from 1 (leisurely) to 4 (highly active), and each tour page details daily pacing, so you can choose a trip that matches your mobility.
Collette’s Travel Protection Plan lets you cancel for any reason and receive a full cash refund up to 24 hours before departure, less the plan fee, with no blackout dates or hidden restrictions. It also includes on-tour benefits like trip interruption, baggage, and medical assistance. Tasteful Voyages can add it to your booking.
A deposit from $1,000 per person (or $1,300 with air) secures your booking. The balance is generally due 90 days before departure — 120 days for river cruises, Antarctica, and Galápagos.
Popular departures and small-group Explorations fill early, so booking several months ahead secures your preferred date and any extensions. Collette offers thousands of guaranteed departures, so your date won’t change once confirmed.
Collette tours are booked through a travel advisor. Contact Joan Qualls at Tasteful Voyages, who will match you to the right tour and handle the details from booking to return home.
Culturally curious travelers of all ages who want expertly guided, immersive journeys with the logistics handled — from first-time tour-goers to seasoned explorers, couples, solo travelers, and multigenerational families.