Contiki Reviews 

Contiki is a cult, DO NOT work for them. They treat their upcoming tour managers very substandard. I have voice recordings of them yelling at everyone on ETT the training trip and going on power trips abusing their upcoming staff. They get away with it because you're not technically employed with them...just a contractor.

I visited Georgia with Contiki in June as the first ever departure for this trip and it was so amazing. The destination and the route through the country we took was perfect we saw such a verity of landscapes and experience the country had to offer. The Trip manger couldn't have done anything else she was incredible from being a city guide, hiking guide to giving us such a passionate love for her country it really made the trip worth while with so much added value. It was so good to see a company offer such a unique and underrated destination. I felt safer than most other European trips I've been on to. would recommend to anyone

I went on the European Magic tour last year and it was truly one of the best travel experiences of my life! The itinerary was packed, but got to see a lot of cool destinations that I hadn’t seen before. The trip manager was super knowledgeable and really managed to create a fun and engaging atmosphere throughout the whole trip. Made a few new friends, too, which was great. Highly recommend it!

I absolutely loved my trip! I did the Balkans Experience and got to explore parts of Europe that I wouldn't have thought to go to otherwise and they were gorgeous.

My Trip Manager was a pro, and we actually still chat, and on top of that I made so many new friends that I'm planning on travelling with again!

Can't recommend Contiki more if you want good vibes and hassle free holidays

I went on the garden route and addo trip in South Africa – and it was one of the best holidays of my life.

First: the itinerary and experiences. I can't believe how much we saw and did in 10 days. 2 x safaris + an ocean safari. Wine tasting in Stellenbosch. Visiting the Cango Caves. Kayaking in Plettenburg Bay. Visiting a local township. It was such an amazing variety and all for under 1000 quid.

The accom was lush (balconies overlooking vineyards etc.) But the highlight has to be the Trip Manager, Jesse, who also had the highest safari qualification you can have. His knowledge brought South Africa to life, as he always knew where to spot a rare animal, or respond to the sounds of birdcall, or the name of any plant or star formation.

The group were great fun too. Met people from all around the world! 10/10!

Went on European Magic and had a great time. It's a perfect trip if you have limited PTO and want to check a bunch of destinations off your Europe bucket list. I couldn't believe how much we were able to see in just 9 days (7 countries)! It was also my first experience on a guided tour and as someone who is pretty independent as a traveler, I appreciated the convenience and ease of getting around with a reliable Trip Manager. What a great mental break :)

Worked with a lady named Michelle C during the process of booking our tour.

She was extremely patient as we had to call back multiple times. We had some issues due to the site which were ultimately fixed by her and her team. Fantastic response times and wonderful service, give Michelle C a bloody raise!!

Please read the T&Cs. The $200 deposit is not given back if you choose to cancel your trip for whatever reason and they offer no solutions what-so-ever aside from "transferring to a friend"

It gives the impression that you can secure a spot on a trip for a low fee and with little commitment when that is not the case. I'd only suggest booking a contiki if you can pay the trip price in full.

Since returning from my trip I’ve tried to communicate with Contiki’s customer service advisors, but have had very little support.

I had to drop off my tour half way through, as there were members of the tour who were clearly ill and had been in contact with people with Covid, an illness which had previously hospitalised me.

These people were not asked to leave the tour, despite posing a clear risk to others. I was even told I had to share with one of these clearly ill people, and was unable to book a private room.

Despite putting my health at risk and forcing me to drop off the tour, Contiki have taken no responsibility.

The first half of the tour itself was great and the trip of a lifetime, I’m just sad I had to miss the second half due to Contiki not sticking to their own policies.

I did Cape, Falls, Safari trip with Contiki in December 2023. There were several instances of Contiki suggesting that an activity is included to the price yet they charged it extra in the trip. The PDFs they send before the trip (and the info they show before they sell) make it sound like a lot more is included than it is. When I confronted them about this, they refused to take accountability.

Overall, scammy company. You'll end up paying A LOT more than the base price, unless what you wanna do is literally stay in the hotel the whole trip. Also, they take *28* days to reply to your messages, which is insane.

So disappointing!

Absolutely horrible customer service. I've been charged twice two different amounts for the same trip after it was canceled because of weather. You can't speak to anyone and everytime I call its this will be expedited. Meanwhile they owe me over 3000 that I have to just wait for. I would never allow my kids to use this company again. We are ready to file a fraud complaint with the Attorney General's office

Would not book with this company again.

We made a reservation and paid in full. They got back to us to say that our trip had been denied. We ended up losing money. The money was also not automatically refunded and we had to go chasing it.

Staff were very helpful.

I went on the Ecuador and Galápagos Island tour with Contiki and if I had my time again, I would have booked with a different company, mainly because of the Galapagos leg of the trip.

Go to Ecuador and the Galápagos but don’t do the Galápagos with Contiki. It’s a complete rip off and we had horrible tour guides.

When we arrived in the Galápagos we were met by James and Andres. Throughout our trip it was unclear who was the trip manager. From the beginning, James was scowling at passengers, rushing the group and rarely had a kind word to say. He would often leave out essential information like what to bring at the start of the trip. This improved as the trip progressed and people complained.

On the first day we had a lot of different transportation, were rushed and my friend and I were nearly left behind on the first island as no one was counted onto the boat or kept together.

We were not warned how bad the speedboat transport was (we had to take this multiple times) and were shocked at how rough and long the trip was (this transport option needs to be changed). The boat was always crowded, without adequate ventilation and visibility, and jarring. It was definitely the worst part of my trip other than the frustration of the guides.

We had an optional bike ride that we were told was 'easy' and 'beginner' as many passengers expressed that they were inexperienced. Little did we know that the bike ride was in the heat, around 14 kms or more long and sometimes through sand which would trip people off their bikes (indeed one person fell off in the sand). When James saw that people were struggling to keep up he appeared angry and rushed us to continue. I personally had a bike that's chain kept coming off and got a flat tire. Then Andres swapped his bike with mine. There were also comments made that people shouldn't be walking only riding as it takes too long. The sights seen on this tour were not worth the long and tiring ride (particularly the mangrove section where we were bitten by many mosquitoes after not being warned about bringing bug spray).

On the included snorkeling on Isabella no one gave us any information about the animals including that sea lions may be swimming with us (so this was quite a fright for me initially). It would've been nice to understand some more about the creatures and the ecosystem throughout the entire tour.

There was no day song or day sheet throughout the entire tour. We often had to ask for information to be posted on the watsapp group and would often have a tour leader say "as I told you yesterday."

One day we were taken to a restaurant for a tiny included breakfast. On another day we were taken to a local restaurant for included breakfast and they ran out of scrambled eggs, and watermelon, and had low quality food and drinks. My roommate’s coffee had curdled milk that she couldn’t drink. James and Andres often disappeared during meal times and this was no different.

Part of the issue with being rushed was that we didn't have adequate toilet breaks. At one point at the Charles Darwin Centre I asked James if the whole group could have a toilet break and he said yes. When my friend and I went to the toilet he moved the group on and continued the tour without us and said snide remarks to other passengers while we were gone when someone suggested that the group waited for all members.

The Galapagos Planet Hotel room was loud (constant hammering day and night, loud slamming doors, drunk people yelling as they came home) and tiny. We had no hot water and no duvet on the bed. I complained about both of these issues to the staff but it was never fixed. So I gave up. My roommate and I ended up booking another hotel room for the last night due to lack of sleep.

I passed all of this information onto Contiki, so hopefully these issues will be resolved shortly.

They say you meet people from all around the world which is a bit of a false advertising. In fact 90% of the people on my trip are Australians. They also use what’s called dynamic pricing which seems sketchy at best. My advice; pay in AUD if you must go with a group. But imho it’s way more fun to just stay at hostels and meet people and party that way. Saves money and you meet more interesting people

Beware of Contiki Tours - Deceptive Sales Tactics and Heartless Policies

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)

My experience with Contiki Tours was nothing short of a nightmare, and I feel compelled to share the truth about this company's deceptive practices and heartless policies. From the very beginning, I encountered red flags that should have warned me away, but unfortunately, I fell victim to their pushy sales tactics and false promises of flexibility.

Unhelpful and Confusing Online Assistance:
When I reached out for help in choosing a tour, I was connected with a representative named Karl. Instead of providing genuine assistance, he seemed more interested in making a sale than ensuring I made the right decision. Karl was pushy and insistent on reserving a spot immediately, even when I had legitimate questions and concerns about the tour. When I sought further clarification, he abruptly signed off without addressing my remaining queries, leaving me feeling disregarded and unsure about my decision.

Deceptive "Flexibility" with Deposits:
Contiki Tours boasts about being understanding and flexible when it comes to changes in travel plans, such as the unfortunate event of a loved one's death. However, my personal experience contradicts this claim entirely. Only a few days after signing up for the tour, I had to urgently change my travel dates due to a family funeral. I promptly contacted them, hoping to reschedule my trip later in June. To my dismay, I was met with a cold and unyielding response.

Heartless Cancellation Policy:
Despite their promises of flexibility, Contiki Tours imposed a substantial cancellation fee when all I wanted to do was change my travel dates. The cancellation fee was shockingly high, given that I had signed up only a few days prior. I was left feeling crushed and heartbroken, as I had lost a significant portion of my deposit, money that I couldn't afford to lose. It was clear that the company's empathy and understanding were just empty marketing claims.

Disgusting Lack of Compassion:
In the face of a family tragedy, Contiki Tours displayed a complete lack of compassion and understanding. They prioritized their profits over the emotional and financial well-being of their customers, leaving me deeply disgusted and disappointed in their business practices.

In conclusion, my experience with Contiki Tours was nothing short of a distressing ordeal. Their online representative, Karl, was unhelpful and pushy, and their claims of flexibility and empathy turned out to be outright lies. I caution anyone considering booking a tour with this company to think twice and explore alternative options that prioritize customer satisfaction and genuine care for their travelers.

Contiki is unsafe and doesn’t care about your safety. I had a roommate acting erratically and self medicating with whisky and cigarettes due to what they said was “severe mental health issues”. After some disturbing conversations I told the tour manager I felt unsafe and uncomfortable and his response was that Contiki was “Russian Roulette” with regards to roommates. Because of the behavioural issues of this roommate no one wanted to switch roommates (understandable) and I had to pay for my own emergency accommodation. In the end I had to pay for twice the accommodation as the tour manager didn’t care about safety and the only thing he offered was to profusely apologise on multiple occasions. I also followed up with the Contiki safety “specialists” but the issues was ignored and I didn’t receive a response with my concerns until months afterwards. Sad, as there was a lot of good people on tour but Contiki but it only takes a bad egg to ruin the trip if you get roomed with them. Was so traumatic I left the tour early and even then Contiki took the course of victim shaming. Can’t believe I paid money to an organisation that doesn’t take safety seriously

I had a positive experience with a LA to the Bay trip (California, Nevada, Arizona). I departed from London and all the stages of this trip went smoothly (flight, transfers, the tour itself, hotels). For what I paid at the time it was totally worth it.
Sadly I will soon be over the allowed age limit and will not be able to attend these trips anymore.
It would be great if they could extend the age limit. It saddens me to see so many negative reviews on here.

You can’t book without paying the full amount and then they take their sweet time to go back and say it’s all full. Surely you can check your availability without this back and forth?

Contiki will not allow you to join their trip if you have Covid-19 but refuse to give you a refund as they view it as a 'cancellation.' I hope you have good travel insurance and if you booked through Flight Centre, Covermore Travel Insurance will not reimburse you for your Contiki trip. Contiki's mantra is if you don't test for Covid, then you don't know, which is very irresponsible. 

You are going to get sick either with 'Contiki Cough' or 'Contiki Covid' and people do not cover their mouths, and no masks are worn. 
The Contiki coach won't always take you back to the hotel after completing your optional ad ons i.e., dinner. This is unsafe as you have to make your own way home and taxis, ubers and public transport is not cheap. Also, most people decide to party after the optional ad ons, sometimes until 3am so if nobody else wants to go home with you expect to walk the dark streets of a foreign country on your own. 

Sexual harassment is rife and can make the travel experience uncomfortable. 

There is a strong expectation to party, get drunk and have casual sex, and some roommates get too comfortable as they 'invite' a boy or girl into their room and have sex with them even if it is your room too.

Contiki cancelled our Andean Crossing tour with no notice whilst we were already overseas. We were only lucky enough to hear about the news word of mouth from a previous trip manager which stopped us from entering a zone of civil conflict. Contiki provided absolutely no communication about the cancellation of the tour and provided us zero assistance in getting back home. As someone who has done four other Contiki tours, I will never travel with Contiki again due to this appalling experience where my safety was severely compromised. Save yourself a hassle and book elsewhere!