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Best cultural tour providers in 2026
The UK's biggest and best cultural tour companies, as rated by thousands of their customers in our survey of nearly 20,000 holidays
Cultural tours can open your eyes to magnificent ancient architecture in Athens, help you to explore the Andean peaks and Machu Picchu, or uncover America’s musical roots in Nashville, Memphis and New Orleans – all with the full financial protection that a package holiday provides.
There are group tour itineraries for almost every cultural interest – from art and architecture to food and drink – and the best providers offer specialist guides to help you gain a deeper understanding as you go.
Jules Verne, which says its holidays give you a chance to gain a deeper understanding of destinations, tops the table with its small group tours. It offers unusual itineraries such as discovering the domes of Kairouan on a Grand Tour of Tunisia, or experiencing Uzbekistan’s Silk Road cities. Ever-popular Trailfinders isn’t far behind, and its tailor-made touches make for an excellent alternative.
You can compare customer scores and prices in our table and, for extra peace of mind, all the companies that have our WRP status guarantee they won't apply surcharges in 2026 – so the price won't go up after you book.
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Best and worst cultural tour companies
| 86% | n/a | n/a | n/a | |||||||||
| 84% | £151 | £293 | n/a | |||||||||
(73) | 82% | £222 | n/a | |||||||||
(30) | 81% | £171 | £237 | n/a | ||||||||
(39) | 74% | £153 | £204 | n/a | ||||||||
(41) | 73% | £119 | £167 | n/a |
Using the table Based on a survey of 19,958 holidays taken in the past two years from 12,119 Which? Connect members and members of the public in August/September 2024. Sample sizes in brackets. Star ratings are based on one to five stars. The more stars the better. n/a indicates we did not receive enough responses to report on a company in that category. Average price based on the median price per day of holidays taken by survey respondents with the company named in ALL categories of holiday. Short-haul destinations are defined as anywhere less than a five-hour flight from London. Customer score based on a combination of overall satisfaction and how likely people are to recommend the company.
The cultural tour companies that Which? recommends
Jules Verne – 86%
Jules Verne’s small-group escorted tours worldwide are packed full of cultural and historical insight.
It received a full five stars for overall tour quality and organisation, and its tour guides were described as ‘knowledgeable, caring and thorough’.
Which? verdict: Jules Verne offers consistently excellent cultural tours for small groups and tops our table of cultural tour providers.
Read the full Jules Verne review or visit Jules Verne directly.
Trailfinders – 84%
Trailfinders is expert at curating cultural trips to locations across the world. And because its holidays are tailored to your requirements, you can dial up or down the depth of cultural insight depending on your preference.
Customers told us that their tours lived up to expectations, scoring them the full five stars for ‘description matching reality’.
Which Verdict: Trailfinders offers excellent cultural tours tailored to your personal requirements.
Read the full Trailfinders review or visit the Trailfinders website directly.
How we researched cultural tour companies
In August and September 2024, we asked 12,119 Which? Connect panel members and members of the public to complete an online survey about their experiences of booking and going on holiday in the past two years. Our results are based on 19,958 holidays. We only reported on companies in any given category when we received at least 30 relevant responses.