We’re planning our second trip with Abercrombie & Kent and can’t find a good forum to talk about their trips and itineraries. Anyone here used them before?
I’ve worked with them a few times for clients, and they’re amazing to deal with. Their itineraries are great too. Which trip are you doing?
Thanks for replying! We’re doing the Classic Japan small group tour in spring 2025. We went to Scotland with them in 2023.
How was Scotland? My husband and I are thinking of visiting both Scotland and Ireland in 2025. Did you enjoy your time there?
Scotland was amazing! We did a Highlands tour that started in Glasgow and ended in Edinburgh, also a small group. It was our first A&K trip, so we didn’t have anything to compare it to. We thought the tour guide was great, but some people who’ve done more A&K trips said they’ve had even better guides in other destinations. We wanted to do Ireland too, but that’s something we’ll save for another time.
I’m not a fan! I’ve heard good things about the small group tours, but A&K is such a big company that they’re more focused on scale than personal experience. I’d suggest looking at other options, especially for the price.
Since it’s a group tour, they’ve got their set formula for where to go and when. I can’t complain though—our private tours, like the Britannia and Invarary Castle with the Duchess, were really nice. I enjoyed the sites and accommodations.
My mother did their world tour with a group, and it was pretty impressive. They really know how to make it feel special. I assume their private trips are even better, though I personally wouldn’t want to travel in a big group.
I would NOT recommend Abercrombie & Kent under any circumstances. We just came back from a trip with them, and it was an absolute disaster. They advertise VIP service and ultra-luxury, but it’s far from it. I was part of a group tour as a solo traveler and ended up stuck in economy for 10+ hours with no food. Most dinners had set menus, and alcohol was extra. Our guide was in business class while we were stuck in economy. And to make it worse, the guide was rude to others and was clearly getting kickbacks from the shops we visited. We were getting ripped off left and right. The hotels we stayed at were barely worth $200 a night, but A&K charged us $1,000+ a night. And economy flights costing $200-$300 were marked up into the thousands. Don’t go with them!
Which tour were you on?
It was the Egypt + Nile Cruise with a group.
What other travel companies would you recommend?
Honestly, I’d just have CHAT GPT plan a trip for me and use Amex or Chase travel to book it. The markup from agencies just isn’t worth it anymore. It’s unfortunate, but I’d rather do it myself.
Check their Yelp reviews! We’re on a trip with them right now, and it’s one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had for the price. Don’t use them, seriously. They look great on the surface, but it’s all a scam.