10 Advantages And Disadvantages of Package Tours and Holidays 

Last Updated on June 12, 2024 by Roslin Dwivedi

Package tours and holidays are a popular way to travel for decades. With a package tour, you can visit multiple destinations, often at a discounted rate, with all the logistics taken care of for you.

The advantages of package tours and holidays offer convenience, stress-free and cost-saving trips. 

They usually include transportation, accommodation, and other services at one price, which can be significantly cheaper than booking each part separately. 

Another advantage of package tours is that they also provide access to some popular attractions which are not easy to book for a single person. The disadvantages of package tours are that you may not have as much flexibility or freedom as you would if you made your arrangements. 

Once upon a time, we went on a tour of Jungfraujoch. We had booked online for our family of 2 adults and a baby. Upon reaching the destination. Not the train journeys, the main destination where you get to go to the museum and also to the top of Europe, the mountain of Jungfraujoch. What annoyed us was the Indian tour guides treating the Indian tourists like goats. The moment the elevator opened to go up, the guide did not let the people come out of it and yelled at his tourists, “Go go go, run inside, fast-fast.” This scene made us feel bad for those who were unknowingly portraying to the world over there that Indians don’t have etiquette.

Anyways, that was a small example of a package tour. As a large tour group, you may not experience the destination as much as if you went alone. Also, some package tours can be inflexible and may not let you make changes or cancellations if your plans change or in case of an emergency. 

In this article, we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of package tours and holidays so you can make a firm decision before your next trip.

10 Advantages and disadvantages of Package tours and holidays

Advantages of Package Tours and Holidays

 1. Cost –

Package tours are money-saving. One of the advantages of package tours and holidays is the cost savings. By booking all your travel arrangements, such as transportation and accommodation, as a package deal, you may get a better rate than booking each component separately. Tour companies often have negotiated rates with hotels, airlines, and other providers, which they pass on to their customers. This means you can enjoy an affordable vacation that you would be able to arrange on your own. A cheap tour package offers hotel stays in a 4-star hotel, which can be expensive if you book it separately. They provide airport transfers and drops and also cover all the famous tourist destinations. But if you arrange your accommodation and travel separately, your trip may become expensive. 

2. Convenience –

You don’t have to worry about booking yourself flights, good accommodations or activities on a package tour. Everything is pre-arranged and incredibly convenient for you. 

So you don’t have to worry about travel arrangements and unexpected changes on your itinerary. You can sit relaxed, knowing that everything has been taken care of.

But if you book it separately, you will have to do plenty of Google searches, look for cheap flight deals, inexpensive hotels, probably not a 4-star, book a rental car for the trip, get an international driving license etc. 

3. Variety –

On package tours and holidays, you will have the chance to visit multiple locations in one trip. 

This is great for the people who like to explore more in a short amount of time. 

You can enjoy the convenience of having everything planned out for you, while experiencing a variety of different places

Since package tours cover multiple destinations in one day. They often start early in the morning and finish close to the evening. Which may be very tiring for families with elderly and small kids. They can’t just keep exploring continuously. Whereas when you plan alone for your family, you rent a car and you decide on your trip according to your parents and kid’s convenience. This is a happy experience for everyone in the family other than the fact that you covered many areas of the town in one day. 

4. Stress-free –

All the hard work of research, planning and booking is done for you on a package holiday, so you can relax and enjoy the journey. Planning a trip can be stressful, especially if you are unfamiliar with the destination. With a package tour, all the hard work is done for you. You don’t have to spend hours researching accommodation options or trying to find the best deals on flights. Everything is pre-arranged, so all you have to do is show up and enjoy your vacation.

When you are making the vacation plan yourself, you will have to do all the research yourself. Read multiple Google and Trip Advisor reviews for the best place to stay on your budget and tours and hidden gems if any. 

5. Connections –

Package tours often offer exclusive access to certain attractions, activities and events that you wouldn’t be able to get to on your own. Many package tours offer exclusive access to certain attractions, activities, and events that you wouldn’t be able to get to on your own. For example, you may be able to skip the lines at popular attractions or gain access to exclusive tours that aren’t available to the general public. This can add an extra level of excitement and exclusivity to your trip.

Disadvantages of Package Tours and Holidays

 1. Limited freedom – 

You may not have much control over the itinerary, and you may be restricted to the set times for activities. One of the biggest disadvantages of package tours is the limited freedom. You may not have as much control over the itinerary as you would if you planned the trip yourself. The tour company sets schedules and activities that you need to follow, which can limit your ability to explore the destination on your terms. You may also have limited free time to do your activities, which can be frustrating for some travellers.

The package tour itinerary is not as comforting. They have set days for set activities, in case you are not well on a certain day, they won’t refund you the money nor they change the activity date because they have everything lined up as prior decided.

2. Quality of accommodation – 

Another disadvantage of package tours is the quality of accommodation. While some package tours offer high-quality accommodation options, others may provide lower-quality accommodations to keep costs down. This is disappointing if you were expecting a certain level of comfort or amenities. It is based on the package you chose. Do check all the stays, transfers and activities in detail properly before you confirm.

3. Limited flexibility – 

You may not have the chance to stay longer in one place or take detours if you want to. Package tours are often inflexible. This can be frustrating if you want to explore a particular area in detail or if you want to change your plans on the fly. Additionally, some package tours may have strict cancellation policies, which makes it difficult to change your itinerary.

From our past travels, I have noticed that group tours are bound to a specific time limit for a place. For instance, if you want to spend more time at a palace or a palace garden, you can’t do that freely. Because you have to join the group in one hour or less. Me and my husband were left behind because we couldn’t make it to the bus on time and they left us. After we called them they told us to get into another tourist bus and they caught us later at another attraction in Dubai. 

4. Limited options – 

With some package tours, you may not get the chance to choose activities or meals. Once, I was checking for a holiday package for Mauritius, but the provider did not include any activities in the package. The holiday package only had hotels, transfers and basic city tours. If I wanted to add something, I had to pay extra charges. So I dropped the idea of booking with a packaged holiday maker and planned our itinerary. 

 5. Unpredictable weather – 

Your holiday may be affected by unpredictable weather. And you may not change your plans if needed. 

Final words

Whether you go with package tours and holidays or make your travel plans, there will always be advantages and disadvantages of package tours and holidays that will make you think twice. In this article, I have tried to simplify your queries. I hope these comparisons will help you plan your vacation with ease.