Alexander Roberts

A long-running escorted tour company

Alexander+Roberts runs its own small-group and privately guided journeys, with small-ship cruising and tailor-made trips alongside. Its destination menu covers Africa (Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe), the Middle East (Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Oman and the United Arab Emirates), Asia (Bhutan, Borneo, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tibet and Vietnam), the Pacific (Australia and New Zealand), Europe (from Albania and Armenia through Croatia, France, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Portugal and Spain to Turkey), Latin America (the Amazon River, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, the Galapagos, Panama and Peru), North America (Canada and the United States), Cuba and Antarctica. Prices on the site are shown in US dollars, and the phone line is an 800 number.

The history page says the company began in 1947, when Alexander Harris, a Polish survivor of World War II, founded it under the name General Tours. His belief, in the site's words, was that "travel should bring people together and foster understanding between cultures". The company says it introduced the first tours to the Soviet Union during the Cold War, after Harris was granted approval by the Eisenhower White House, and that in 1972 it became "a founding, bonded member of the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA)", which it describes as dedicated to "integrity and financial responsibility in travel, principles we proudly uphold today".

The timeline on the same page adds a South America thread going back to a 1954 UNESCO conference in Montevideo, sold-out Pan Am charters to Kenya and Tanzania by 1973, and China tours that began not long after Nixon's visit. In 2014 the company took its current name, which the site says combines the first names of Alexander and of its second-generation leader, Robert Drumm. It also says it was the first to limit its luxury small groups to "never more than 16 guests".

Small groups, private journeys and small ships

The site sorts its catalogue into Small Group Journeys ("Never more than 16 guests"), Small Ships, Private Journeys ("Just for your traveling party"), Tailor Made, Deals and Solo Travel ("Special Savings for Solo Travelers"). Its trip search filters by trip type, including a Short Tours option, and many tours in the results are marked "Small Group Tour or Private Tour", so the same itinerary can often be booked either way.

The search results page shows a starting price, a length in days and a review count for each tour. Examples as the page lists them: Visions of Egypt, 9 days, from $9,699, with 193 traveler reviews; Spectacular New Zealand, 9 days, from $8,599; Kenya + Tanzania: The Great Migration, 10 days, from $16,999; Peru Explorer (2026 Itinerary), 10 days, from $5,599; Machu Picchu + Reserva Amazonica (2026 Itinerary), 11 days, from $5,999; and On Safari in Kenya + Tanzania, 12 days, from $13,399 with 74 traveler reviews. The homepage advertises "Over 20 African Safaris", 7 luxury journeys in Peru, 4 in the Galapagos, 2 itineraries in Iceland and a 21-day Australia and New Zealand journey that includes an overnight on Milford Sound.

Several homepage offers carry the line "Save $1,000 Per Couple | $500 Solo": the Kenya and Tanzania safari (Maasai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro and the Great Migration), Borneo with Kuala Lumpur, a privately guided Portugal trip sold as "Travel Any Day", 4 new privately guided Spain journeys covering Barcelona, Madrid, Granada and Seville, Quito and the Galapagos with a "24 Cabin Deluxe Cruiser", and a Japan trip from the Inland Sea to the Alps billed as "Smallest Groups in Japan".

The Peru page describes Peru Explorer as led by Andean guide Ana Maria with "never more than 16 travelers"; Grandeur of Peru, led by trip leader Carlos, runs from Lima and Cuzco through the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca; and Peru In-Style is a private version with a choice of luxury hotels in Lima and Cuzco and a full-day excursion to Machu Picchu. The page also pairs Machu Picchu with the Amazon, either as a 4-night cruise aboard the 16-suite Aria Amazon, or as a 3-night stay at Reserva Amazonica. A Machu Picchu and Galapagos combination promises "5-star hotels" and an "Upper Deck outside stateroom aboard La Pinta". In Iceland, Wonders of Iceland is a 5-day privately guided trip from Reykjavik to Thingvellir National Park and the South Coast, and Adventures Across Iceland is a winter journey from Reykjavik to Akureyri with geothermal lagoons and Aurora Borealis excursions.

How the journeys are run

The history page sets out what the company says every trip includes: "comprehensive guided sightseeing and distinctive experiences led by local experts". It states that "Our guides speak English fluently", which answers the language question for the tours on this site. Accommodation, it says, ranges from "evocative luxury hotels and historic boutique properties to the finest safari camps and elegant small ships", and the company says it seeks out "restaurants that showcase the very best of regional cuisine".

Private journeys are described as "crafted for just your traveling party, whether 1 or 2 guests or traveling with family and friends", with "your own expert guides, private vehicle, and flexible schedule". The tagline for them is "Your Journey • Your Date • Your Way". Small-group trips carry the 16-guest cap on every page that mentions them. Some itineraries go further on logistics: the Italy by Rail trip is sold with private touring, hotels and transfers, and the Tuscany, Amalfi and northern Italy trips are "Chauffeured throughout with Private Sightseeing".

The site does not say where tours meet or whether airport transfers are included on every itinerary, and it does not address accessibility, fitness requirements or minimum ages for children.

Booking, pricing and support

Every tour in the search results has a "Request a Quote" button beside its "From" price, and the site offers a phone line, 800-221-2216, open Mon-Fri 9am-8pm ET, with the note "or call your travel advisor". There is a separate Travel Advisor Login, so the company works with outside agents as well as selling direct. Brochures can be downloaded or requested by mail, email offers are available by sign-up, and a Reviews section and a Trustpilot badge appear on every page.

The site's tour listings and history page do not set out deposit, payment or cancellation rules, and the footer links a separate Terms & Conditions page. The "From" prices are starting points, and the homepage savings offers are quoted per couple or per solo traveler rather than as a final fare.

What to check before booking

The site gives a clear picture of the company's style: long history, English-speaking local guides, group size capped at 16, luxury hotels and a strong private-travel option for the same itineraries. What it leaves to the individual trip page or the phone call is the detail: exact inclusions for each itinerary, what the "From" price covers, the deposit and cancellation terms, and anything about pace, walking or suitability for children. The private-journey pages set no minimum or maximum party size beyond "1 or 2 guests or traveling with family and friends".

This suits travelers who want an escorted trip with a fixed group ceiling, comfortable hotels and a named local guide, and who are happy to talk to an advisor before committing. It is less of a fit for anyone after budget travel or a fully self-serve online checkout, since every tour on the search page leads to a quote request rather than a booking button.