Few international journeys are as stress-free as international tour packages where all you have to do is show up with your luggage and a sense of adventure. With someone else booking all the accommodation, attractions, meals, transportation and taking care of the logistics of getting to and from each place, you can really immerse yourself and visit many destinations at a discounted rate.

International tour packages offer enormous cost savings as the tour company gets a cheaper rate when booking for a group, especially on accommodation and transport, particularly when travelling through multiple countries. When you first arrive in a new destination, you’ll probably need some accommodation, at least for the first night and Agoda and Booking.com have some great deals.

My very first trip to Europe was on a Contiki tour and it was an unforgettable journey I think every traveller should experience as a rite of passage. We opted for the hotel option and spent five intense weeks visiting Europe’s most iconic destinations. Yes, it was tiring getting up early every day which didn’t end until we collapsed in bed, often in a new hotel bed every second day. I probably wouldn’t have opted to do everything on the itinerary if I had planned it independently, but part of the joy of travel is trying new experiences. This guided tour with Contiki laid down the groundwork for a lifetime of epic travels and a treasure trove of memories.

Here are five international tour packages offering incredible value and a 10% discount when you book from 4^th September to 14^th December 2023 and travel between 1^st April and 31^st October 2024.

International Tour Packages and Trafalgar Tours: European Whirl (12 days)

Full disclosure, when I was on Contiki we would often encounter Trafalgar tour groups visiting the same destinations. We’d cheekily refer to them as Antiki Tours. It’s not so funny now as I’m no longer eligible for Contiki’s cut-off age of 35. Interestingly, both Trafalgar and Contiki have a European Whirl tour and I know which one I’d prefer for the pace and accommodation standard, especially as there’s not that much difference in price.

On the European Whirl tour, prices start at $4,226 with Trafalgar if you leave on 22^nd November 2023 for a 12-day whirlwind tour starting in London. You’ll take the Eurostar to Brussels and on to Amsterdam before embarking on a scenic cruise through The Netherlands and heading to Munich. You’ll undoubtedly get wonderfully lost in Venice, before heading to Rome, Florence, Lucerne and ending in Paris, where you might also find your inner French girl.

International tailored tours with Soul Sri Lanka

If a less-structured tour is more your thing, then Soul Sri Lanka will tailor a tour around you, ranging from day trips to lengthier journeys. Perhaps you’ve already travelled to Sri Lanka before and you’re seeking something out of the ordinary? Maybe you’re travelling with your family and you have some special requirements. Or you’re just after some transport to take you around the island, leaving you to your own devices at each destination. All of the above have applied to me at some point on my travels to Sri Lanka, and if you’re also one of those travellers looking for something beyond the mainstream, please click here to register your interest.

Trafalgar Tours: Tastes and Sounds of the South (10 days)

A 10-day Tastes and Sounds of the South tour of food and music through Nashville, Memphis and New Orleans leaving in December starts at $4,812. You’ll enjoy that southern fried cooking and hospitality the region is renowned for while immersing yourself in Nashville, and discovering why this city is known as Music City. Then you’ll head to the blues capital in Memphis where Graceland and Beale Street changed the course of music. New Orleans awaits as one of America’s oldest cities rich in culture and colour.

International Tour Packages with Insight Vacations: Best of Spain & Portugal (15 days)

Here’s one for art and architecture lovers as you sojourn through 17 cities across 15 days on the Best of Spain & Portugal tour. You’ll begin in Madrid via Salamanca and travel through Portugal’s Porto and Lisbon before returning to Spain to explore Seville, Gibraltar, Granada, Costa del Sol, Valencia and Barcelona before returning to Madrid. Highlights include Flamenco dancing, city tours, ancient sites, castles, whitewashed villages and tapas galore. If you book in January, prices start at $4,604, and since a good portion of the tour is in the Mediterranean, you’ll experience mild temperatures without all the crowds.

International Tour Packages with Costsaver: Vietnam and Cambodia Adventure (2 weeks)

I’ve travelled to Vietnam several times and each trip is like I’m experiencing it for the first time. Joining a Costsaver tour takes out the hassle of navigating the traffic and the logistical challenges, saving your energy for exploring Angkor Wat, cruising through Halong Bay on an overnight cruise, meandering through Hoi An’s ancient streets, snorkelling in Nha Trang and zooming through Ho Chi Ming City. Prices start at $4,659 when leaving in November 2023 across 10 iconic cities, and at just over $330 per day, this is excellent value for this Vietnam and Cambodia Adventure.

Costsaver: Jewels of Italy (1 week)

Centuries of tradition, heritage and culture await with the Jewels of Italy one-week tour. It doesn’t get any more iconic than Rome’s Colosseum, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Juliet’s balcony in Verona and floating through the canals of Venice. I personally think this trip would make a perfect honeymoon, offering a taste of Italy before leaving loved-up newlyweds to explore the country independently. With prices starting at $1,489 leaving in November and December, this offers incredible value.

For more savings, sign up for the Costsaver newsletter and save $150 per couple on your first trip. Trafalgar and Insight Vacations are offering $250 for signing up to their newsletters.

Time to book those flights with Skyscanner.