From a couple, to a family, to a larger group of friends, students, or travelers with you at the head of the group, you can organize and lead your own private tour with the help of Go With Friends. We work with you to define an itinerary and its inclusions, make land reservations (in the case of groups), and provide you with the necessary tools to guide your group and navigate your itinerary. See more details on leading your own group, at the bottom of this page.
Below are sample itineraries in the form of simple frameworks to spark ideas and inspire travel. More samples available. These can be shortened, lengthened, combined, customized. Cost is not posted as it depends on many variables; every self-guided tour is unique.. Contact us for more information.
“We sincerely and greatly appreciate all the time, energy, knowledge, and expertise it takes to identify, coordinate, and produce such memorable life experiences. ”
Samples
11-day France: Paris, Loire Valley, Provence
Day 1: Flight (own arrangements)
Day 2-5: Paris visits (museums, neighborhoods, churches, etc.); cruise on the Seine river; excursion to Versailles.
Day 6-7: Tours (Loire Valley): Train to Tours; visit historic city center; excursion to 2-3 major royal Châteaux and local wineries.
Day 8-10: Avignon: Train to Avignon; visit historic center and bridge; wine tasting excursion to Beaumes-de-Venise, Gigondas, Châteauneuf-du-Pape; excursion to Arles by train.
Day 11: Transfer to Marseille airport for return flight to the U.S. (own arrangements).
15-Day Italy: Cinque Terre, Tuscan region, Rome, Sorrento/Amalfi Coast
Day 1: Flight (own arrangements)
Day 2-4: Cinque Terre: Transfer to one of the villages; Begin area explorations; train excursion to 4 other villages; free time on day 4 for hiking or beach time.
Day 5-8: Tuscan region: Travel to Florence; walking guided visit of historic city center; museum visits; free afternoon on day 6; excursion to Montalcino for an exclusive wine tasting; visit San Gimignano; train to Siena for walking guided visit.
Day 9-11: Amalfi Coast: Train to Naples; excursion to Pompei with guided visit; continue to Sorrento (overnights); hydrofoil to the island of Capri for a day visit; excursion to Positano, Ravello, and Amalfi with optional beach time.
Day 12-14: Rome: Train to Rome; guided visits of Colosseum, Forum; visit several main sites including St Peter's Basilica and St Peter's Square; optional visit of Vatican Museums; free afternoon on day 14.
Day 15: Flight to the U.S. (own arrangements)
9-Day Spain: Madrid, Segovia, Toledo, Granada or Sevilla
Day 1: Flight (own arrangements)
Day 2-5: Madrid: Site and museum visits; excursion to Segovia
Day 6: Toledo
Day 7-8: Granada or Sevilla
Day 9: Return flight to the U.S. (own arrangements)
More Details on Leading Your Own Group:
Arles, France
If you are considering organizing and leading your own private small group tour with students or people from your social circles, please read on.
A basic requirement is that you, the prospective leader, have already traveled abroad and toured a country once. It’s amazing what can be learned during a hands-on trip of discovery. Following is the general procedure to follow to organize your own tour with our help:
Contact family at large, friends, neighbors, colleagues, club members, adult students, customers, etc. once you have discussed travel ideas with GWF and we have drafted a general itinerary to pass around. GWF works with you to build a brochure and calculates the estimated price range for your tour. Many variables go into pricing, such as number of participants, accommodation and transportation types, inclusions, currency exchange rates, etc. Once you introduce your tour and your travelers enroll through GWF, we secure the land portion of the tour. Travelers purchase their own flights as airfare is not included in our programs due to most travelers preferring different options and ways to purchase flights. There is more flexibility for travelers this way.
GWF stays in contact with the leader while the leader keeps in contact with their travelers and passes on information. Payments are sent directly to GWF. Close to departure, the group's detailed itinerary containing reservations and contact information, as well as other tools necessary to the success of your tour, are sent directly to you, the leader. During the travel portion, GWF is available by phone or Internet to assist and support you if any emergency arises.