In 2022, I quit my job as an advertising executive to travel the world. This journey was about traveling differently than I ever had before, and a quest for more purpose in my life. My journey traveling off the beaten path was a success, allowing me to connect with locals and fellow travelers. Traveling differently changed my life. When I returned, part of my purpose was to inspire others to change the way they travel and experience the world through a different lens. I learned the hard way as a solo traveler, but it doesn’t have to be that way for everyone. I am partnering with Tour Hero to offer customized group tours for like-minded travelers who want a solo, off-the-beaten-path travel experience but with a group.
The Tour Hero Group Tours Experience
The question I get asked most often is, “What is my favourite country?” I respond by saying it’s more about the experience and the journey than the destination. I share my experiences sailing across the Caribbean Sea to Colombia, camping in the Amazon, or hiking the Inca Trail. I then talk about the connections and friends for life I made on these journeys. There is something special about sharing an epic experience with a group of like-minded strangers. Of course, we love the sights, epic landscapes, and architecture, but it’s the connections and experiences that make travel truly special. Tour Hero shares this travel philosophy.
This is directly from the Tour Hero Website
“At Tour Hero, we practice what we preach. We are a group of like-minded individuals who’ve come together to help make group travel accessible, affordable, and most of all, unforgettable. With our combined travel knowledge and passion for adventure, we ensure your trips are run as if they were our own.”
This is why I chose this company as a partner for my group tours. They partner with hosts like me who understand that travel is about more than checking off a list. I believe that those who follow my journey agree with this travel methodology.
I had the chance to speak with Tour Hero Co-Founder and CEO Tushar Khandelwal, and this is how he positioned their value proposition:
At TourHero, our purpose is to bring us closer as humans, one journey at a time. Our lives have become overwhelmingly digital-first – we believe we live in the loneliest time ever and that we’re craving a sense of belonging that is best solved through real-world connection (and nothing beats 3 days on the road)!
Tushar Khandelwal,Tour Hero Co-Founder and CEO
The Tour Hero Approach to Travel Through Group Tours
Tour Hero has several guiding principles that set them apart from other tour companies.
- Travel community and connection. The Tour Hero model encourages like-minded people to come together, connect and share experiences through travel. “We aren’t just tourists but a community of like-minded travelers.” When I spoke with Tushar, he told me, “We are big fans of building around real people, real communities, and real connections.”
- They take care of the logistics. They create a group tour profile page with all the logistics. Detailed itineraries, booking details, budget-friendly payment plans, and pictures. Everything you need to book your bucket-list trip with Globe Digger Group Tours is here.
- Manage all the travel planning. They partner with handpicked local tour operators to create authentic local experiences. They secure the accommodations, plan activities and ensure an epic travel experience.
- Trips are highly customizable. As a host, the planning process starts with an AI tool based on the travel experience and destination I am looking for. After this initial phase, the human element kicks in to create the perfect itinerary. I can customize the trip by choosing accommodations, activities and trip activity levels.
- Travel is about more than checking off a list. The Tour Hero model isn’t solely focused on visiting top attractions; it’s about building a community. The lasting memories we make through travel come from the people we share the journey with, rather than the attractions themselves. Tour Hero believes in purposeful travel over a transactional travel experience.
The Globe Digger Group Tour Experience
Perhaps the request I hear most often from my audience is that they want to do exactly what I did, for example, in Thailand, but they don’t want to travel solo. So many people have a desire to travel solo off the beaten path, but are intimidated to actually do it. There is a fear of the unknown, but most don’t know how to go about it.
My mission is to offer a solo travel experience that is off the beaten path, but with a group of like-minded travellers. No canned itineraries, just an experience that would feel the same if I were doing the trip solo. My group tours focus on immersing in local culture, living like a local, and fostering meaningful connections with fellow travelers and locals alike. We will be doing foodie and bar tours, visiting local markets, exploring architecture, and learning about local customs. You know, living like a local. Of course, we will also visit the main sites and be “tourists,” but I want the experience to go beyond just checking off a list. Nothing drives me crazier than travelers who are constantly rushing to the next attraction.
Group Tours to Over 80 destinations
Tour Hero provides group tours to more than 80 destinations worldwide, with new locations added every day. There are tours for everyone, from challenging hikes to easy city getaways and everything in between. We could explore the Pyramids in Egypt, the challenging 5-day Inca Trail in Peru, or visit Barcelona, Spain, which is my upcoming group trip. Other popular destinations I have access to include Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Portugal, Italy, Croatia, Vietnam, and Japan. These are just a few of the available group tour options. The Tour Hero platform has hosted over 10,000 travellers encompassing over 100,000 travel days. Now that’s impressive!
Check out a blog I wrote featuring my upcoming group trip to Barcelona, Spain, with Tour Hero—Barcelona Trip With Tour Hero – The Ultimate Spain Adventure.
Custom Group Tours
All of my tours are custom tours, meaning I create the itinerary. How I do this depends on my audience and the travel experience they are looking for. I’ve shared what my audience wants for my first tours, and I am delivering on that. However, if a group approaches me and wants to do a tour to, let’s say, Egypt, and has ideas about what they want to do, we can absolutely make that happen, and I will put it together. Of course, I will be the host. My group tours are about you, not me.
My goal is to introduce travelers to a new way of travel, providing a solo off-the-beaten-path experience but with a group of like-minded travelers.
Custom Shared Interest Based Tours
So you’re a hardcore hiker or a yoga fanatic? Or part of another group, like a running club? Whatever your interest is, we can put together a custom-themed group travel experience for your group. These trips are a big part of the Tour Hero Value proposition and something they excel at, working closely with their hosts.
This is how Tushar articulated what separates Tour Hero from other tour providers:
“What separates us is simple:
We’re big believers that every community is different and we want to help everyone turn shared interests (yoga, hiking, run clubs, faith groups, photography) into highly personalized, community-driven travel experiences.When we do that, people can come together through meaningful, fully customized, bookable travel experiences. We don’t just help you “launch a dream trip”, we help you strengthen your community by giving you the tools and support to bring that vision to life.”
My Globe Digger Travel Journey
Globe Digger, AKA Geoff Josey, is a travel blogger and solo traveler from Canada. I am a former corporate executive who realized there had to be more to life than work, running the hamster wheel, and sleep. After exploring the world for 12 months, I never returned to my old life; now, with a new outlook, I share my journey through my blog, socials, and my podcast.
Thinking of taking a career pause to travel? Check out my book review of The Dip, which helped convince me to quit my job to travel the world. When to Quit Your Job? The Dip Had The Answer.
To follow me on my social media platforms, here are my links:
Youtube @Globe_DiggerSoloTraveller
To follow my podcast, click the link below. It can also be found wherever you get your podcasts. The Globe Digger Solo Travel Podcast.
If you are looking for a custom group tour experience that goes beyond canned itineraries, your search ends here. For me, travel is about digging deeper, making lifelong connections with like-minded travelers, and creating unforgettable memories. It’s about going beyond checking off a list. If this resonates with you, look no further. I can’t wait to join you on one of my upcoming group tours.
If you would like to join me on my summer 2026 trip to Barcelona, here is the link with all the details. No Spain, No Gain: 8 Days of Barcelona’s Best With Globe Digger.
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