- The Krakow to Zakopane and Thermal Hot Bath Day Trip in Poland is Europe’s best-rated tour, scoring the highest in the index ranking which analyzed Tripadvisor.
- The Ephesus, House of Mary, Artemis Temple tour in Turkey follows in second place.
- The City Explorer: Hop On Hop Off Liverpool Sightseeing Bus Tour is in third place.
As well as few days off, Christmas also offer a chance to go away as a family, often abroad as everyone is free from day-to-day responsibilities. With this desire to explore in mind, the Krakow to Zakopane and Thermal Hot Bath Day Trip is revealed to be Europe’s best-rated tour for tourists.
Travel experts at Miro & Sons Kotor Tours analysed Tripadvisor reviews for 1,489 tours in Europe to determine which ones are best rated. To create the ranking, each tour’s number of reviews, star rating, ticket price, available languages and number of reviews that contain positive keywords such as ‘excellent’ and ‘beautiful’ were analyzed. Based on these factors, an overall score out of 100 was calculated for each tour, which the final ranking is based.
The 10 best-rated tours in Europe
| Rank | Tour | Number of Tripadvisor reviews | Average star rating on Tripadvisor | Price | Number of available languages | Number of positive keywords per review on average | Final score |
| 1. | Krakow to Zakopane and Thermal Hot Bath Day Trip – Poland | 4,095 | 5 | £52 | 9 | 0.99 | 65.57 |
| 2. | Ephesus, House of Mary, Artemis Temple – Turkey | 842 | 5 | £15 | 4 | 0.47 | 65.08 |
| 3. | City Explorer: Hop On Hop Off Liverpool Sightseeing Bus Tour – England | 506 | 5 | £12.50 | 4 | 0.76 | 63.86 |
| 4. | Isle of Skye and Eilean Donan Castle Day Tour from Inverness – Scotland | 633 | 5 | £68 | 7 | 0.74 | 62.37 |
| 5. | Authentic Douro Wine Tour Including Lunch and River Cruise – Portugal | 2,030 | 5 | £110 | 2 | 1.23 | 60.93 |
| 6. | Goreme to North Cappadocia Tour, Guide, Lunch and Transfers – Turkey | 843 | 5 | £37 | 4 | 0.41 | 60.67 |
| 7. | Outlander Film Locations Day from Edinburgh – Scotland | 759 | 5 | £63 | 7 | 0.61 | 60.38 |
| 8. | Antalya Full Day City Tour – With Waterfalls and Cable Car – Turkey | 1,283 | 5 | £9 | 1 | 0.55 | 59.1 |
| 9. | Sintra to Cascais: 2 Palaces, 4 Sites – Portugal | 1,695 | 5 | £87 | 3 | 0.68 | 59.07 |
| 10. | Great Montenegro Tour-Lovcen NP, Mausoleum Lovcen, River of Crnojevic, Sveti – Montenegro | 443 | 5 | £65 | 1 | 2.11 | 59.06 |
- Krakow to Zakopane and Thermal Hot Bath Day Trip – Poland
Topping the list as Europe’s best-rated tour is the Krakow to Zakopane and Thermal Hot Bath Day Trip with Transfer in Poland, with an overall score of 65.57 out of 100 in the study.
This five-star rated tour has 4,095 reviews, with a price tag from £50, which is half of the average cost for a tour. The live guide is in English, but there are written guides in Arabic, Norwegian, German, Russian, Italian, French, Dutch and Spanish. Tourists can enjoy Tatra Mountain views on this Zakopane trip, with Thermal Baths, a Mt. Gubałówka funicular ride, a Krupowki Street stroll, and a stop in Chocholow for cheese and vodka.
- Ephesus, House of Mary, Artemis Temple – Turkey
In second place is a group tour of Turkey’s Ephesus, House of Mary and Artemis Temple, with a score of 65.08 out of 100.
Rated five stars on Tripadvisor with a total of 842 reviews, this trip costs from £15 and has live guides in Russian, Japanese, English and Spanish. This top-rated Ephesus tour includes Kusadasi Port pickup/drop-off, lunch, and transport. Explore Ancient Ephesus and Mary’s House with a local guide, who will share historical insights and photo spots.
- City Explorer: Hop On Hop Off Liverpool Sightseeing Bus Tour – England
Liverpool’s City Explore is the third best-rated group tour, with a score of 63.86 out of 100.
This five-star rated sightseeing bus tour has 506 reviews and is the second-cheapest experience in the ranking at just £12, offering a live guide in English and written guides in German, Italian, French and Spanish. Tourists can enjoy unlimited access on the city’s open-top hop-on, hop-off bus, riding past top attractions such as the Liverpool Cathedral, Lord Street and Pier Head.
- Isle of Skye and Eilean Donan Castle Day Tour from Inverness – Scotland
Fourth on the list is the Isle of Skye and Eilean Donan Castle Day Tour from Inverness, with an overall score of 62.37 out of 100.
This Scottish tour is rated five stars on Tripadvisor, with a total of 633 reviews and costing visitors from £65. The tour offers an English live guide, with audio guides in German, Chinese, Portuguese, Italian, French and Spanish. Tourists experience some of Scotland’s most important sights from Inverness to the Isle of Skye, including the famous Loch Ness, Eilean Donan Castle and across Skye Bridge.
- Authentic Douro Wine Tour Including Lunch and River Cruise – Portugal
The Authentic Douro Wine Tour Including Lunch and River Cruise follows in fifth place, scoring 60.93 out of 100.
On average, this Portuguese wine tour has a five-star rating and a total of 2,030 reviews, costing from £107 per adult, with Portuguese, English and French as the languages for the live guide. The Douro Valley tour includes a cruise on the Douro River, wine tasting sessions and riding along the scenic N222 road.
- Goreme to North Cappadocia Tour, Guide, Lunch and Transfers- Turkey
Goreme to North Cappadocia Tour in Turkey takes sixth spot, with an overall score of 60.67 out of 100.
This five-star rated tour has a total of 843 reviews and is priced from £36, offering a live guide in Chinese, Russian, Japanese, English and Spanish. This tour from Goreme covers seven highlights in north Cappadocia, including the Zelve Open-Air Museum, Devrent Valley’s landscapes, Uchisar Castle, and Çavusin’s ancient settlement.
- Outlander Film Locations Day from Edinburgh – Scotland
In seventh place is an Outlander Film Locations Day from Edinburgh, scoring 60.38 out of 100.
Rated five stars on Tripadvisor with a total of 759 reviews, this film locations tour is from £60, with a live guide in English and audio guides in German, Chinese, Portuguese, English, Italian, French and Spanish. The tour offers visitors to explore Scotland’s scenic Outlander filming locations from crumbling castles and rolling highlands.
- Antalya Full Day City Tour – With Waterfalls and Cable Car – Turkey
The Antalya Full Day City Tour in Turkey ranks eighth, with a score of 59.1 out of 100 in the study.
This five-star rated tour has 1,283 reviews and is the cheapest on the list priced from £9, but only a live guide in English. Tourists can explore historic sites such as Hadrian’s Gate, the Clocktower, waterfalls and mosques.
- Sintra to Cascais: 2 Palaces, 4 Sites – Portugal
Ninth on the list is Sintra to Cascais: 2 Palaces, 4 Sites tour scoring 59.07 out of 100 in the study.
On average, this Portuguese tour is rated five stars and has 1,695 reviews in total, priced from £86 and offering a live guide in Portuguese, English, French and Spanish. In a guided tour, visitors explore Sintra’s rich history, including Pena National Park, Palácio and Quinta da Regaleira, and Cascais Marina.
- Great Montenegro Tour-Lovcen NP, Mausoleum Lovcen, River of Crnojevic, Sveti – Montenegro
Completing the ten best-rated tours in Europe is the Great Montenegro Tour, with a score of 59.06 out of 100.
Rated five stars on Tripadvisor with a total of 443 reviews, this tour is from £64 and offers a live guide in English. Tourists can experience Montenegro’s top sights on a day tour, including Kotor, Budva, Njegusi village, Lovcen National Park, as well as a scenic boat ride on the Crnojevic River.
Magdalena Petrusic, travel expert from Tours & Tickets, commented on the findings,
“The close proximity of these scores illustrates the sheer popularity of exploring Europe through group tours, with a range of languages offered to tourists and price ranges to suit everyone.
“Each of the mentioned tours is rated an impressive five stars on Tripadvisor, however, this study looked beyond this. The combination of language accessibility, cost, number of reviews and specific positive keywords are all key factors for determining the ‘best’ experiences for tourists.”
