Intrepid Travel US: Premium vs Standard Small Group Trips

Intrepid Travel US runs both standard small group trips and a "Premium" tier, and the difference comes down to how much of the trip is upgraded rather than a different style of travel. Both are small group tours with local leaders; Premium trips layer on better accommodation, more included meals and experiences, and often smaller group sizes. If you want the same Intrepid format with more comfort and fewer add-on costs, Premium is the version to compare against the standard itinerary for the same destination.

What "Premium" changes in practice

Intrepid's own site groups Premium trips under a dedicated section and labels them individually (for example "Premium Japan," "Premium Iceland," "Premium Peru"). Based on the trip listings shown on the homepage, the consistent signals are:

• Accommodation tier — Premium itineraries are positioned as the higher-comfort option within the same destination, which is why they sit at the top of the price range for that country.
• Included experiences — Premium trips tend to bundle signature experiences into the trip rather than leaving them as optional extras. The homepage examples include "Zen from the source" (Premium Japan), "Farm-to-table, Peru style" (Premium Peru in Depth), and "Sail Naxos with Nikos" (Premium Greece in Depth).
• Group size and pacing — Premium itineraries are still small group trips, but the day counts and inclusions suggest a more structured, less DIY pace than the equivalent standard route.

What does not change: the small group format, the local leader model, and the "positive change since 1989" positioning that applies across the brand.

Typical Premium trip lengths and destinations

The Premium examples visible on the site span short city-and-region trips to multi-week country deep dives:

The pattern: "in Depth" trips run roughly two weeks and cover a country more thoroughly, while shorter Premium trips (6–9 days) focus on a single region or theme.

Price range: Premium vs standard

Using the fares shown on the homepage, the gap is visible but not uniform:

• Standard / lower-cost trips: Simply Turkey from USD $1,595 (10 days); Vietnam Express Southbound from USD $1,378 (10 days, discounted); Morocco Uncovered from USD $2,010 (13 days).
• Mid-range standard trips: Best of Costa Rica USD $3,770 (10 days); Western USA National Parks Loop USD $2,395 (6 days).
• Premium trips: Premium Peru from USD $4,464 discounted (9 days); Premium Iceland in Winter from USD $3,660 discounted (8 days); Premium Japan USD $7,515 (12 days); Premium Norway in Depth USD $14,575 (12 days); Premium Turkey in Depth USD $7,490 (15 days).

Two things to read carefully here. First, several Premium trips show a "From Was / Now" discount, so the current price can be meaningfully below the original — the Costa Rica in Depth example drops from USD $9,505 to USD $8,5xx. Second, price per day is often the fairer comparison: a 6-day Premium Dolomites trip at USD $5,495 is a very different proposition from a 16-day Premium Greece trip, even though both are "Premium."

Who should pick Premium

Choose Premium if:

• You want Intrepid's small group and local-leader format but would rather not spend time arranging transfers, meals, and headline experiences yourself.
• The destination is one where comfort matters to you — Iceland in winter, Norway, Japan, or a two-week country "in Depth" trip.
• You're comparing a Premium fare against a standard fare plus the optional activities you'd otherwise pay for separately; the Premium price may close the gap.

Stick with standard trips if:

• Budget is the primary constraint and you're happy to book some meals and activities on your own.
• You're doing a short, single-region trip where the accommodation upgrade matters less than the itinerary itself.
• You want the lowest entry price to a destination — Simply Turkey at USD $1,595 is a very different commitment from Premium Turkey in Depth at USD $7,490.

How to compare a specific pair before booking

1. Open the Premium trip page for your destination and note the day count, inclusions, and current "From" price.
2. Search the same country in the standard trip listings and find the closest equivalent route.
3. Compare price per day, not total price, since Premium and standard trips rarely match on length.
4. Check whether the Premium inclusions replace activities you would have paid for on the standard trip — that's where the real cost difference narrows.
5. Check the departure date shown (the homepage lists "lowest price" dates, which are often off-season) against the dates you can actually travel.

The most common mistake is comparing a discounted Premium fare against a full-price standard fare, or vice versa. Match the date and the inclusions before deciding the Premium premium is or isn't worth it.