We’ve all heard it before: A group vacation that made it out of the group chat, but the friend group never made it back in one piece. After all, there’s nothing worse than the unfortunate situation when you’re travelling with friends and come across disagreements. With years of friendship possibly at stake, how can you plan the perfect group vacation to ensure everyone has fun and the friend group stays intact?
At Holiday Tours, planning a group vacation isn’t new among our holiday advisors. As such, here are 6 tips you need to know when travelling with friends to ensure the trip doesn’t just make it out of the group chat but that you and your travel buddies will come back together too!
Tip 1: Let’s talk about the group vacation budget
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Before planning the group vacation, it’s important to establish a budget that everyone is comfortable with. This helps set the base for the adventure you can enjoy together and perhaps even make choosing a destination easier.
For example, are you and your friends looking to experience a luxurious getaway to pamper yourselves? This could mean that the group has to be comfortable to fork out a large sum to make the holiday and not everyone is capable of such a feat. Before assuming this possibility, it’s essential to have the group vacation budget already discussed so you can make plans for accommodations, excursions, and even book dining options.
However, it’s also nice to remember that travelling with friends doesn’t mean you must break the bank each time. Instead, you may just find a budget group vacation just as enjoyable as long as everyone agrees to this experience.
To further help with your group vacation budgeting, we recommend talking about how you’ll split the bills when it comes to paying at restaurants and more. After all, it might not seem fair if someone were to order the cheapest item off the menu but is expected to pay a complete share. Some friends may not see this as a big deal as you can always offset it with a dessert session afterwards, but it’s best to have these discussions up front.
Tip 2: Time to gather all hands on deck with planning
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Ready to plan your group vacation? Then it’s time to bring everyone together for a moment to talk about your must-go places or bucket list experiences. By including all the participants of the group travel in the planning stages, you’ll have fewer arguments while you’re at your holiday destination as everyone would have already agreed on these plans.
This is why it’s important to listen to all the suggestions from your friends and always keep an open mind to all experiences. Working plans out on a shared sheet with as many details as possible will help put your itinerary in place, setting expectations for how your group vacation will turn out.
As a bonus, why not gather in person to discuss your group vacation plans? This not only helps you gather all feedback at once but can already set the excitement for everyone to look forward to the holiday. For friends who may not be able to do this as you reside in different states or countries, setting up a virtual “drinks” session might just be your solution to ensuring all hands are on deck with your group vacation planning.
Tip 3: Bookings, bookings, bookings!
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Depending on the size of your group vacation, it’s always best to make advanced bookings when you’re travelling with friends. This is especially true if you’re looking to visit popular restaurants or attractions that may not be able to accommodate large groups without prior bookings.
Of course, this doesn’t just apply to adventures but also to accommodations, flights, and even at-destination commuting. For instance, if you’re planning to move from destination to destination via a private hire, then you’ll want to speak to your driver if they can fit you as an entire group. Oftentimes, making these bookings can help reduce the stress of travelling with friends – ensuring nobody gets left behind in a foreign land.
To streamline the group vacation planning, it’s recommended that you delegate the bookings among different friends – allowing one friend to take care of accommodation bookings while the other tracks down restaurant reservations and so on. After all, travelling with friends is all about a group effort, and sharing the responsibilities can make your plans clearer and easier to track.
Tip 4: Overcommunication is the best communication when travelling with friends
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When it comes to travelling with friends, you’ll want to communicate or even over-communicate all your travel expectations. Understanding that everyone has a different travel style can help reduce disappointments between friends, especially since you’ll be experiencing a foreign land together.
For example, some of your friends may be early risers who want to take on the day from sunrise while others might expect to have an extra lie-in as they’re on a holiday. Communicating these travel styles to align with your itinerary planning is a great way to reduce group vacation stress, allowing for more great memories to be forged.
Subsequently, you’ll want to discuss food preferences to ensure everyone enjoys their meals while travelling with friends. Some travellers may see this as the perfect chance to try more street food offerings, while others might enjoy splurging on a Michelin-starred speciality while they’re exploring the country. Of course, it’s always possible to enjoy the best of both worlds but it always boils down to communicating your wants and needs among friends.
Tip 5: It’s a group vacation, but it’s okay to be alone sometimes
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Contrary to popular belief, you really don’t have to be stuck to your group of friends even if it’s a group vacation. As a tip from one of our holiday advisors, planning for some time alone can be highly beneficial when travelling with friends. These pockets of quiet are great for when you’re looking to do things that your friends might not enjoy and vice versa.
By taking some time to be alone, you’ll not only gain some time to decompress after travelling with your friends but can give you an exciting sense of independence in a foreign land. As such, we highly recommend looking to create a day or two when your itineraries don’t match in full.
For instance, you can always take an afternoon to do what’s been on your bucket list for the longest time. The group can then gather again in the evening, allowing everyone to share stories from their “alone days” – and who knows, it might be interesting enough that you could return another day as a group!
Tip 6: Keep the night before you leave as your last hurrah
Photo by Finally, it’s worth considering to keep the night before you leave as your last hurrah. Whether it’s going for a great meal together or staying in to chat about the memories you’ve made through the trip, reminiscing always helps heighten the mood of your group vacation and may even leave you craving more.
Keeping this final night empty in your itinerary also makes it easier for you to share pictures and videos with each other, or simply to spend time cleaning up the accommodation in case you’ve booked a homestay experience. Furthermore, it would also give you the headspace to pack up and get ready to return to your daily lives.
So, whether you’re looking to turn it into an evening of peace and laughter or want to go for a night out together, we definitely recommend having this moment to draw the perfect end to your group vacation.
Where should you go for a group vacation?
Now that you’ve ticked the most important boxes of planning the perfect group vacation, there’s just one question left answered – where should you go when travelling with friends? Well, here are some inspirations to help you discover holiday destinations that make great group vacation spots!
Phuket, Thailand
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Nestled in southern Thailand, Phuket is a crowd favourite when it comes to travelling with friends. With bustling beach scenes where parties are held from dusk till dawn, there’s plenty to experience when you and your friends embark on a trip to this gorgeous island.
For adventurous groups who would prefer to broaden their horizons within Thailand, Contiki’s 5-day, 4-night Thai Island Hopper West excursion might just be the trip for you! Covering 3 of Thailand’s most popular tourist islands, your group vacation will start you off from the sights of Phuket before being whisked away to Phi Phi Island. Boasting golden soft beaches and pristine clear waters, this is the perfect vacation for groups seeking a blend of party vibes and relaxing times.
Your excursion then leads you to the Krabi Islands on the next day, where you can experience the exotic paradise at your own pace while sipping on coconuts or sampling the best meals Thailand has to dish out. Before long, you’ll wish you could stay a little longer with your group of friends and we don’t blame you – there’s just so much Thailand has to offer when travelling with friends.
Taiwan
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If you’re travelling with friends who are all about the food scenes during a holiday, then planning a group vacation to Taiwan is a must. With plenty of markets operating both night and day, Taiwan is a true haven for foodie adventurers to explore. Beyond street food, you’ll also spot many popular eateries with years of history that may have even made it on the Michelin food guide.
This, however, doesn’t mean Taiwan comes short with fun adventures. Over at the Shifen Village, you’ll find the Pingxi Railway Line where you can release the popular sky lanterns. It’s one of the three villages where this activity is legal in Taiwan and is a true sight to behold when everyone releases their sky lanterns carrying their wishes at once.
Popping into Shifen to release the sky lanterns makes for a fantastic memory among friend groups, and if you have couples within the circle, it might just be one of the most romantic destinations for you to pop the question.
Seoul, South Korea
Photo by Are you and your friends ready to live out your K-drama dreams? In that case, we simply cannot recommend Seoul enough for a group vacation. A bustling metropolis, Seoul is a city that never sleeps and offers plenty to see, shop, and savour across every street. From picking up traditional bites off a random street food cart to settling down by a Korean BBQ spot, there’s no way better to enjoy your group vacation.
Furthermore, many friend groups have also found dressing up in traditional Korean hanboks a great way to remember their group vacation. In fact, there’s a whole new vibe to exploring Seoul while wearing a hanbok and travelling with friends. To immortalize these moments, you may even choose to book a photoshoot package – an activity that’s gained much popularity in recent years in Seoul.
If you have some extra time during your group vacation, we’d suggest making a day trip or even spending a night in Busan. As a large port city, Busan is home to beautiful sights of the beach, mountains, and colourful architecture. While you’re there, don’t forget to book a ride on the Haeundae Sky Capsule that frames the city’s skyline.
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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On our list for a group vacation destination much further away is the city of Amsterdam in The Netherlands. With Amsterdam celebrating their 750th year in 2025, this is the perfect time to visit as there are a wide variety of special events being held. You can find more information from our round-up of Events Around the World You Cannot Miss in 2025.
Outside of this celebration, however, Amsterdam is still a fantastic holiday spot when travelling with friends. A melting pot of cultures, the city is always ready to welcome visitors with its laid-back markets, unique bar scenes at night, and endless rows of picturesque canals throughout the day.
Museum-loving groups will also love how there’s a museum for quite literally everything – from the famous paintings of Vincent van Gogh to a museum encapsulating all things cat aptly named the “KattenKabinet” or Cat Cabinet. If you’re lucky, you might even bump into and be allowed to pet one of their resident felines at the museum.
As you can see, there’s simply no time like the present to take your group vacation plans out of the group chat.