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Cultural tours holidays

We’ve selected 1312 unique cultural tours to offer you the best way to see the highlights of your destination. Cultural tours are about getting a real sense of a place through its history and traditions, whether that’s sailing slowly down the Ganges, cycling around the townships of Cape Town, following the footsteps of history along the Silk Road, or riding elephants and visiting remote hill tribes in Thailand. Immersive and historical, cultural tours help you get under the skin of destinations.

cultural tours holidays
India culture & wildlife holiday
The chance to spot India's symbolic tigers in the wild, from £1929 - £1959 (15 days ) inc UK flights
Ethiopia cultural holidays
Discover the historic wonders of Ethiopia, from £1975 - £2175 (14 days) ex flights
Rajasthan luxury tours
Endless possibilities in Rajasthan, from £775 - £1375 (7 days) ex flights
Cambodia tour, tailor made
Majestic Temples of Angkor & bustling Phnom Penh, from £1835 (14 days) inc UK flights
Silk Road tour, cities of the Silk Road
Journey through Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, from £2450 (14 days) ex flights
Holidays to Cuba
A comprehensive and intriguing tour, from £1618 - £2041 (16 days) inc UK flights
Jordan holiday, a week in Jordan
A week to explore the spectacular sites and scenery of Jordan, from £1199 - £1499 (9 days) inc UK flights
Delhi to Kathmandu tour
An inspiring cultural tour, from £860 - £945 (15 days) ex flights
Small group tours to Japan
Explore the backroads of Japan, from £2690 (15 days) ex flights
Mali cultural holiday
Immerse yourself in Mali’s wonders, from €1640 (11 days) ex flights
Kimberley holidays in Western Australia
Experience the true spirit of the Kimberley, from AU $2290 (8 days) ex flights
Kerala homestay tour, India
Stay in homestays in various destinations in Kerala, from £1230 (15 days) ex flights
Borneo tailor made tour on a shoestring
The Best of Borneo: Wildlife, Adventure, Idyllic Islands, from £1995 (12 days) inc UK flights
Laos holidays, tailor made
Explore the beautiful Golden Triangle area, from £2500 (12 days) inc UK flights
Egypt desert & culture tour
Enjoy ancient Egypt and the beauty of the present from, from £985 - £1100 (14 days) ex flights
Sri Lanka tour & beach holiday
Tropical island paradise and wildlife safari, from £1875 (15 days) inc UK flights
Holiday in Peru & Inca Trail
A comprehensive journey through Peru, from £2799 - £3089 (21 days ) inc UK flights
Amalfi Coast and Bay of Naples holidays
One of Europe's most dramatic stretches of coastline, from £999 - £1099 (8 days) inc UK flights
Small group holiday to Burma
South East Asia as it used to be, from £2395 - £2825 (15 days) inc UK flights
Indochina small group tours
Explore Cambodia's history culture & wildlife, from £2859 - £3359 (30 days ) inc UK flights
Rajasthan tours, India
Discover the evocative northern province of Rajasthan, from £697 - £945 (15 days) ex flights
North East India, Bhutan and Bangladesh tour
Journey the North Eastern region of the Indian subcontinent, from £3193 - £3278 (23 days) inc UK flights
Malawi tailor made holiday
A truly exceptional wildlife, mountain and Lake Malawi experience, from £2195 - £2245 (14 days) ex flights
Rural Argentina tours
Eco-tourism and gastronomy with local communities in Salta, from £795 - £955 (9 days) ex flights

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1529 reviews for cultural tours holidays4 star overall rating

These full and frank independent cultural tours holidays reviews are from travellers who have booked directly through responsibletravel.com. They are not edited by us or any of the companies we work with. Find the real story, from real travellers below.

Japan holidays, tailor made
The autumn colours were just amazing in Japan. Its a fascinating culture with so many memorable experiences, just a few spring to mind, walking the Nakesendo highway, staying at the Mitsui Garden hotel in Tokyo, the views are mind blowing from here, Geisha spotting in Kyoto... (more)Katherine Windibank
In all honesty it is very hard to pin point one defining moment. It was all brilliant. (more)Alan Brownlow
It's hard to say just which part was the most memorable because it all was (more)Janet Turnbull
From £3500 including UK flights
Holiday in Peru & Inca Trail
As each day passed it became my favourite day so far! The Inca Trail of course and the island home stay have to be my top two. The holiday was made all the more memorable because of the great group we were travelling with and of course our guide Dante. (more)Helen Leng
Sitting on top of WaynaPicchu looking at the cloud forest and mountains was the highlight. (more)Joanna Tupper
Walking the Inca Trail was the hardest thing I have ever done but the exhilaration and euphoria of the whole group as we walked through the Sun Gate is something money cannot buy and a memory that will last forever. (more)Christine Ingham
From £2799 - £3089 including UK flights
Tanzania holidays, Selous, Zanzibar & the coast
We had a great time and we will definitely recommend this holiday! (more)Natalie Lefevre
There were so many memorable moments - the experience of seeing lions hunting at Maasai Mara, and also seeing lion cubs, will stay with us forever. (more)Nicola Wilks
From £1970 excluding flights
Orangutans and Ibans tour to Borneo
The most memorable parts of the holiday were Borneo Rainforest Lodge in the Dannum Valley and climbing Mt. Kinabalu. (more)Zachry Brown
Fantastic experience, unforgettable. It surpassed all expectations. (more)Lois Froud
From £3750 including UK flights
History, culture & wildlife of India holiday
This was the trip of a lifetime for us. We asked for a trip that would take us off the beaten track, give us a chance to meet local people and learn about local activities and customs, and give us a good introduction to the culture and history of India. This trip surpassed our goals in every way. (more)Mary Vetter
Udaipur was the most memorable part of the holiday (more)Karen Young
The whole holiday was a highlight, it really was. Our 3 night stay at the Aakriti homestay with Rajat, Mughda and Renu was really memorable. Such a lovely welcoming family, their hospitality and warmth is out of this world, we really felt like members of the family. (more)Sharon Walker
From £1336 excluding flights
Rajasthan tours, India
We had many memorable and exciting experiences from this trip. Some of the local villages we visited were fantastic in terms of getting a glimpse of rural life in Rajasthan. We also stayed at some very interesting accommodation. (more)R and K Mackenzie
The most memorable part was the Camel Fair at Pushkar. To see so many camels and horses assembled in one spot was awesome. (more)Linda Williams
The most memorable parts of the holiday in Rajasthan were the diversity of the scenery and the people. The colours and the smells and the respect for cows are also etched into my memory. (more)Ingrid Jones
From £697 - £945 excluding flights
Cambodia holiday, beyond Angkor
The most memorable part of the holiday was the early morning visit to Angkor Wat temple to see the sun rise. (more)Rabea Khan
Most memorable werer the Jungle walks, sleeping in a temple on a sacred mountain and travelling by boat past floating villages... (more)Martin Smith
From £2300 - £2600 including UK flights
Tanzania holiday, safari, culture and wildlife 7 days
Fantastic! Amazing! Awe inspiring! The trip of a lifetime! Our most memorable moments were our interactions with the local people. Even though we booked this safari to see the Serengeti, we also wanted to make sure we spent an equal amount of time visiting and getting to know the people of Tanzania. We will forever hold in our hearts how warm and inviting everyone was. (more)Teresa VandenBosch
Fantastic. It was the perfect family holiday with a 12 year old and 14 year old. Always plenty to do, loads of variety, but never rushed. (more)Rebecca Rowland
Wow! where would we start? Muba - a great and knowledgeable guide with a tremendous sense of humour, Jackson a terrific cook and again a great sense of humour. Stumbling upon elephants whilst walking to the viewpoint at the Serengeti park gates. (more)Helen Brown
From US $1860 - US $2255 excluding flights
Self guided canoeing holiday in Ireland
As a family, the sense of teamwork was really noticeable... Occasionally we managed to stop the loud singing from our children and caught sight of kingfishers, herons, cormorants and all manner of wildlife... A fantastic family holiday – so glad we booked. (more)Fiona Penny
We had a fantastic 5 day self propelled Canadian canoe trip through beautiful, verdant Irish countryside. This was a perfect holiday to relax and enjoy the scenery as we paddled at our own pace down the idyllic River Barrow. (more)Clare Warrell
We had the most amazing time. Everything about the trip was incredible - the people we met, the landscape, the adrenalin, the "away from it all" feeling throughout! Will deffo be back for more first chance I get. (more)Sorcha NicCormaic
From £134 - £302 excluding flights
Family holiday in Vietnam
Memorable parts? When you've hiked in the Himalayas and the Andes, communed with the Bhutanese and the Mozambicans, you can't quite imagine that you could be stunned by something as simple as a Good Morning Vietnam trip. We were immersed in this really poor country, with the hint of past traumatic occupation and wars, and received the most generous opening of hearts from this 80% buddhist country. From the arts to economics, farmlands and the intensity of a 5-million motorcycle strong Saigon,... (more)Victoria Macdonald
From £2049 - £2422 including UK flights
Off the beaten track holiday in Vietnam
Excellent in all ways. Ms. Thanh Ha of the operator’s Saigon office provided detailed information and reminders, and she met us in Saigon to make sure everything was as we hoped. (more)Sandy Snyder
Eating and experiencing the beauty of Vietnam was the most memorable part...Brilliant. Wouldn't hesitate in doing it again and recommending to anyone wanting some happy healing holiday happenings. (more)Anita Lowe
From US $2274 excluding flights
Australia holidays, tailor made
Memorable parts? There were two really memorable parts of the holiday: 1. The accommodation at Cape Otway. This is a fabulous place with great food and service. Lizzie and Shayne are so knowledgeable and passionate, it is really inspiring. We were surrounded by wildlife. We had breakfast with kangaroos grazing right in front of the window. We went on two dusk walks with Shayne, we got up close to koalas and tiger quolls, and fed sugar gliders. We wish we had stayed there longer and would... (more)Diane Bushell
From £4995 including UK flights
Malawi tailor made holiday
The most memorable part was locating and visiting Rita's brother's grave in Blantyre. Huntingdon House and meeting Chip. Safaris at Mvuu Camp...Excellent - the trip of a lifetime for all of us. (more)John Christie
Very good, we went to four very different locations and saw a great deal. (more)ian macbeth
From £2195 - £2245 excluding flights
Japan tailor made tour on a shoestring
Memorable parts? We absolutely had a blast on the whole trip. It was a busy, we tried to see a much as we could but enjoyed the holiday. Tips? Just show the train guard every ticket you might have when coming and going. once we didn't know we were suppose to show two tickets and they got a little annoyed with us. Local benefits? We tried to the chopsticks provided by the tour. One of the restaurant owners was so impressed he give us another set as gift. Overall rating? I... (more)Rebekah Schultz
From £540 excluding flights
Adventure holiday in Egypt
Memorable parts? Aaah! How can I narrow them down........flying in a hot-air balloon over the Valley of the Kings at Luxor and marvelling at it all below....riding a donkey through an Egyptian village for an hour......waking up extremely early in the morning, boarding our mini-bus and then along with 50 other tour buses escorted by police for the 3 hour drive across the desert to the Sudanese border to witness the magnificence of Abu Simbel......driving under the Suez Canal.......climbing... (more)Julie Henry
From £949 excluding flights
Morocco family holiday
Excellent experience, especially for the children. A great tour to get an idea of different ways of life in Morocco, from rural villages to big cities. (more)Kate Newman
All amazing - sea kayaking over the sunken city, trip on the Gulet, theatre at Xanthos and friendly Turkish people...Relaxing, fun, educational. (more)Amanda Weaver
From £689 - £879 including UK flights
Kerala culture and backwaters holiday, India
Memorable parts? We (a married couple of mature years) spent two nights at a homestay situated within a bird sanctuary. The family, four generations, gave us a touchingly friendly welcome ('this is your home'), and at dawn our host took us to a rocky promontory where we sat as the sun rose over the jungle and the birds began their day - hornbills, bulbuls, sunbirds, woodpeckers, mynahs, parakeets, etc, etc. We counted at least 35 species including, on the way back, a pair of frogmouths,... (more)Robin Fox
From £540 excluding flights
Vietnam culture and beach holiday
It was excellent. I would definitely recommend this sort of tour for a first visit. We had never had a guide or arranged tour before so it really made the difference knowing that tours had been prepaid and pick ups and cars had been pre arranged. (more)Val Bodington
Both the visit to the Cu Chi tunnels and the day on the Mekong Delta was the most memorable. (more)Emma Miller
From US $1038 excluding flights
Morocco walking holiday with nomads
Memorable parts? The people in the group, including the guide and nomad family that we hiked with. Such good spirits. Tips? Bring a towel, wet wipes, books. There is time to savor the afternoons. Local benefits? Yes, I felt that our visit did help the nomad family and mule handlers. We learned about each theirs cultures and they sure benefited by having some income to supplement their goat herding. Overall rating? It was a wonderful mix of exotic city pleasures,... (more)Kathy House
From £795 excluding flights
North India cultural tour
A very good trip. Varanasi, the camaraderie of group members and our group leader and seeing India in action were the best parts of the trip. (more)Michael Adams
I am in my 50s and I found the pace excellent - no more than 3 nights anywhere - arrive - shower/rest - orientation walk then choose your activities and what a great diversity of activities. I found it stimulating and fun. (more)Hazel Durbridge
From £820 - £900 excluding flights
Budget tours in Vietnam
Memorable parts? The overnight stay on a junk boat in Halong Bay was definitely one of the highlights. The boat was fantastic quality, staff were very pleasant and the food was some of the best we had on the holiday. Add that to the amazing scenery and it made for a fantastic end to the trip. The other memorable thing is just how nice, friendly and helpful the tour leader (Kakada) was - he really pulled out all the stops to make sure we had a great time. Tips? We had quite a few... (more)Lisa Brooks
From £579 including domestic flights only
Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh holiday in Vietnam
Best holiday ever!!! Had a wonderful group of people on the tour, aged from 19 to 70, singles, couples. We all got on really well and enjoyed spending time together. Riding round Hue on the back of a motorbike. (more)mary souster
Fantastic experience, would recommend it and would book another holiday with the operator. (more)Debra Hamilton
The Halong Bay overnight boat trip was fascinating, the trip into the Mekong Delta most enjoyable, but perhaps the two days in Hoi An gave us the best flavour of the country - varied activities and relaxing. (more)Andrew Jackson
From £710 - £900 excluding flights
Kerala budget holiday, tailor made
Memorable parts? Munnar was lovely but so was the backwaters and Varkala beach. Best bit though was staying at Koshy's home stay in Kumily. Really enjoyable and great facilities even if the hot water was limited. Tips? Take up the organic farm, we dropped it but so many said how great it was. Also, one day on the boat is enough. Local benefits? Homestay was great, and most of the hotels felt small and locally run so that was good. Driver was great but not sure driving just... (more)Stacy Smith
From £994 excluding flights
Laos holidays, tailor made
Fabulous 10 out of 10...the best part was sailing down the Mekong River from Northern Thailand to Luang Prabang. (more)Sarah blagdon
There were many memorable moments, but we loved arriving at Hin Boun park by boat - even if we did have to do a lot of pushing! and La Folie down in the south of Laos was perfect! (more)Lesley Duncan
From £2500 including UK flights
Small group holiday to Burma
Brilliant...Every day was a new discovery (more)mrs. m. buchanan
Excellent - the tour was well planned, the group worked well together and the Burmese countryside, monuments and people were amazing. The best part was wandering through the markets with their vibrant colours and smells, the fascinating foodstuffs and materials for sale and above all the friendliness of the people. (more)Paul Thompson
I had a superb time and recommend this trip highly the best thing was meeting the lovely people of Burma and seeing a country right on the cusp of change. (more)Maeve Anslow
From £2395 - £2825 including UK flights
Indonesia holiday, Isle of the Gods
Memorable parts? Getting to the crater of Mt Bromo Tips? Remember it rains in the wet season! Local benefits? Not sure it reduced envitonmental impacts. It benefitted local people because of the money we spent.we saw a project that supported organic rice farming. Overall rating? it was great, I learned a lot and enjoyed the company. (more)Philippa Drew
From £1075 - £1185 excluding flights
Small group holiday to Nepal
Sunrise over the Himalayas, totally took my breath away. Also seeing the rare one-horned Rhino, these are just fabulous......oh, and helping to wash an elephant..... (more)Jane Jones
Excellent...everything was just magical (more)Lillian Mott
The most memorable part was the city of Jaipur, especially the observatory. The Taj Mahal. Our guide (he was brilliant)...As a first visit to India it was perfect. (more)Ian Reid
From £1999 - £2149 including UK flights
Sri Lanka holidays, tailor made
The elephant safari, or swimming in the Indian Ocean at sunset were the most memorable parts of the holiday (more)Emma Coleman
A brilliant introduction to the east for children. Local people are peaceful and welcoming. The diversity of this small island is amazing. (more)Alex Buck
Excellent - exceeded expectations...We saw a multitude of birds and wildlife and were lucky enough to see leopard and elephant walk down the track and pass close by the side of the jeep (more)Val Cardwell
From £1725 including UK flights
Burma tailor made holiday
It was a wonderful holiday which I have been recommending to everyone I meet! The highlights were the elegant pink nuns we met along the way wielding a double handed saw to cut down some trees. The village family we visited, seeing their house and meeting their neighbours sharing tea with them all and trying on their national costumes. (more)Janette Gledhill
Very good - all arrangements were exactly as described in the agreed itinerary. ..The whole trip was action packed and very enjoyable so it is difficult to itemise a specific memorable or exciting part although it is fair to say that the visit to the stunning Shwedagon Pagoda on the first evening set the scene for the holiday (more)Fran Pearce
The most positive memories of our trip were the journey to, and being at, the Kyaiktiyo Pagoda and the days hike we had in the countryside at Lake Inle. (more)Mike Smalley
From £1625 excluding flights
Borneo tailor made tour on a shoestring
If we had to name a specific high I think it'd have to be the private river cruises that we went on from the Abai Jungle Lodge. They were each so magical, romantic and different - I can't describe how wonderful they made us feel. But in truth the trip was packed with moments like this - hearing a turtle breath, seeing pygmy elephants up close and wild!! (more)Rob Skinner
I enjoyed every aspect of my holiday. However, diving among turtles, in the beautiful turquoise waters of Lankayan Island, was definitely a particularly exciting and memorable moment...All the local people were delightful and could not do enough to help. Borneo is a very beautiful place and I hope to go back very soon. I would not hesitate in recommending this holiday. (more)Jenny Sanders
It was amazing.. A day didn't go by without me having a 'moment'...the highlight here was seeing the orang-utans at the rehab centre, what a great sight to see them feeding...finally our most special time was spent on Lankyan Island, a paradise of turquoise sea and white sands, walking into the warm seas and seeing the most fantastic range of marine wildlife all feeding on the protected reefs circling the island just inches from your feet! (more)Martin Kent
From £1995 including UK flights

Holiday Reviews

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Unedited reviews from other travellers

5 stars
I am reborn! Simply the best holiday I have ever been on
4 stars
Some great stories to tell the grandchildren. Would recommend to a friend
3 stars
Very enjoyable
2 stars
It was OK
1 star
A bit disappointing really

Want to know more about cultural holidays before you go?

Find out more about cultural holidays by reading these articles.

Few of us enjoy the feeling of sticking out like a sore thumb when we are on holiday. We giggle about the strange habits of overseas tourists here in the UK, but maybe it’s them laughing at us when we are away on holiday? However sometimes cultural faux pas are no laughing matter. Although our intentions might be good some of our behaviour can inadvertently cause great offence in destinations. For example, that little pink mini skirt which looks great in Brighton or Miami can, when worn away from the beach in Muslim countries, cause offence. The same types of culture clashes happen in conservative Christian communities in Polynesia, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. Beyond causing offence to individual people tourism can impact on the culture in entire destinations. The tourism industry packages up and sanitises religious rituals, dress, ethnic rites and festivals to conform to tourist expectations. Once a destination begins to see itself through the eyes of tourists it begins to lose its sense of itself and its identity (and pretty quickly the reason why tourists came in the first place). Read more about cultural holidays in this cultural holidays article.
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