3-Week Vacation Packages

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I’m assuming you landed here because you have a holiday coming and deciding how to spend it. When you have as many as 20 days for a vacation, it can be overwhelming to think about how much planning there is to do.

When I started travelling, I did backpacking – both because I had a limited budget but also because I enjoy a DIY trip.

Eventually, I went to destinations where DIY was not the best approach and booking a package tour was more suitable. My three weeks in Vietnam were my first all-inclusive trip. I’m happy I did it there because my trip would have been a disaster if I had gone on my own.

In this article, you will find a list of the best 3-week vacation packages to book organised by continent. But before that, we’ll have a little discussion to see if a package tour is the way to go for your upcoming trip.

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE BOOKING A PACKAGE TOUR

2 images - on the left is Eiffel Tower. On the right is a karst limestone in Phuket Island - 3-week Vacation Package

Perhaps you’re still unsure if booking a tour is better than doing a DIY. I know what you mean though. It was hard for me to let go of the control in choosing the transportation option, the accommodation, and the order in which to see the attractions.

In this part, there are a few pieces of information and questions to ask yourself that will help you make the decision.

What is a vacation package tour

A vacation package tour is when you book a trip that includes most services and products such as activities, tickets, transportation, tour guide, porters, accommodations, and some meals.

The itinerary is often already set, the type of transportation has been chosen, and so are hotels. Think of it like a field trip through your school; all you have to do is pay and show up.

The main flights or transportation to the destination are not included. So, if you’re from the UK and the trip is to Thailand, you will need to book and pay for the flight from the UK to Thailand. Usually, the tour organiser will pick you up from the airport and also drop you off at the end of the trip.

Where to go

We’re not talking about deciding where to go but knowing what other destinations or stops are included on tour.

Let’s say you’re going to Thailand. When you book a vacation package, the tour will go to Thailand, but then, you want to know where in Thailand. Would it include the cities or islands you want to see, or would it go to places you don’t really care whether you visit or not?

Most vacation packages will cover the top attractions, it’s most designed for travellers going to a place that they haven’t been. Again, for Thailand, it will surely go to Bangkok, but for the islands, there are many, so it’s hard to say what will be included and what will not.

Let’s say you’ve been to Thailand before, and this time, you want to travel off the path or see the less-travelled areas of Thailand. In that case, it might not be a good idea to book a vacation package.

A 3-week vacation package to Thailand will most likely go to Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Krabi.

The great thing about a vacation package is the organisers usually make as many stops as possible, visiting as many places as they can fit in.

This means that this type of trip is perfect for those who enjoy a jam-packed itinerary and are making the most out of their holiday/

Cost

Probably the biggest concern is the cost. Many people would think that an all-inclusive tour will be more expensive. That can be true since you will be paying a person or a company to make all the bookings on your behalf.

But, it can also be more affordable than a Do-It-Yourself tour. This is because these tour companies have specific travel arrangements with tour operators, hotels, restaurants, and transportation companies.

This means that the tour organiser sometimes gets charged less than the retail price that is available to the public since they can bring more people or more customers.

Wait, would that just mean a tour organiser can charge the same price of the hotel and just pocket the discount? Yes, they can. However, vacation package tours are a competitive field, and as a tour operator, you want to offer the best prices compared to your competitors to attract more clients.

In addition, I personally would rather pay an expert and pay a little more to remove most of the stress of travel arrangements.

I did a 3-week vacation package in Vietnam, which was around $800. I know that I could have made that trip for $650, but it was my first time there, and I don’t speak the language.

I didn’t mind paying the extra $150 so I could simply enjoy the trip and avoid finding myself sitting in a bus station, unsure how to get to my next destination.

Inclusions

There are a lot of things included in a vacation package. For my Everest Base Camp hike (it was 14 days – out of my 3 weeks in Nepal), it included pretty much everything. The only thing I had to pay for was the tips for the porters and tour guide, snacks, and souvenirs.

Usually, these are included:

  • transportation
  • accommodation
  • entrance tickets
  • activities
  • meals – you will get 1-2 meals included and then have to pay for the rest
  • tour guide
  • porters
  • travel insurance – but only covers the basic, I recommend you get one on your own as well

Exclusion

In general, a vacation package tour is all-inclusive. But not in the same sense as a resort since there are still a few things that you have to pay on your own on top of the tour cost. These are:

  • drinks – bottled water, juices, sodas, and alcoholic
  • tips or gratuity
  • main flights
  • travel insurance – sometimes included
  • pocket money
2 images - on the left is Colosseum in Rome. On the right is white stone houses with blue roofs overlooks the ocean.

Flexibility/Add-ons

I also love it when the tour has flexibility. This is when you can pay extra for add-ons or upgrades.

Let’s say the transportation from point A to B is a bus, and it takes 7 hours. However, there’s an option to take the train for just 5 hours if you add $20 or the tour organiser can book you a flight for an extra fee.

The same goes for accommodations. Most of the time, the hotel room is a basic double room. But you can pay a bit more to be upgraded to a king room or a room with a balcony.

A good example is my Everest Base Camp hike. We had to take a flight from Kathmandu to Lukla to start our hike. Our plane was tiny and had a high chance of getting delayed if the weather was not good.

However, the tour organiser said that there’s an option to take the helicopter for an extra $100 per person. The helicopter never gets delayed and is much faster than those propeller planes.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • save you time from planning and researching
  • could sometimes come out as more affordable than DIY
  • less stressful
  • meet new people from everywhere in the world

Cons:

  • travelling with strangers
  • limited control on where to go, how to get around, what to see
  • can sometimes be more expensive than DIY

3-WEEK VACATION PACKAGE TOUR

Planning a 20-day trip can be a lot of work, especially if you want to see 4-5 cities. That’s a lot of arranging transportation from point A to B, not to mention researching what is the fastest, most affordable, or most convenient, depending on your travel style and budget.

This is the main reason I book package tours. Organising accommodations is fine with me since I want to know if the hotel is comfortable enough for me, but for transportation and getting tickets for each attraction, I don’t enjoy that part.

You can also book only 15 days out of your 20-day holiday. In this way, you can do a tour and also have some time to use on your own.

Below is a compilation of vacation package tours that you can book. They are all organised by continent. Plus, it shows if the tour is for young people or family-friendly.

3-week Africa Tour Package

It’s a good idea to travel to Africa on a package tour because it’s a challenge to arrange transportation, plus the road conditions are not very good in most parts. Hereare our 3 weeks in Africa itineraries compilation.

2 images - on the left are three giraffes along the river in Kruger Park South Africa. On the right is the Citadel of Machu Picchu in Peru

3-week Asia Tour Package

The great thing about Asia is the affordability; your budget can really go a long way. A 20-day trip there could cost between $800 to $1,000, versus $4000+ for Europe or North America. Read our Asia travel itineraries fo 3 weeks if you go with a DIY trip.

East Asia

Southeast Asia

THAILAND, LAOS, VIETNAM
THAILAND, VIETNAM, CAMBODIA
THAILAND, MALAYSIA, SINGAPORE
INDONESIA (ONLY)

South Asia

INDIA ONLY
INDIA, NEPAL, BHUTAN
SRI LANKA & MALDIVES

3-week Europe Tour Package

Having 20 days in Europe is amazing because that means you can see and visit so many places. Not to mention that most 3-week vacation packages often features multi-countries in the itinerary.

THE UK AND IRELAND
SPAIN AND PORTUGAL
WEST & CENTRAL EUROPE
WEST AND SOUTH EUROPE
12 COUNTRIES FOR 20+ DAYS
CROATIA AND GREECE
FRANCE, SPAIN, PORTUGAL
SCANDINAVIA & BALTICS

There are a lot of destinations in Europe, and our 3-week Europe travel itineraries are all free.

4 images - Perdana Putra in Malaysia, Mount Bromo in Indonesia, Royal Grand Palace in Bangkok, and Palawan in the Philippines - 3 Weeks in Southeast Asia Itinerary

3-week Latin America Tour Package

Latin America is another region where a package tour is a good choice. Coordinating transportation can be exhausting when travelling through the Andes mountain range. Finding comfortable accommodation is often hit-and-miss; having a knowledgeable local is super helpful.

We have plenty of free 3-week itineraries across Latin America.

3-week North America Tour Package

Honestly, North America is probably the last place I’d book a tour package. But I once rented a car and drove on my own, and I got really scared of driving through the highway. It’s so wide, the drivers have massive cars, and I don’t enjoy the idea that if I get into an accident, it will cost me so much.

So, a tour might be a great way to explore the US and Canada with better peace of mind. This is also the region where it’s definitely much more affordable to plan a DIY trip. But paying more is definitely worth your time and money.

We have a lot of travel itineraries for North America for those who prefer a trip without a tour.

2 images - on the left is Statue of Liberty in New York. On the right is the Wanaka Tree in New Zealand

3-week Oceania Tour Package

You can also do a tour of New Zealand and Australia. Sure, doing a road trip here is fun and gives you freedom of your time. However, if you want to let go of all the planning, a package tour is a great option that covers the top attractions.

Check our Oceania itineraries if you decide to do a DIY trip instead.

SUMMARY OF 3-WEEK VACATION PACKAGE

If you have 20 days to enjoy a holiday, how would you want to spend it? When deciding if you should do a planned tour or go on your own, there are a few things that can affect your decision.

Booking a 3-week vacation package doesn’t mean you’re going to experience a less fun or less adventurous trip. If anything, it ensures that you will get to see and do all the must-visit places in the country you’re visiting.

Minus all the extra work. With this option, you can really just sit back and relax. All you have to do is arrive on time at the meet up point and everything else will be handled for you.

I hope that you found this compilation list of exciting 20-day package tours.