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Both Topdeck and Intrepid offer world-class tours. Although they seem similar on the outside, they have plenty of underlying differences that may be a crucial factor in choosing one over the other.
We compared both companies based on price, booking policy, destinations and deals to help you find out which company is better for you.
| Topdeck | Intrepid | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where can I book tours to? |
|
| Intrepid covers a wider range of regions. |
| Do tours include flights? | Not unless specified. | Not unless specified. | Neither include flights. |
| Can I price match? | No. | No. | Neither price match. |
| Are there lay-by or payment plans? | Deposits of $255 required per person. The remainder to be paid 42 days prior to departure. | Deposits of $400 required per person. The remainder is to be paid 56 days prior to departure. | Topdeck allows you more time to make the full payment. Intrepid requires a larger deposit. |
| Are there booking fees? | No. | No. | Neither charge booking fees. |
| Is there online chat? | Yes. | No. | Only Topdeck offers live chat. |
| Is there a loyalty scheme? | 5% discount on your next trip. | $2,200 travel credit after 9+ eligible trips with Intrepid or its sister brands (Geckos Adventures, Peregrine, The Family Adventure Company and Adventure Tours Australia). | Topdeck lets you receive benefits from your second trip onward. |
| What ages is it for? | Tours are exclusively for 18-39 year olds. If you fall slightly beyond this, you can request to join the tour. | The minimum age is 15 years. All travellers under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. There is no upper age limit. | Topdeck tours are made for youths but Intrepid caters for all. |
| Is there a single supplement? | Yes, at an additional cost. | Yes, at an additional cost. | Both offer an optional single supplement. |
| What are my payment options? |
|
| Topdeck offers more payment options. |
We compared the prices of several similar tours on Topdeck and Intrepid and found that most tours by Intrepid are costlier than Topdeck's. For instance, at the time of writing, a 14-day tour from Sydney to Cairns starts from $2,915 on Topdeck while a similar itinerary on Intrepid costs $4,990. However, Intrepid offers budget-friendly Basix tours.
The verdict: Topdeck is cheaper though features larger group sizes than Intrepid.
Covering more regions around the world and catering to a wider age group, Intrepid offers more than 800 tours while Topdeck offers 335.
The verdict: Intrepid offers a much wider range of tours than Topdeck.
Cancellation policy: Intrepid has a more strict cancellation policy than Topdeck.
The latest you can pay the full amount is 42 days from the start of the trip with Topdeck and 56 days with Intrepid.
If you cancel the trip within four weeks prior to departure, you can get a refund of up to 40% on Topdeck, while Intrepid retains your full trip cost.
| Days cancelled prior to departure | Cancellation fee based on your purchase price |
|---|---|
| 42+ days | Deposit only |
| 29–42 days | 40% |
| 14–28 days | 60% |
| 0–13 days | 100% |
| Days cancelled prior to departure | Cancellation fee based on your purchase price |
|---|---|
| 56+ days | Deposit only |
| 31–55 days | 50% |
| 0–30 days | 100% |
Topdeck offers a range of discounts including a flat 5% early payment discount, 10 to 20% off last-minute deals, a 5% return traveller discount, discounts for booking with friends, multiple trip discounts and more. Topdeck is offering 30% off most of its last-minute Europe tours and 15% off Middle East tours and winter tours in Europe. For example, the 20-day European Getaway tour has 30% off and the Egypt, Jordan and Israel tour is discounted by 20%.
On the other hand, Intrepid only offers last-minute deals and loyalty discounts. Currently there are over a hundred last-minute deals on the website, such as 10% off the Australian east coast tour and 20% off the Thailand tour.
The verdict: Topdeck has multiple types of discounts while Intrepid outnumbers it in discounted tours.
11-day Europe winter tour from $2,399
Up to 10% off multi-trip bookings
Extra 5% off repeat travellers
New Zealand trips from $1,604
Up to 10% off tours
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