3,504 reviews
AI reviews summary
The overall sentiment for TripADeal is highly positive, largely driven by the exceptional performance of local tour guides and the perceived value of the packages. While many travellers praise the seamless organisation and immersive itineraries, a significant segment of feedback highlights a disconnect between the "on-ground" experience and the company’s Australian-based customer service. Recurring complaints focus on inflexible refund policies, poor communication regarding flight disruptions, and the remote location of hotels.
Pros
- Exceptional Tour Guides: Guides (notably "Dragon", "Miyaki", "Edna", and "Yoyo" in Japan, and "Hesham" in Egypt) are frequently described as knowledgeable, professional, and going "above and beyond" to handle medical issues or itinerary changes.
- Strong Value for Money: Many travellers report that the packages offer a cost-effective way to see major bucket-list destinations, with flights, accommodation, and transport included at a competitive price point.
- Comprehensive Itineraries: The tours are praised for covering significant ground in a short time, providing a high-quality "taster" of countries like Japan, Egypt, and China.
- Professional On-Ground Logistics: Local bus drivers and tour operators are consistently commended for safety, punctuality, and managing luggage effectively.
Cons
- Inflexible Customer Service & Refunds: A significant number of users report "disgraceful" customer service when trips are cancelled or modified, citing long refund delays (up to 2 months) and a refusal to acknowledge Australian Consumer Law regarding "major failures."
- Poor Hotel Locations: Multiple reviews across different countries complain that hotels are often located in industrial areas or far from city centres (up to 90 minutes), limiting independent exploration and increasing transport costs.
- Communication Failures: Travellers frequently flag that TripADeal is slow to notify them of flight cancellations or schedule changes, often leaving passengers to resolve accommodation and transport issues themselves.
- Hidden Costs & Tipping Pressure: There is recurring frustration regarding "optional" tours that feel mandatory, and a lack of clear, upfront information regarding the high daily tipping expectations for guides and drivers.
Verdict
TripADeal is an excellent choice for budget-conscious travellers who prioritise a well-organised, fast-paced itinerary led by high-quality local guides. However, prospective customers should be prepared for potential "red-eye" flights, small hotel rooms in remote locations, and a customer support system that is reportedly difficult to navigate if the trip does not go exactly as planned.
I wish to express my complete satisfaction when booking a trip with Jasper Suprain. I have booked 5 Tripadeal trips with Jasper and I am now about to embarking on my 6th trip. He has the patience of a saint as I am not tech savvy and Jasper guides me through all the procedures. If I have a query, or need advice, he has been more than helpful. … Read more
I don't feel that I am alone in making these comments as Jasper is a sheer delight to deal with. I will always seek him out if I make further bookings with Tripadeal. Tripadeal should be very grateful to have Jasper in their employ.
We did the ultimate Japan in May 2026 with tour guide Janice. Fantastic trip and we were certainly kept informed. Saw so much of Japan and nothing was ever too much trouble at all with caring support and guidance. Loved it. Show details
Extremely unhappy, Poor customer service when I had an issue with my ticket( both my husband and my ticket was issued under my name). Communication was slow, unclear, and resolving the problem took far longer than it should have. They charged me half the amount of the whole tour to fix the issue. The experience was stressful and disappointing. I would think twice before booking with TripADeal again. Show details
Reviews with attachments
- +1
Our TripADeal to Japan was absolutely fabulous. Aiko our tour guide was enthusiastic, and extremely knowledgeable, and helpful. She gave great tips on where to eat and shop. Aiko made each place we visited more interesting by sharing the history. Exploring Japan with Aiko made it truly memorable. Bus driver was A1 and accommodation top notch.
- +7
Warriors of China Fantastic trip that delivered all that it advertised and more. The Great Wall needed more time there 3 hrs would have been more appropriate, Terracotta Warriors amazing, Forbidden City needed more time exploring but depends how long it takes to get through the lines. Beautiful anyway. Xian City Wall, Everbright City highlights.… Read more
The Jade is amazing , Pearls okay if you like Pearls and the Silk interesting but not factories they are showrooms. Guides Echo and Peter were great fun and all accommodation was great. No complaints everything was well organised and interesting, food was lovely and Chinese people friendly and everything was clean and so green Loved it
- +1
We just returned home from the 12 day Warriors of China tour and have to say this was a really good deal we thought we would give it a go. It was absolutely amazing. It actually surprised us and exceeded our expectations. From our wonderful tour guides, Leo in Beijing, Richard in Xi’an and Ivy who all went above and beyond to make our holiday one… Read more
we will never forget.
TripaDeal were very easy to deal with. We found that everything was laid out and well planned. If there were any questions that we had it was very easy to ring up (and no long waiting ) and speak to somebody that you could understand. They were polite and very helpful and answered any questions that we had very easily. We loved how everything was organised and we didn’t have to do anything when booking this holiday. Also we will point out all the hotels were stunning, as per our pictures.
Guide Leo : Leo ensured we were fully informed every day on what was happening, the local history, geography and all things Beijing. Leon had us all thoroughly engaged , he was always happy and easygoing.
Richard in Xi’an : We thoroughly enjoyed his bright bubbly personality, and who was always happy to share his local knowledge and ensure we knew as much information on the local areas ie like what to expect, where to go, this made it very easy and we felt very comfortable.
Ivy in Wuxi/Suzhou/Hangzhou/Shanghai: Ivy is extremely knowledgeable. She knew her history and she knows her facts. We felt very comfortable & relaxed and we loved our interactions with her. She really made us feel like family too. Ivy certainly knows her history & her local knowledge of all of these towns, and certainly went above and beyond in helping us get around - ensuring we knew what to expect and how to navigate our way around each town and city etc. having Ivy as our tour guide on the last leg of our trip was really the icing on the cake. She’s a credit to your company/ She couldn’t do enough for us.! Very good guide!
Thanks for a wonderful holiday!
If you are reading the reviews wondering should you do a trip. Do it, it was so remarkable, all the hassle taken out of touring as it's done for you. You'll meet lovely like minded people. And Japan was so family friendly, take the kids. My 12 year old and I had a great time building memories. Thank you Leslie the amazing tour guide. Show details
My sister and I travelled on a tripAdeal Grand Japan package in October/November 2025 with our guide Yoyo-san and our two bus drivers Fushi-san and Ishi-san and it was brilliant! I was accidentally on this trip as my sister‘s friend was very sick and could not go. I had been to Japan three times before but not ever thought of doing a tripAdeal… Read more
kind of holiday.
With every trip I learn more about Japan and Yoyo’s commentary during our tour was personal, informative and fun. I cannot believe all the facts she holds in her head, it blew my mind. Everything was so well organised and she took care of us all. Even with one unexpected trip to the hospital. She is empathetic, professional and has the best laugh.
Our bus drivers Fushi-san and Ishi-san were both so friendly and welcoming and navigated us safely during our tour. Fushi-san even gave us an up close and personal view of a magnificent stag that was stopped in the middle of the road (I think on our way to visit Fuji-san) and everyone enjoyed his daily English lessons.
This TripAdeal tour changed my mind about how you can travel around Japan. The two weeks we were together flew by and with all the optional extras, you could choose to see extra locations or events or just relax. This trip gave everyone an informative and delicious taster to what Japan has to offer.
Arigato gozaimasu Yoyo-san, Fushi-san, Ishi-san and well done TripAdeal. xox
- +5
My wife and I just did the Grand Japan tour. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour and what we saw in the 12 days. Our tour guide Miyaki was exceptional and if you have him on your tour you will be very lucky. Our bus driver the captain was an excellent driver and made our trip very safe. Paul & Kim Davie Show details
- +3
I've been studying the Chinese language and wanted to go there for a holiday. I'd never heard of TripADeal until I started looking in to travel packages to China. The Warriors of China package looked good. I honestly thought it seemed too good to be true and was sceptical so I looked in to it quite a bit but the reviews seemed good and the… Read more
information checked out. I booked the trip and went with my wife and my father. All the information provided was accurate, and the timing was adequate, though I would have perhaps liked getting the travel details a bit earlier than we did. All of the travel arrangements were great. Good accommodation for the whole trip. The tour guides in each part of the trip were all knowledgeable and friendly locals with good English. And my toy kangaroo I took with me got lots of photos with lots of locals in lots of places ;). For anyone wanting to see China's standard bucket list locations it was the ideal trip. The price was the main reason I was sceptical about the package since the price was surprisingly low. There were many additional experiences each day that weren't included in the overall tour price but those extras were also cheap and worthwhile enough that pretty much everyone on the tour did them all. These included things like a performance of the famous Shanghai acrobat circus and night time river cruise in Shanghai. Good guides, transport, accommodation, food. I'd highly recommend the package. I'm now looking at TripADeal's other China tour packages as I'm keen for more.
Wow! Japan has absolutely amazed us! Such a sensory experience in the best possible way! The Grand Japan itinerary gives you a “beginner friendly” way to see the all key sights on the main Island. The bus provides a nice rest and opportunity to see days-to-day Japan pass you by and the incredible scenery! Our travel Miyaki (Mickey) is what really… Read more
made this a 5-stars experience!! Not only was he knowledgeable about the locations, he was also very passionate about helping us understand Japan from a local perspective. Mickey’s english was excellent and his genuine personality and enthusiasm to ensure we were all safe and happy each day was what made our group so fun! Mickey kept us on schedule without feeling rushed and went over and above to ensure we all got to experience our own individual moments, whilst still being part of an inclusive group. Highly recommend this tour and if Mickey does any other tours for Trip-a-deal please let us know as we would love to join the fun again!! Thanks Mickey and Trip-a-deal for the most incredible memories!!! Kirsty & Andrew
- +1
What an excellent tour and Ayumi was amazing highly recommend Show details
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Fabulous way to see so many places in Japan! Ayumi, our tour guide was knowledgeable, kind, and very caring about us all. I have been here many times but it was awesome to make so many stops in such a short amount of time! I have wonderful memories now I will carry for life! Show details
- +7
We did the Southern Japan Discovery recently - our third TripADeal trip - and it was fabulous! We packed so much into the 12 days, and saw so many amazing places, including Mt Aso on Kyushu, the beautiful old town of Ozu on Shikoku, and the Iya Valley. The hotels were very nice, the bus was immaculate and Abe-san such a safe driver, and our guide… Read more
Dragon was very knowledgeable, helpful and pleasant. The optional tours were also excellent, with no pressure to do them but we are so glad we did: the Nagasaki day tour and Naoshima art island were really interesting, and Dragon was able to organise Nara Deer Park and the Iga Ryu ninja museum at short notice on the last day in Osaka as most of our flights left very late. I would highly recommend this tour.
Hi just sitting at airport having a beer reflecting on our trip a deal to Japan . First time to Japan a very pretty clean place . Very busy with a lot of travel to a lot of places which I don’t think we could do that on our own. The buses were clean and great with good drivers. Our host was very welcoming from the start and went beyond to make our… Read more
trip memorable. Ayumi our host was informative , generous with her time and quite funny If all trip a deal host are as good as her I would do it again no problems
Fantastic trip Ayumi was a wonderful host very caring and informative nothing was too much trouble highly recommend her for future travellers. The tour itself was amazing so many wonderful places and memories to cherish l will recommend to my friends and hopefully you end up with this wonderful guide Ayumi. Show details
Ayumi was a really good tour guide and explained all tours properly. Ayumi was very helpful when some of the guests weren’t well. I highly recommend Ayumi as a tour guide. Maree and Arron Show details
- +6
Our tour guide Edona (AKA Edna) was fantastic … full of enthusiasm, knowledge, great advice and was extremely well organised. Show details
Latest follow-ups
- +3
5 Star Jewels of the Nile This tour delivered everything that was advertised. Agents met us at the airport, smoothed our way through customs and transfer and booking into the hotel. The sites we went to were absolutely fantastic and the transport to… Read more
each was by airconditioned coaches with charging facilities. Our guides were incredibly well informed, all having gone to university to gain their Tour Guide qualification. They knew everything. Our guide for the Aswan - Luxor section was an expert in bringing the history, carvings and architecture of each temple alive. We had enough time at each temple site to see what we wanted to see after our guide had completed his talk and tour. The hotels we stayed at were 5 star and perfectly located to suit what we were doing or visiting. Couldn’t have wished for better. The only disappointment was the upgrade of sailing boat for the Nile cruise part for which we paid $830 extra for. The boat named in The Offer and which we researched before purchasing the upgrade was not the boat we got. Staff were very helpful, facilities were good but housekeeping needed improving. The extra expense was definitely not worth it. At our first tour group information briefing a number of changes in the TAD itinerary had been altered by the tour provider. A later flight from Luxor to Cairo meant that we would miss out on going to GEM on our return to Cairo. This was to be a highlight of our stay in Cairo and was unacceptable. After refusing to accept this change, the tour director, under pressure changed our flight to early morning and we had a full day to enjoy the Museum. It was very hot in Cairo and it would have been good if the schedule was reversed so that we saw the Pyramids in the morning when it was cooler. Hotels offer free airport transfers so if you are doing independent travel after the tour and not getting a TAD airport transfers, just ask at the desk. In our case TAD actually gave us free transfer. TAD also needs to be more accurate with distance to be travelled each day and how long it will take. On our trip to Abydos and Dendara the distance was double to what was advertised and took many extra hours to complete. All of this on a 45 degree day. In hindsight I would not have gone.
Follow-up · The booming process went very smoothly. We paid an initial deposit and then had to wait until we had the numbers for the tour to go ahead. We paid the balance 4 months before we left for the tour. The food was excellent. Being in 5 star accommodation we had full buffet breakfast every morning. Lunches were provided by the hotel / boat except when… Read more
First trip with Tripadeal. Japan was fantastic. Great travelling companions. Everyone got on well. Ayumi our tour guide was an angel. Couldn’t do enough for us. A credit to your company. Would recommend this tour to anyone. Show details
Follow-up · Very comfortable bus. Breakfast (very extensive) included. We saw a variety of attractions. We managed to see many that were only available the week we were there.
I recently completed Trip a Deal,s Grand Japan tour. Our guide, Ayumi was excellent. She was knowledgable about all aspects of her country and she calmly and capably dealt with problems such as when the bus driver was hospitalised. When my friend… Read more
injured her hip, Ayumi ensured that she was always comfortable and went out of her way, coming to the airport with us to enable the best support. Thanks Trip a Deal for finding guides such as Ayumi to showcase the country.
Follow-up · Breakfasts were good. Hotels were clean, occasionally hotel rooms were squeezy with hard beds and pillows. Bus and was fine and drivers excellent.
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Positive reviews
Hi was on Tour 5385 Japan and South Korea Our Japan tour guide was very poor with his communication and organisation skills and I think he was unwell and not up to doing the tour. On the other hand our tour guide in South Korea Heni was excellent and was the best guide that we have had in the 11 tours that we have done .Henis communication and… Read more
organisation was exceptional and she was always there to help everyone.She made up for the Japan guide and would highly recommend her for any tour in South Korea.Her knowledge and experience showed out in everything she did.Thanks Heni for making our South Korea experience amazing.
We booked a tour with TripADeal 2 years ago and honestly couldn't be happier with how everything turned out. From the moment we made the booking, the communication was clear, and the itinerary was incredibly well-organized. The flights, accommodation, and scheduled tours all ran smoothly without a hitch. We felt we got incredible value for money… Read more
given everything that was included. It took all the stress out of planning a holiday. Will definitely be booking our next getaway through TripADeal again!
just finish our Alaska/Canada tour in May 2026 and i wish to thank Josh from the customer service who has been so helpful and highly recommend him with his patient and kindness dealing with all our questions. Now, we are booking the magnificent Europe and Maddi S who is very helpful and kind too is now assisting me and my group. This is the 5th… Read more
time we are using Tripadeal and we really enjoyed every tour package we have booked thus I have been advertising Tripadeal to my friends and families.
Negative reviews
I have already provided this feedback directly to TripADeal over two weeks ago but have received no response, which is disappointing. Unfortunately, this Japan tour was a very negative experience. There were 39 people in the group with only one tour guide, which was simply too many for one person to manage effectively. Several travellers required… Read more
extra assistance, which slowed the group down and meant everything felt rushed. Rather than acknowledging the group size was challenging, the tour guide often blamed the group for not having enough time to enjoy the attractions.
The tour guide appeared to be under significant stress and frequently shouted at the group. Discussions about gratuities were brought up almost every day, and money seemed to be a constant topic. Instead of focusing on the places we were travelling through, she often talked about events scheduled for days ahead or went off on unrelated tangents, so there was very little commentary about the sights we were actually seeing.
Those who moved quickly were often required to wait while tickets were distributed, rather than being allowed to explore independently and meet back at the bus at an agreed time. We were also regularly taken to cafés and venues that appeared to have a commercial arrangement with the tour company, rather than necessarily offering the best local experience.
One of the most disappointing aspects was that some travellers who became ill were still expected to pay for optional dinners they were unable to attend.
Overall, the tour felt poorly managed, rushed, and lacked the enjoyable, immersive experience we were expecting. I understand that guiding a large group is difficult, but the group size should have been smaller or supported by an additional guide. Better organisation, improved communication, and a stronger focus on customer experience would have made a significant difference.
Went to China all good until we reached Beijing, guide([Name Removed]) was aggressive and unresponsive, bus was uncomfortable and cold with constant requests to turn it down went unanswered, tours were cancelled and our zoo trip was rushed and only saw the pandas ,a photographer was onboard to garnish extra business using sales pressure tactics,… Read more
and to add insult she tried to change my seat on the high speed train without asking my permission creating an awkward situation with another traveller , save yourself money use another company for china
As they say the devil is in the detail. Booked 2 tours to top and tail our own trip around USA - a Caribbean Cruise and a Rocky Mountaineer/Holland America Alaska cruise. The cruises and the Rocky Mountaineer were good but that is not operated by TripADeal. The components that they look after is where it falls apart as most of the accommodation… Read more
that they book are not appropriate for groups and I would daresay that they do not undertake familiarisation tours of the chosen properties as some of them struggled to handle the arrival and departure of coachloads of tourists - eg: elevator access during check in and departure. Then there is the rush on a coach to get back from Banff to Vancouver along virtually the identical trip that you have come along on the train. Luckily we had at least 2 days in Banff where we did our own touring/hiking but the rest of the stops were overnight with early morning starts just so as we can get into the next town at a reasonable time. The tour could have been easily extended with longer stays in areas such as Whistler and Kamlooops. If like us you want to have a bit of freedom then these sort of tours are not what you are seeking. It would appear that very little thought goes into the tour planning. Then after our respective tours were completed we received a survey with a "carrot" of $150 per survey dangled in front of us. Turns out that the vouchers expire after 1 month and can only be used for a new booking - essentially buying new business with the hope of good reviews. Not sure what ACCC would think of that practice? However we had a future booking which we made prior to receiving the survey vouchers but you cannot use them against an existing booking and, make no mistake, our bookings were not some cheap Bali holiday but they get their review and we say goodbye to the $300 credit. And so to our current booking which we booked in March to go to Japan in October I tried to cancel the booking (due to the experience that TripADeal provided on our recent tour) but was given an estimate of cancellation fees that made us think twice about cancelling and so we kept the booking. However we booked for an early arrival into Japan to undertake our own scecondary tour in Japan with another operator who has provided us with all the required confirmations and details. So I enquired to TripADeal about our flight details and have been told that they as yet have not been booked and I will not find that out until 4-6 weeks prior to departure. A booking made in mid March and no flights as yet booked in mid June (3 months later)? First of all that does not inspire any confidence in TripADeal but also begs the question of what the cancellation fees were for that I was quoted. There is no rush to provide answers to any queries that you have and obviously TripADeal's view is that they already have your money and so there is no need to entertain the client. This will be our last tour with TripADeal and will go back to what we usually do which is do our own thing at our own pace without having to rely on others and be herded around like sheep.
Recent reviews
TripADeal does not appear to take responsibility for bookings it makes on behalf of its customers. I booked a trip to Vietnam and Cambodia through one of TripADeal's advertised deals. After paying TripADeal, I received confirmation that my booking had been completed. Before my departure, I attempted to check in online with Vietnam Airlines.… Read more
Although I had provided TripADeal with the correct telephone number, and Vietnam Airlines had it recorded correctly in my booking, the airline's online check-in system repeatedly rejected the check-in, stating that the telephone number was invalid.
I then tried contacting Vietnam Airlines through its Melbourne office, Sydney office, and call centre for assistance, but none of the published telephone numbers were operational.
Since I had booked and paid through TripADeal, I contacted them expecting they would help resolve the issue. Instead, I was told that once they had completed the booking and provided the travel documents, they were no longer responsible for any booking-related issues and that I would need to deal directly with the airline.
I found this response disappointing. When a travel company accepts your payment and makes a booking on your behalf, it should also be prepared to provide reasonable assistance when problems arise with that booking. Simply referring customers to the service provider after the sale does not reflect the level of customer service I expected.
Based on my experience, I recommend that prospective customers consider the level of after-sales support they may receive before booking through TripADeal.
My wife and I recently completed the Grand Japan tour. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience and everything we saw over the 12 days. We learned a great deal about Japan along the way. We stayed in eight different hotels—five for one night and three for two nights. Some of the hotel rooms were quite small, which is common in Japan. We did wish we… Read more
had a little more time in certain places, especially the one-night stops, so we could explore them more fully. However, we understand that this would have increased the overall cost, as the tour is designed to remain competitively priced.
Our tour guide, Hirohito, was exceptional. Anyone who has him as a guide will be very fortunate. Our bus driver was also excellent and contributed greatly to making our journey safe and comfortable.
Wagieh & Rajaa Elsewaisy
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