Rainbow Tours Reviews 

We booked a multi-week trip to four countries in Africa with Rainbow tours. We deeply regret working with them and would encourage others to look elsewhere.

For a month long trip, we specified that we wanted refundable, changeable, point-to-point tickets. Because of the complexity of our trip, the flexibility such tickets offered was essential.

When I attempted to change the date of the first leg of the trip (which was from London to Lisbon and did not impact any other leg of the trip), I was told that this would cost more than £3,400. Contrary to my instructions, they had booked the entire itinerary as part of a single, complex trip, such that a change to one leg required re-ticketing the entire trip. While the exact same trip purchased at the time of my change request was lower than when Rainbow bought the tickets, they wanted me to pay them £3,400 more because they failed to follow instructions about how to book our travel.

When I pointed out their error, they blamed the airline, then they tried to blame me, saying I had given no such instructions. They slow-walked their responses in hopes that I would give up. When I pointed out that the fares were in fact lower than when originally booked, they were silent.

We spent over £45K with them on our trip. I expected that our request would be handled swiftly and competently. Instead, they lied to me about why they wanted £3400 extra, invented a story about a fare increase and made me wait 10 days for a solution that I found without any help from them. Ultimately, booking the travel as we requested netted us £250 instead of costing the £3400 they originally demanded.

I am very sorry we booked with Rainbow. They were incompetent (failing to book travel as instructed), dishonest (lying to us about why we were being asked to pay so much for a simple date change) and lazy, hoping that if they slow-walked our requests, we'd simply stop asking.

Their so-called "travel specialists" may be passionate about travel but he are utterly useless at the nuts and bolts of booking travel. Their so-called "manager" for the division that sold us our tour, was particularly unhelpful across multiple interactions over 10 days. She repeatedly lied to us, which convinced us that this wasn't just catching them on an off day, it was a deliberate and concerted effort to rip us off.

Beware. The good experiences we had on our trip were because their in-country vendors were good, not because Rainbow added any value or expertise to travel planning. To the contrary, their laziness and dishonesty made our travel that much more difficult.

Great communication/itinerary well thought out and updated with any changes. Our holiday went very smoothtly, pick ups and excursions reliable. Our hotels highly recommended. All our experiences in South America were exceptional and cant wait for our next holiday with Rainbow

A wonderful safari in the Okavunga. My brother and I had a marvelous time. He on his 5th African adventure, me on my first. It was the green season- yet we saw wild dogs, leopards, African bee eaters, so many elephants and lions, giraffes and jackals and hippos .... The tent accommodations were very comfortable and the food and guide were great! Terrific food.

all flights,accommodation and tours went faultlessly,and according to plan,the Island tours of St.Helena with Aaron were brilliant,so informative,as was the boat excursion with Jamie and Jamie of Seahawk Odyssey,fantastic holiday,thanks to Rainbow Tours

Kerry Cook is very good with a wealth of experience in the geographic area we were interested in holidaying in .

I highly recommend Sao Tome & Principe as a holiday destination. Rainbow Tours delivered a varied package of high quality hotels and a good variety of excursions enabling us to see the two islands and understand their history. The whole experience was delivered very efficiently by Rainbow, the hotels they chose and their local representatives. The local service was excellent and very friendly.

Absolutely fantastic service from our travel specialist Debbie! Travelling to South America seemed like a daunting task with all the internal travel arrangements but the process was made seemingly easy and all arranged by Rainbow Tours. The recommended activities offered by Rainbow Tours were great and highlights of the holiday. The holiday was made bespokely for what we were after. I couldn’t recommend them enough!

Great travel agency, who offer a truly bespoke and seamless experience, with 24/7 emergency support on location. Travel experts have excellent local knowledge and are willing to go the extra mile to cater for specific requests. Accommodation options are varied, with authentic, off-the beaten track gems. Would definitely recommend if you are short on time and have a busy schedule.

Bespoke package with seven different hotels/regions to Costa Rica. The ground handler they use was excellent, taxis, tours and hotels all ran smoothly as arranged, unlike other people had who had booked with different tour operators.

We just got back from an incredible holiday in Costa Rica, the trip was tailored really well by Jack who really listened to our interests and requirements. He had a great knowledge of Costa Rica meaning he could properly advise on what to expect and even what to pack for the varying climates and locations we visited. The hotels recommended by him were all a good standard and the transfers and trips arranged as part of our trip went smoothly with no issues. I would highly recommend Rainbow Tours and will definitely use them again in the future.

Our holiday of a lifetime trip to Chile organised by Rainbow exceeded even our highest hopes. Three amazing areas to explore, the Atacama Desert, the Lakes of Chile around Puerto Varas and the mountains of Patagonia. All were absolutely stunning with superb hotels, amazing food, brilliant excursions with knowledgeable and entertaining guides. All the travelling arrangements went smoothly including five internal flights and airport transfers. We felt well supported throughout with regular contact from the on the ground Chilean agency. I would not hesitate in recommending a holiday using Rainbow.

I just returned from an unforgettable adventure in Costa Rica, expertly organized by Rainbow Tours, and I couldn't be more impressed! From the moment I arrived in San José, I knew I was in good hands. The hotel was a great start to my journey, and the transfer to La Fortuna was comfortable and well-organized.

My time in La Fortuna was a highlight, with two incredible tours that exceeded all expectations. The hanging bridges tour was a thrill-seeker's dream, with breathtaking views of the lush rainforest and adrenaline-pumping bridges. The sloth tour was equally impressive, with a knowledgeable guide who helped me spot both two-fingered and three-fingered sloths,not one, but two adorable sloths, including two with names, Maria and Peter! I also visited Proyecto Asis, a wildlife rescue centre that does vital work rehabilitating animals rescued from the illegal pet trade. It was a sobering experience to see the impact of human actions on these incredible creatures, many of whom still bear the scars of their ordeal. Despite their progress, it's clear that these animals will always carry the memories of their trauma, and it's a stark reminder of the importance of conservation efforts.

Next up was the stunning Maquenque Eco-lodge in Boca Tapada - wow! My bungalow was nestled in the forest, and the staff were warm and welcoming. The wildlife was abundant, with sloths, monkeys, and colorful birds on my doorstep. The guides were top-notch, and I learned so much about the incredible ecosystem.

The transfers between locations were expertly organized, making the journey seamless and stress-free.

The final leg of my trip took me to Osa Peninsula and the Drake Bay Wilderness Resort. Corcovado was a true highlight, with an incredible array of wildlife, including anteaters, monkeys, and crocodiles. On the boat trip to Corcovado, I was treated to the incredible sighting of whales and dolphins in their natural habitat - a truly unforgettable experience! The mangrove tour was equally impressive, with a chance to see crocodiles, birds, monkeys, and other wildlife quite up close. The lodge staff were fantastic, and the food was delicious!

Rainbow Tours really know their stuff, and I couldn't recommend them more highly. They took care of every detail, allowing me to focus on soaking up the incredible beauty and wildlife of Costa Rica. ¡Muchas gracias, Rainbow Tours, for an unforgettable adventure!

Rainbow interpreted my requirements fully and at short notice. Everything went according to plan and fully met my expectations

Fantastic trip to Costa Rica. All transfers and excursions with guides were on time and fab! The whitewater rafting, ziplining, nature walks, coffee/chocolate tour, hiking the volcano and waterfall were amazing!! Thankyou Rainbow we will be using again for our next trip!!! On top of all that the Costa Ricans were so welcoming and made our stay!

The guides were very good. Kristen and Luisa were wonderful! My only complaint was that our first time going to the market, we went through too quickly without getting to taste products. Also, only 1 lunch was included, except for the fabulous cooking class. I also loved seeing the ladies make beautiful flowers out of wax.

Great service and planning from the first contact. Jake devised a programme especially to meet our needs and everything went smoothly.

We visited the Drakensburg, Zulu Battlefields, Safari Lodge and, finally, the best hotel in South Africa - The Oyster Box. The trip was organised by Rainbow Tours in close consultation with us and everything was to our satisfaction. The choice of accommodation was excellent with superb meals throughout. Highly recommended.

Tailored itinery small group tour , 5 nghts Cape town, 5 nghts Garden route, 3nights eastern caope safari
All accomodation in lodges/hotels absolutely fine in terms of luxury, food etc.
The itinery is busy but the tour guides are attentive and knowleadgable ant take you to see your particular interests. On group tour of garden route max of 8-10 people only.
All the arrangements for pick up transfers went smoothly was highly efficient. Great trip !

Rainbow Tours, especially Derek, was outstanding! We booked an ambitious and complicated five-week trip through Rainbow that included five different countries, including Madagascar. Prior to our trip, Derek listened carefully to our general concept of where we wanted to go and what we were hoping to see. He then helped us transform that concept into a detailed itinerary, making all of our travel arrangements once in Africa and lodging reservations, which were excellent. He also helped with a multitude of pre-trip questions, such as vaccine requirements, baggage restrictions and tipping recommendations. And he continued to support us during our travels as unexpected situations arose, providing timely and very helpful information. In addition to his extensive knowledge and professionalism, Derek was always cordial and very pleasant to work with. I highly recommend Rainbow Tours to all those seeking assistance with their future travel arrangements!

My trip to Brazil was really well organised, everything went like clockwork, and even when I e-mailed from Brazil to make a change to the next couple of days itinerary it was sorted within a couple of hours. The local guides, transits, hotels and the overall experience were excellent.
I thought Iguacu Falls was just a little tag on at the end of the holiday, but it was amazing! Enhanced by a brilliant personal guide.
The itinerary might be a bit 'full on' for some. Ten flights in 14 days, but it was a great way to see the variety of Brazil in just two weeks. And I love being on the go anyway.
Not for beach or city lovers, but an absolute must for active nature lovers