About Contiki
The Contiki Story
Back in the summer of ‘62 a group of young people in London were short on cash but high on a dream. A dream to see as much of Europe as possible and make the kind of memories that’d stay with them forever. A dash of bravado, a deposit on a twelve-seater minibus and an advert on a noticeboard later, they'd found the solution. The very first Contiki trip was born.
That summer went down in history stories became legend the very moment they were written. So, when the Spring of 1963 came around they advertised the trip again. Realising they'd stumbled upon something special, by ’66 Contiki Travel Limited was incorporated in the UK. By the end of the 60’s we were running ski programmes, embarking to the Middle East and even exploring India and Africa.
In the mid-eighties we took the next step becoming part of the Travel Corporation and joining an awesome group of global travel brands in the process. TTC remains a family owned and run clan of brands driven by excellent service, values we’ll always uphold.
What is a Contiki tour?
A Contiki tour is an organized, culturally immersive trip led by expert guides, where travellers get to explore new and interesting places and make friends from all over the world, with zero hassle, delicious meals included and multiple travel styles to choose from.
What does Contiki mean?
We take our name from the word ‘Continent’, which reinforces the company’s mission to connect travellers from all continents, and the word ‘Tiki’, which comes from the native New Zealand Maori good luck charm, which is where the company was initially founded.
