There is no doubt we all love to snag a bargain, and if you can save something on the cost of a trip it gives you a bit more money to spend whilst you are away.
When it comes to organized tours there are some times of the year it is better to look for deals than others.
And that is what we are going to look at today.
More specifically we are going to focus on the question of whether Contiki has sales or not, and if they do, when they are.
So let’s get started…
When Does Contiki Have Sales?
The two best times of the year to look for sales on Contiki tours are at the start of the year and around the Black Friday weekend. Contiki also offers a number of last-minute deals if you are able to drop everything and go away in the very near future. You can also save if you book with friends, book multiple trips, and in a variety of other ways.
With travel companies there is always a bargain to be had somewhere, and the key is knowing when is the best time to look for those special deals.
Contiki generally has deals on various trips at various times, in fact there is a dedicated deals section on the Contiki website, so that should always be your first port of call.
But there are two times of the year that your bargain hunting will be more likely to pay off.
#1: The Start of the Year
Contiki tends to kick off the start of each year with a range of special deals.
Think about it, when is it we generally feel at our lowest and most in need of a break?
It is during those cold dark months of January when we return to work following the festivities of Christmas and the New Year.
So as I write (3 January), Contiki has its Big Travel Sale on, offering savings of up to 25%.
There are just under 50 deals currently on offer, including:
- Southern Africa Safari: Sale price £4,231 (Normal price £5,165)
- Ultimate Australia: Sale price £4,148 (Normal price £4,695)
- Grand Southern (USA): Sale price £3,673 (Normal price £4,295)
- European Escapade: Sale price £2,312 (Normal price £3,119)
- Canada and the Rockies: Sale price £2,288 (Normal price £2,535)
So set a reminder to check the Contiki website at the start of each year for any deals.
#2: Black Friday
Like many other companies, Contiki has Black Friday sales.
There are usually a number of deals on offer in the run-up to Black Friday, with the sale lasting through to Cyber Monday.
In 2022 some of the savings included:
- Best of USA: Sale price £2,700 (Normal price £3,250)
- Best of Balkans: Sale price £1,795 (Normal price £2,419)
- Peru Panorama: Sale price £1,575 (Normal price £1,935)
- European Discovery: Sale price £1,490 (Normal price £1,845)
- Thai Island Hopper East: Sale price £550 (Normal price £685)
So check in on the Contiki site on the run-up to Black Friday to see what is on offer.
There is one other time to look for saving on Contiki tours and that is… all of the time!
#3: Last-Minute Deals
Contiki also has a last-minute deals section on its website.
This is restricted to tours set to depart in the next 8 to 10 weeks and generally offers savings around the 15% mark.
So for instance at the time of writing, its last-minute deals include:
- Total Thailand: Sale price £1,830 (Normal price £2,225). Departing in 5 weeks.
- Simply Italy: Sale price £1,691 (Normal price £2,225). Departing in 5 days.
- Hola Colombia: Sale price £1,509 (Normal price £1,822). Departing in 5 weeks.
- Garden Route and Addo (South Africa): Sale price £982 (Normal price £1,250). Departing in 7 weeks.
- The Lava Line (Ecuador): Sale price £572 (Normal price £635). Departing in 2 weeks.
The downside of this is you have to be prepared to go at the drop of a hat, and what you save on the trip you might lose by buying a plane ticket last minute, but it is definitely worth checking Contiki’s last-minute deals.
How Else to Save With Contiki?
Even if you can’t see a deal on the Contiki tour you really want to go on, there are a number of other ways to can save when booking through Contiki, for instance:
- Multi Trip: If you book two Contiki trips of 7 days or longer at the same time you get 5 percent off of the cost of the lowest-priced trip.
- Repeat Customers: Repeat Contiki customers can get 5 percent off of future selected trips.
- Triple Share: If you are happy to have a triple share room on your trip you can save 5 percent.
- Students: Students are eligible for a 5 percent discount on a trip booked with Contiki.
- NHS and Key Workers (UK): NHS and keyworkers get a £50 discount on trips
- Military Personnel (USA): Active and non-active military personnel get $100 off selected trips that are 7 days or longer.
- Booking With Friends: If four or more friends book onto the same trip together, they are eligible for a 5 percent discount.
- Email List: If you are not on the Contiki email list then joining it will get you £40/$50 off of your next trip and also you will regularly receive emails updating you of its latest deals and trips. You can sign up on the Contiki website.
- Travel Shows: If there are any travel shows going on near you it is always worth visiting as many companies in attendance will have promos running offering you savings on their trips if you book there and then.
Generally when you book a tour with Contiki you will put down a small deposit and then pay the rest off, interest free, as and when you want as long as you have paid for everything at least 60 days before the trip.
So you could try calling Contiki and seeing if you can negotiate a deal if you pay everything up front.
Although whether that will work I cannot say.
Final Thoughts
As you can see Contiki most definitely does have sales.
Visit the deals section of its website to see what is on offer at any one time, although you will generally find the best deals are reserved for the start of each year or around Black Friday.
Or if you are in a position where you can go away at short notice, then check the last-minute deals section of the Contiki website for further opportunities to save money.
If there really is nothing that catches your eye in Contiki’s various sales, then there are a number of other ways listed above that can save you money.