We all know the standard excuses to take a group trip, even down to the slightly ambiguous “girls trip” or “guys trip”. But if you ever need another excuse to take a group getaway with your loved ones, here are a few more of our favorite group trip ideas:
Group trip ideas for every occasion
1. Because you feel like it
For starters, you don’t ever need an excuse to travel. If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that things can change at the drop of a hat, so get out there and enjoy all the amazing sites and sounds the world has to offer!
Destination Suggestion: Spin a globe, throw a dart… when you’re traveling for no reason you can go anywhere you want.
2. Celebrate a foreign holiday
Choose a random holiday and celebrate it hard. MLK and Presidents Day are two long weekends we always try to get away for because who doesn’t love an excuse to lay on a beach in the middle of winter?
You can also look up holidays in other countries and find one that sounds fun to you. Who says you can’t plan a trip around a different country’s special occasions?
Destination Suggestion: Visit Mexico for Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) on November 1st, 2021 or Rio de Janeiro for Carnival February 25th – March 5th, 2022
3. ‘Pick-me-up’ recovery trip
If a friend has recently gone through a breakup, lost of a loved one, or experienced any other kind of heartbreak, they might not be in a place to think about taking a vacation. But it might be exactly what they need. Whether you call it a Recovery Trip or Friends Getaway, use it as an excuse to create something they can look forward to in their life and then let the trip be purely focused on relaxing and having a good time. Beach trips are a great idea for this.
Destination Suggestion: Puerto Escondido, Mexico – you can’t beat the good vibes in this Oaxacan surf town.
4. ‘Know your backyard’ trip
How often do you hear from someone who lives a short distance away from a stunning place, known all over the world, that they haven’t been to? (I admit I’m guilty. I lived only 3 hours from Yosemite for a decade and only visited for the first time years after I’d moved away.)
It’s way too common to set your sights on the horizon when thinking about visiting new places, but you don’t need to get on a plane to take a quick trip. Some of the best things to see are in your own backyard.
Destination Suggestion: One of our favorite group trip ideas is to round up your friends and take a road trip to the closest National Park that you’ve never been to before.
5. Follow the music
Do you and your friends have a mutual love of music? Look up where your favorite band or singer is playing in the coming months and, instead of going to your local venue, use it as an excuse to pick your favorite city from the list and make a trip out of it. Alternatively, check out the lineups from music festivals across the country or around the world and choose the festival plus destination that most appeals to you.
The same idea can apply to your favorite sports team as well, making this one of our favorite group trip ideas for friends with shared interests.
Destination Suggestion: Europe does music festivals right. Check out off-the-beaten-track festivals like Kala in Albania or make a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Glastonbury.
6. Discover your heritage
Heritage trips have skyrocketed with the popularity of at-home DNA testing kits like 23andme and Ancestry. Whether you always knew your great-grandparents came over from Italy or you just discovered you’re a quarter Swedish, why not use you genes as an excuse to plan a vacation?
If you want to make it even more interesting, try researching your family history and you may be able to find long lost relatives to connect with in your homeland.
Destination Suggestion: No matter where your ancestors came from, we recommend taking a heritage trip with your siblings, parents, grandparents, or all of the above.
7. Say yes to a great deal
Head to Google Flights and enter your home airport as the “origin city” and type “Everywhere” for the destination. Google Flights will quickly compile a list of the cheapest destinations from your home airport to everywhere in the world. Sometimes a crazy cheap flight deal is all the excuse you need to take a trip. Other favorites of ours are Scott’s Cheap Flights and TravelZoo’s Weekly Top 20 email, both of which have inspired many a group trip here at Troupe.
Destination Suggestion: There are frequently incredibly cheap flight deals from the United States to Mexico. Explore Roma Norte in Mexico City or Fly into Cancun and head to popular beach destination, Isla Holbox.