Llama Travel
Llama Travel is a UK direct-to-consumer tour operator founded in 2002 that sells small group package holidays (average group size 11, maximum 18) to 16+ countries across Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, serving primarily UK couples and active leisure travelers via brochure, website, phone, and email channels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Llama Travel does
Llama Travel Limited is a UK private limited company headquartered in London that operates as a specialist direct-to-consumer tour operator, selling small group package holidays to Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Since its founding in 2002, the company has built a portfolio covering 16+ countries, with curated itineraries such as 'Incas and Conquistadors of Peru' (12 days from £1,999), 'Best of Costa Rica' (11 days from £2,429), and 'Best of Argentina and Chile' (14 days from £4,249). The differentiator is the small-group format, with average group size of 11 and a cap of 18, combined with a service model in which staff are positioned as destination experts who have personally visited the locations sold.
The product is delivered through a lean DTC infrastructure: a brochure-based discovery flow, a website with 'Book Now' and 'Get a Quote' CTAs, a UK phone line (020 7263 3000), email, and direct booking handling. Revenue is generated entirely from one-time holiday package sales, including base packages (flights, accommodation, transfers, guide services) plus optional excursions, hotel upgrades, and extensions such as the Galapagos, Easter Island, Atacama, and Panama Canal. Pricing is unit-based per person, and ATOL plus IPP financial protection underpin consumer trust, with a stated 'lowest price guarantee' used as a price-positioning lever.
Customer segments are entirely consumer-side: primarily couples aged 40-60, with secondary personas of active travelers aged 20-40 (trekking and safaris) and solo travelers willing to share itineraries. Marketing is concentrated in content (blog, destination pages, email newsletter), organic social (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), and earned credibility through Telegraph and Wanderlust awards (including Telegraph Travel Awards Winner 2025 and Wanderlust Top Ten 2025) and Trustpilot reviews. The company has no disclosed funding, no parent, no subsidiaries, and no M&A history; management team, revenue figures, and headcount beyond an 11-50 employee band are not publicly disclosed.
Llama Travel firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Llama Travel
- Legal name
- Llama Travel Limited
- Website
- https://llamatravel.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Llama Travel is a UK direct-to-consumer tour operator founded in 2002 that sells small group package holidays (average group size 11, maximum 18) to 16+ countries across Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, serving primarily UK couples and active leisure travelers via brochure, website, phone, and email channels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Llama Travel industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Tour Operator Services
- NAICS
- Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Escorted Coach & Bus Package Tour Operators (THAKADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Group & Series Tour Operators (Seat-in-Coach/Fixed Departures) (THAKAEAD)
Keywords
Where Llama Travel is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Llama Travel business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Holiday Package Sales: Llama Travel generates revenue through the sale of pre-packaged group holidays to Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Prices include return flights from UK, accommodation, transfers, and services of guides. Additional revenue comes from optional excursions, upgrades, and extensions offered as add-ons to base packages.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Incas & Conquistadors of Peru - 12 days starting at £1,999 per person |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Best of Costa Rica - 11 days starting at £2,429 per person |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Best of Argentina & Chile - 14 days starting at £4,249 per person |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Llama Travel product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Llama Travel is a UK-based specialist tour operator that designs, packages, and sells small group escorted holidays (average 11, maximum 18 travelers) to destinations across Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Each package bundles return flights from the UK, accommodation, transfers, and the services of local guides, with optional excursion packages, accommodation upgrades, and destination extensions available as add-ons. The operator sells directly to consumers via its website, phone, and email, with no third-party travel agent distribution.
Product overview
Llama Travel operates as a specialist tour operator offering small group package holidays across three main regions: Latin America, Africa, and Asia & Middle East. The company provides pre-packaged holidays combining flights, accommodation, transfers, and excursions, with an average group size of 11 and maximum of 18. Their product portfolio includes destination-specific holidays such as Incas & Conquistadors of Peru, Best of Costa Rica, Best of Argentina & Chile, Vietnam South to North + Angkor Wat, Splendours of Sri Lanka, Taj Tigers and Temples of India, Best of South Africa + Kruger Safari, Wildlife & Wilderness of Namibia, and Delta Mobile Safari & Victoria Falls. Customers can customize their experience through optional excursions and accommodation upgrades, with extensions available to destinations like the Atacama Desert, Easter Island, Galapagos Islands, and Panama Canal.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Latin America Holidays
- Africa Holidays
- Asia Holidays
- Middle East Holidays
- Incas & Conquistadors of Peru
- Best of Costa Rica
- Best of Argentina & Chile
Quantifiable outcome
- 99% of customers would recommend Llama Travel
Companies that use Llama Travel
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Llama Travel technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Llama Travel partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ATOL (Air Travel Organisers' Licence)coreATOL is a UK financial protection scheme for air travel. All flight-inclusive holidays are financially protected by the ATOL scheme, providing customer protection and trust.
- TrustpilotcoreThird-party review platform where Llama Travel displays customer reviews and ratings, providing social proof of service quality.
- IPP (International Passenger Protection)coreProvides financial protection for holidays not including flights through IPP scheme.
- British Airways Preferred PartnerminorPreferred partner status with British Airways for flight arrangements
- AITO (Association of Independent Tour Operators)minorMembership in the Association of Independent Tour Operators industry body
- LATA (Latin American Travel Association)minorMembership in the Latin American Travel Association for industry representation
- IATA (International Air Transport Association)minorMembership indicating compliance with airline industry standards
- AFPS (Air Travel Sales Finance Protocol)minorAFPS member providing financial transaction security for air travel sales
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves2 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Llama Travel competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Regent Holidays: UK specialist tour operator offering small-group escorted tours to long-haul destinations including Latin America and Asia; similar scale, customer profile, and UK source market.
- Explore Worldwide: UK small-group adventure tour operator with substantially overlapping destination portfolio (Latin America, Africa, Asia) and a similar escorted tour model targeting UK customers in the small-group premium segment.
- Wild Frontiers: UK-based off-the-beaten-path tour operator with small-group escorted tours to Asia, Africa, and Latin America; comparable niche positioning around experiential, less-mainstream itineraries.
- Wendy Wu Tours: UK specialist in escorted group tours across Asia (China, Vietnam, Japan, India, Southeast Asia), directly competing on Llama's Asia region with a comparable group-size philosophy and UK customer base.
- Journey Latin America: UK specialist tour operator focused on Latin America with a similar small-group escorted model and directly overlapping destination coverage on Llama Travel's largest region. Direct competitor for Latin American bookings.
- KE Adventure Travel: UK-based small-group adventure tour operator with a comparable escorted tour model and overlapping destinations across Asia, Latin America, and Africa, targeting a similar UK active-traveler demographic.
- Audley Travel: UK-based long-haul tour operator with overlapping destinations across Latin America, Asia, and Africa and similar premium positioning for UK customers, though it leans more toward tailor-made than fixed-departure group tours.
- Exodus Travels: UK-based escorted small-group adventure tour operator with a near-identical model: multi-country itineraries across Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, serving UK customers with similar group sizes and price points. The closest head-to-head comparable.
Broad incumbents
- Cox & Kings: Established heritage tour operator offering escorted group tours globally with destinations overlapping Llama's portfolio; broader product range and longer history make it a broad incumbent rather than a direct niche peer.
- Intrepid Travel: Global small-group adventure tour operator with comparable model and destinations; substantially larger scale, broader geographic footprint, and public listing make it a broad incumbent against the UK-focused niche operator.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Llama Travel social profiles
Digital presenceLlama Travel financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Llama Travel leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Llama Travel funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Llama Travel M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Llama Travel
What does Llama Travel do?
Llama Travel is a UK-based specialist tour operator that designs, packages, and sells small group escorted holidays (average 11, maximum 18 travelers) to destinations across Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Each package bundles return flights from the UK, accommodation, transfers, and the services of local guides, with optional excursion packages, accommodation upgrades, and destination extensions available as add-ons. The operator sells directly to consumers via its website, phone, and email, with no third-party travel agent distribution.
Is Llama Travel a public or private company?
Llama Travel is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Llama Travel founded?
Llama Travel was founded in 2002. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Llama Travel based?
Llama Travel is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Llama Travel make money?
One revenue line is on record: holiday Package Sales.
Who are Llama Travel's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Regent Holidays, Explore Worldwide, Wild Frontiers, Wendy Wu Tours, Journey Latin America, KE Adventure Travel, Audley Travel and Exodus Travels. Broad incumbents are Cox & Kings and Intrepid Travel.
Does Llama Travel have an API?
No public API is recorded for Llama Travel.
What industry is Llama Travel in?
Llama Travel's product category is Tour Operator Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAKADAA, Escorted Coach & Bus Package Tour Operators, with a secondary code of THAKAEAD, Group & Series Tour Operators (Seat-in-Coach/Fixed Departures). Its NAICS code is 561520.