THE ULTIMATE FAMILY
Founded in 1991 by Nick Van Gruisen, Rowan Paterson and Martin Thompson, The Ultimate Travel Company was born from a shared passion for crafting high-end, tailor-made holidays and expert-led Escorted Tours around the globe. That remains at the heart of what we do today.
As our reputation grew, so too did our offering. In the late 1990s, we launched Ultimate Challenges – designing meaningful trekking and cycling expeditions for charities, private groups and corporates. Then in 2010, we welcomed Specialtours into the fold, bringing their decades of expertise in cultural and museum-led tours across Europe to enrich our Escorted Tours division.
In 2025, we brought in SeyExclusive – a specialist in the Indian Ocean – enhancing our knowledge and connections in this ever-popular region. Ultimate Villas will deliver hand-picking exceptional homes in stunning locations for families and friends looking to travel at their own pace.
From tailor-made adventures to curated tours, challenging expeditions and luxurious villa escapes, our family has grown – but our commitment remains the same: to craft unforgettable journeys shaped around you.
Created to make a difference, Ultimate Challenges designs and delivers purposeful trekking and biking expeditions across the globe. Whether it’s summiting Kilimanjaro, cycling through Vietnam or hiking the Inca Trail, each challenge is built to inspire and empower — raising vital funds for charities and creating unforgettable experiences along the way. With expert support and seamless logistics, we make the extraordinary achievable.
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Specialtours has been designing cultural journeys for museums, galleries and institutions around the world. From behind-the-scenes access at Europe’s finest collections to private tours led by curators and experts, every itinerary is carefully crafted for those with a passion for art, history and heritage. Specialtours offers enriching, intelligently led group travel — with all the detail taken care of.
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Specialists in the Indian Ocean, SeyExclusive curates exceptional holidays across the Seychelles, Mauritius, Maldives and beyond. With deep local knowledge, strong partnerships and a focus on personalised service, they open the door to the region’s finest resorts, hidden retreats and barefoot luxury experiences. Now part of The Ultimate Travel Company, SeyExclusive brings added depth to our Indian Ocean offering — and even more ways to escape to paradise.
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Launching in 2025, Ultimate Villas offers exclusive access to a handpicked collection of private homes in Tuscany and the Balearics — with more destinations to follow. Whether you’re after a restored farmhouse in the Val d’Orcia or a chic hillside retreat in Mallorca, each villa has been chosen for its character, comfort and setting. With local insight and concierge-level support, Ultimate Villas is your gateway to a new way of holidaying — in beautiful places, on your own terms.
TRUSTED BY FELLOW TRAVELLERS
From the first conversation to the final day of our trip, Catherine and the team were helpful, efficient and easy to reach. Their recommendations not only improved our original plans but also made the whole holiday more cost-effective. Even when we needed assistance while away, their response was immediate. We wouldn’t hesitate to travel with them again.
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