YMT Vacations Reviews

YMT Vacations is a shoddy operation! I have been on 25 plus tours in the last 10 years & I would place them near the bottom of my list. They don't deliver what they put in writing concerning the itinerary & then they make false statements that they did! This company is not honest & some of their hotel selections are below average. I would tell anyone considering them to look elsewhere! I didn't get two tours that were listed on my itinerary; I called the home office while on tour & never got a return call; I approached the on-site contracted guide & was told NO tour for two specific places & worse the company denied this happened. I complained to tour guide about some of the sub-standard hotels & YMT said I never said anything. They deny anything negative ever happened! Skip the frustration of dealing with YMT because it isn't worth your time & money...look elsewhere! BUYER BEWARE when dealing with YMT!

This is our second trip with YMT. Went on a Yellowstone and the Black Hills tour in Aug 2025. We did have a great time with everyone on the bus. Great stops for the most part, but not very long for a stop and wonder around. WE had to stay on schedule was the response. OK. The places and scenery we visited were very nice and I did get many photos of the stops and views. Per their documentation we were told several places we were on our own for all meals except Breakfast. OK no problem for dinner in several cities, but a couple we not so close to a place to eat. One of the hotels was not prepared to have 42 people have continental breakfast in their location. That was Jackson, WY. Room was nice but only 3 TV stations to relax before bed and American Pie kept repeating over and over.

I booked a trip to Ireland with YMT (Young Men's Tours). I utilized YMT previously in 2024 and had a wonderful experience with our tour guide and bus driver who were fantastic. This year, our bus driver was both the driver and tour guide. Amaen was an independent contractor and was an excellent driver and tour guide! However, YMT utilized a second-party motorcoach provider based in Ireland called Pierce Kavanaugh Coaches. So instead of a YMT trip guide greeting our group at the welcoming and information dinner, a representative from Pierce Kavanagh coach bus service spoke to the group.

WE went on the Alaska discovery trip in Aug 2024. We were very happy with the whole tour. We had good communications with reserving and setting up the trip with Tammy. I did not have any of the problems some have had. We did book our own flight and had to find our way to the hotel, as expected. We are experienced world travelers and this was not an issue for us. The agent met us at the hotel in Fairbanks and gave us a run down on the itinerary for each day, and what we were doing in detail for the next few days. Our guide was a a local to the area and was very knowledgeable about all of Alaska. The train ride from Fairbanks to Denali was fantastic. The hotels in Denali was perfect. The trip down from Denali to the Kenia peninsula was enjoyable and nice. Though we did not see any whales or such on the little boat ride. The glaciers and the other wildlife were great. I recommend this trip in August as all the flies and bugs are gone.

Our first experience with YMT was an Alaska cruise tour in 2018. We had no complaints. We scheduled and paid for YMT's Best of England tour for May 2023. We booked our own airfare and saved money. Soon after Great Britain's royal family announced King Charles' coronation we received notice from YMT that our trip was canceled due to "an issue with a vendor." The coronation was to be on about day 4 of our trip. Clearly, that was the issue. YMT offered a modest discount on a replacement trip to be taken within just months. There was no way we were going use our non-refundable airfare for a trip, then go on another trip two months later. YMT refused our polite request for a refund. The good news? We curated our own Best of England tour, enjoyed festivities related to the coronation, and got our money back from YMT via credit card chargeback. Beware.

This is our third trip with YMT. Probably won’t be a fourth. Paid for first class airfare for the entire trip. Booked us on Delta which has first class about equal to a BUZZ airline coach. No legroom whatsoever. Terrible food. Were told they were out of meat dish and we could have a salad (which was awful). Then on our bus tour on a Sunday we were all dropped off in the middle of a city that nothing opened until 11:30. Mind you it was 9:30 and raining. A few people asked if they could stay on the bus and were told "no, you have to get off." They said they had to go to a secret place and would be back at 12:30. So everyone got off, in the rain, and had to walk around. Then, our departure was a nightmare. We had to leave ship at 9:00 am. Our flight wasn’t until 8:45pm.

My husband and I did the best of Scotland and the best of Ireland, back to back tours In 2019. We had excellent tour guides. Coaches were very comfortable and the hotels were nice. Even tried Haggis. We made some great friends that we still keep in touch with. One of our best trips.

We have been working with YMT since April on a cruise to Hawaii with 4 couples. The response has been horrible. We have been on about 30 cruises and basically book on our own. We decided to use YMT for this vacation and what a joke. They assigned us all rooms together and then a week later we are all over the ship. We call with questions and nobody ever returns our call. After many frustrating call with no results we asked to have a supervisor return our call. Well as you can imagine that also has not been received. We are less than 70 days out and have 0 information and still have no room assignments. I would not recommend this company basically for their service or I should say the lack thereof. Book directly. Save the aggravation. Poor service.

Sept 11, 22 bus excursion Las Vegas to Denver. Tour guide - picnic lunch, went to WALMART!, of all places. I came down with COVID several days into the trip while we were in Brice Canyon village. Called tour guide to let her know and that we were not going to attend dinner that night and that I had tested for COVID. The next morning she tapped on our door and said "Good Luck", got into the bus and left. She just dumped us there with no transportation, no car rentals, no pharmacies, nothing. My husband had to go to the hotel (Ruby's) to see if we could quarantine there. They were very kind. My husband came down with COVID also. We ended up using the volunteer ambulance service 3 times to get us to the regional hospital. Both my husband and I also got pneumonia. And the terrible coughing burst my husband appendix and blew a hole in his colon. He was transported to a larger hospital where he had 3 surgeries.

WE booked an escorted tour with optional air, optional meals, and optional tours to celebrate our 50th anniversary. The departure date 10/1/22. We were paid in full and excited to be going. The day before the final payments were due (this was 6/22/22) they killed the tour, cutely calling it "Suspended" rather than "Cancelled". This was 101 days before the start date of our tour. Two hours after receiving an email, I replied stating that we wished to have a refund and did not wish to take an alternative tour next year.

I find from my friends that the the trip was cancel. No notice from YMT. I was calling them many times ask about return my deposit. I send email with the refund and I get only info so that deposit is not refunded. I did not canceled. The company canceled and hold my money. This is how company with no any services make the profit. Some attorneys have to make more closing looks and we all need to find someone who can teach the company doing the business.

I really enjoyed the tour. The guides (Nox & Pita) were great. The hotels were nice, and the excursions offered were fabulous (I took them all). However, the tour company itself gets an F for communication. I had to call them for everything. I had to call to get the final travel documents. They said they wouldn't help me with airport transfers because I booked the flights to and from home myself (using covid airline credits) so I took care of it -- only to find out that I could have gotten the guide to help me when I was in Hawaii. I had to call to get the excursion information -- it did not come automatically to me. Many other people on the trip had the same experience -- no emails, phone calls, or help upfront. The tour itself was wonderful.

We booked travel to the national parks for 19 days. Their website and my contract reads flight included. One month before our trip they say they made a mistake a year ago and want us to pay for the flight. Be aware.

Our YMT Alaskan Cruise for May 2021 was canceled due to covid. They will not refund our deposit! They are using the "no refund of deposit" excuse. I read the agreement... that "no refund" policy is for customers that are canceling... NOT TOUR COMPANY CANCELING! Their crooked, illegal loophole is making them millions $$$$!!! YMT is creating vacation cruises, taking your deposit, canceling trip, and keeping your deposit! Clever, huh? And illegal! Now why couldn't I think of a "get-rich-quick" scheme like that??? I could have been a sorry, no-good, seedy, dishonest, multi millionaire, like them? Their customer service is non-existent...but I completely understand! I wouldn't want to talk to thousands of people I cheated money out of, either, if I were you! I really think there needs to be a lawsuit from all of us!

Plan a trip to Ireland in May and due to Covid the trip was canceled. This company is not refunding our money and is issuing a credit. Why should they hold on to our money when we could be using it for other things. We do not know what tomorrow brings and if we will even be around in 2 years. Not to mention if we even feel safe traveling out of the country. I would like to have our money back in the bank and making interest at least than counting on a wing and a prayer that this company will even be around in 2 years.

Signed up for Rose Bowl Parade Trip. Am sad trip was cancelled by Rose Bowl Committee due to COVID 19. Deposit will be credited to another trip and not refunded. Credit expires in December of 2021. Not sure I will be able to travel when it’s safe and not confident company will be in business. Other large agencies are refunding money in full for any COVID cancelled trip. Feel this is very unfair to consumer and definitely will not book with YMT Travel. Am also going to report this company to Better Business Bureau and hope others will too.

YMT cancelled our trip in August because of COVID-19. The trip was fully paid and now they want to keep our $1000 deposit and give us a partial refund. I will never book with them again. I can see if we had cancelled and they kept the deposit, but they are the ones who cancelled. We’re not giving them our hard earned money for free without a fight!!

Booked a tour/cruise which I canceled in January due to the pandemic. Tried to get a refund or transfer to another trip. YMT response, Holland America did not refund them, which I don't believe and NO REFUNDS OR TRANSFERS. Won't refund my flight cost either, which I know they got refunded. YMT said I would get refunded my tax, which I have not received. Put in a claim with the credit card company which was denied and they tell me to contact the vendor and work with them. They won't respond to my emails or phone calls. You would think during these unusual times they would work with you and even refund some of my money. The lesson I learned is NEVER WORK WITH A 3RD PARTY, book directly with for example Holland America etc. I am working with other travel companies(AAA, Viking, Holland America and Gate1) who are really working with me and giving me a refund or future cruise credit.

Had to cancel trip due to Covid 19. Was told will credit my credit card with refund. 4-6 weeks. When a tornado damaged my home 3 weeks ago they stated they would expedite credit. It is in the 6th week now and same story. I will never travel with YMT again due to the poor refund process, broken promises and lip service. STILL WAITING.

I booked a vacation through YMT for this April and understandably it was postponed due to COVID. I was pleased to learn that we could use 100% of what we paid towards a future trip but when I contacted YMT to learn more, I was appalled by the poor customer service and lack of any other options for their customers.

Holland America canceled sept Alaska cruise and offered two options, one is all money returned, other is fcc. We just want our money back, if we wanted a future cruise we would have booked a future cruise....

With the existing Pandemic our Trip to Alaska has been canceled for June 16. Unfortunately YMT is failing to give a refund. They have offered a credit which is good for 2 years which I believe is unacceptable. My wife spoke with someone named TARA who said that Holland America was not giving refunds. When I went to the Holland America website it says they are. I find YMT's Practice of no refunds and travel credit only to be joke especially since we are in the middle of a Pandemic.

YMT vacations is as crooked as they come. They had to cancel our trip to London/France because of all that’s going on with the virus. They refuse to give us our money back. The manager Tara claims they can’t get their money back, so we can’t either! I think that’s a brunch of bull!! This is a worldwide epidemic going on, shouldn’t the company have insurance? And just like someone else said, when you have a problem they won’t call you back. They do everything to avoid you!!! Take my advice - don’t ever use YMT vacations!!!!

Updated on 02/24/2020: Booked a cruise through YMT(Holland America boat). Canceled cruise on 1/27/20 because of the coronavirus. YMT has a no refund policy. Cancellation insurance doesn't cover Epidemic. YMT is not responding to my e-mails. I'm asking for a refund of my tax, and 3 tours I booked through them and my air fare.

Saw YMT ad in AARP newsletter. Called them to inquire about a tour and left message to return my call. No return call after 45 or more days. I will never spend money buying a trip from a company that does not return a telephone call.

We traveled with YMT for the first time in Oct. 2019 and that will be our last. My husband and I have traveled with world with various tour co. and have never experienced anything like YMT. From accommodations to the tour director and everything in between, it was the worst we have ever encountered. Even for a bare bones company like YMT it was well below standards (not even a complimentary bottle of water on the bus). Our fellow passengers were all in agreement about this poorly run tour to the Balloon Fiesta. Never again with YMT. For budget conscious folks use Caravan if you want something really great go for Tauck, in the long run it is worth the money, believe me.

Iceland Tour October 2019 - Our flight arrived a half hour early, so there was no one there as of yet to greet us. That was okay, a bunch of us just waited together until they got there. We loved this vacation. The fact that we stayed at one hotel was the best. It was right in town, so you could walk to different restaurants and coffee shops if you so chose. Our Tour Director, Gouny was fantastic. She knew the history of Iceland and filled us in from Vikings forward. It was very windy, but that did not stop us from seeing the sites! Thank you Guony for a great trip! Thank you YMT for the one stay at a hotel.

We took airfare through YMT. 1. An agent was to meet and greet us at baggage. The greeter was aware two couples were getting our luggage. She asked us to wait while she got the others situated in the bus. She left 4 of us stranded for over an hour, an additional hour or so of waiting the arrival of 2 more couples plus getting us to the hotel. We reported her to the "greeting personnel" and were told, "She has been with us a while and she is a good gal." No apology.

Italy Tour - 9 days. Many of us on this tour were unhappy with the level of service provided by YMT. The hotels left much to be desired. I would rate the living arrangements on a scale from 0 - 10 as a 2. The beds were awful and uncomfortable, the linen and comforters were dirty/dingy. We had to ask for replacement and still was unable to be made comfortable. No padding for the beds; only one sheet as though you were sleeping on the bare mattress. The locations were not good, not close to anything. The Food....OMG was JUST PLAIN AWFUL!!! AWFUL! AWFUL AWFUL! We paid way too much for this trip for the lack of quality, travel, hotel accommodations and lack of knowledge and helpfulness of the tour guide. I contact YMT while on tour to no avail. I definitely (others said the same) will not use them again for a tour.

We were disappointed we had to cancel our cruise. The YMT Claims Dept was professional, courteous, and helpful in sending the documents we needed for the insurance co. We were satisfied with YMT from when we signed up through the process of cancelling our trip. We plan on using YMT for future vacations.

I was unable to book a trip using the website, because it requires a login first, which is ludicrous. However, it rejected my attempt to register claiming my postal address was already known. Attempts to login using all my email addresses also failed refusing the password, and any attempt to reset the password was rejected because my email addresses were unknown to the system. There is a link to contact for help which only returns a 404 error. I send YMT Vacations 2 emails using the website regarding the issues, but no response so far. Calling them I end up in a phone queue, which I don't have patience for. I will look elsewhere for my vacation trip.

Our group of 10 people went on a tour with YMT to Greece for 10 days. We arrived home 2 days ago and am still upset over our experience on this tour. There is way too much bad things to talk about, but just to say the hotels, food, excursions, bus and boat transfers were the worst I have ever experienced. My hotels were so bad we tried switching rooms at each hotel to find no room was better. The hotels were miles away from anything to eat or enjoy, like any first time traveler to a area could want. We spent hundreds of dollars on taxis and food to find some enjoyment. Our tour guide was disorganized and we always felt like we were on our own to figure things out. Do your homework before setting up a tour with YMT. They give you just enough info to get you excited but not enough to know exactly where you will stay or experience. This tour was a joke and we all say we will NEVER use YMT again for our next vacation.

In October 2018, my sister and I went on a trip to China. It started in Beijing and ended in Shanghai. Truly a great trip. Our flight from Los Angeles to Beijing was an overnight flight and neither of us slept much. We were met at the Beijing Airport by one of our National Guides; while our second National Guides met another group of vacationers. Once everyone arrived, we were transported to our first hotel. Very nice. Coupons for dinner were in our welcome envelope. Our first afternoon was at our leisure of which we napped trying to catch up on missed sleep. Dinner at our first hotel was buffet style of which there were lots of options.

On our first outing to Alaska with YMT we had 2 legs out of four where my wife and I were not sitting by each other on the aircraft but directly across the aisle from each other. We were able on one leg to get someone to switch seats but the second leg was a family not willing. We informed YMT on our second tour to Europe that they needed to make sure we sat together on the airlines. Not sure but the same thing happened on our 14 hr flight to Amsterdam, no seats together just across the aisle. This tour was booked 1 yr. in advance and there should be no reason for this mess up. The girl next to me said she had just booked her flight a month prior.

I planned a second trip with YMT. The first trip was excellent. My recent planned trip was to the Rockies. After booking and paying early for everything, my doctor found out that I have a heart condition and need surgery ASAP. I tried to postpone my surgery but the doctor said I can't. So contacting YMT resulted in NOTHING. No refunds, no credits, no changes. You are screwed. $4,800 down the tubes. I found another couple that could take the trip, but that wasn't even an option. I tried to work with YMT for something, but they don't care. From all the information for travel insurance, the reviews are so bad, it makes it almost useless. The success for travel is to find a good company that really cares. YMT does not. Shame on you YMT for such bad service and you are a service oriented company.

The sales staff is quick to sell you a tour and get your deposit. Once they get your deposit and you read over the details of the trip you may decide to change your mind. If you change your mind they will charge you $100 per person to change the date of your trip or your travel plan. And if you decide to cancel your trip they will not give you a YMT letterhead document to submit to your insurance company to get reimbursement. So unless you want to lose your entire deposit you are forced to take a trip with them. We did not have a positive experience with this company and would not recommend them. Find a travel agency that cares about their customers.

My wife and I booked an Alaskan Tour and cruise with YMT in August 2018. We were very disappointed when we arrived in Anchorage to find that YMT had lodged us in a hotel (Crowne Pointe) which is several miles from downtown Anchorage and is located in a WAREHOUSE DISTRICT. Only restaurant within walking distance from the hotel was a Subway Shop. The tour into Denali was yet another disappointment. We were lodged in a hotel (Grizzly Bear) which was primarily a RV park. No fridge, microwave and ice machine was broken. Hotel also had no lounge or restaurant. YMT advised us that they were providing FOOD TRUCKS for us in the parking lot (dirt and gravel) located several hundred feet away from our room. Food trucks were at our own expense and offered Thai and Mexican food for dinner and breakfast... REALLY??? FOOD TRUCKS???

My husband and I traveled with YMT for the first time and had a wonderful time. Our tour leader, Collen and bus driver, Michael, were excellent in every way. Collen explained in detail about the day, showed videos of where and what we saw, was very organized, explained where different restaurant were, took care of any problems that arose, she just did a fantastic job. Our tour had 46 people from different parts of the United States. We had 2 different occasions with people in our group who could not withstand the high altitude and had to return home and she handled these occasions very professional. We would highly recommend this trip. Thanks again.

I just want to warn travelers using Your Man Tours that their 48-hour cancellation before the trip includes any kind of illness, even with a doctor's note and support. I recently had to cancel a trip to Hawaii due to severe illness the day before the trip and I got no refund even though we paid for the travel insurance and the flight insurance. I did not even get my baggage fee returned because it had all been booked through the travel company. Delta recommended not ever purchasing your airline tickets through the travel company because of this situation. The travel insurance was worthless. The itinerary looked great but this cancellation policy is not good.

the guides that were assigned to our groups were very informative and nice personalities. I am looking forward to my next trip with YMT.