Do I have to join in everything on a group holiday? No

No. On a Spice Escapes holiday the itinerary is a suggestion, the optional extras are offered rather than promised, and almost every holiday leaves time that is yours. You can join the Spice host and the group for as much or as little as you like, and the holiday page shows which days are planned and which are open. Surprising Seville4 nights · from £549 is a good one to see it on, because the included, the optional and the free day are all on one page.

This page explains the three kinds of time on a hosted holiday, shows how they look on five holidays, and says what to do if you are someone who likes to be active.

Three kinds of time: included, optional and yours

• Included: part of the price, such as a city bus tour or the evening meals the page lists. These are planned for you, and joining them is up to you.
• Optional: offered on the holiday page and priced separately. Where they are booked in advance, as on Surprising Seville, you are committed once you book, so choose the ones you really want.
• Yours: days and evenings with nothing planned.

The itinerary itself is described as suggested. Maltese Chillout says so in as many words, inviting you to plan your time with a suggested itinerary rather than telling you where to be.

Five holidays, and how much of each is left to you

Kraków Discovery: days left open

26 May 2027 – 30 May 2027 · 4 nightsKraków DiscoveryPlaces availablefrom £58918 already goingSee this holiday →

Kraków leaves its days open, and the itinerary is headed "Suggestions for what to do with your time". Thursday is for discovering the city at your own pace, with the optional visit to Schindler's Factory Museum that day. Friday is free time or the Wieliczka Salt Mine, which takes about four hours, and Saturday is free time or Auschwitz-Birkenau, a full day out. The optional excursions have limited availability and are reserved with a name against them, so the page asks you to book them when you book the holiday. A Spice host is with the group for all the nights.

Berlin Bound: one led day, the rest is yours

4 Jun 2027 – 7 Jun 2027 · 3 nightsBerlin Bound22 places availablefrom £549See this holiday →

On Berlin Bound the Spice host leads one day round the city and the rest is your own. On the Saturday you can stay with the Spice host or make your own way around the city at your own speed, stopping for as long as you like, with hop on, hop off city tour tickets active for the day. Sunday is a free day to return to a favourite place or head for somewhere new, with the bus tickets still valid, and the river cruise ticket can be used on either day, the Spice host advising when. On the Monday there is free time before the transfer to the airport.

A Taste of Lisbon: the evenings are yours

15 Apr 2027 – 18 Apr 2027 · 3 nightsA Taste of LisbonPlaces availablefrom £63915 already goingSee this holiday →

Lisbon is written as suggestions too. Friday is a chance to explore the historic heart of the city, with Alfama, Rossio Square and the Elevador de Santa Justa, and Tram 28 or a museum if you fancy it, and the evening is yours, whether that is a relaxed dinner or the buzz of Bairro Alto. Saturday suggests Belém, with Jerónimos Monastery, Belém Tower and the pastéis de nata, then a boat trip along the Tagus or more time at your own pace. Pam Harte is the Spice host for all 3 nights.

Croatian Chillout: active or not, as you like

1 May 2027 – 8 May 2027 · 7 nightsCroatian ChilloutPlaces availablefrom £86921 already goingSee this holiday →

Croatian Chillout reads more like a menu than a timetable. Half board at Hotel Punta means breakfast and dinner are taken care of, and each day is a suggestion: beaches and a coastal walk, a full day on a small boat round the Lošinj archipelago with swimming, snorkelling and a chance of dolphins, a walk or cycle of about 3km to Mali Lošinj and its Apoxyomenos museum, a hike through pine forest to a hilltop with views over the Adriatic, and an island-hopping day by local ferry or, if you would rather, a day of swimming, reading and a long lunch.

Maltese Chillout: one day set aside to do nothing

Maltese Chillout7 nights · from £1,288 · Waitlist only shows the shape well. Four evening meals are included, so most nights are already arranged, there is a ferry day over to Gozo, and one day is set aside to do nothing at all.

If you like to be active

Some people struggle to switch off, and a hosted holiday does not ask them to. On Read, Relax & Restore: A Week in Spain's Green North7 nights · from £969 there are bikes at the house and self-guided walking routes. On Croatian Chillout the walk or cycle into Mali Lošinj is on the page. On Surprising Seville a morning Segway tour is offered as an optional extra, and the 48 hour hop on, hop off bus ticket that is included lets you pace yourself.

The easiest way to check is to read the optional extras and the included list for the holiday you are looking at, then ask the Spice host or our team what else is possible. The contact page reaches a person.

What guests say about doing as much or as little as they like

Guests mention it in their reviews. One wrote that "you can do as much or little with the group". Another praised "lots of optional extras and real care taken over our needs and enjoyment". Both are describing the same arrangement: a plan that is there when you want it, and someone looking after the rest.

Where to read more

If you tend to prefer your own company at times, holidays for single introverts covers company when you want it and a room of your own when you do not. For the Spice host's side of the story, read what a holiday host does.

New to booking a group holiday? Our guide for first-time solo travellers covers the rest, solo holidays for the over 50s shows what is on sale, and single supplements explains the cost of a room of your own. For somewhere to begin, try holidays in Spain or the chillout and relaxation holidays.

Questions people ask

Do I have to join in everything on a group holiday?

No. The itinerary is a suggestion, and time is left open on almost every holiday page. The Spice host is there when you want company or help.

Can I go off and be active on my own?

Yes. Some holidays have bikes at the house and self-guided walking routes, and others put a walk or cycle into town on the page. Read the page for the holiday you are looking at, and ask our team if you want to know what else is possible.

What happens if I book an optional extra and change my mind?

On some holidays, such as Surprising Seville, optional extras are booked in advance and are committed once booked. Choose the ones you really want, and leave the rest for the free time on the itinerary.

Will I be left out if I skip something?

No. The Spice host is there to make sure nobody feels left out, and time is left open on the itineraries. Nobody has to take part in every visit.

Are the evenings organised?

It depends on the holiday. The page lists which evening meals are included, and the rest are yours to plan, with the Spice host there if you want company.

See the dates and book Surprising Seville online

4 Mar 2027 – 8 Mar 2027 · 4 nightsSurprising SevillePlaces availablefrom £5496 already goingSee the dates and book online for Surprising Seville

For a question before you book, ask Jackie Whyte, the Spice host, through our contact page, or ask Rosie, the chat on every holiday page.