{"id":95416,"date":"2026-08-18T02:21:38","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T16:21:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?p=95416"},"modified":"2026-08-18T03:04:44","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T17:04:44","slug":"group-travel-dynamics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/group-travel-dynamics\/","title":{"rendered":"The 5 stages of group bonding \u2013 as discovered on a small-group adventure in Iceland"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

From dealing with micro-tensions to baring all (literally), discover the five key phases of group bonding that can help you on the road \u2013 and beyond.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018I\u2019m late, I\u2019m late,\u2019 I flap as I powerwalk alone, giddy with anticipation, through the sunny streets of Reykjavik<\/a>. There are just ten minutes to spare before the welcome meeting for my Iceland\u2019s Golden Circle In Depth<\/a> trip \u2013 and I\u2019m keen to make a good impression on the group; tardiness is not an option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I haul my suitcase up a hill towards the hotel meeting point, it dawns on me that I\u2019m looking down the barrel of five days stuck with a bunch of total strangers. My brain starts rattling off worries and what-ifs: Will they like me? Will I like them<\/em>? What if no one gets along? What if I say something stupid? What if my roommate hogs the bathroom? How is this all going to go?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turns out, these early nerves \u2013 and the emotional ups and downs that follow \u2013 are pretty typical for travellers on any small-group adventure<\/a>. In fact, they mirror the late American psychologist Bruce Tuckman\u2019s theory of how all groups bond \u2013 a five-step process that typically occurs when strangers come together to form any sort of team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The good news is: however you feel before, during or after a small-group trip, it\u2019s likely not just you. And if you know the theory behind the feelings, you can roll with them, cycling through the phases and understanding that it\u2019s all part of the journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Intrepid
All smiles from the outset in Iceland<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

1. First hellos \u2013 the forming stage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Welcome meeting and nerve-wracking introductions complete, our newly formed crew sits down for the first group meal. The table is abuzz with chatter. Our leader, Bjorn, has brought us to one of his favourite restaurants and is keeping us all on track with advice on what to order (the lamb, delicious) and how to thank the servers (takk!). My cheeks are hurting from all the smiling and I can feel my eyebrows dancing on my forehead \u2013 the way they do when I\u2019m keen to communicate to new people that I\u2019m fun! I\u2019m listening! I\u2019m fully engaged!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Tuckman\u2019s terms, this is \u2018the forming stage\u2019. When a group of strangers comes together, they\u2019re on their best behaviour, unifying around a common goal (in our case, getting acquainted with the beauty of Iceland<\/a>) and establishing connections between one another. As my new travel buddies and I swap stories and suss each other out, I\u2019m riding a wave of adrenaline and excitement. So far, so good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Tensions arise \u2013 the storming stage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The next day, on the outskirts of the coastal town of Grindavik, my mood takes a turn \u2013 feeling as dark and brittle as the blackened lava fields crunching under our boots. A series of volcanic eruptions here between 2023 and 2025 saw lava spew, buildings crumble and a whole town evacuated from their homes. It\u2019s a sad story \u2013 but that\u2019s not why I\u2019m feeling off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversation over breakfast had felt clunky, the cadence stilted \u2013 and I\u2019d struggled to make my points heard as bigger personalities prevailed. I spent much of the drive to the Reykjanes Peninsula feeling inexplicably irritable, then annoyed at myself for wasting such precious time by being in a grump. Perhaps the long journey to get here had worn us all out. Maybe I was feeling a comedown after the high of the first day. Or, looking back, I wonder if this was the start of what\u2019s known as \u2018the storming phase\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This stage of group development is often the most uncomfortable. As group members work out their place within the social hierarchy, even unconsciously, tensions and personality clashes can occur. I was lucky to be sharing this adventure with a wonderful gang of people, so my grumbles never threatened to erupt into anything serious. Nevertheless, it was an unexpected bump in the road \u2013 one I’ll recognise more readily next time, thanks to Bruce and his theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more: Learning to embrace the unexpected in Iceland<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Strokkur<\/figure><\/div>
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"\"<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

3. The dust settles \u2013 the norming stage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Pfffshhhhh! Strokkur Geysir puts on a sparkling three-second show, shooting a pillar of white-hot water 20 metres (66 feet) high. Like the thundering cascades we\u2019d seen earlier that morning at Gullfoss waterfall, each encounter with Iceland\u2019s powerful hydrological features feels like it\u2019s washing my mind and soul clean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than hang around waiting for Strokkur to splash the sky again, I take a short sharp hike to a lofty viewpoint with Greg, a quieter member of the group who mostly sticks to himself, journalling at breakfast tables for one or putting his headphones in on our drives in the minivan. On the walk up, we chat about his work as a dean at a university in the US, our past travels and our families. I appreciate not only the view (Strokkur is just as impressive from above), but the chance to get to know him a little better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This, according to Bruce, is \u2018the norming phase\u2019: where the dust settles, teams start to truly cooperate and real connections emerge. By this point, everyone has a fairly good grasp of each other\u2019s quirks and foibles, frictions fade and we settle into a bit of a groove.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Emma<\/figure><\/div>
\"A<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

4. Bare bums and beer \u2013 the performing stage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I knew we were all getting along, but I didn\u2019t expect to get naked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re at the Secret Lagoon \u2013 a laidback alternative to the ever-popular Blue Lagoon \u2013 and the other women of the group and I are stripping off for a communal shower, as is customary in Iceland\u2019s public baths. Setting any prudishness aside, we all get on with it, then don our swimsuits and head outside, eager to soak in the island\u2019s soothing geothermal waters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a calming float under a clear blue sky, we all agree it\u2019s time to face the cold plunge. Bjorn shows his Viking mettle by submerging with a contented sigh, as if it\u2019s a hot tub; the rest of us gasp, one-by-one, egging each other on and laughing at the pitifully short stretches we\u2019re able to endure in the icy water. Twenty minutes later, he\u2019s still chilling. Literally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That night, we huddle together as the midnight sun casts a pink glow along the horizon and share a selection of local beers that Marny, my roommate, picked up at the airport duty-free. We\u2019re all feeling relaxed in each other\u2019s company and when I trip over my own feet \u2013 not once, but twice \u2013 on my way to fetch ice to cool the suitcase-warm beer, I enjoy the way everyone teases me like we\u2019re old friends who go way back. In a way, it feels like we do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Bruce\u2019s model, we\u2019re now in \u2018the performing stage\u2019 \u2013 functioning brilliantly as a group, bonding over new experiences and having fun. In other words, this is peak group trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more: Pick your persona: What type of group traveller are you?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Emma<\/figure><\/div>
\"The<\/figure>
\"A<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

5. Emotional goodbyes \u2013 the adjourning stage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Back in Reykjavik, we round off the trip with a city tour led by Bjorn. He takes us to City Hall, where he shows us a huge 3D map of Iceland. I can see Solheimajokull Glacier \u2013 where we’d explored, crampons and ice picks and all, just days earlier \u2013 depicted as a white blob. I circle the display, mentally retracing our steps and reflecting on just how far we\u2019ve come. I find myself panicking at the thought of all the questions I haven\u2019t asked, of how much I still don\u2019t know about our leader<\/a> and his land of fire and ice. I\u2019m not ready for this to be over. I don\u2019t want to say goodbye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But soon enough, we\u2019re doing just that. We exchange well wishes, hugs and open invitations to each other\u2019s homes \u2013 spanning from Upstate New York to New Zealand’s North Island \u2013 promising to update everyone on our future adventures in the group chat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then I\u2019m alone again, walking the streets of Reykjavik. The city feels just as it did when I arrived. The air is still fresh and clean. The sun is still shining. But I\u2019m different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Five days ago, I was walking these streets wondering whether I’d fit in, or if I’d enjoy seeing Iceland with 11 total strangers. Now, I see those nerves not just as a natural part of the group-bonding process, but a valuable part of the journey. Building relationships with other travellers was never the reason I came to Iceland. But, as it turns out, those strangers became an integral part of an experience I\u2019ll always remember: breakfast bickering, beer banter, bare bottoms and all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find your own dynamic on Intrepid\u2019s small-group Iceland\u2019s Golden Circle in Depth<\/a> trip.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

All images, excluding header and group lagoon shot, courtesy of @bjorntheguide<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

Group adventures in Iceland <\/h2>
Iceland's Laugavegur Trail<\/a><\/div>
7 days<\/span><\/div>
View trip<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Iceland Discovery<\/a><\/div>
8 days<\/span><\/div>
View trip<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Iceland's Golden Circle in Depth<\/a><\/div>
5 days<\/span><\/div>
View trip<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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