Insider Expeditions has designed and delivered more than 500 educational travel programs across seven continents. Our current itineraries include customized trips in Antarctica, Argentina, Australia, Bhutan, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dubai, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Guatemala, Iceland, Ireland, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Peru, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, across the United States of America, and Vietnam.
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Cuba
We travel to Cuba more than anywhere else on the planet, with consistently rave reviews for our innovative people-to-people programming and exceptional contacts in the country. We have the approval of the U.S. government to lead such customized, cultural exchanges, and work with the best local guides and institutional partners to deliver unparalleled programs. While we can tailor any trip, we have a particular focus on university alumni associations, young professionals, and museum and art groups.
- Discovering Cuba’s sophisticated art traditions during visits with artists in their studios.
- Feeling the complex rhythms of Cuban music, from son to rumba and jazz, and learning about these uniquely Cuban music styles through both performances and dance lessons.
- Exploring World Heritage sites and learning about Cuba’s passion for preservation from the very leaders whose efforts are maintaining their architectural and natural heritage.
- Meeting with both U.S and Cuban officials in Havana to discuss the evolving relationship between these two neighbors.
Please get in touch to design your customized trip to this Caribbean gem. Read more here.
Antarctica
- Bewildering Landscapes. Cruise between the South Shetland Islands and the western coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, sailing along ice-filled fjords and among passageways of icebergs, some glacial blue. Keep your eyes peeled for ice mirages and solar halos.
- Premier Wildlife Sightings. Visit this exotic destination during the most active wildlife season, ripe for some of the best pictures and indelible memories of a lifetime.
- The Polar Circle in Comfort. Fly over the notoriously stormy waters of the Drake Passage in comfort, saving two days of typical cruising time, and then transfer to our cushy vessel, host to a fleet of Zodiac boats and kayaks from which we’ll explore hard-to-reach places.
Please get in touch to design your customized trip to this wintery wonderland. Read more here.
Australia
- Abundant Rainbow. From the more temperate southern tip in Melbourne to the tropical Great Barrier Reef; from urban Sydney to the remote Outback of Uluru; from expansive ocean shore to dense rainforest; you’ll get a comprehensive overview of the globe’s smallest continent.
- White Sand & Turquoise Surf. Famously revered for surfing, you’ll enjoy the Tropical North—a shift in perspective for our Northern Hemisphere travelers. Relax on pristine beaches and glistening waves await you at your serene resort.
- Phenomenal Panoramas. Floating in the Sydney Harbor, gaze from Luna Park—Sydney’s vintage amusement park in the heart of downtown—to the iconic Sydney Opera House, all ripe for some of the best pictures and indelible memories of a lifetime.
Please get in touch to design your customized trip to the land down under. Read more here.
Bhutan
- National Festivals. At each, you’ll see traditional religious and tantric dance performances and celebrate, pray, and receive blessings for the year ahead.
- Spiritual Practice. Raise peace flags on the Dochula Pass, meet with Buddhist spiritual leaders, and take in the evening chants at historic temples.
- Optional Extension to Nepal. In these four extra days of exploration, you’ll see Mount Everest from the air (if you dare), visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites, temples, and royal squares in Kathmandu, and learn about how this ancient country continues to rebuild and transform after the 2015 earthquake.
Please get in touch to design your customized trip to the peak of happiness. Read more here.
Chile
Marvel at rarely-aligned celestial bodies in conjunction with mind-blowing lectures on a Chilean odyssey.
- Astronomical Wonder On July 2, 2019, the new moon’s umbra will pass directly overhead for eclipse chasers, and in a moment of extreme rarity, the disc of the moon will cover the sun’s face for the sight of a lifetime.
- Otherworldly Landscapes Imagine yourself amidst the regal Andes Mountains, the surreal Atacama Desert, and sipping award-winning vino on Chilean vineyards.
- Leading Experts Feed your curiosity with private keynote presentations, lectures, and family-friendly activities.
Please get in touch to design your customized trip for this once in a lifetime experience. Read more here.
China
- Far East Firsthand. Bring the sophisticated brushwork of Chinese culture to your fingertips for a cultivated understanding of this influential world power.
- Annals of Chinese History. Discern your Xia from your Qing as you walk in the steps of emperors, learning over 3,000 years of dynastic history.
- Fan Artistic Curiosity. View immaculate works by ancient masters and modern artisans, and roam famed gardens and temples—muses for calligraphers, poets, sculptors and painters for centuries.
Please get in touch to design your customized trip to the red dragon. Read more here.
Egypt
- Ancient Enigmas. Unravel the puzzles of our ancient ancestors and their art at the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx of Giza, as well as Temples in Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel.
- Cultural Exploration. Meet local contemporary artists and explore the hieroglyphics, relics and sepulchral accoutrements of this bygone civilization.
- Exclusive Entrée. Gain privileged access to Queen Nefertiti’s Tomb, dine inside the ruins of Medinat Habu Temple and soar above the complexes in a private morning hot air balloon ride.
Please get in touch to design your customized trip to the wonders of the ancient world. Read more here.
Iceland
- Community and Culture. Engage in conversations on conservation in Iceland with a local nonprofit and sustainability experts living in the planet’s northernmost capital city. Learn why Iceland is one of the world’s most peaceful countries, including their role in international peace summits and how they inherited a piece of the Berlin Wall.
- Eye-Popping Landscapes. Iceland is, quite literally, a country in the making, replete with volcanoes, geysers, mud pots, and hot springs. And, for our visit, Iceland offers front-row seats to the aurora borealis, which we’ll hunt for each night.
- Viking Culture and Relaxation. Iceland’s history was forged by Vikings. On this trip, you’ll learn about their rich history and traditions, and enjoy Iceland’s famously good coffee and chocolate. Once your belly is full (fermented shark, anyone?), you’ll also melt away stress at blue hot springs, saunas, and steam rooms.
Please get in touch to design your customized trip to the Land of Fire and Ice. Read more here.
India
- Delhi Delights. Get to know Delhi from the eyes of the people who grew up there. We’ll work with an organization that empowers young people to tell their own stories as they give tours of their neighborhood and practice their English with eager travelers.
- Mughal Marvels. From Humayun’s Tomb to the Taj Mahal the Mughals—Northern India’s rulers from the 16th century until the British Raj—have left an indelible architectural legacy of which world wonders are made.
- Bustling Bombay. We’ll immerse ourselves in the heart of Mumbai, formerly Bombay, exploring the industries that make the city tick—from an exclusive movie studio tour to the din of 20 tons of fish being auctioned, you’ll see it all.
Please get in touch to design your customized trip to the land of kaleidoscopic diversity. Read more here.
Japan
- Ancient Serenity Meets Modern Freneticism. With over 38 million people, Tokyo is the largest metropolitan area in the world. From women in the subway dressed in kimonos to traditional sports, like sumo, vying for spectators with futuristic robot fights—Japan pulses with a vibrancy all its own.
- Spiritual Balance. Temples punctuate the landscape—across urban and rural vistas— as Buddhism and Shintoism play key roles in the foundation of modern Japanese culture and mores.
- Culinary Exploration. No journey to Japan is complete without a deep dive into the subtle complexity of the nation’s cuisine. You’ll slurp, crunch, nibble and devour all the dishes—from aburaage to zaru-soba.
Please get in touch to design your customized trip to the land of the rising sun. Read more here.
Morocco
- Ancient Medinas. Get lost in some of the oldest winding markets in the world.
- Earthly Wonders. From glimmering oceans to the vast Sahara, and peaks of the High Atlas to the depths of Todra Gorge, Morocco’s topography will seem like a mirage.
- Warm Maghreb Hospitality. Stay in charming riads—traditional guesthouses—and interact with locals over home-cooked tagines, baskets of dates, and steaming mint tea.
- Dunes at Dusk. Ride camels into dramatic sandscapes and spend the night under clear, deep skies deciphering the constellations.
Please get in touch to design your customized African coast adventure. Read more here.
Peru
- Storied Trails. Weave colorful memories of snow-capped peaks, massive granite precipices, the dense Amazon tropical jungle basin, and architectural marvels of an extraordinary bygone empire.
- Archeological Treasure. Take a scenic train to Aguas Calientes, also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo, then walk up an ancient staircase to the crown jewel of the Inca empire, standing proud high in the Andes.
- Peruvian Cuisine. Dine on fresh ceviche, learn how to make frothy Peruvian pisco sours, and enjoy local cuisine in the mystical colonial town of Cusco.
- Expert Storytellers. Be regaled with daily talks and tales of one of the world’s greatest civilizations by expert archeologists, historians, and locals during the trek through the Sacred Valley.
Please get in touch to design your customized South American outing. Read more here.
Puerto Rico
- Boots on the Ground. With the leadership of preeminent nonprofits, get involved in areas where Puerto Rico is hard-pressed for help—clearing trails of debris, cleaning beaches and protecting ecology, and providing essential services to locals in need of a helping hand.
- Jumpstart Tourism. One of the best ways to fast-track Puerto Rico’s recovery is to contribute to the tourism economy, which accounts for nearly a fifth of all jobs on the island—and for good reason. We’ll swim at gorgeous beaches, wander Old San Juan, and taste the Caribbean’s finest at the Bacardi Rum factory!
- Sand, Surf, and Serve-ezas. We’re doing service in style. Join fellow alumni to play in the Caribbean surf, dive into cool waterfalls, and take a sunset snorkel.
- Disaster Recovery Expertise. Learn about our changing global ecosystem that is leading to increased frequency of storms, and the efforts of nonprofits to help impacted communities and environments in need.
Please get in touch to design your customized service adventure. Read more here.
Tanzania
- Ethereal Vistas. From the rim of a massive caldera, survey a blue-green majesty teaming with wildlife, the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area offers an incomparable look at the animal kingdom as you drive into the basin.
- Serengeti Sunsets. Visit this exotic destination during the most active wildlife season, ripe for some of the best pictures and indelible memories of a lifetime.
- White Sand & Turquoise Surf. Famously revered as a spice island, Zanzibar is more than cinnamon, vanilla, and ginger; pristine beaches and a glistening waves await you at your luxury beach resort.
Please get in touch to design your customized surf and safari journey. Read more here.
Thailand
- Wildlife and Conservation. Bathe elephants at the sustainable and ethically managed Elephant Nature Park. Snorkel and explore the hidden lagoons and other protected natural beauties in the Andaman Sea. Together, your family will experience the breathtaking natural splendor of Thailand.
- Spiritual Practice. Thailand is a majority Buddhist country and you will see the grandeur of Buddhist temples and learn about how traditional Buddhist practices infuse daily life in Thailand— from Spirit Houses to monkhood you’ll see the full range of influence.
- Cultural Exploration. From national sports like sepak takraw— handless volleyball— and muay thai— Thai kickboxing—to the spicy and sweet flavors of their dishes, Thailand takes everything your family may be familiar with and turns it on its ear.
Please get in touch to design your customized trip to the Land of Smiles. Read more here.
Uganda
- Gorillas in the Mist. Regardless of the weather conditions—sunshine or mist—we will head into the jungles to come nose-to-nose with these highly intelligent animals, the mountain gorillas (did you know their nose prints are as unique as our fingerprints?). Learn how to make many of their 25 different calls.
- Magnificent Landscapes. Eastern Africa is a patchwork of vibrant verdant hills, valleys, lakes and plains. We’ll experience each from the comfort of our all-terrain safari vehicles with some of the country’s best guides at the wheel.
- Luxurious Relaxation. Between game drives, primate treks, rhino sanctuaries and cultural immersion programs, we’ll stay in five-star accommodations and glamorous safari tented-camps under the stars for the ultimate luxury Uganda has to offer.
Please get in touch to design your customized trip to the Land of Smiles. Read more here.