With the growing popularity and accessibility of DNA testing kits, more and more Americans are taking trips to their ancestral homelands. Ancestry travel companies, like these 10 voted as the best in the U.S., offer services like personalized genealogy research or custom itineraries to the countries, towns and villages where your ancestors once lived.
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European Focus offers customized private tours throughout Europe, taking guests to the places their ancestors would have frequented in their daily lives. Those who’d rather not spend a lot of time planning can opt for a Favorite Tour to destinations like Ireland, Italy, France, England or Spain.
Photo courtesy of European Focus
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One-of-a-kind genealogy tours from EF Go Ahead Tours are conducted in partnership with Ancestry. Each tour includes an AncestryDNA kit, pre-trip family history review, and an AncestryProGenealogist guide throughout the trip. Popular destinations include Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Scotland.
Photo courtesy of iStock / Imgorthand
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Those with ancestral roots in Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Italy, England or Ireland who’d like to know more about their family history can choose a guided private or group heritage trip, or an independent tour with Family Tree Tours.
Photo courtesy of Family Tree Tours
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Ancestral Attic specializes in genealogy research and heritage tours to Poland and Eastern Europe. Specialty guides can take tour goers to archives, civil offices, parishes or other repositories to research family history, or Ancestral Attic can perform research for customers in advance of their trip.
Photo courtesy of iStock / Imgorthand
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My China Roots, a leader in Chinese genealogy tours, helps visitors locate their ancestral homes and relatives, conducts onsite research to uncover family stories, and offers an online platform empowering the global Chinese diaspora to discover their place in history.
Photo courtesy of My China Roots
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My Ireland Family Heritage
My Ireland Family Heritage can help those with Irish ancestors track down records of note in Ireland, as well as determine the exact house location from the 1700s and 1800s. Customers enjoy personalized genealogy research and help planning an ancestral tour.
Photo courtesy of My Ireland Family Heritage
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Spector Travel helps travelers plan the perfect trip to Africa, complete with cultural experiences that connect travelers with the history, heritage and cultures of their ancestors. Popular destinations include Ghana, Senegal, South Africa, and the Gambia.
Photo courtesy of Spector Travel
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Cunard has partnered with Ancestry for their Journey of Genealogy cruise aboard the Queen Mary 2. This crossing, made by English Puritans in 1620, includes talks by Ancestry experts and the chance for passengers to trace their own family trees through the centuries.
Photo courtesy of Cunard Line
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DNA Journeys from Your Travel Services feature itineraries customized around your unique heritage, including stops at your heritage home town, visits to archives and records offices, and excursions that bring family stories to life.
Photo courtesy of iStock / deimagine
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Road Scholar invites curious travelers to Discover Your Family’s Roots during retreats to the Allen County Library Genealogy Center, the nation’s largest genealogy library, in Michigan. These six-day experiences include the help of expert researchers, lectures and workshops, and the chance to create a family scrapbook of photos and memorabilia.
Photo courtesy of iStock / Lokibaho
The top 10 winners in the category Best Ancestry Tour Company are as follows:
- European Focus
- EF Go Ahead Tours
- Family Tree Tours
- Ancestral Attic
- My China Roots
- My Ireland Family Heritage
- Spector Travel
- Cunard
- Your Travel Services
- Road Scholar
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to pick the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote.
Congratulations to all these winning travel companies!
The Experts
Lois Alter Mark
Lois Alter Mark is an award-winning travel and... Read More
Lois Alter Mark is an award-winning travel and lifestyle writer who also writes regularly for Forbes and Reader's Digest. She writes about everything from luxury cruises and spas to quirky restaurants and street art. A former New Yorker, Lois now lives in San Diego where she's turned into a weather wimp and is still searching for a good slice of pizza.
Lois Alter Mark
Lois Alter Mark is an award-winning travel and lifestyle writer who also writes regularly for Forbes and Reader's Digest. She writes about everything from luxury cruises and spas to quirky restaurants and street art. A former New Yorker, Lois now lives in San Diego where she's turned into a weather wimp and is still searching for a good slice of pizza.
10Best Editors
10Best.com provides users with original, unbiased... Read More
10Best.com provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
10Best Editors
10Best.com provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
