USA TODAY 10Best
Road Scholar named Best Educational Tour Company
Best Educational Tour Company (2019)
For curious travelers who crave immersive experience and detailed knowledge of the destinations they visit, the quickly growing educational travel industry provides the answer. These tour companies take learning on the road with itineraries focused on topics like culture, history, archaeology, architecture and science.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Educational Tour Company are as follows:
Photo courtesy of E+ / Andrey Danilovich
No. 10: GeoEx Adventure Travel
GeoEx takes travelers “to the ends of the Earth” on luxury small group tours and custom journeys. Itineraries are grouped by interest, from family, solo travel and special occasions to philanthropy, active or trailblazing.
Photo courtesy of Cultural Crossroads
No. 9: Cultural Crossroads
Cultural Crossroads specializes in enriching cultural journeys to classic and exotic destinations around the globe. Small-group tours are tailor-made to help connect travelers to the people and culture of each destination through unique events and off-the-beaten-path experiences.
Photo courtesy of Smithsonian Journeys
No. 8: Smithsonian Journeys
Fun and engaged learning sit at the core of every tour with Smithsonian Journeys. Travelers enjoy enrichment and insider perspectives from world-class, insightful experts on more than 300 departures to all seven continents. Trips cater to a broad range of styles, everything from land journeys and small-ship cruises to cultural stays and active adventures.
Photo courtesy of iStock / rusm
No. 7: EF Go Ahead Tours
EF Go Ahead Tours offers small-group itineraries expertly crafted to include authentic food experiences, hand-picked hotels and insights from local guides. EF has been in the education business for more than 50 years, and no to trips are quite the same.
Photo courtesy of Overseas Adventure Travel
No. 6: Overseas Adventure Travel
Overseas Adventure Travel leads journeys of discovery through Asia, Europe, North and South America and the South Pacific, as well as river and small ship cruises throughout Europe. Travelers gain insight into the places they visit thanks to connections with locals who live in the areas.
Photo courtesy of Exodus Travels
No. 5: Exodus Travels
Exodus Travels caters to those who never want to stop learning with travel experiences that range from pizza making in Sicily to photography lessons on Safari in Africa. Travelers can choose from more than 600 itineraries across over 100 countries.
Photo courtesy of Discover Corps
No. 4: Discover Corps
The tagline of Discover Corps is “vacations with purpose,” and that’s what guests can expect from this tour company founded by a former Peace Corps volunteer. Trips range from nature and wildlife adventures alongside conservationists to cultural explorations filled with immersive experiences.
Photo courtesy of Global Basecamps
No. 3: Global Basecamps
Travelers with Global Basecamps enjoy unique access to destinations around the globe, stellar service and the peace of mind of having a positive impact on the environment and local destination. Perfection is the goal on both small-group and custom tours to destinations throughout Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Photo courtesy of Naturalist Journeys
No. 2: Naturalist Journeys
Naturalist Journeys offers nature and birding tours for small groups to destinations worldwide. Travelers stay at serene eco-lodges and are joined by expert guides with experience in fields of geology, ecology and local culture.
Photo courtesy of Road Scholar
No. 1: Road Scholar
Whatever you’re interested in Road Scholar has a learning adventure suited to that interest. Some of the most popular itineraries might take you cross-country skiing through rural Vermont, hiking through the cloud forests of Costa Rica, learning about Pueblo heritage in the American Southwest or dancing your way through the music halls of Tennessee.
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 tour companies!
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
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USA TODAY 10Best 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.