Educational Travel, Tours, and Learning Vacations Worldwide

Archaeological Institute of America Tours
Delivers a wide range of small-group land tours and small-ship voyages led by practicing archaeologists who offer behind-the-scenes commentary and insight that only an expert scholar can provide. First-class luxury is the norm on these senior tours, with about 90 percent of clientele over 50.

Earthwatch Institute
Join dozens of scientific field research expeditions worldwide for 2-3 week long teams, helping university professors in disciplines from archaeology to zoology, share field costs, field training provided. No special skills required, but any are welcome. Earthwatch sponsors hundreds of expeditions in countries around the world.

International Bicycle Fund
Educational, People-to-People Bicycle Tours Worldwide
Cycling difficulty is moderate. Each tour is unique; all focus on the diversity of the culture, social institutions, and environment and the complexity of the history, economy, and society. Programs are led by area studies specialists.

International Service Learning
Travel, Serve, Learn
International Service Learning offers a unique and exciting opportunity through humanitarian/service learning programs for pre-med, health and education students to experience hands-on clinical and field work in Central America, Mexico, Africa, and the Caribbean. Adventure travel, professional field instruction, academic credit! Financial aid available.

Oceanic Society Expeditions
The Oceanic Society is a nonprofit organization that protects marine wildlife and the marine environment through conservation-based research and environmental education. Half of its itineraries are volunteer holidays; the rest are educational. Participants become research assistants, working alongside academics and field researchers, logging, recording, and collecting data, including monitoring coral reef health and measuring nesting sea turtles. These expeditions occur in Central and South America and the Pacific Ocean region. Sixty percent of clients are older adults.

Pacific Discovery
Summer, Semester and Gap Year Programs Abroad
Offers inspiring summer, semester and gap year educational travel programs abroad. Programs blend meaningful and challenging experiential travel, cultural immersion, personal and leadership development, outdoors and wilderness exploration, volunteer service learning projects in conservation and community development, ethical travel and sustainability focus, and optional transferable academic credit.

Road Scholar: Educational Travel and Learning Vacations for Adults and Seniors
Offers tours, including 5,500 learning adventures in 150 countries and all 50 states in the U.S., serving more than 100,000 participants per year. Road Scholar was founded by Elderhostel, a not-for-profit, in the summer of 1975 and began as a learning program conceived to combine not-for-credit classes with inexpensive lodging for older adults. The adult and senior tours range from small to large and combine educational, cultural, and adventure travel.