"This was my 12th trip to Costa Rica with students. It was by far the best trip we have ever had! Our tour guide Raquel was friendly and extremely organized and the food and lodging was excellent! "

Our tour was planned to perfection. Our tour consultants Nicole and Pam were fantastic and answered all of our questions and communicated with us during the entire planning phase. Our tour guide and bus driver made our trip to Costa Rica a memorable one. Attention to detail, well planned excursions and adventure, with excellent food and lodging made this trip the best! Thank you Explorica for making this a trip to remember for all of our teachers, students and parents. Pura Vida!

"Travel with another company !! trust me"

I have traveled around the world in my life and this was by far the worst company I have ever traveled with. This company did not put a cap on the amount of people in the tour. You can not travel 7 counties in Europe with as many people we had. There was so much sitting around waiting. The tour guide was not helpful, left you guessing what is going to happen every day. Also Explorica told me that I can change my seat (due to medical reasons, I called them before I booked this trip). It was not true, the airlines can not help you because it was booked through Explorica. In addition to half of the site/excursions on the agenda did not happen because of the time constraint. Always chaos, we waited for bus's, Our flights got canceled and to get a group as big as ours home, we were left to fen for ourselves and the airlines where in no shape to help a group that big. Explorica is more than happy to take your money. I would not recommend this company. You are better off booking things yourself 100% or going with another company.

"Still waiting for refund, 31 days later"

After I paid the full balance of my Explorica account, over $2k+, 1-week before it was due, this company then took the same amount out of my bank account 7 days later, leaving my account at a negative balance. I did not authorize this transaction. I am now on day 31, still waiting for my refund via a mysterious check that I have been told was "in the mail". I have made multiple phone calls and emails trying to escalate this refund, only to be lied to. Their business tactics are shady and opaque.

"Our Explorica trip to Paris and the Cote…"

Our recent trip to Paris and the Cote d'Azur with 13 high school students was nothing short of extraordinary, and it was made all the more memorable thanks to our exceptional tour director. From start to finish, our experience was filled with adventure, learning, and unforgettable moments. Furthermore, what truly stood out about our tour director was his ability to form genuine connections with each student. From day one, he knew everyone's names and foster a friendly atmosphere that made us feel like more than just a tour group – we felt like a family.
In conclusion, our experience with Explorica exceeded all expectations, and I highly recommend them to anyone considering educational travel. As a seasoned traveler with Explorica, I can confidently attest that their services continue to impress with each trip. Thank you Explorica.

"Amazing!"

Our tour director, Vincent Delmas, was amazing. Our hotel was steps from the metro. Food this trip was very good. Seeing my students discover the art we study in the classroom in real time is always a highlight. We saw all of the major monuments and sites and had the freedom to see some things on our own. Worlstrides/Explorica are the absolute best student travel company.

"Stress Free, but they cut corners. "

As someone who used to plan students trips on my own, I loved the elimination of the stress. Everything is planned out and handled for you. But they are CHEAP and cut corners. Dingy hotels, only include tap water as drinks with dinner, awful breakfast options, and no food choices with dinner. For the amount we pay, I expect more.

"Cheap Company "

Prior to the trip there were no issues. Upon arrival things seemed to be fine, however it was very rushed. We had issues with being early to events that needed less time and then many additional hours of sitting around in places that needed little time. We also encountered many issues with a specific Hotel. We were told that the hotels was in Switzerland and it is was actually in France. That wasn't as much of an issues as the fact that the hotel was dirty with bugs and small live animals. One room even had hair clippings in the sink and the bed. We were also not allowed any extra towels for the hotel because they were only a 2 star. The staff is extremely rude. The tour guide was stressed out what seemed most of the time and got lost. These things should never happen.

"Group size and the time dedicated for shopping were a downer"

I did not like the large group size. Traveling with a group of 48 in Japan is not feasible or fair to the tour leader and the rest of the group. Getting 48 people off a train in less than a minute is not feasible.
I also did not like all of the time alloted to shopping. The trip to Odaiba felt like a wasted day. My students went to Japan to learn about Japan, not to attend a science museum and go to a mall and eat at an American buffet.
On the positive side, the guide was very knowledgeable, the hotels and hotel breakfasts were perfect, and the visits to the gardens and temples and market were great.

"Costa Rica: Come home with E.Coli!"

My initial review was 2.5 pages single spaced, but it is too long and will not accept it, so I will try to fit as much info in as I can. Be Warned! Everyone on the trip came home with E.Coli!
We arrived in San Jose & were driven to the hotel where we sat for hours, until dinner. There was nothing planned & we were next to the airport- not in a location where we could go walking or see anything.
Tuesday: coffee plantation visit & drove to Arenal.
Wednesday: late start for a hike & kayaking canceled due to weather (could have made fit it in if we'd started the day earlier.) The hot springs were extremely busy and it was a complete mess trying to turn our keys/towels in, as they accused us of not returning keys, but could not tell us which ones were missing as they didn't actually keep track.
Thursday: The itinerary said: travel to Puntarenas, free time at the beach, crocodile safari, & optional horseback riding. This is not what happened, nor would it have even been feasible. Instead, our group was split in half and told that we'd have to take turns sitting in a hot parking lot for 2 hours while the other half of the group rode horses. We then drove 6+ hours in stop-and-go holiday traffic to Jaco, where our hotel (Crocs) was a 20-30 min walk into town.
Friday: Our volunteer trip to the wildlife sanctuary was canceled due to holiday traffic. (We later learned it would be a minimum 3.5 hour round trip. Who thought this was acceptable after just having travelers in the bus for 4-6+ hours is beyond understanding.) All we did this day was go on the crocodile safari where we saw a few crocodiles and some birds.
Saturday: We were told if we moved the crocodile safari to the previous day that we would have more time at the National Park. This was not true, we had the exact same amount of time. The lines to change in the small, dirty bathrooms were extremely long and cut into the little time we did have at the beach.
Sunday: after zip-lining, we stopped at El Jardin for a buffet lunch, which I am 99% sure was the cause of the E.coli poisoning, as a few hours later people began feeling the effects. We then drove to the hotel and were told to meet at 6pm for the Folklore Dinner, which cost an additional $50. It was an hour drive (later we were told it could take 2-2.5 hours one way on other days!) for a buffet dinner and some dancers. After, we took photos and drove the hour back to the hotel. (What the $50 was for is beyond me. Had I known what it was and how far it was, I would have skipped it.)
We got 3 hours of sleep and had to be in the lobby at 2am for our flight. We then had a full day of travel, while feeling sick from the E.coli.
There is so much more I would like to say about the extremely poor planning on Explorica's part, but sadly all of the details won't fit here, but needless to say, I wouldn't suggest this trip to anyone.

"Student Travel Made Easy"

Bryan made the whole planning process easy and we very quick to respond to any and all questions I had. This was the first time I led a trip and Bryan was very knowledgeable and helpful.