"Our tour guide in Sydney was incredible…"

Our tour guide in Sydney was incredible and Australia proved to be the amazing adventure we all hoped it would be. The itinerary was great and we saw and did a lot. Highlights were touring the Sydney Opera House, learning to surf at Bondi Beach then spotting whales along the coastal walkway, petting a koala at the wildlife center, snorkeling and diving at the Great Barrier Reef, and walking in the oldest rainforest in the world. The Daintree River cruise guide spotted 4 types of snakes, crocodiles of all ages, and several birds along our cruise through the rainforest also. The only down side of our trip was the 4 flights and then a two hour bus ride to get home.

"We are so appreciative to Explorica for…"

We are so appreciative to Explorica for providing us with the trip of a lifetime! They made the process so easy, and each person who helped us in this process gave 110%!

"Review"

Italy and Greece were AMAZING! Our guide was great! The accommodations and food were low level in most places. On our cruise we were supposed to have upgraded drinks, we brought this to the attention of the guide and he contacted Explorica. It was never fixed until our very last day, we paid for it and didn't get it! While at Capri we were supposed to have an excursion on a boat to the blue grotto, they said the wait was too long so we didn't do it. Instead they took us on a trip around the island and then unbeknowst to us charged us an additional $38 for this excursion, though we had already paid for an excursion we never got. Our trip home was VERY rough, delayed a day and stayed over night at a Canadian airport. We were back for over a month until our luggage arrived.

"The trip itself was great"

The trip itself was great: full of adventures and variety. Our tour director was amazingly informed, knowledgable, flexible, and professional. He made all the arrangements for us and kept us informed of the schedule and any changes that were necessary. His updates kept us informed and prepared for everything so we could enjoy it to the fullest.
The before trip prep was frustrating: communication was difficult because phone calls were rarely answered and emailing just doesn't cut it. The lag time between leaving a message and receiving a call back produced a lot of frustration and increased anxiety before we left. In the pre departure information/checklists, nothing about COVID testing was included and the changes in US government general travel rules no longer requiring testing were not addressed. The information about pre trip testing I received in February was never revisited in the pre-trip emails, and no one was answering the phone or responding to my emails in early July one week before the trip. The website didn't even list any COVID testing requirements when I searched it in depth. I suggest that if there is a certain requirement (testing) that it is communicated frequently and included in the pre-trip departure checklist for the teacher and the participants.

"European Adventures-the trip of a life…"

European Adventures-the trip of a life time! Although the heat in Spain and France was at record highs, we had an amazing trip and Alex out guide and Antonio our driver were THE BEST!

"The overall experience was great"

The overall experience was great! Andrea our tour guide was very knowledgeable and she always strived to accommodate us. I would recommend that the hotel Best Western Irazu be changed. The rooms we stayed in had an unclean smell to them and the hotel was in dire need of a remodel.

"Canada was Incredible!"

Explorica is a fantastic company. We just returned from Canada with a group of students and parents to see Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, and Niagara Falls. The process to plan the trip was smooth and easy. Our Program Consultant Amanda was easy to contact and made sure we were ready to go before departure. Our Tour Director Austin was with us on the ground and worked hard to make sure that everyone in the group was able to do and see everything that they wanted to. We had a wonderful time and are excited to travel with them again.

"Quebec"

We were a little older than the group, but we were well received by the tour director and the group. Group was flexible and enjoyed all the excursions.

"Terrible communication and zero accountability"

My group was misled about excursions and travel time on the trip. Explorica agreed to a change for part the group’s return flights without ever notifying me or our tour guide. The info was not changed in our accounts either. This was a nightmare for getting picked up from the airport when the eta changed by several hours the day of the flight (though Explorica had known for two days). Additionally, the airline said that each of the bumped travelers would get a 400€ refund. However, Explorica has to claim it for us. I have been on the phone and emailing since we were notified of this. Besides things like the emergency line being busy every time we called and operators unsure of how to get us connected to the right place, not one person who was contacted has gotten back to us. I lead trips with lots of other teachers and have never heard of a more problematic company.

"This is the 6th trip I’ve taken with…"

This is the 6th trip I’ve taken with Explorica. This trip in particular was great because it is one country so it was much more laid back and not as rushed. The trips with multiple countries are more rushed but we get to see a lot. In particular I really enjoyed Normandy and seeing all the D-day history!