Cultural Travel

& Learning Escapes

Learn New Things. Make New Friends. See the World.

We believe travel is the ultimate way to learn, especially when combined with meaningful engagement and memorable dialogue.

From the weekend getaway to an expedition around the world, we tailor your experience to your interests.

We put our destination expertise and first hand knowledge to work to create unforgettable experiences built around your interests, hobbies, passions, or curiosities.

We match travelers with knowledgeable local guides who can reveal oft-untold stories and hidden histories. We encourage clients to get off the beaten path and into the heart of the people, history, and culture of the world’s most famous cities. 

Surfing Lesson in Bali, Indonesia

What Do You Want to Learn?

History & Cultural

Enjoy traveling and sightseeing in Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America while gaining a deeper perspective on historic social climates and events. In small group formats, learn various perspectives from historians, expert guides and local families. We're always happy to customize your experiences.

Language & Culinary

Immerse yourself in the language and culture of your travel destination. Embark on engaging escapes that allow you to explore sensory experiences that immerse you in the local, culinary and linguistic traditions of your destination. Learn French in Provence or take wine tasting and cooking classes in Tuscany.

Music & Dance

Learn Salsa in Cuba. tango in Buenos Aires or learn about jazz in Paris' past and present. Plan your vacation around ballet or opera performances. Pursue dance or music anywhere in the world. From Hungary and Croatia to Ghana, Morocco and South Korea you can attend festivals, events, workshops or music and dance showcases and competitions.

Art & Photography

Are you an architecture buff, professional or wannabe art connoisseur? Are there major museums you've yet to visit? Perhaps learning to paint, draw or sculpt is still left unchecked on your bucket list. From Italy to Iceland to Dubai let us arrange whatever you would consider the perfect art learning escape.

Birding & Wildlife

Participate in global wildlife, birding escapes to observe wildlife in their natural habitat. Visit rain forests, conservation areas, game reserves or national parks to view and learn about a stunning array of unique wildlife. Learn about conservation, protection sustainability practices.

Active & Multisport

Cycle through Provence, France, or conquer Thailand by kayaking, rappelling and climbing on spectacular limestone stacks ascending from the Andaman Sea. ​ ​Hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu or windsurf Oregon's Columbia Gorge. Enlighten Excursions can lead you to exhilarating experiences geared towards your activity level. ​

Enrichment

It’s our privilege to serve open-minded and curious travelers searching for a deeper, more authentic travel experience. 

We strive to create enriching transformational experiences that encourage you to embrace the unfamiliar. 

We aspire to connect you in a real way to fellow humans all over the world. 

We want our itineraries to connect travelers to this amazing planet and allow them to replace  stereotypes of people and places previously unknown, with memories that will last a lifetime.

Testimonials

Personalized Tours
“We loved meeting locals who cooked us a meal and gave me a Flamenco lesson! Enlighten Excursions arranged personalized tours of each city (Seville, Carmona, the small white villages, Córdoba, Granada and Málaga) so that my husband and I could ask questions and learn.”
- Catherine H
Not a Boring By-the-Book Tour!
“We traveled by ferry to Crete and hiked the Samaria Gorge (whew). We visited the beautiful Island of Santorini where we met local people, ate the freshest seafood, and partied hard but we learned a lot too. This wasn't a boring by-the-book tour.”
- Therese S
Everything We Wanted
“Our idea was to go to Iceland but Deirdre showed us how we could do everything we wanted and a lot more in Finland.”
- Geraldine D
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Let's plan your next life-changing adventure!