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Educational Travel

For alumni and friends

To stay up to date on the latest tours being offered, watch for emails, or better yet, register with . Be sure to turn on your notifications! 

For further information on the alumni travel program, please contact:  Melanie McLean, Affinity Business Planner, Alumni Engagement, ºÚÁÏapp at mcleanm@yorku.ca 

2025 Trips

Heart shape Gingerbread cookies food on Christmas market in Europe in winter. German Night street Xmas and holiday fair in European city or town, December. Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin, Germany

Christkindlmärkte along the Danube River. The Holidays in Austria and Germany

December 8 - 16, 2025

Wonders of Peru: Amazon Cruise & Machu Picchu

March 29 - April 9, 2025

The Great War Canadian Battlefields Tour

April 1 - 11, 2025

Morocco: Land of Enchantment

April 15 - May 1, 2025

Village Life France

April 24 - May 2, 2025

South Korea and Japan

May 9 - 27, 2025

SOLD OUT

Bratislava to Prague: Walking Tour

May 2 - 13, 2025

Ecuador and Galapagos

May 12 - 22, 2025

Malta & Sicily: Islands of the Ancient Mediterranean

May 8 - 18, 2025

Remote Newfoundland and Labrador: South Labrador and the Great Northern Peninsula

June 11 - 12, 2025

The Magdalen Islands: Remote Outpost in the Gulf of St. Lawrence

June 15 - 21, 2025

Cruise Italy | Tuscany, Cinque Terre & Amalfi coast

June 20 - 28, 2025

Best of India & Brahmaputra River Cruise (Bhutan option)

October 3 - 19, 2025

Singapore, Thailand & Angkor Wat: featuring the Eastern & Oriental Express

October 8 - 23, 2025

Our Travel Partners

Toronto, ON | 1-866-760-1987 or alumni@glpworldwide.com
GLP Worldwide offers a cultivated selection of experiences for the sophisticated Canadian traveler. Every adventure will be a journey through history, culture, and landscapes.

Toronto, ON | 1-800-387-1483 
or travel@worldwidequest.com
Worldwide Quest offers a series of small group tours led by experienced and engaging leaders designed to enrich and inform in some of the world's most fascinating regions.

Chicago, IL | 1-800-922-3088 or information@gohagantravel.com
Gohagan & Co. develops and operates deluxe group travel programs for North America’s most prestigious museums, colleges, universities, and cultural institutions.

For further information on any of our partners, please contact:
Melanie McLean | Affinity Business Planner, Alumni Engagement, ºÚÁÏapp | mcleanm@yorku.ca 

Sustainable Travel and ºÚÁÏappU

Our tour operators are chosen carefully based on many considerations, an utmost important one being their support for sustainable travel practices, be it their commitment to small group sizes, choosing green properties, engaging local community members as inspectors, experienced guides, and experts in fields of interest, and more. Our tour operators help to build communities by forging positive relationships with the communities they visit.

However, we all leave footprints we all leave footprints everywhere we go, but we do not want to follow are in the ones we hear most about today—carbon footprints, or emissions. As a leader in sustainability, we are committed to reducing our carbon emissions and being carbon neutral on or before 2049. Learn more about York’s commitment to carbon neutrality. In keeping with the University’s commitment, we continue to work with our travel partners to make sustainable choices and strategies when planning itineraries, stays, and local activities.

OFF-SETTING YOUR TRIP
We encourage travellers to consider purchasing carbon offsets. Use this free from Sustainable Travel International to understand your footprint. 
For our travellers who wish to purchase offsets to minimize the climate impact of their journey, ºÚÁÏappU will match their purchase. Please contact Melanie McLean directly at mcleanm@yorku.ca to get further details. Some restrictions do apply.  

Travel Insurance

All travelers are strongly advised to purchase travel insurance before final payment is required by the tour operator. Looking for a travel insurance option? Check out ºÚÁÏappU Alumni services and benefits partner, , to see if it is right for you and your travel insurance needs.

Canadians travelling abroad are encouraged to consult Global Affairs Canada for up-to-date travel advice and advisories, as well as information on travel health and safety by visiting .

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Yes. We welcome anyone interested in educational travel, not just ºÚÁÏappU alumni.

Our programs are open to everyone and the age-range on any given tour can vary, however on most programs our travellers are between 55 and 75 years of age.

Most of our tours are considered moderately active; travellers should anticipate walking 1-3 hours or more each day at a reasonable pace. Depending on the destination, you should be prepared for uneven terrain (cobblestone streets, small hills, and stairs).

Guests who require special assistance, including those who sometimes or always use a wheelchair, must be accompanied by someone who is physically able to help. This person will be responsible for providing all required assistance. Your comfort and safety are priorities for us. We would be happy to discuss any mobility or accessibility concerns you might have. Prior to booking, please talk to our travel partner in detail about your personal requirements.

No. You will be travelling not only with ºÚÁÏappU Alumni who reserve, but alumni from other institutions as well.

Yes, a valid passport is required of Canadian and US citizens for international travel. Your passport must be valid for at least six months past your planned return date. Canadians do not require a passport if travelling solely within Canada.

All travellers are strongly advised to purchase travel insurance before final payment is required by the tour operator. Looking for a travel insurance option? Our partner, Manulife, offers Emergency Travel Medical benefits up to $5,000,000 for non-COVID-19 related claims or up to $1,000,000 for COVID-19 related expenses ($5,000,000 if you have the full course of immunization for Coronavirus (COVID-19) that is authorized by Health Canada.). Applicants age 60 or over need to complete the Medical Questionnaire to determine their eligibility and rate category. .

Reservations are made directly with our Travel Partners, over the phone.

Reservations are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Tours can fill up very quickly.

Yes, although we highly recommend that you take advantage of the air reservation service offered by our tour operators. In the event of a significant disruption in flight schedules, the tour operator is very limited in what assistance they can provide if flights are booked independently. Plus, passengers not arriving or departing on the group flights are responsible for arranging and paying for their own transfers to and from hotels/ships/airports.

All promotional items associated with the Alumni Travel program (annual catalogue, individual brochures, associated postage, and other travel information) are provided by the tour operators and do not impact the University's budget.

Armchair Travel Webinars

All-Canadian alumni armchair travel sessions

Together with other Canadian alumni groups and our trusted travel partner Worldwide Quest, we learned about the wonders of the world from our homes. Each experience was designed to feed your curiosity and provide content curated and delivered by experts in their fields. We hope you enjoy this selection of webinars.

Remote Newfoundland and Labrador:
A history in five stops

Newfoundland and Labrador’s rich history matches its natural beauty. Sean Cadigan will use five places that will be visited during an upcoming trip organized by Worldwide Quest – Deer Lake, Gros Morne National Park, L’Anse aux Meadows, Red Bay, and Battle Harbour – as illustrations of aspects of European colonialism and settlement, the development of the cod fishery, and twentieth-century modernization in the region's history.

The Yukon Advantage: How and why the Yukon is a great place for archaeology

In recent decades, the Yukon Territory has found itself on the cutting edge of the some of the most unique archaeological and paleontological research in North America. Join retired Yukon archaeologist Greg Hare as he provides an overview of archaeological research in the territory, highlighting some of the most significant sites and discoveries and explores the evolution of the discipline.

Nature Hotspots in Canada with
author Debbie Olsen  

Debbie Olsen collaborated with a small group of nature writers to assemble the new book 150 Nature Hot Spots in Canada: The Best Parks, Conservation Areas and Wild Places. She's visited every province and territory in Canada on her quest. In this webinar, learn more about some special place you may or may not have heard about and that you should place on your Canada hotspot list!  

No one owns Antarctica:
Why does that matter?

Antarctica is a continent of extraordinary politics. Over six decades of international cooperation in the Antarctic has meant balancing issues of contested sovereignty, safeguarding security and environmental protection, and advancing scientific research in Antarctica for the benefit of all humankind. So what’s at stake to ensure this continues?

The Literature of Newfoundland

Travel across Newfoundland through the literature written on and about this province. Explore the southern shore on the pages of Michael Crummey's Sweetland. Travel up the Avalon Peninsula with Wayne Johnston in The Colony of Unrequited Dreams. Reflect on the descriptions of the natural environment offered up in these works and consider the challenge of writing about place, of transforming singular natural beauty and unique cultures into words.

two polar bears in Arctic

The Polar Bear: Forever icon of the Canadian North? 

Polar Bears are rightfully touted as emblems of the Canadian Arctic. However, a significant population also lives far below the Arctic Circle along the shores of Hudson Bay. In this special webinar presented by the Canadian university alumni community, Dr. Marty Obbard will introduce us to Polar Bear biology, discuss his field work with this species on Hudson Bay, and address questions of its long-term survival in a changing climate.

Past Trips

Field of poppies in Normandy, France

Tracing Canada’s History: Remembering the 75th Anniversary of D-Day

As you visit memorials, trenches, and museums in Normandy, London and Amsterdam, you’ll learn about the important role Canadian forces played in the outcome of D-Day. Explore the locations that were the backdrops for pivotal battles and take time to honour the sacrifices made by the Allied soldiers.

Field of flowers and windmill in Provence

Autumn in Provence, Burgundy, Beaujolais, cruising the Rivers Rhone and Saone

Join us for this exclusive nine-day French sojourn in Provence and the wine region of Burgundy and Beaujolais. In this historical region of southeastern France, visit six UNESCO World Heritage sites, including Old Lyon, Beaune, Avignon, and the Roman city of Orange. Taste iconic wines during private outings to Châteaus hosted by the ancestral owners.

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Norway and Lapland: Coastal voyage crossing into the Artic Circle

Join join ºÚÁÏappon an adventure to Lapland - home of the Sami; the indigenous people of northern Scandinavia. On our journey, we will experience Norway’s beautiful fjords, charming ports, rare wildlife and travel to places no other cruise ships can access before venturing into northern Finland. Along the route, dedicated expedition leaders have a single mission: to enhance your experience by leading activities and interpreting the cultural and natural treasures you will see during your journey. Visit cities like Bergen, Alesund, and Trondheim, before we cross the Polar Circle and sail into Tromso. We continue further north and explore Ivalo in Northern Finland as well as the historic centre of Finland – Helsinki.

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Oberammergau Passion Play & Cruising the Danube River

Nestled in the storybook landscapes of the Bavarian Alps more than 2,000 residents of the quaint hamlet of Oberammergau stage one of the world’s greatest performances, the extraordinarily produced Passion Play founded on unique local history and a legacy that encompasses nearly four centuries. Spend two nights in the Oberammergau region, coupled with a delightful Danube River Cruise through Hungary, Austria, Germany and Slovakia. Special tickets, unavailable to the general public, have been procured for your Passion Play experience.

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Magdalen Islands

The Magdalen Islands: Remote Outpost of the St. Lawrence

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The Galapagos Islands III Alumni Expedition

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