Have done 4 tours: Scotland, Amalfi, Tuscany, and Iceland. All phenomenal. Iceland was a more adventurous & rigorous trip so don't go expecting to lounge around! Loved all the guides. Highly recommend. Will be going to Sicily with Classic Journeys this Fall!:) read more

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I recently returned from my third Classic Journey, this time to Cuba. It was an amazing and unique experience. Havana, the art, the music and most of all the people were incredible. Our guides, Audrey and Jesus, are a big part of the hat made this trip so special. Thanks! read more

They offer a lot but when you go, there is very little of what the sold you. Bait and switch read more

TLDR; don't waste your money or time I did a classic journeys trip in Japan, and it is the worst trip I've ever been on. Things in the itinerary keep getting cancelled, the guide is clearly not a real guide and doesn't know anything about where we are going, and tickets at tourist destinations were not booked. 11 out of 11 people were upset with the quality of the tour. At least 4 of our fellow travelers had done classic journeys previously so I think it really depends on where you go and who is guiding. However, there's clearly no consistency and it really depends on the region / who the planner was / who the guide(s) are. I imagine if someone had a great trip to Italy but there was personnel turnover, the next person's trip would be quite bad because the issues are clearly on a management level. read more

Don't waste your money, unless you want a bus tour and not a walking trip. I'm an experienced traveler and this company is a Mickey Mouse outfit -- with classic bait and switch. We were promised 2 experienced guides and what we got was 1 experienced guide and 1 guide for whom this was her first trip and she was without any training whatsoever. She was a very nice person, but that only goes so far when you're paying a lot of money for a high-end walking trip with 2 guides. Very little walking -- 20-minutes at-a-time and very few miles. Two days there was almost no walking at all. If you want a bus trip, there are far better ones than Classic Journeys. If you want a walking trip, look into Country Walkers or Backroads. Stay away -- far, far away. read more

My fiancé and I took the long weekend in Cuba tour this past December and have nothing but great things to say about this trip! The guides on our tour were fantastic! Marta was extremely kind and helpful and always willing to go the extra mile to make sure we were having a great time. The itinerary was very well layered with elements of history, architecture, diplomacy, art, dance and great food! We met a diplomat, an architect, danced salsa, visited a cigar factory, visited with a family that restores classic cars and much more! Did I mention the food? It was apparent that all of our included meals were held in carefully selected restaurants with amazing cuisine, even for a self-proclaimed foodie like myself! The highlight for me was the cooking class! What an amazing lunch! Wow! The icing on the cake was that our small group seemed to all jive really well together! Top notch! Highly recommend! read more

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We have taken two private group trips organized and led by Classic Journeys -- Panama & Costa Rica including sailing through the Panama Canal and up the Pacific coast of Costa Rica; New Zealand. Both trips were awesome with terrific itineraries. I'll never forget the Canal transit, cruising on the Star Breeze (best cruise experience ever), zip lining through jungle in Costa Rica, white water rafting, or the visit to an indigenous tribe in Panama. Nor will I forget jet boating on a braided river in New Zealand, Valentine's Day in Auckland, visiting Waiheke Island, panning for gold, Queenstown, or racing on America's Cup boats. read more

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Just returned from a spectacular trip to Morocco. Classic Journeys surpassed my expectations! I was most impressed with their attention to detail to create a personal and authentic experience. Our guides were warm and knowledgeable and accommodations and food top notch. This is a memorable trip for all your senses, from wandering in the spice markets, riding a camel in the Sahara, taking a tagine cooking class, relaxing in a hammam, and sipping mint tea with a local goat herder. I am a newbie but our trip had many guests who have been on multiple tours which is a testament to this bespoke travel company!! read more

Terrific experience in Morocco over the New Years period. The desert glamping night was a highlight.

Classic Journeys is the only way to go to Cuba. Our guide was knowledgeable having lived in Cuba herself for years. We got to meet locals and see their way of life, stay in nice hotels, and felt safe the whole week. I highly suggest trying Classic Journeys out! read more

I was very disappointed in the May 2024 tour to Scotland. I did the Tuscany/Cinque Terre trip a few years ago and had a five star experience. The leaders were fantastic, we stayed in lovely, luxurious hotels, and the itinerary was interesting and took place at a moderate pace. The Scotland trip was jam packed with activities. One day's agenda had us leaving the hotel at 9 am and not returning until 10 pm with nonstop activities. I don't go on vacation to be rushed around. The guides were not good with time management, and one day we had 40 minutes to have lunch on our own in a busy, touristy town. Finding an available restaurant took 10 minutes, and that left us a half hour to eat our meal. The worst part of the trip, by far, was the awful hotel we stayed at in Loch Ness. It is old and dingy and in serious need of renovations. There were numerous spots on the carpet and chipped paint on the walls. It was dark and depressing. Our microwave and refrigerator didn't work, and our room was stuffy and hot despite the cool weather outside. There was no way to control the temperature, and the fan that was provided barely helped. The lamp in the sitting area was so dim that it provided almost no light at night. The food in the restaurant was not good either. My husband and I paid close to $14,000 for this vacation. We will never take a tour with Classic Journeys again. read more

Exploring the Galápagos Islands on foot at eye level with Classic Journeys was an experience of a lifetime! Family time included snorkeling, kayaking, hiking a volcano to see a caldera at Sierra Negra... countless sea turtles, land tortoises (mating!), sea lions, sharks, tropical fish, land and marine iguanas, crabs, and birds (including endemic not found elsewhere: Darwin finches, blue footed boobies, Galapagos penguins). All with a local guide, Tomas, who knew when to sit back and watch and when to help... and answered all questions in a way that had the "kids" nicknaming him "Darwin". My son even was able to try surfing on Isabella, and we learned to make ceviche from a local chef. Dined at local homes. Blessed to meet two other amazing families interested in ecology, travel, and fun. Amazing beaches. Our hotels were luxurious basecamp retreats after each adventure. This was truly a life-changing experience for our family that exceeded our highest expectations. We can't wait to explore the world's wonders again with the experts at Classic Journeys. Memory making for a lifetime. read more

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This is a review of Classic Journey's Morocco tour from November 2 - 10, 2024. This was my first experience of CJs. The front page of the CJs itinerary boasts of "local well connected guides". We had local guides join us twice for walks as we moved through the Atlas mountains - too bad neither of them spoke English. Claim #2 - Foodie focused. At one point we were served virtually the same meal five meals in a row. We were never offered options (other than do you want chicken or meat tajine) while we watched the guides sit at a nearby table eating a salad of fresh greens, tomatoes, chickpeas and more. Claim #3 - Privileged access events. The closest I can come to matching this claim to our experience was the guide-described "lunch with a Berber family." The reality was the group was served by a Berber family, who then left us to eat; no verbal exchange at all. The guides again ate on their own. Or perhaps it was the promised visit to a school on Day 8. "Very possibly, your favorite experience of the week will be visiting a countryside school. Meet the students and teacher and see how class here compares to the ones at home." Again just one problem, according to the guide CJ tours have not gone to the school for quite some time. Sorry you all carted supplies for the school all this way. Definitely not a favorite experience Day 1 - Our visit to Fez was described as beginning with a guided tour of the largest medina in the western world. Reality: three shopping stops. Carpets, followed by the most touristic commonplace fabric store in the Medina, and finally the tannery. The salesman in the shop talked of nothing but his personal history which had zero to do with tanning leather. Absolutely nothing on how the famous tannery actually operates. But the worst was yet to come. To exit you had to make your way through multiple sales rooms. If you tried to move on out you were told not to leave. When we arrived in Marrakesh several people asked for recommendations on where to buy specific items - leather, inlaid wood, slippers. The guide's answer was to take us to an overpriced, commercial mega-store where we were "greeted" by another rug salesman; this made the third rug shop we were taken to. To our credit we all walked out. The next afternoon, during our free time, several of us found an artisan market (government certified) just a few yards away from the venue of the day before. Exactly what we had hoped the guide would have directed us to, The final day in Marrakesh the group lunched together near the YSL museum and garden. I excused myself to use the toilet. The lock on the inside of the stall jammed and it took restaurant staff to free me. I returned to the table to find the group gone. The restaurant staff called the guide to return. When he did return not only was there no apology, but he noted that I "must have been having an anxiety attack." What I was was angry. But let's say I was in distress, where was his duty of care to those he's guiding. It's worth mentioning that at Ait Ben Haddou another woman was left to find her own way out. Some of what I've mentioned, and these are just the "high" points, were told to our trips' Travel Experience Coordinator when she called on the night of Day 5 to make sure all guests were happy. More than one told her of complaints. We saw no evidence of changes. So the promise of care and attention to detail is quite hollow. When I spoke on the phone with the same Coordinator after my return, she feigned ignorance that CJ had run three groups simultaneously. One group was totally separate, though we saw them at some of the hotels, and several guests interacted with them, while the other two were blended together with two vans and two "guides." My van had a "guide" who during our 10 hour van rides only spoke to give his poorly learned prepared speech for the day; lasting no more than one or two minutes. CJs has heard this from myself, my three travelling companions and numerous other group members. Their response has been to offer me a discount on a future trip, though they have been tight lipped as to what that would be. I believe others only got "thanks for the feedback." Why would I risk my money and my time with a tour operator that when things go wrong refuses to make good on broken promises. Any company can have a "bad day". It's how you make it right, or don't, that really tells who they are. read more

We paid for a walking trip of Japan with experienced local guides. We arrived in Tokyo and met our trip leader who did not know anything about Tokyo and we wandered around aimlessly. We went to our next destination, Hakone, and were told we would experience certain things. These were also in the itinerary classic journeys provided. The items promised to us did not materialize. Also classic journey promises a lot in the description of the trip and then changes the itinerary or keeps it very vague when they drop it into your guest portal. i Asked them for mo this for a written itinerary. They promised they would send one and never did. We were promised a tea ceremony y. We found out on the 5th day of the trip that was not included. We were all very disappointed. The company then arranged i. Leas than 24 hours a very lovely tea ceremony. Why I. The mo the of planning before this trip did they not have that on the itinerary? The guests were extremely upset about the entire trip. Our start time i. The mornings was 11am. Other yours we're leaving the hotel before 9. i found out about amazing museums in Kyoto. As this was a cultural tour I would have though classic journeys would have told us about them. I looked at other travel companies such as Butterfield. The price is the same, the hotels are nicer, they have more authentic experiences. classic Journey offered us 50 percent off our next trip if we travel with them again. We would never go with them. It is time out of our lives. We have to fly 13 hours, boars the dogs and sit around in the hotel waiting to be taken to a site. The site was never exolained As we did not have local guides. Even the headsets that they allow you to borrow at the sites would have been better. Many temples that had a few, we had to pay. The company did not pay it. We spent some days on our own in Kyoto and Osaka and had a much better time. The subway and busses are very easy to navigate. The taxis are easy to use as well. Stay away from classic journey. It is a bait and switch. Promise you all kinds of things and deliver very little read more

We just got back from Classic Journeys Cuba tour! It was fabulous. The local tour guides (Audrey and Marta) had extensive knowledge of the country. They took care of all the many small details and planned immersive and interesting events throughout the week for our group. We got to see all the old cars, did a cooking class, salsa danced, met a coffee farmer, hiked in the mountains and, most importantly, got to interact with many local Cubans. It was an incredible week full of learning, fun and meaningful interactions. If you are up for something new and want to learn about a completely different culture, I would highly recommend this tour. read more

Classic Journeys tour in Cuba was incredible and we had the most amazing guides Audrey and Marta! We learned so much about the Cuban culture and it felt like we took a step back in time being surrounded by all of the old cars throughout the week. Our hotels were beautiful, they were basically old mansions that had been restored. We had lovely dining options along with awesome entertainment, and always felt safe. The itinerary included so many things that you would never be exposed to if you traveled on your own and the local guides seemed to know everyone. The warmth of the Cuban people made us feel like family wherever we went. Classic Journeys is definitely the way to see Cuba. read more

Worst tour ever. I cannot believe I paid that much money to be treated so poorly and stay in rundown motels.

I cannot recommend Classic Journeys. I've taken two trips with them. The first was good, although the guides said they were not going to do one of the activities we signed up for, a dawn walk to the Grand Canyon. It's too treacherous, they said. Overselling was again a theme with my second trip with Classic Journeys, this time to Norway, and although the itinerary was good, the guides were unexperienced and basically subpar. Classic Journeys said icebergs would be floating in the fjord while we kayaked which of course was bunk, and the rafting trip never materialized. I've heard it doesn't. I wrote this because I think Classic Journeys is a big rip-off and if you note, they get very defensive in these reviews. read more

First time traveling with Classic Journeys, and had an incredible experience. Our local guides were amazing. Highly recommend!

My mom, sister and I booked a luxury tour to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos with Classic Journeys at a significant expense. We expected an experience comparable to industry leaders like Tauck, Micato, Abercrombie and Kent, among others. Unfortunately, the service provided by Classic Journeys did not meet the high standards of luxury travel, despite their claim to be in the ranks of the previously mentioned tour companies. I have summarized our concerns and the shortfalls of Classic Journeys below: **Pre-Trip Preparation**: The lack of attention to detail began with visa arrangements; their team didn't clearly communicate Visa requirements and was unaware that proof of visa was necessary to even board the flight to Vietnam from the US. In many instances, you can get a Visa upon arrival, etc. This failure of communication resulted in last-minute fees, expediting costs, and significant stress. Important travel details like vaccines, luggage restrictions, and fitness levels required for the daytrips were poorly communicated. **Accommodations and Logistics**: Our experience with accommodations was EXTREMELY disappointing. We were compelled to book extra nights at our expense due to inefficient tour logistics. One hotel was over an hour away from the airport, contrary to the 15 minutes we were told. Additionally, we encountered last-minute hotel downgrades and substandard room assignments. It is not expensive to book a 5-star hotel in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Nice rooms in luxury hotels were typically under $250/night. When we arrived at disappointing accommodations, we googled the cost of the rooms. In multiple instances, they were in the $75 - $80/night range, while beautiful rooms were available at nearby hotels for $150 - $200/night. For the amount we paid for the trip, we were horrified to discover that Classic Journeys penny pinched on such an important trip element. At one point, we were housed near trash and service areas, and instructed to dispose of soiled toilet paper in a bin, which is unacceptable for what was promised as a luxury experience. It is clear that Classic Journeys was seeking to capture profit at the expense of their travelers. **Air Travel and Benefits**: Classic Journeys failed to include our airline loyalty information for the various flights we took getting from point A to B, costing us access to benefits like extra baggage and VIP lounge access. They also did not allow us to access our own reservation details, including confirmation and ticketing numbers so that we could enter loyalty information ourselves, despite multiple requests. **Lack of Itinerary Details **: The physical demands of activities like a 2-mile walk in extreme heat were not disclosed beforehand, which is crucial for planning. Most luxury tour companies have a rating system that is utilized to indicate the level of exertion required for the day-trip, for example one tennis shoe for low activity level, two tennis shoes for moderate activity or fitness level, and 3 tennis shoes for a strenuous or difficult activity. Classic Journeys had no such rating system. More than one of our tours required multiple miles on uneven ground in extreme heat. I informed Classic Journeys of a significant knee injury that occurred on a ski trip in February. I also told them it was very possible that I would be in a knee immobilizing brace from mid-thigh to ankle. They told me didn't feel many modifications were necessary, with the exception of one day when we rode bikes. My mom is also a Type 1 diabetic and has had 2 knee replacements. We informed Classic Journeys of these health conditions. They didn't provide adequate information regarding preparation for the activities in their itinerary, While our guides and drivers (contracted from another agency) were exceptional, the numerous logistical and service failures from Classic Journeys have prompted us to write this review. Future travelers should be wary and consider all available options when booking a luxury tour, especially given the significant cost and expectations of such trips. read more

An absolutely fabulous experience! Superb accommodations, delightful cuisine, guides that make the experience completely enjoyable, and an environment filled with memorable fishing options and unforgettable scenery! It's a "No Brainer!" read more

Two for two, Classic Journeys! I've now traveled solo on two of your incredible cultural walking tours - most recently in Scotland (+ my amazing trip to Cuba). Both trips were absolute delights! The accommodations-from hip in city boutique hotels, to charming country houses and historic castle estates-were top-notch and the meals were memorable affairs with locally-sourced ingredients prepared expertly in picturesque settings. And what made these experiences over the top special were your amazing guides whose passion, knowledge, and ability to bring the rich history and cultures to life through captivating stories and anecdotes was unparalleled - I felt fully immersed. You've exceeded my expectations yet again with your seamless logistics and commitment to creating unforgettable travel experiences. I can't wait to join you on another adventure soon! read more

We took the Morroco tour with them. We were badly surprised by the transportation vehicle and the stops along the journey (not in the main cities, but along the route). These stops were very cheap, and the guide often pushed to avoid having a stop on a long driving journey. The bus was dirty and poorly maintained. The air conditioning was barely functioning. Regarding the restaurants, we also were disappointed by the deserts. The negotiated deserts in almost 90% of the restaurants were: ripe bananas, ripe oranges, and ripe apples. It was easy for the guide to promise things and not execute them, always giving an excuse. The group was so disappointed that on the last day we all decided to spend it alone without the guide. And classic journey did not even reach out to us when we complained about the quality of the tour. read more

I would love to review a trip but instead I have to review their lack of customer service. We were very interested in booking a trip but had questions. We set up a call with Rachael M but she didn't call at the appointed time. So we rescheduled, and she didn't call again... I would never set up a trip with a company this unresponsive. If they are this unresponsive before a trip, I would not trust them to take care of us while on the trip. read more

In 2019 I won a "Trip of a Lifetime" contest sponsored by 23&Me worth approx. $10,000 for a trip for two anywhere in the World [to be fulfilled by Classic Journeys] that showed up in my ancestry. I'm totally European, so I chose the Amalfi Coast tour for the free trip and added the Puglia trip as an extension which I paid full price for. I also paid an additional several thousand dollars to upgrade our flights from economy [so much for "Trip of a Lifetime"!] to first class since I had just retired and felt we deserved it. At first the staff was helpful in organizing the trip but once we had issues with what they were providing they became increasingly unsupportive. The first week of the trip was the Amalfi Coast tour which started in Naples where we were placed in a nice hotel [best part of the trip] right on the waterfront. It's supposed to be a "culinary tour", but we were NOT given ANY culinary experiences in Naples nor the Amalfi Coast. In fact, we never ever even saw the Amalfi Coast! Our driver who drove us to Pompeii [part of the trip] said usually they drive us on to Amalfi for the day with a culinary experience and were surprised that they were told we won't receive that! We/the drivers called and spoke directly with Classic and they would not help at all! We did get a ferry out to Capri, a tour, and a culinary lunch experience [which was nice], but were never taken on the grotto boat tour as expected. We both agreed that this was NO "Trip of a Lifetime". I contacted 23&Me to tell them how disappointed I was and that they got "ripped-off" by Classic Journeys, but they didn't want to get involved. SAD to say this first week of the trip ruined our view of Classic Journeys forever because no matter how many times I contacted them to ask for help they didn't care at all. The second part of the trip in Puglia that I paid for was great. It was far more of a lifetime trip than any part of the first trip. It's a shame that Classic Journeys is so preoccupied with making a profit that they don't care about meeting customers' expectations since they've lost us as future travelers. They CAN provide a great trip, just "buyer beware" that if things don't go right, they probably won't do anything about your situation. read more

The Montana Tour was wonderful. Everything went exactly as planned . The hotels were as expected , especially in the beautiful Glacier National Park and the food and guests were terrific. I would definitely recommend this Montana trip. read more

My wife and I recently returned from Portugal with Classic Journeys... it was our first experience with this company.Overall It was a mixed experience. The hotels were great and the meals included wine.Yeah! Overall the itinerary was good. My reservations was the group size of 18 participants...too large for optimal experience, with a large bus riding, lots of very long meals in two big tables, and guides without blue tooth head sets to allow all 18 of us to hear the lectures. ( Most big groups have individual ear pieces so one does not need the huddle around the guide). Also we thought this would be a walking/hiking tour. It wasn't...mainly a large cultural bus tour. The guides were accommodating, but not exceptional. Overall experience was "so-so" and we will not use their services in the future. read more

I haven't even traveled with them yet and I'm totally disgusted! They are putting me on the cheapest flight they can find with a stopover in Istabul and they refuse to change it for me. Hell no! So much for a supposed 'top-notch' travel company. They may have gotten good reviews back in 2010 but I see none recently. There's your sign. read more

I recently returned from a Classic Journeys walking tour in Turkey. While there were strong points and weak points to the tour , when they are tallied , I would not recommend this tour company I chose Classic Journeys primarily because they had been reviewed so highly, and because I was traveling solo, and the single supplement was very low in comparison to other tours. Other than that , and the fact that most of the food was fresh and good tasting peasant food, I did not feel it was a good value at all , even though the tour was enjoyable .The wine was substandard and resembled vinegar more than wine on more than one occasion. The company did not take responsibility for neglecting to pick me up at the airport as scheduled, and I had prepaid for the airport transfer to my hotel and confirmed it twice with the tour operators. They reimbursed me the $84.00 and apologized for the inconvenience , but really there was no excuse for finding myself in Istanbul at 1:40 AM without a driver or anyone to help me with my luggage.By the time I found another driver and got to my hotel, I was exhausted and too tired to take advantage of a private tour I had booked for the next day. (As an aside, I ended up taking the tour the following day , and it was outstanding.The guide on my privately booked tour was better than any guide employed by Classic Journeys for the Turkey trip .) The first Classic Journeys guide was fired by the other group participants after the first day.They disliked her performance, ganged up on her, and demanded that she resign. Classic Journeys replaced her with a lethargic , but knowledgeable fellow, who was a lot more interested in chatting with his wife on his cell phone, and meeting friends, while dropping the group off at particular shops which marked up their merchandise astronomically , and rewarded him with a handsome, commission .It felt like a shopping tour , not a walking tour. The extent of the shopping was over the top,by any reasonable standards, and not at all how I would have chosen to spend my time. I asked Mister Guide if he could help me change some money into Turkish Lira, , and although this small request was made several times, he did not honor even this small request. .I asked numerous times, and he sent me to a bank.I went to two or three , but could not accomplish the task,but rather than helping , Mister Guide went to meet a friend and left me in a cafe without money to buy even a coffee. This guide did the least amount possible to satisfy the requirements of his job. Each thing requested of him was an imposition. For example, after 4 days on the gulet, where guests were provided with only one bath towel and one hand towel for the duration,l, I requested an additional towel ( the cost of the tour BTW averaged about $800 a day), he VERY reluctantly got me one, but only after I insisted, stating emphatically that my towel was wet and dirty ."Do you use a new towel every day at home ? he inquired . No wine was served before dinner, unless a gla requested , and then only the person requesting it got it. A second , was likewise treated as a huge imposition. $800 a day was all I could think of! In order to swim off the gulet , you were required to climb down a steep ladder , without much support.The guide sat in the water on one of 4 available noddles and ignored me when I was frightened to come down alone.Finally , I said I was uncomfortable and frightened, and he told me to then move aside so the next person could come down.I suggested that it might be a good idea for the guide to help me instead , at which time , he moved off his noodle and helped me down into the water.He did it to save face in front of the other tour participants , but his reluctance was not lost on the group.He was too generously tipped by all of us- but for what , I am not sure .He also had a pretty bad cold and transferred it to me before departing. The wine provided by Classic Journeys( YUCK) on board the gulet was terrible, and the food as Istated earlier was fresh peasant food.- nothing special and certainly nothing gourmet.Since alcoholic beverages, when we were not on the boat were not included , that was the only time I had a decent glass of wine, Many of the restaurants were not establishments I would choose to eat at .The food was offered buffet style and I had no idea how long it had been sitting there. In the hotel in Cappadocia the lock on my door did not work.At this time we had a different guide, and I asked him to have my room changed or to have the lock fixed ,but neither of the suggestions was taken.Instead, the outside door was locked , forcing the other tour participants in my section to have to walk a circuitous route to reach their rooms. I have done quite a bit of luxury travel , and at least by my standards the Classic Journeys tour does not qualify. read more

A culinary tour is the perfect way for a foodie to experience a new place. Cooking instruction, visits to local markets, vineyards and museums is my idea of a wonderful vacation. That is exactly what Classic Journeys has to offer. I went on a culinary tour of Provence, France with Classic Journeys. The tour guides were born and raised in the south of France and knew their history well. Tours with Classic Journeys don't feel "touristy". Sure, we went to all the touristy areas and museums, but we also went to non-touristy places like local restaurants and markets. The culinary tours are a unique way to experience an area. I had such a great time on the tour of Provence that I have booked a tour of Tuscany and a tour of the Amalfi Coast. I am so excited to go on these next two tours! My only complaint of Classic Journeys would be that they don't offer culinary tours in enough countries! They have cultural walking tours available in just about any place you want to go, though. read more

Horrible experience. Advertised as a small luxury tour - very expensive and not luxury and not small. They kept the actual number of people on the tour until the day of the tour - which was to be up to 12 and turned out to be 19 plus 2 guides. The giant bus (was to be a small manuveralble vehicle ) was unable to get close enough without a very long hike and under very hot conditions hike thru not very attractive or scenic areas before we got to the site. The hotels except for 1 was horrible to bad. The first hotel was overbooked because of the larger group and I was as a single (paid a premium) put into a dark, boiling hot (air did to work) no windows - what I would call slave quarters not luxury. The other had a good location but to luxury - shared with an office building with no amenities at all. The guide was masonagistic and unhelpful, tried to bully me into accepting terrible conditions. I paid a fortune because I bought their hype - Don't! They may have been a good co. before they were purchased 1 year ago and are resting on those laurels. The food was not gourmet as advertised and cheap wine. Finally, I left the tour and went on my own. read more

I traveled to the Amalfi Coast with Classic Journeys in June 2019. The itinerary was a great overview of this beautiful region, the guide/driver were first-rate as were the food & accommodations. The group had some really nice people in it, but a few who were "cliquish" and made for a less than ideal group dynamic. While there were many highlights, there was too much time in overly touristic areas jammed with tourists and virtually no down time to enjoy our beautiful hotels/pools, etc. I had booked back to back trips with CJ, and when the second trip was cancelled by the operator due to lack of sales, I had to pay my own change fees for the air. This left me with a bad taste in my mouth because they would not refund the $160 change fee. So be warned. If the trip doesn't go, and you don't re-book another trip with them, you are on your own to cover those lost costs. I would not take another CJ trip based on my experience with the Amalfi Coast. read more

I just returned from a 7-day walking tour of the Cotswolds, Stonehenge and London and I can only rave about Classic Journeys! Our tour guide was super nice and extremely knowledgeable. I agree with Sarah G., who wrote that Classic Journeys don't feel "touristy". We went to Stonehenge and Blenheim Palace, but we also toured an organic farm and visited a falconry. We walked through London, but we also watched a rehearsal of the bell ringers of Chipping Camden's church. So many things we did seemed off the beaten "tourist" path and that was just fantastic. Our hotels were very nice and comfortable, and all our meals were delicious. Our walks through the country side were spectacular and we got to see some parts of England that I don't think the average tourist would see. Another great aspect of Classic Journeys is the small groups they have. My tour consisted of a total of 6 people, plus our guide. That made each event and each walk so much more intimate and much more memorable. I can't wait to save up enough money for my next Classic Journey! read more

We have been on 4 Classic Journey trips: Tuscany, Normandy, Amalfi Coast and Cornwall England. It basically comes down to the tour guide doesn't it? That person can make the trip come alive or not. The Normandy trip was the best with Dominique as our guide. Make sure you research the trip guide before you make the reservation. Two of our guides were awful and two were great. Not a great batting average. read more

My wife and I recently went on a tour of Charleston and Savannah. It started at the height of a thousand year rain event. Parts of the city were being evacuated and Classic chose to have us go into the area. It seemed to me that Classic did not care about our safety at all. Because the streets of the historic district were flooded.we could not do the walking tours and spent a lot time riding around aimlessly in a van. A lot of the sites we were to see where closed. Almost all the stores were closed. Classic did not have a clue as to what to do with the tour group. This was not a trip to an exotic location and the weather reports were telling everyone to stay away, yet Classic went ahead with the tour as planned even though we were not able to do the tour as planned. They had no back up plan and hung the tour guide out to dry without help from the office. Poor judgement all around Got to pay full price for this trip, but we got about only 1/2 of what was promised. A lot of money for a low quality product. read more

Classic Journeys Galapagos Cultural Walking Adventure (or Pay Attention to El Nino when visiting the Galapagos!) - Our 2015/2016 Trip - Part 1 . Approximately every 6-7 years the Humboldt current that brings cold water from southern Antartica waters and balances the tropical current from the tropics fails. As a result the equatorial waters surrounding the Galapagos are bathed in humidity. The phenomenon has been named El Nino as it usually begins around Christmas. It brings a deluge of warm, humid air to the Galapagos Islands and points beyond. This phenomenon is responsible for the string of storms that have inundated the southern Rocky Mountains with snow and active storm systems to the southern United States. One week before we departed for our trip to the Galapagos, we learned that there would likely be rain every day. We imagined a tropical mid-day shower or two, but were not prepared for the deluge that followed. We chose to travel with Classic Journeys because it is a land-based trip. After a night and a day in Quito (un-related to the Galapagos trip), joined Juan Fernando for our trip to San Cristobal, our first stop. Let me say at the outset that Juan was the most attentive and supportive tour guide we have ever had - he is beyond superb! No detail was too small to warrant his attention. He speaks excellent English and is a constant learner - able to translate much of what he observes in the wild into useful information for the group. There was consensus among all 10 members of our group (average age of ~65 years with a guessed range of 60-75 years) on this point. We enjoyed being with him and the trip might have been a total disaster without his presence. Another feature we liked about the trip was that it was, for the most part, all inclusive. All hotel and tips were included (except for the guide) and all meals were included. One or two alcoholic drinks were included with dinner. The food was above average most of the time, but 20% of the meals were average to below average. These will be noted below. The average age of the group is important as there were varying degrees of physical fitness and most of the members were not actually expecting the trip to be as active as it was. For a 70-75 year-old to pull him/her self aboard multiple boats from the water's edge pushed some members to their limits. This theme recurred at varying points during the trip. San Cristobal - Baquerizo Moreno We began our trip in San Cristobal (Baquerizo Moreno), the eastern most stop of the tour. The weather there was tolerable - warm with some modest amounts of rain. The Seaside Inn was relatively new with very large rooms, but almost no furniture. Our roughly 30 foot by 15 foot room had a large bed, a small desk with a chair and two semi-comfortable easy chairs. It also had a wall closet with a small safe. It was air-conditioned and the bathroom had a nice shower with adequate amounts of hot water. One drinks bottled or filtered water, but uses the local water for bathing. The atmosphere at the hotel was pleasant, but the desk was only manned until 7-8 PM. We communicated with simple Spanish - no one spoke English. We ate all of our meals (except breakfast the first day) at the Casa Opuntia Galapagos hotel, approximately a 10 min walk from the Seaside Inn. The food was average to below average with the exception of New Year's eve when they served lobster (langosta) from the grill. This was outstanding! Beer was local and good. Wine was from Chile and average. From a food perspective, the group was happy to move on to the next island as we tired of a somewhat monotonous menu (different dished tended to taste the same). To be continued with Part 2. read more

This is truly an A+ Travel Company, and take you to pretty much any popular destination in a unique, personable way! The staff are supremely knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly, and I absolutely love that I can choose from so many fun options, complete with must-needed exercise built in! read more

My recent trip to Tuscany was awesome. Each day was extremely well planned and executed. The tour guide, Ido was the best we have ever had. NO worries, they took care of EVERYTHING. Hotels were beautiful, food great, and walks were interesting. Give them a try. read more

I just got back from the Sicily tour and I loved every minute of it! From the very beginning, the staff was very helpful (Priscilla and Amy). I called many times to clarify things. The trip itself was so well organized. Sergio was our tour guide and I can't say enough great things about him. He was so knowledgeable, professional and kind. He researched the roads of Sicily for months to prepare this tour for Classic Journeys. He went above and beyond to make sure we not only saw the main tourist attractions, but also the less well-known, but equally majestic parts of Sicily. In the future, I would love to take another Southern tour of Italy with Sergio...maybe Puglia!! Thanks again, Sergio. You were the best. read more

I recently took a our with Classic Journeys. The guide was fantastic; the hotels were fine though some were excessive and I would prefer more affordable ones; however, I knew the price before I went and decided to go, so not complaint there. My main disappointment was that they failed to deliver as promised and while they admit knowing a few days before the tour that a program on a certain day cannot be executed as per the plan, they did not bother to alert me. It so happened that this particular program was for me the highlight of the trip and the main reason that I preferred Classic Journeys over other similar more affordable program, so I was quite disappointed. When I contacted them, they promised to investigate and came back with a proposal that I find unacceptable for a compensation in the form of a discount on a future trip in 2018. I have no intention to trust a company that failed me once and that does not take responsibility. I regret to say that while I understand that unanticipated issues do occur, I find the way in which this company chose to deal with the issue unsatisfactory and far from what I would consider good customer care. read more