road scholar educational travel

The Scoop: What to Know About Road Scholar

This nonprofit tour company has an inspiring educational focus..

The Scoop: What to Know About Trafalgar Tours

Part of what we do here at TourScoop is use our (human) travel expertise to vet tour companies so you have an easy way to get a bunch of trustworthy information all in one place. Today we’re digging into Road Scholar, a popular tour company that’s been around for nearly 50 years. Read on to find everything you need to know to confidently make the decision about whether it’s a good fit for you.

Road Scholar (previously known as Elderhostel) is a tour company with a difference: Since 1975 the company has been run as a nonprofit organization with an educational mission as its primary focus. That means a few things: since it’s a nonprofit, Road Scholar offers excellent value (tours aren’t priced for profit). I also like that it’s unusual among tour companies because it offers both financial aid and caregiver grants. And since it’s education-driven, the tour operator attracts a particularly curious and educated group of travelers, including many retired educators. 

Road Scholar’s 4,000 offerings include small group tours, grandparent-grandchild trips, cruises, private jet adventures, and tours focused on passions including birding, food and drink, and history.

TourScoop Takeaways: Road Scholar

• Continents Covered: 7
• Tour Size Average: Road Scholar’s small group programs max out at 24 travelers, but the company also runs larger programs with hundreds of participants who are then broken into small groups for activities. 
• Tour Types: Coach, ship, plane, train

How to Book

Road Scholar tours can be booked directly through Road Scholar ; here are all the ways you can contact the organization for information about trips.

Credibility Check

Road Scholar is a BBB accredited charity that meets the standards for charity accountability, and has a low complaint number and a high response-to-issues ratio. It has a rating of 4.2 out of 5 on Facebook . Tour-focused online travel agency TourStride past guests gives Road Scholar a 4.4 out of 5.

Tour Destinations

Road Scholar operates tours on seven continents and to nearly 100 countries. In the U.S., it offers itineraries to most states, and internationally, its most popular destinations include Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, and Italy. 

Road Scholar offers hundreds of programs on a variety of topics, with thousands of departures annually. Since it’s a nonprofit organization with an educational mission, everything it does is about learning, and it weaves in educational visits, lectures, and events into every trip.

On the website, you can filter trips by hobbies or what you want to learn about, from Military History to Native American Studies, Birding, Pickleball, or another topic. You can also filter the course catalog by activity level, from “Easy Going” to  “Outdoor: Challenging.”

Road Scholar also offers Adventures Afloat (cruises), skip-gen programs geared to grandparents and grandchildren traveling together, and virtual tours that range from one-hour lectures to multi-day online adventures. 

Tour Guides

As an education-focused tour organization, Road Scholar refers to its group leaders and instructors as faculty . Faculty members–many of whom have been working with Road Scholar for a decade or more–are local experts with years of experience in travel and academics. Group leaders receive initial training and receive yearly professional development to ensure they’re at the top of their game. 

In addition to faculty, tour participants meet a broad range of experts on tour, experts that range from shrimp boat captains to award-winning authors. 

Inclusions/Extras

Road Scholar programs are all-inclusive and have no optional extras or hidden expenses. The price of a tour includes: 

• Accommodations, 
• Experienced Group Leader
• Expert-led lectures and field trips
• Most meals (some meals during free time not included)
• Gratuities throughout the program, including group leader gratuities
• Road Scholar Assurance Plan   (24-hour assistance in the event of an emergency during a program and insurance for emergency medical evacuation)

Flights to and from the tour are not included in base program prices, but Road Scholar will book flights for participants traveling internationally. Flights booked through Road Scholar also include complimentary airport transfers.

Typical Travelers

If you don’t count kids in the mix on the Grandparent and Family programs, the average age of a Road Scholar participant is 72. But trips generally include a wide range of older travelers from people in their 50s through 90s. About 30% of participants are solo travelers, and of that 30% about 85% are women traveling on their own. Road Scholar trips are generally reported to be very welcoming to solo travelers. 

Communication 

Once you’ve booked a tour with Road Scholar, the company sends regular emails leading up to trip departures. You can also access your trip information online: once you’re enrolled in a program, all trip information is accessible via your online account.

Road Scholar’s U.S.-based contact center (800-454-5768) is open 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (ET), Monday through Friday. Monday is the contact center’s busiest day, so to avoid long wait times, call midweek or at the end of the week if you can). Road Scholar has callback feature, which allows you to save your place in the queue without having to wait on the phone–a representative calls you back as soon as it’s your turn in line.

Loyalty Program

Because Road Scholar is a nonprofit organization, discounts are not offered, including for repeat travelers. But the company is dedicated to making travel affordable for more travelers, and offers financial aid and caregiver grants . 

Private Options

Groups made up of between 18 and 24 people can reserve private departures of existing itineraries with Road Scholar. If you organize a group of 20 or more, you can take advantage of group discounts or free travel for one person. 

Sustainability Efforts

Road Scholar offsets some of the carbon emissions created through travel on its programs. It invests in projects including rainforest preservation in Brazil, methane gas recapture in Florida, and reforestation in Kenya. The company also tries to use sustainability certified hotels, locally owned services, and restaurants that serve locally sourced meals whenever possible.  

Health and Safety Practices

Road Scholar has partners on the ground worldwide who monitor all areas visited by the company. If concerns arise, Road Scholar will find replacement content or cancel the program, depending on the severity and location of the issue.

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Your Impact

When you support Road Scholar, you ensure that our mission is carried out in the following key areas:

Creating transformative educational travel experiences for older adults

We develop an extraordinary range of learning adventures — some appeal broadly, some appeal to a smaller audience–to meet the needs of a broad ranger of learners. We offer these experiences not because they are profitable, but because they are meaningful. Your support give us the flexibility to create a broad interdisciplinary curriculum much like a liberal arts college.

See how Road Scholar’s adaptability allowed learners to get back on the road safely after COVID-19 curbed international travel:

Ensuring educational excellence

If we’re lucky, we can all remember at least one from our school days. The teacher who made learning a sport. The teacher who opened a new door on the world. The teacher who introduced us to a passionate interest we never saw coming. That’s how we choose the members of our Road Scholar faculty—for the depth of their knowledge about a destination or subject and for their ability to captivate us while communicating that knowledge. Your generosity helps ensure that we can continue to attract the most engaging leaders in their fields.

See how participants had the opportunity to learn from civil rights historians and heroes in the city where the movement was born in our Conference on Civil Rights: A Road Scholar President’s Program :

Piloting new learning adventures around the globe

With your support, we don’t just offer educational travel experiences. We create opportunities for older adults to learn, feel reinvigorated, meet new friends and expand their horizons. Road Scholar experiences are truly transformative, inspiring adults to take on new challenges and to live life to the fullest — at every age. We’re proud of the difference we make in the lives of so many older adults. But we can’t do this without the support of our friends. No matter how big or how small, every gift helps us enrich the lives of more than 5 million older adults.

See how female-only travel groups allow women to embark on any adventure with the comfort and safety of having a group of like-minded women. Even better, going on women-only tours fosters special bonds with females of all backgrounds through sharing stories and experiences.

Meeting the Evolving Needs of Older Adults

Over the decades, we’ve studied what makes an unforgettable learning experience, and we’ve come to realize that people have widely individual styles of exploration. That’s why with your support we will continue to create new trips with different levels of structure, from detailed itineraries packed with learning experiences to lightly structured schedules with generous free time. Thanks to you, we can give older adults access to the most extraordinary people and places in the world.

See how Road Scholar’s Adventures Online programs offer students greater flexibility by bringing experts and educational experiences to their own homes :

Awarding scholarships and grants

Donors who establish scholarship funds find it to be a deeply meaningful way to pay tribute to someone special while also opening a door to learning for someone who could not otherwise participate in a program. Each year, Road Scholar awards more than 300 of these scholarships, in the form of Impact Grants, to enthusiastic lifelong learners. Supporters like you who endow a Scholarship ensure that others can enjoy the unique Road Scholar experiences they hold so dear.

See how Road Scholar’s Caregiver Grant gave Collette the hope she needed to heal and move forward after her husband passed away :

Become a Road Scholar Insider

Do you want to receive exclusive email updates directly from Road Scholar?

Get direct and instant access to a member of our team, who will share information about your impact, project outcomes and stories from the field.

“At this point in my life, I find joy in supporting things that matter to me, and education is certainly one of them. I give because I want to ensure that Road Scholar is here for many generations to come.”

— Sarah H. from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania —

Complimentary Gift Planning Resources Are Just a Click Away!

How is this information used?

At Road Scholar | PO Box 56033, Boston, MA 02205-6033, we are so appreciative of the support we receive from donors, volunteers, advocates, partners, and others like you. That is why we are committed to protecting your privacy and take steps to keep any personal information you provide confidential.

You were invited to take this survey because we value your trust and confidence and sincerely would like to understand your preferences, interests, and wishes so we can be more sensitive to them.

By answering these survey questions, you will help us:

• Reduce the amount of communications we send you;
• Lessen our environmental impact together;
• Improve the relevance of the information we send you.

As a whole, your answers will help us become better stewards of donation dollars as a result of time savings and reduction of printing, mailing, and postage costs.

Going forward, we will make our best attempts to use the information you provide in this survey to adjust the content of the communications we send you and the frequency with which you receive them.

Please remember, you can always review our complete privacy policy and you may opt-out of receiving communications from us at any time.

Thank you so much for your time, interest, and commitment to Road Scholar | PO Box 56033, Boston, MA 02205-6033.

You can read more about our privacy policy here.

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May 31, 2024, 1:50 PM

Ten faculty members from Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development were awarded global engagement funding for the current and upcoming academic year from the Office of Global Engagement . These awards reflect Peabody’s commitment to worldwide collaboration that enhances learning and development in diverse contexts and translates discoveries into more effective practice and policy.

Vanderbilt Global Scholars in Residence

In spring 2025, Peabody faculty members will host three Global Scholars in Residence :

• James Booth , Patricia and Rodes Hart Professor of Educational Neuroscience, will host Jérôme Prado, an expert in the cognition and neuroscience of math learning from the French National Center for Scientific Research. Prado has developed an online training course on the learning and teaching of mental arithmetic. He plans to adapt this course for elementary education master’s degree students, including interactive activities to enhance their understanding of arithmetic teaching and encourage discussion on the educational differences between France and the U.S.
• Ellen Goldring , Patricia and Rodes Hart Chair, professor of education and leadership, and vice dean, will host Audrey Addi-Raccah, an expert in the sociology of education and education policy, with a focus on inequality and school improvement in the Israeli education system. She will collaborate with doctoral students and faculty to study institutional resilience in schools and educational systems, and to develop a school resiliency index addressing inequality in education using large-scale data from the U.S. and Israel.
• Krista Mehari , assistant professor of psychology and human development, will host Drishti Sharma, senior manager of health systems and policy research at the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), New Delhi, India. Sharma will work with researchers and students at Vanderbilt on projects relating to youth safety from a global perspective.

In spring 2024, Peabody faculty members hosted two Global Scholars in Residence:

• Bethany Rittle-Johnson , professor of psychology, hosted Serkan Özel , associate professor in the Department of Mathematics and Science Education at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul, Turkey. Özel collaborates with academic, industry, and non-governmental organization partners to empower students, with a particular emphasis on leveraging innovative STEM education approaches to uplift those from disadvantaged communities. He also works with educators on implementing social justice classroom practices to support the educations of ethnically minoritized students in Turkey. Read the article about Özel’s visit to learn more.
• Huili Hong , professor of the practice of teaching and learning, co-hosted Li Wei , professor of applied linguistics and director and dean of the Institute of Education at University College London, with  Noel Enyedy , professor of science education and chair of the  Department of Teaching and Learning , and  Melanie Hundley , professor of the practice of teaching and learning and associate department chair. During Li’s visit, he gave a talk on translanguaging, a philosophy of multilingual communication, which, in practice, allows multilinguals to naturally integrate and flexibly use all their languages and other communication resources to develop and convey meaning. Read the article about Li’s visit to learn more.

Global Engagement Travel Grants

Five faculty members received Global Engagement Travel Grants for spring and June 2024:

• Jason Chow , associate professor of special education, will attend the Network Meta-Analyses Course at the University of Oxford.
• Brian D. Christens , professor of human and organizational development, will present “Linking collaboration to community capacity-building: a network approach” at the Conference of the International Network for Social Network Analysis in Edinburgh, Scotland.
• Xiu Cravens , professor of the practice of education policy, was invited to the Asia Educational Leadership Roundtable 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand, and will be a facilitator for multiple panel discussions.
• Brian Kissel , professor of the practice of literacy, will present “Creating spaces to promote antiracism and activism through children’s writing” at the summer 2024 conference of the United Kingdom Literacy Association, meeting at the University of Sussex, Brighton, England.
• Sophia Vinci-Booher , assistant professor of psychology and human development, will present “Learning through the hands: How handwriting supports early letter learning” at the 2024 International Mind, Brain and Education Society Conference in Leuven, Belgium.

Global Engagement Research Seed Grants

Two faculty members received Global Engagement Research Seed Grants for fall 2024:

• Jason Chow , associate professor of special education, received a grant for “Infrastructure for a global evidence and implementation research synthesis collaborative.”
• Xiu Cravens , professor of the practice of education policy, received a grant for “Collaborative applied research for teacher development through improvement science in the Asia Pacific region.”

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Out of the Centre

Savvino-storozhevsky monastery and museum.

Zvenigorod's most famous sight is the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, which was founded in 1398 by the monk Savva from the Troitse-Sergieva Lavra, at the invitation and with the support of Prince Yury Dmitrievich of Zvenigorod. Savva was later canonised as St Sabbas (Savva) of Storozhev. The monastery late flourished under the reign of Tsar Alexis, who chose the monastery as his family church and often went on pilgrimage there and made lots of donations to it. Most of the monastery’s buildings date from this time. The monastery is heavily fortified with thick walls and six towers, the most impressive of which is the Krasny Tower which also serves as the eastern entrance. The monastery was closed in 1918 and only reopened in 1995. In 1998 Patriarch Alexius II took part in a service to return the relics of St Sabbas to the monastery. Today the monastery has the status of a stauropegic monastery, which is second in status to a lavra. In addition to being a working monastery, it also holds the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum.

Belfry and Neighbouring Churches

Located near the main entrance is the monastery's belfry which is perhaps the calling card of the monastery due to its uniqueness. It was built in the 1650s and the St Sergius of Radonezh’s Church was opened on the middle tier in the mid-17th century, although it was originally dedicated to the Trinity. The belfry's 35-tonne Great Bladgovestny Bell fell in 1941 and was only restored and returned in 2003. Attached to the belfry is a large refectory and the Transfiguration Church, both of which were built on the orders of Tsar Alexis in the 1650s.  

To the left of the belfry is another, smaller, refectory which is attached to the Trinity Gate-Church, which was also constructed in the 1650s on the orders of Tsar Alexis who made it his own family church. The church is elaborately decorated with colourful trims and underneath the archway is a beautiful 19th century fresco.

Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is the oldest building in the monastery and among the oldest buildings in the Moscow Region. It was built between 1404 and 1405 during the lifetime of St Sabbas and using the funds of Prince Yury of Zvenigorod. The white-stone cathedral is a standard four-pillar design with a single golden dome. After the death of St Sabbas he was interred in the cathedral and a new altar dedicated to him was added.

Under the reign of Tsar Alexis the cathedral was decorated with frescoes by Stepan Ryazanets, some of which remain today. Tsar Alexis also presented the cathedral with a five-tier iconostasis, the top row of icons have been preserved.

Tsaritsa's Chambers

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is located between the Tsaritsa's Chambers of the left and the Palace of Tsar Alexis on the right. The Tsaritsa's Chambers were built in the mid-17th century for the wife of Tsar Alexey - Tsaritsa Maria Ilinichna Miloskavskaya. The design of the building is influenced by the ancient Russian architectural style. Is prettier than the Tsar's chambers opposite, being red in colour with elaborately decorated window frames and entrance.

At present the Tsaritsa's Chambers houses the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum. Among its displays is an accurate recreation of the interior of a noble lady's chambers including furniture, decorations and a decorated tiled oven, and an exhibition on the history of Zvenigorod and the monastery.

Palace of Tsar Alexis

The Palace of Tsar Alexis was built in the 1650s and is now one of the best surviving examples of non-religious architecture of that era. It was built especially for Tsar Alexis who often visited the monastery on religious pilgrimages. Its most striking feature is its pretty row of nine chimney spouts which resemble towers.

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Moscow State Forest University

Moscow State Forest University is a specialized establishment of higher education which trains engineering personnel, scientists as well as bachelors and masters for forest industry, wood processing and pulp and paper industry and is the major educational and scientific center of forest complex of the country. One school of the university prepares specialists for aerospace industry. Established in 1919 as the Moscow Forest Engineering Institute, the school was Russia's "first higher education institution for training forest engineers."There are nine schools in university specialized in forest engineering and one school specialized in electronics, applied mathematics and computer science Faculty of Computer Science. FEST was founded in 1959 on initiative by academician Sergey Pavlovich Korolev with the goal to prepare engineers for the Soviet Aerospace industry.

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