Always 100% Tailor-Made

Finding the perfectly-located hotel, a charming local café, and reserving a special museum, winery and/or concert ticket all contribute to creating a truly unique experience - one that is tailor-made to fit your specific passion. And we can truly say that we only create trips that we are also passionate about! 

Founded in 1997, by veteran guides and globetrotting couple Matthew and Danna Brumley,

our mission was and remains the same: to learn, experience, and discover. When you travel with Earthbound Expeditions, you'll be joining a community of like-minded guests and friends who share your passion for learning, life, and adventure. 

Guides, tour leaders, call them what you want - they all bring unique insights to the local culture. They will help intensify the focus of themed-trips and help broaden your perspective, no matter where you’ve chosen to visit. These folks are not only remarkable historians, naturalists and linguists, but, as our happy alumni can testify, they are also fun and fabulous travel companions. They are gifted at creating and curating the experiences that make our journeys memorable and extraordinary. Oh, and when you’re on a bus, be sure and ask them what that crop is in the field you’re driving past. They love that!

All admissions and special events listed in your Earthbound Expeditions itinerary are included. Gratuities for all of your guides, drivers and local experts are also included with few exceptions. During group meals, we tip bar and restaurant staff, musicians who play for us and sometimes even the restroom attendant (that’s a super special occasion, though). There are rare instances in which we cannot tip for you because there is no way to guarantee that the tip gets to the right person. Never hesitate to ask your guide if a group tip is being made on your behalf if you’re unsure.

Earthbounders enjoy one-of-a-kind, intimate experiences with local experts; that’s our specialty. Our deep knowledge and personal connections around the world allow us to create the enriching itinerary you’re yearning for. Whether it’s a private piano recital in Franz Liszt’s home or making empanadas with an Argentine chef, we help transform every journey into the trip of a lifetime.

You’ll travel in style, staying in the heart of grand capitals and quaint villages. You may sleep in family-owned castles,14th-century abbeys or palaces-turned hotels. Our grading system of the “4 C’s” (Character, Comfort, Cleanliness and Charm) along with modern amenities and helpful staff help ensure your comfort. Most importantly, you’ll leave taxis and buses behind–walk out your door and start exploring!

Carefully crafted itineraries offer you the best of a destination without long bus rides or being rushed. You’ll have more time for discovering hidden alleyways, cozy cafes and world-class museums. And remember, this is your vacation, so if you want to spend more (or less) time somewhere, you’re free to do so. Just let your guide know, and make sure you have your hotel name and address and are comfortable using public transportation to return to the hotel.

We dine with locals in charming cafes, local trattorias and quaint bistros whenever possible. Because food (and wine) is such an integral part of many cultures, we like to allow plenty of time to dine, following local custom. Weather-permitting, we also love to organize picnics so you can savor as many regional specialties as possible. The group meals tend to be hearty, so feel free to skip a course (or two) if you please.

At Earthbound Expeditions, we believe that travel is more than a race to check off sights and monuments. When done right, travel is perhaps the very best way to learn about different cultures and people. When you join Earthbound Expeditions, you can be confident that you are supporting local businesses, workers, schools and, at times, entire villages. On journeys to needy destinations, Earthbounders are offered the opportunity to visit schools, neighborhood projects or co-op centers where they can visit with local people and donate and deliver much-needed school supplies, uniforms or other necessities. There is no better way to “rub elbows with the locals” than by contributing in a meaningful way to a community you’re visiting. 

Although we love and appreciate nature, there’s one tree we can’t stand: the phone tree. Our guests agree and LOVE that we don’t have one. Sadly, we must close at night, on the weekends and sometimes, a few teensy extra days for holidays. We just want to try and emulate our European colleagues, you know, out of respect. So if you get the voicemail message (with a real voice, by the way), it’s because all the lines are busy. Or we’re closed. Or we left early on a Friday for Happy Hour. Oops, did I just write that? I meant a “staff meeting.”