Tag Archives: EF Go Ahead Tours

EF Go Ahead Tours Opens Bookings Through 2026 Giving Travelers Unprecedented Lead Time to Plan, Budget Future Travel at Today’s Prices

Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon): EF Go Ahead Tours’ Highlights of Vietnam: Hanoi, Hạ Long Bay & Hô Chi Minh City are two new ways to see Asia through 2026. The company is offering 2025 and 2026 tours as today’s prices, with ability to pay in installments © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

BOSTON — As guided group travel continues to soar in popularity, EF Go Ahead Tours (GAT), a premier provider of culturally immersive and education-based group tours, responds as the first operator to open bookings to all of its tour destinations through 2026. It is the largest and most diverse collection of itineraries to open 35 months in advance. By offering such generous lead time, travelers will realize incredible value by booking future travel at today’s prices. And for ultimate flexibility, EF Go Ahead offers a $99 down AutoPay with payments in manageable monthly installments, one of the few credit and interest-free payment plans in today’s economy.

2023 was an extraordinary year for guided group travel, with all indicators pointing to even stronger future demand through 2025. Based on sales in the last quarter, EF Go Ahead has seen bookings into late 2025 increase by almost 30% compared to 2024 bookings in the same time period last year.  Lead time isn’t the only benefit at EF Go Ahead Tours. The company is also expanding its tour offerings in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe, focusing on less-traveled, expertly-vetted gems aimed at embedding travelers into local culture, gastronomy, and traditions.

“It’s not just where people want to go, it’s how they want to travel that defines the future of our industry,” says Heidi Durflinger, President, EF Go Ahead Tours. “People want connection and meaning, so they are choosing guided group travel for these transformative moments. By launching more departure dates than ever before to all of our destinations through 2026 (at 2024 prices), we are enabling travelers to plan for the experiences they desire at a tremendous value.”

EF Go Ahead data supports emerging trends for 2024 travel and beyond:

  • Travelers Are Going Guided for Planning-Intensive Destinations: Based on EF Go Ahead Tours’ recent (November 2023) bookings, trips to both Asia and Africa – two highly desired but not easily accessed destinations—were up 70% in sales compared to November 2022. Looking at the first half of 2024, Thailand and Japan departures are both up 57% compared to the same time in 2023, further underscoring travelers want to access these destinations in a guided group experience. Highlights of Southern Thailand: Bangkok, Phuket & Krabi and Highlights of Vietnam: Hanoi, Hạ Long Bay & Hô Chi Minh City are two new ways to see Asia through 2026.
  • More Meaningful, Deeper Dives into Culture, Food, and History are on the Rise: In the last few months, bookings for longer tours continue to see a big increase compared to the same time last year, with a 110% increase in tours lasting more than 16 days. Itineraries with a longer “Grand Tour” lens showcase the many advantages of modern group travel with 12+ days of travel. While these tours are increasingly popular in Asia, Grand Tour of Costa Rica: From the Caribbean to the Pacific is an exciting new itinerary that strikes the perfect balance of gastronomy and adventure and The Greek Ionian Islands: Kefalonia & Corfu with Nafplio & the Athens Riviera Extension offers an insider’s look at the less traveled parts of the Greek Isles.
  • More Opportunities to Connect Through Travel Drives Social Tourism & Solo Tours:  The end of 2023 saw a soaring rate of 380% more solo travelers embarking on solo-only group tours than the previous fall.  EF Go Ahead continues to strengthen its commitment to the “travel solo, but never alone” style bringing its unparalleled collection of solo-only tours up to 18 offerings in 2023.
  • “Peak Season” is Now All Seasons: While “hot” seasons like summer will always be popular in Europe, other seasons are growing at a rapid rate—even to destinations like Italy! “Shoulder Season” and off-season—Oct-April—offers less crowds and temperate weather with more access to local charm. In Oct-Dec. of 2023, EF Go Ahead Tours departed 30% more travelers to Italy than during the same period for 2022. Future shoulder season travel to other parts of the world like Asia, Australia, Latin America & Africa are also on the rise.

Value Oriented: All Reward, No Risk.  
Booking future trips with EF Go Ahead is a win-win. Travelers lock in today’s costs for future travel and through EF Go Ahead’s AutoPay, travelers benefit from one of the few credit and interest-free payment plans available in the current economy. Flexible, fee-free options allow changes to dates and destinations up to the Tour Finalization Date.

Travelers can visit www.goaheadtours.com for more information and to see all available trips. Check out destinations on EF Go Ahead Tours’ Instagram and Facebook.

EF Go Ahead Tours offers more than 175 guided trips across six continents. Each carefully planned, expertly led tour makes it easy for curious travelers of all ages to get to the heart of a destination. With a maximum group size well below the industry average, each trip has the perfect balance of planned sightseeing and free time to explore. EF Go Ahead Tours is a part of EF Education First, the world’s largest international education company that was founded in 1965. With a mission of opening the world through education, EF Education First has 612 offices and schools in 50 countries.

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EF Go AheadTours Opens Bookings for 80th Anniversary of D-Day in 2024

EF Go Ahead Tours’ D-Day tour commemorating the 80th anniversary includes walking tours of Paris and famous landmarks like Le Louvre © Eric Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com

EF Go Ahead tours is opening up bookings for a new education-based travel experience to Europe commemorating the 80th Anniversary of D-Day next June 2024 this D-Day, June 6th.

The new tour assembled by EF Go Ahead Tours, a premiere provider of immersive group travel, builds on the incredible response to EF Go Ahead’s signature tour marking D-Day’s 75th Anniversary in 2019. Bookings for that tour were incredibly popular and demand for 2024 is expected to be similar!

Steeped in history, the 12-day tour will traverse destinations in England and France through the lens of the events of D-Day and is sure to draw interest from the remaining ranks of those who served there, their descendants, other veterans as well as history buffs.

For more details, see https://www.goaheadtours.com/guided-tours/d-day-80th-anniversary-american-wwii-history

Special highlights are included below with more details forthcoming as the itinerary is finalized:

  • Starting in London, the group will visit museums and engage in walking tours to experience what war-torn London was really like. Highlights include the Imperial War Museum, Westminster and the Wellington Barracks.
  • On to France, the group will spend D-Day in Normandy with a special Anniversary event arranged by EF Go Ahead, a walk on the beach, and guided tour of the Colville American Cemetery. Then continue by bus to stop at Pointe du Hoc Ranger Monument which overlooks Omaha Beach to visit a network of bunkers and fortifications.
  • The tour will conclude in Paris with walking tours at Le Meurice hotel, site of Nazi headquarters during Occupation, Le Palais Royal and past the Louvre Museum to Ile de La Cite. Travelers will see Notre Dame Cathedral, Police Prefecture, and Deportation Martyrs Memorial. Local guides and the Tour Director will share details from the Occupation, Resistance, and history of French heroes before a walking tour in Le Marais/Jewish Quarter.

Information at 800-590-1161, https://www.goaheadtours.com/

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EF Go Ahead Tours Designed to Travel with More Meaning: Itineraries Promote Animal Welfare, Local Communities and the Planet

EF Go Ahead Tours’ trip to India: Delhi, Agra & Jaipur hits the “Golden Triangle” and include must-sees like the Taj Mahal © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

EF Go Ahead Tours believes travel is a powerful way to foster understanding and respect for the people, cultures, and places of the world. From protecting and promoting animal welfare to more sustainable tourism practices and support for local communities, EF Responsible Tourism Initiatives work toward a more sustainable world and fulfill its mission of opening the world through education.

  1. South Africa: Cultural Cities & Wildlife Safaris (NEWLY OPENED): A 17-day tour of spectacular scenery, cities, and amazing wildlife sightings are a given. This tour integrates education via living history walking tours of apartheid to world animal protection initiatives within some of the world’s most endangered populations. There’s learning in pleasure too! After a long day of touring, let the unique ecology of the region and its botanicals, tease your palate with a Gin workshop and tasting. Who knew flora played such a critical role in creating fine gin! 
  2. Costa Rica: Rainforests, Volcanoes & WildlifeA 9-day tour of this majestic land that is leading the world on sustainable travel practices with meaningful education highlights that encompass all aspects of land and sea. Visit and eat on a carbon neutral ranch, work with endangered toucans and owls and see first hand how sea turtles bear the brunt of environmental challenges. 
  3. Thailand Adventure: Bangkok, Chiang Mai & the Islands and Thailand: The Golden Kingdom: Two ways to see Thailand through the eyes of its most beloved treasures — elephants and ancient farming practices. A pioneer in World Animal Protection, the Changchill Elephant Sanctuary allows visitors to prepare medicine and food for the elephants and chat with the mahouts, or elephant caretakers, and enjoy an included vegetarian meal overlooking the elephants’ natural bathing spot. These itineraries also include a visit to the Thai Organic Farm & The Sampram Model Movementwhich originally started an organic farm to grow produce for hotel and restaurant guests. They saw the impact that organic produce had on their family and guest’s overall wellness and wanted to extend those benefits to the entire community. In 2010, they gathered local organic farmers and created The Sampran Model Movement, which connects farmers with the same values and encourages them to grow organically, which then provides consumers with more organic produce at a fair market price.  
  4. Greece, the Balkans & CroatiaFrom Athens to Dubrovnik, spend 17 days exploring mountains to sea and the rich history of Greek and Adriatic nations. Visit Lake Ohrid, Europe’s oldest and most biodiverse lake for an expert-led talk on conservation efforts there to preserve the local biodiversity, threatened by unregulated development and poor waste facilities in the region, and preservation of archaeological sites like the Bay of Bones. Tease your palate with farm-to-table experiences in North Macedonia, Albania and Croatia; then compare notes later. From vegetables, to honey, to wine to oyster farms, learn how this part of the world is pioneering sustainable food practices through tourism. 
  5. India: Delhi, Agra & JaipurNot only does this trip hit the “Golden Triangle” and include must-sees like the Taj Mahal, living history via the Gandhi Museum, and Qutub Minar, an early Islamic tower; but you will start one morning off with the time-honored ritual of yoga. Finally, one whole day is spent with the Dhonk Craft workshop, to learn about socially responsible enterprise and anti-poaching initiatives aimed to protect tigers. 
  6. A Week in Belize: Ruins, Reefs & Rainforests: 9 days in Belize is like a mini trip around the world and equally beckons beachgoers, history buffs and nature lovers! Home to the world’s healthiest barrier reefs, archaeological sites once at the center of Mayan civilization and a lush rainforest. Go Ahead Tours’ travelers snorkel side-by-side with a marine biologist who will explain the Mesoamerican — the Western Hemisphere’s longest reef — ecosystem. Swim among beautiful animals and learn how to protect them better in Belize and at home. 
  7. Ireland: A Feast of Culinary Flavors & Local Traditions: Start in Dublin, go clockwise through lush Irish scenery and culture ending in Galway. A country steeped in tradition, the Irish food scene has evolved significantly from Granny’s pot roast and potatoes. Whisky distilleries, pints of good beer are requisite, of course. Timeless, yet current? Work on a farm to learn how one modern family is implementing ancient farming techniques so that all animals, plants and water on the farm work together for a truly sustainable practice. 
  8. Israel: Tel Aviv, the Dead Sea & JerusalemHoly Land for three world religions and home of the infamous Dead Sea are what you’d expect in a tour to Israel. EF Go Ahead’s tour digs deep into the exploding food scene in Israel with memorable meals. Also, eat lunch with a Kibbutz and then spend a day with an Olive Oil farm, Sindyanna of Galilee, a female-led non-profit, which is a member of the World Fair Trade Organization. A large part of their mission is to connect Arab farmers with the Israeli market, specifically by introducing modernization techniques like climate resistance crops and forming cooperative relationships between Jewish and Arab producers. 
  9. Grand Tour of Peru: Machu Picchu to Lake Titicaca: From city to sacred mountains to indiginous floating islands on a lake, this tour marries ancient footsteps with modern wonders. Sink into Spain’s colonial influences in Lima, then travel back to ancient Inca learnings in the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. New for 2021, travelers will meet members of the Inka Roots Experiential Tourism Association for a walk to Raqchi Village. Inka Roots is a tourism cooperative intended for a balance between environmental care, income generation for locals, and fostering respect for local traditions. 
  10. Tanzania Wildlife Safari: Sure, you’d expect to see the “Big 5” on Safari in Tanzania. And you will: 12 days exploring the Tarangire, the legendary Serengeti and the “Garden of Eden ” at Ngorongoro Crater. However, this tour goes beyond the obvious! After visiting the Nunqwi village, you will visit the Mnari Aquarium, which is a sea turtle conservatory run by a community group. 
  11. In addition, a brand new tour from EF called Ghana: A Cultural Adventure is designed to promote animal welfare, support and give back to local communities, and sustain the planet.This brand-new tour is rich with cultural immersion, education, history and sustainability. Highlights include learning about how Ghana started the wave of independence across Africa, visiting Trashy Bags, a factory that pays locals to collect and wash single-use plastics to be turned into resalable products, and a visit to Global Mamas, a wholesale seller of fair-trade products produced across Ghana helping Ghanaian women gain economic independence by connecting them to global markets.
  12. www.goaheadtours.com,800-590-1161 

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EF Go Ahead Tours Discounts Bucket List Worthy Trips this Holiday Season

Solo travelers get a holiday discount on EF Go Ahead Tours:  Get 16% off Portugal for Solo Travelers © Eric Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com

EF Go Ahead Tours, a leading provider of immersive, small group travel, is running its Black Friday sale through Nov. 26 offering steep 2021 discounts on 2022 and 2023 “bucket list” itineraries, likely the lowest these future tours will ever be, with prices locked in and flexible payment plans available. Get up to $600 off per person /$1,200 off per couple — with many of the most in-demand itineraries discounted by 20% or more.

From Nov. 12-18: A focus on UK & Ireland:  Highlights of England, Scotland & Ireland 15% off / $500 off, discounted at $2,779; A Week in Ireland: Dublin, Cork & Galway 27% off / $600 off, discounted at $1,599; Highlights of England, Scotland & Ireland 15% off / $500 off, discounted at $2,819.

From Nov. 19-25: Bucket List Worthy to Iceland, Egypt Kenya, Costa Rica, Galapagos such as Egypt & the Nile 20% off / $600 off, discounted at $2,399; A Week in Egypt: Giza, Nile River Cruise & Cairo 19% off / $500 off, discounted at $2,159; Kenya Wildlife Safari 4/8/22 departure. 13% off / $600 off, discounted at $3,919.

Black Friday: Nov. 26: “Special Lightning Deals!” with the best of what’s left! Plus up to $600 off on worldwide tours plus a doorbuster on Black Friday day!

Traveling solo within group travel is discounted too. Get an extra $100 off for private rooms on top of the sales, which could equate to a free single room.  Just one of many examples of a bucket list solo trip: Portugal for Solo Travelers 16% off / $500 off, discounted at $2,539.

Let EF Go Ahead experts navigate travel and health & safety guidelinesand plan with fully refundable trips with no change fees Only $99 down secures a spot when you enroll in AutoPay. Book before November 30th and if you have to change plans, receive a refund of all money paid for that tour, including the deposit, through February 1, 2022. Change tour date or destination without a rebooking fee up until the Final Payment Date. EF offers Covid Care Promise, a comprehensive offering that supports travelers, at no additional expense through unforeseen on-tour quarantines or hospitalizations. 

EF Go Ahead Tours, 800, 590-1161, www.goaheadtours.com

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Black Friday Travel Sales Underway for EF Go Ahead Tours; Up to $600 Off 2022/23 Trips

Jokulsarlon Glacier, Iceland. Take advantage of EF Tours “Black Friday” travel deals to score $600 off a bucket-list trip to Iceland © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Black Friday travel deals are already underway at EF Go Ahead Tours. From October 26 to November 26,  EF Go Ahead Tours, a leading provider of immersive, small group travel, is launching four weeks of discounted departures to every corner of the world. With up to $600 off — and some itineraries discounted by 20% or more — now is the ideal time to book a tour, as current bookings indicate 2022 will be a gangbusters year for international travel.  The deals effectively mean 2022 and 2023 trips are available at discounted 2021 prices — the lowest they are likely to be — with experts who handle all the details and the complexities of traveling in the COVID-age taken care of for you. 

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS:

Each week will have a theme with up to $600 per traveler/$1,200 off per couple on select itineraries:

  • Week 1: Oct. 26 to Nov. 4 Get first dibs on great deals around the world. Sign up  to get Early Access to Black Friday deals with tours through 2023. In demand trips will sell out, so this is your chance to book early and save!
  • Week 2 Nov. 5-11: Save up to $600 per traveler/$1,200 per couple on Italy & Greece
  • Week 3: Nov. 12-18: Save up to $600/$1,200 per couple on UK & Ireland
  • Week 4: Nov. 19-25: Save up to $600/$1,200 per couple on Bucket List (Iceland, Egypt, Kenya, Costa Rica, Galapagos and more)  
  • Black Friday: Nov. 26: “Special Lightning Deals!” with the best of what’s left!Plus up to $600 off on worldwide tours plus a doorbuster on Black Friday day!

*Specific itineraries per week available upon request 

ALL MONTH LONG:

Each week EF will have a surprise “Lightning Deal” with an extra discount and incentive.

Solo within group travel is on the rise and EF Go Ahead Tours welcomes this travel style. Every week will include an extra $100 off for private rooms on top of the sales, which could equate to a free single room.

AN UNPARALLELED TRAVEL PARTNER:

Fully Refundable Trips with No Change Fees. Book & Rebook with Confidence.

  • Only $99 down secures a spot when you enroll in AutoPay. Interest-free payments aren’t due until 60 days after booking.  Book before November 30th and if you have to change plans, receive a refund of all money paid for that tour, including the deposit, through February 1, 2022. Change tour date or destination without a rebooking fee up until the Final Payment Date.

Let EF Go Ahead Travel Experts Navigate Health & Safety Guidelines:

  • EF offers COVID Care Promise, a comprehensive offering that supports travelers, at no additional expense through unforeseen on-tour quarantines or hospitalizations. 
  • EF’s 24/7 Safety and Incidence Team operates worldwide to inform country- and region-specific approaches to travel based on evolving CDC and WHO guidelines.

EF Go Ahead Tours offers 175 guided tours as well as can customize a private tour; if you bring a group, you travel for free.

EF Go Ahead Tours,  Cambridge, MA 02141, 800-590-1161, https://www.goaheadtours.com/

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