Frequently Asked Questions
Travelers
Only Stanford can offer these unique extras: trips and lectures led by Stanford faculty and scholars, behind-the-scenes access around the globe and like-minded, intellectually curious travelers. There are many more reasons to choose Stanford Travel/Studytake a look at our Top 10.
We welcome anyone interested in educational travel, not just Stanford alumni. We encourage membership in the Alumni Association. The program cost for nonmembers is $200 more than the members' price. Beginning with our 2016 trips, the nonmember fee will increase to $300 per person. Families and trip companions may travel under one membership. Learn more.
Trip size varies. Check the trip brochure for more information. Most of our trips accommodate at least 25 travelers. Although some of our cruises can take up to 100 people, these larger trips are often shared with lifelong learning-based organizations, such as the American Museum of Natural History and Harvard Alumni Association, to name a few.
On average, over 60% of our travelers have participated in a previous Travel/Study trip. Read our traveler testimonials to understand why they keep coming back for more.
On most programs we welcome travelers over the age of 15. While there is no maximum age, all participants must be physically fit, active and in good health. The minimum age for children on our Family Adventures is typically six. Refer to the program brochure for trip-specific requirements.
For most programs, the average age of our travelers is around 65. Our Family Adventures engage grandparents, parents and children. On Field Seminars, alumni and friends experience the excitement of discovery alongside Stanford undergraduates and graduate students. Watch our video series to meet a few of our travelers and see that curiosity comes in all ages.
In addition to our Family Adventures, which offer a Young Explorer program, several Travel/Study programs are family-friendly. Call our office to inquire about other possibilities.
Look for the "What to Expect" section in our brochures for more information on the rigors of individual trips. More detailed information, with health and medical recommendations, will be provided in informational mailings sent to confirmed participants.
Trips
The four categories below provide a quick overview of our trip offerings. Click on the icons to see trip listings by type
Absolutely! We can customize one of our regularly-offered trips or design something entirely from scratch. Our new Private Editions are tailor-made educational adventures for private groups. Read more about Private Editions>>
Pricing
Trip prices listed on the web are per person, based on double occupancy, and do not include domestic or international airfare (unless otherwise noted). Once you're with Stanford, travel is all-inclusive. The following extras are included with all of our trips:
- most meals and drinks;
- gratuities for porters, guides, drivers and any ship or train crew;
- tours and excursions with first-rate English speaking guides;
- transfers and baggage handling (upon trip arrival and departure days);
- minimal medical, accident and evacuation insurance;
- a full educational program with lecture series and pre-departure materials, including reading list, book and travel information;
- a professional tour manager who will assist you throughout the program, ensuring your travels are worry-free.
Reservations and Cancellations
A $1,000-per-person deposit is required to reserve space on our programs. An additional $200-per-person deposit is required to reserve space on any optional pre- and/or post-trip extensions. You can place your deposit online or by calling our office at (650) 725-1093. For security purposes, do not send credit card information via email. Alternatively, you can mail a check (made payable to Stanford Alumni Association) to Stanford Travel/Study at 326 Galvez Street, Stanford, CA 94305. Download reservation form>>
Trips can fill up very quickly, sometimes upon announcement before the brochure is available. In addition, single accommodations can be extremely limited. Sign up for email to receive notification when new trips are announced, and take advantage of our full-refund policy for early deposits that reserve space on trips when the brochure is not yet available. Sign up for email>>
Space availability changes constantly on our trips. We do our best to keep our website up-to-date. Popular trips that have substantial wait-lists are indicated with “wait-list status”. Trips with short wait-lists are often not indicated on our website. We encourage you to place a deposit on these trips because we are often able to accommodate all interested travelers due to cancellations, most often around the time final payment is due (four months prior to departure). If you place your deposit online, we will notify you by email of your status on the trip within two business days. Deposits for travelers on wait-list status are fully refundable. If you have questions about space availability, please contact our office at (650) 725-1093 between, 8:30am-4:30pm (Pacific Time).
We accept deposits on trips before details are finalized. These early deposits are fully refundable up to 10 business days after we send you a copy of the brochure with finalized dates and pricing. Deposits received after the brochure is available are refundable less a $500-per-person cancellation fee, until the final payment deadline (120 days prior to departure). After final payment, deposits and payments can only be refunded if the trip is full and your space can be resold, in which case a $1,000-per-person cancellation fee will apply.
Insurance
Stanford Travel/Study provides all travelers who are U.S. or Canadian citizens with minimal medical, accident and evacuation coverage under our group-travel insurance policy. You may choose to subscribe to optional baggage and pre-trip cancellation insurance. Information will be sent with your confirmation materials.
Requesting Information
Contact our office to receive trip brochures and our Travel Planner, which includes at-a-glance information on our programs. If you wish to receive only the Travel Planner and brochures that you specifically request, let us know. You can also sign up to receive regular email updates on all that Travel/Study has to offer, as well as notices of newly added trips. Sign up for email>>
Brochures are generally available nine months in advance. If the brochure is not available for download on the trip webpage, follow the link to request one and we will send it to you as soon as it is ready.
Sign Up for E-updates
Sign up for email updates to be among the first to learn of newly added trips, last-minute openings on popular departures and other program announcements.