Explorica US (explorica.com) has a 3.8 out of 5 rating on OK.one, based on 100 user reviews collected here. It is listed under Travel & Vacation and its reputation is mixed. 66% of reviews are 4 stars or higher and 17% are 1 star; The business has replied to 96% of negative reviews. Last updated 2026-08-10.
What people say
N
Natasha Smith · 1 review · Experienced 2026-05-28 ·
★★★★★
Incredible Costa Rica Adventure with Explorica!
We had an incredible experience with Explorica for our group trip to Costa Rica! From start to finish, everything was well-organized, and the ability to customize our itinerary made a huge difference in creating a truly memorable experience for our students.
A special shoutout to our tour guide, Jenny! She was absolutely wonderful. She struck the perfect balance of being friendly and personable while also incredibly knowledgeable. She made learning fun and engaging for our students, and her passion for Costa Rica really came through in everything she shared. Also couldn't have made the trip safely without our amazing driver Jose! They were both like family by the end of our 9 day adeventure.
Our itinerary took us to some amazing locations... from the remote beauty of Tortuguero to the stunning Arenal Volcano. We had unforgettable adventures like kayaking and ziplining in Monteverde, and wrapped it all up with a beautiful beach day in Manuel Antonio plus so much more!
Along the way, we got to experience the lush landscapes, incredible wildlife, amazing food, and unique culture that make Costa Rica so special.
Overall, this was a fantastic trip, and I highly recommend Explorica for group travel. We’re so grateful for the experience and the memories we created!
Reply from Explorica US2026-06-16
Dear Customer,
Thank you for your positive feedback! We're happy to hear that you had a great experience with our program. Your compliments are a great encouragement to our team and encourages us to keep improving.
Best regards,
The WorldStrides Team
M
Mandy M · 2 reviews · Experienced 2026-05-31 ·
★★★★★
Highlights of Puerto Rico!
Our trip to Puerto Rico was wonderful! We toured Old San Juan, visited El Castillo San Felipe del Morro, saw many cathedrals and historic places, walked the blue cobblestone streets of Old San Juan, and visited Luquillo beach area and El Yunque National Forest. We did so many things and it was very educational.
Our guide Jimmy was incredible. He was informative, and great with the parents and the students. Our driver Miguel was wonderful, on time, and safe.
A highlight of the trip was snorkeling off the coast of Vieques in the Atlantic Ocean with a company call Pure Adventure. We saw the majestic Spotted Eagle Ray.
The only reason I did not give five stars is because of the flight times and the last night's hotel stay. It seemed we got the budget travel times (super early in the morning and after midnight when we got home) and the the last hotel was located by a very noisy street with loud partying all night long. It was rough.
Overall, it was a fantastic trip and we would recommend using Explorica to anyone looking to travel in a big group, learn, and have fun along the way!
Reply from Explorica US2026-06-16
Dear Mandy,
Thank you for your positive feedback! We're happy to hear that you had a great experience with our program. Your comments are essential to our continuous improvement, and we truly value your honesty and feedback.
Best regards,
The WorldStrides Team.
Before our tour, there was a change in employment at our school and I had to take over as the program leader at the last minute. Our Explorica rep did an excellent job patiently filling me in on the details of the trip before travel which allowed me to effectively communicate to chaperones, families, and students, the expectations of the trip. Once arriving in Costa Rica, our tour guide, Raquel, was a wonderful personality with an immense amount of knowledge. When we did other tours, the locations and guides were well-versed. Travel to multiple locations was seamless. Very well-organized.
Reply from Explorica US2026-05-26
Dear Grace,
Thank you for your wonderful review! We're glad to know that our Program Leader and guide made your experience memorable. We will pass on your compliments to them.
Best regards,
The Worldstrides Team
Our trip to Japan was amazing. We enjoyed all the sights with a competent English-speaking guide. The hotels were great, the food interesting, and we saw so many sites that we thoroughly enjoyed. Our US representative, Kayla, was the best to work with. I've traveled with Explorica, and I always enjoy working with her.
Reply from Explorica US2026-05-26
Dear Pam,
Thank you for your wonderful review! We're glad to know that our Tour guide and representative made your experience memorable. We will pass on your compliments to them.
Best regards,
The Worldstrides Team
J
John · 1 review · Verified · Experienced 2026-05-21 ·
★★★★★
Feedback:
Feedback:
Our tour director was very knowledgeable and helpful. He worked well with the kids and adults.
The food choices for dinner were less than desiring. Small portions and lack of clarity on what we were suppose to have for our menu.
Hotels: 1 was good and the other was awful. Pot, dirty, and hookers.
Reply from Explorica US2026-05-26
Dear John,
Thank you for your feedback. We understand your concerns and appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. Your input helps us improve, and we’re committed to doing better.
Best regards,
The Worldstrides Team
D
Dennis · 1 review · Verified · Experienced 2026-05-03 ·
★★★★★
33 Patriotic Canadians!
A group of 33 adults left for the Netherlands, Belgium and France on a 10 day excursion. It was a mix of WWI and WWII history as well as local culture. To summarize:
Great drivers in very tight spaces
A Great tour guide. Very accommodating. A wealth of knowledge. Thanks Jean Luc
Well organized at the hotels
Food was good ( breakfasts every day and 4 group dinners)
Flexibility on times to leave and times to meet during the trip
Really great attractions: Amsterdam, Overloon war museum. Vught Concentration camp, Vimy Monument, Juno Beach, Canada House, Passchendaele War Museum, Flanders Fields War Museum, Beny-Sur Mer cemetery, Versailles and Paris. Jam packed but educational!
A once in a lifetime experience
Reply from Explorica US2026-05-26
Dear Dennis,
Thank you for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that you had a great experience with our services. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and motivates us to continue delivering exceptional service.
Best regards,
The Worldstrides Team
B
Brenda · 1 review · Verified · Experienced 2026-05-09 ·
★★★★★
Amazing company!
Explorica has always been an amazing company to work with. Response time is quick, if there is an issue it is resolved in a fair manner and, in short, they take care of their travellers!
Reply from Explorica US2026-05-13
Dear Brenda,
Thank you for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that you had a great experience with our services. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and motivates us to continue delivering exceptional service.
Best regards,
The WorldStrides Team.
Explorica is organized and helps make your travel run smoothly. Our school had a wonderful learning adventure that they will never forget.
Reply from Explorica US2026-05-13
Dear Dylan,
Thank you for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that you had a great experience with our services and to hear that you enjoyed the learning opportunity our program offers. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and motivates us to continue delivering exceptional service.
Best regards,
The WorldStrides Team.
A
Anna H. · 1 review · Verified · Experienced 2026-05-04 ·
★★★★★
Our tour guide was AMAZING
Our tour guide was AMAZING! The variety of places we visited was great, organized activities were great!
Reply from Explorica US2026-05-13
Dear Anna,
Thank you for your wonderful review! We're glad to know that our tour directors made your experience memorable and to hear that you had a great experience with our services.
We will pass on your compliments to them.
Best Regards,
The WorldStrides Team.
A
Anna Taylor · 1 review · Experienced 2026-04-26 ·
★★★★★
Howard was a knowledgeable guide and…
Howard was a knowledgeable guide and Utain was a master driver!
Reply from Explorica US2026-04-30
Dear Anna,
Thank you for your wonderful review! We're glad to know that our tour director made your experience memorable. We will pass on your compliments.
Best regards,
The WorldStrides Team.
E
Erin Lequin · 1 review · Experienced 2026-03-21 ·
★★★★★
This is my second trip with Explorica
This is my second trip with Explorica, and I have been happy with all parts of the process--from picking the trip to going on it, all has gone well. When I have needed any support along the way, Explorica representatives have been able to help.
Reply from Explorica US2026-04-30
Dear Erin,
Thank you for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that you had a great experience with our services. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and motivates us to continue delivering exceptional service.
Best regards,
The WorldStrides Team.
Our guide Fabian and our driver Aaron were awesome! They took us to amazing spots and showed us the wonder and beauty of Costa Rica. Fabian was very knowledgeable about all aspects of Costa Rica from wildlife to history. Both guides took requests fulfillign Birthday requests and a detour to an awesome cafe. I appreciate all they did to make our trip truely unforgettable
Reply from Explorica US2026-04-30
Dear Erin,
Thank you for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that you had a great experience with our services. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and motivates us to continue delivering exceptional service.
Best regards,
The WorldStrides Team.
Our tour was amazing! All of my students fell in love with Costa Rica. The trour company was very good at communicating even when we had to use the 24 hour help line. Our tour guide was very professional and knowledgeable. The schedule was very active and fast-paced, which was exactly what our students needed to stay engaged. Pay attention to guide recommendations such as bringing a beach towel and wearing a minumum of SPF 50 sunblock and bug repellant wipes (not spray). Be ready for some rustic but beautiful accommodations surrounded by nature.
Reply from Explorica US2026-04-30
Dear Carrie,
We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed the learning opportunity our program offers. Your positive feedback is invaluable to us and encourages us to keep improving.
Best regards,
The WorldStrides Team.
A
Andrea Gallie · 2 reviews · Experienced 2026-04-18 ·
★★★★★
Highly recommend
Organized, efficient, clear tour planning
Top-tier tour directors
Good value for student travel
The emergency line operates 24 hours and is sufficiently staffed
Fast-paced days to keep students busy all day and ready for sleep at bed time
Good food options that keep students in mind
As a teacher, I appreciate that hotels are often outside the city because it prevents students from temptation in countries with different alcohol-related laws
Reply from Explorica US2026-04-30
Dear Andrea,
Thank you for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that you had a great experience with our services. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and motivates us to continue delivering exceptional service.
Best regards,
The WorldStrides Team.
Explorica is a great company to use for student tours! Our explorica representative is quick to call me back throughout the process. Their tours are reasonably priced with great tour guides throughout the actual trip!
Reply from Explorica US2026-04-27
Dear Customer,
Thank you for sharing your experience with Explorica and for your kind feedback. We’re glad to hear that your representative was responsive and supportive throughout the process, and that you enjoyed both the pricing and the quality of the tour guides during the trip.
Providing engaging, well‑organized educational travel experiences is always our goal, and we truly appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts.
Warm Regards,
The WorldStrides Team
The trip turned out to be everything I expected and more! There was never a dull moment and the itinerary was well designed to keep us active and engaged.
The Explorica experience was easy from start to finish. They literally do everything for you and they provide the best assistance along the way. The trip was designed perfectly to meet the needs and desires of my group.
Our tour guide, Vinny, and bus driver, Alex were the best! They truly made this experience one of a kind. We had so much fun joking and laughing on the bus rides; made the trip very memorable. My students and parents are already telling me how much they miss them!
The standout experience for my students was at Hotel Tramonto. Here they interacted with the staff a lot, were able to practice their Spanish, and discovered just how friendly the Costa Rican community is.
I am already planning my next school trip to Costa Rica for 2028 with Explorica. ¡Pura Vida!
Reply from Explorica US2026-04-27
Dear Customer,
Thank you for your wonderful review. We’re thrilled to hear that the trip exceeded your expectations and that your students stayed engaged throughout the experience. We’re glad the planning process felt easy and well supported, and that the itinerary was such a great fit for your group.
It’s fantastic to hear that Vinny and Alex made the journey so memorable, and that your students enjoyed meaningful cultural connections in Costa Rica. We’re honored to be part of your future travel plans and look forward to traveling with you again.
Warm Regards,
The Explorica Team
Our group trip was very well organized, educational and memorable for everyone who attended. As a trip leader, I greatly appreciated the support that Explorica provides in case of unexpected illnesses or other issues. The trips may be a little more expensive than other travel companies, but you get what you pay for! We already have next year's trip booked.
Reply from Explorica US2026-04-30
Dear Customer,
Thank you for your positive feedback! We're happy to hear that you had a great experience with our program. Your compliments are a great encouragement to our team.
Best regards,
The WorldStrides Team.
J
Jenny Roy · 1 review · Experienced 2026-04-02 ·
★★★★★
Went on school trip to Italy & Greece…
Went on school trip to Italy & Greece from April 2nd to the 11th, 2026. For the most part the trip was well organized, but the food was another story. I have a peanut and nut allergy and despite the restaurants being notified ahead of time, I still had issues at almost every restaurant we went to in Rome with foods being "may contain". I was singled out at the restaurant as they'd ask us to put our hand up if we had any allergies. I then had to eat an entirely different meal than my schoolmates. While they ate pizza, I ate what I think was rice with Alfredo sauce and apples. When we were travelling from Rome to our other destinations for 3 days straight, we had to eat at gas stations that barely had real food to eat. That was a big issue for me because I was barely eating in the evenings and the one time I was able to choose my meals was at lunch time and we were stopping at gas stations were there was nothing other then Pringles and chocolate.
Reply from Explorica US2026-04-16
Dear Jenny,
Thank you for taking the time to share your review. Your comments are essential to our continuous improvement, and we truly value your honesty and feedback.
We understand that your recent experience with WorldStrides fell short of your expectations, and for that, we sincerely apologize. Our team is committed to addressing the issue and ensuring it does not happen again. Here are the steps we are taking:
1. Investigation: We are thoroughly reviewing the issue you raised to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
2. Training and Improvement: We are implementing additional staff training to enhance the quality of our service.
3. Resolution: We aim to make things right and would appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns directly. Please feel free to reach out to our customer service team at your convenience.
Best Regards,
The WorldStrides Team.
C
Carolina · 2 reviews · Experienced 2026-04-06 ·
★★★★★
Peruvian Adventure
Our daughter went to Peru with her school, and she had an amazing experience! She said the tour guide, Miguel, was friendly and knowledgeable. He told them lots of stories and facts about the places they visited. All of the travel logistics went exactly according to plan. I do not give 5 stars because she said all they ate was chicken and potatoes. She wished they would have provided more local foods. Also, the photo journal was not very good. Only a few photos of select people. Not a complete journal of everyone who was there. If this is an offered feature, they should make sure it's a stellar service. But she went, had a blast, was safely guarded and guided, and came back beaming. So for these reasons I give it a solid 4 stars, and I'm thankful she had this experience!
Reply from Explorica US2026-04-16
Dear Carolina,
We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed the learning opportunity our program offers.
Your feedback is invaluable to us and encourages us to keep improving.
Best regards,
The WorldStrides Team.
A
Arianne JOHNSON · 1 review · Experienced 2026-03-31 ·
★★★★★
Overpriced for bed bugs and shopping
It is evident that although the goal for Explorica is to provide a organized educational tour for schools - they will do so at the cheapest most bargin bin way possible to increase their profits. My daughters and I paid a sum of $15,000+ for the three of us to travel to Amsterdam, Belgium, Paris and London with our school. I did not have false expectations to stay in 4 star hotels with gourmet foods. I did however feel that we would be in hotels that would not have us covered in bed bug bites, showers and toilets that worked, reservations that were premade and food that was better than a cafeteria in a 1 star hospital. For this same amount of money, we could have booked our own private tours, stayed in hotels that were clean and operational without bed bugs and ate food that represented the country we were in. In addition, it was extremely frustrating that their communication to our hotels, and the restaurants we visited was poor, with one hotel not aware we had 38 travelers instead of 6. Flights were booked on an itinerary that was impossible to facilitate without missing connections and it took much complaint to have that changed. The itinerary for the cities was poor. The cities that deserved more time, we had only half a day in, and the cities that we could have skipped all together, we were in for days. The schedule of what we were to see was often changed last minute and we missed key educational places due to that. We love walking and had no trouble with walking 20 miles a day. But it was frustrating that the agenda required us to backtrack over and over again instead of doing each thing as we went along on the walk. Further frustration was in the quality of the educational experiences. 2 hours at the Louvre with 4 hours of "free time" was wasteful. Seeing the Changing of the Guard but driving by Big Ben without stopping and only one side of the bus could see, also wasteful. 4 hours of free time later that same day, before dinner was also wasteful. The planning of the itinerary was poorly done and did not allow the students to truly use the time there, wisely.
I would not expect to have amazing hotels. But the fact that the hotel situation was a bad as it was, would certainly make me reconsider ever using explorica again. The cost was far too expensive to justify using them instead of planning yourself. The upcharges for standard expectations - rooming with only individuals from your organization vs. a stranger from a different organization, was absurd. In addition the extra charge to have a guided tour in a city did not match the cost of paying for a company that offers a better, more extensive tour, while there instead.
The positive was our Tour Guide, Bram, provided helpful resources and information as well as made us feel welcome and safe. He was able to give us more history than was required of him. He singelary saved this trip from being a complete waste of time and money. When the hotel didn't have our reservation, he worked for hours getting it fixed, when the restaurant was not ready for us, he actually helped the staff in serving our dishes and expediting the ordering. When another restaurant said they didn't know about allergy restrictions, he fought to prove they did. He was the mother hen and took great care for us.
Do better Explorica. Or at least- make the price match the experience.
Reply from Explorica US2026-04-16
Dear Arianne,
Thank you for taking the time to share your review. Your comments are essential to our continuous improvement, and we truly value your honesty and feedback.
We understand that your recent experience with WorldStrides fell short of your expectations, and for that, we sincerely apologize. Our team is committed to addressing the issue and ensuring it does not happen again. Here are the steps we are taking:
1. Investigation: We are thoroughly reviewing the issue you raised to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
2. Training and Improvement: We are implementing additional staff training to enhance the quality of our service.
3. Resolution: We aim to make things right and would appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns directly. Please feel free to reach out to customer service team at your convenience.
We will pass on your compliments to the tour Director and appreciate your feedback as it is invaluable to us and encourages us to keep improving.
Best Regards,
The WorldStrides Team.
