Road Scholar is the not-for-profit leader in educational travel for adults. Since 1975, we have created expert-led learning adventures that connect curious people with the history, culture, people and natural environments of destinations across the United States and around the world. Our programs include small-group adventures, solo travel, grandparent experiences, outdoor learning and cultural discoveries, as well as live online learning experiences you can enjoy from home.
Road Scholar (roadscholar.org) has 75 customer reviews on Five Star Index, with an average rating of 2.0 out of 5.
Also known as
roadscholar.org
Website
roadscholar.org
Category
Activities & Tours
Location
Boston, Massachusetts
Listed on Five Star Index
2026
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The company replied to 79% of reviews.
Latest
Most recent review: October 2026.
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The latest problem boils down to breach of contract in regard to a severe food intolerance. It was accepted and money was paid, but forced meal selections and indifference to my issue led me to cancel as I did not feel safe from illness.I had purchased trip protection so I expected a full refund after Road Scholar's failure to fulfill what was a contractual agreement. I got half in cash and the other was a credit as AON insurance said lactose intolerance was not a medical issue. To date, I am trying to get refund and have invoked the Never Travel Again policy because I will not ever use this company again.
DI
Dillon
Group think at its finest
First let me say I have taken 15 overseas tours with Road Scholar. All were very good with the exception of 2. My issue is not with the programs themselves but with Road Scholar's lack of a clear policy requesting that participants refrain from discussing politics in a group setting. Because RS appeals to academic types the clientele skews ultra liberal, which is fine. What is not ok is when individual participants who have different views are ostracized. That situation has happened on more than one occasion on RS tours but it won't happen again to me as I will not travel with RS ever again. As I said, this is after 15 tours and spending nearly$100,000 with this company. There are too many other travel companies to choose from where participants have enough common sense to not discuss sensitive topics with a group of strangers. There's a very good reason for that old adage: "never discuss politics, sex or religion."
Response from Road ScholarAug 21, 2026
Dear Dillon,
I am responding on behalf of Road Scholar.
Fostering meaningful conversations is central to Road Scholar’s mission of lifelong learning, and civil discourse—even on challenging topics like politics—can be enriching for everyone. While participants are welcome to explore any topics of interest, we ask that all conversations be grounded in respect and openness. Our group leaders are prepared to support respectful, inclusive discussions when political subjects naturally arise, and they are also instructed to step in and redirect the conversation if the atmosphere becomes uncomfortable or discourteous. We are sorry to hear this has not been your experience. We continually review how our group leaders set behavioral expectations at welcome meetings, and we will consider whether there is a better way to establish boundaries around respectful and constructive dialogue during designated program time. We thank you for sharing your feedback.
Sincerely,
Road Scholar
CM
Crystal M.
This was my first Road Scholar…
This was my first Road Scholar experience, and unfortunately, likely my last.
I enrolled in the Iceland program and made every reasonable effort to get there despite significant airline disruptions. I did not choose to go “program only.” Road Scholar made that decision and notified me that they were moving my reservation to program only. Yet Road Scholar is now describing it as though I requested that change.
I continued trying to join the group and communicated directly with the guide about catching up. The guide even acknowledged that it might not be financially worthwhile for me to continue. The estimated taxi cost just to catch up with the group was already well over $500, before they even moved on to their second trip.
Road Scholar’s response? A $500 voucher toward a future program—less than 10% of what I paid and less than the estimated cost of simply trying to catch up with the group.
I understand Road Scholar cannot control airline delays or cancellations. My disappointment is with how my situation was handled afterward and how it is now being represented.
As a nonprofit organization, I expected more fairness, compassion, and accountability. Instead, I was offered a credit that requires me to spend more money with Road Scholar.
I have documentation supporting what happened. After this experience, I am extremely disappointed and not willing to financially support Road Scholar again.
Response from Road ScholarAug 18, 2026
Dear Ms. Mayberry,
I am responding on behalf of Road Scholar.
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations.
We understand how frustrating it can be when travel plans are disrupted, particularly for a long-anticipated international program. While airline disruptions were outside our control, we recognize that the overall experience was disappointing and that you were left feeling unsupported.
Regarding your travel arrangements, our records indicate that we made multiple attempts to obtain the information required to secure airline ticketing by the applicable deadline. When that information was not received in time, we were unable to finalize air arrangements and adjusted the reservation accordingly so that your enrollment in the program itself could be preserved. We regret that there appears to be a difference in understanding about how that change was communicated.
While we recognize that our offer of a $500 credit did not meet your expectations, it was extended as a gesture of goodwill in acknowledgment of your disappointment. We take all feedback seriously and will continue reviewing how we communicate and support participants facing unexpected travel challenges.
Thank you again for taking the time to share your experience, and we wish you all the best in your future travels.
Sincerely,
Road Scholar
LU
Lu
Road Scholar failed to deliver their product.
Just returned from "The Best of the Grand Tetons to Banff". All road and no scholar trip. Group leader cancelled and assistant tried to do the tour. She was not up to the task. Would have preferred a cancellation because we had a very disappointing tour. Road Scholar did not deliver on their product and have not responded to my letters and review. Paid too much for very little.
Response from Road ScholarAug 17, 2026
Dear Lu,
I am responding on behalf of Road Scholar.
Feedback is essential to helping us create enriching experiences for our participants, and we appreciate you taking the time to fill out the program evaluation and for sending your letter. We’re sorry that your recent adventure did not meet your expectations, and we apologize for the delay in connecting with you while we looked into the matter further. We have shared your comments with the appropriate team and are making improvements to this program. We appreciate you giving us the opportunity to speak with you further and hope you’ll consider trying another adventure in the near future.
Sincerely,
Road Scholar
TL
Trish L.
Very disappointing
Very disappointing. We booked our first trip with them, purchased airfare, and then they cancelled due to them not being able to meet their normal high standards. I'll never know what that meant, because I would never trust them. We booked insurance that supposedly covered airfare. They cancelled the insurance when they cancelled the trip. Poor customer service. Avoid them.
Response from Road ScholarJul 7, 2026
Dear Trish,
I am responding on behalf of Road Scholar.
We sincerely apologize for the cancellation of your program and any disappointment or inconvenience this has caused. We recently learned of significant staffing and organizational changes affecting Road Scholar's long-standing partner who supports the operations of this adventure. Given these circumstances, we could no longer ensure the exceptional quality experience our participants expect and deserve from Road Scholar. As such we made the tough decision to cancel. On the rare occasion when such a cancellation occurs you are entitled to a full refund of the program cost and the optional trip protection plan. In addition, if you incur penalties for cancelling or changing transportation arrangements, we’ll defray those costs by giving you a Road Scholar voucher, which can be used toward the cost of your next Road Scholar program. We regret this was your first experience with us and hope you give us the opportunity to make it up to you.
Sincerely,
Road Scholar
CK
Cheryl K.
Cancel for any reason is a lie
Cancel for any reason is a lie, it actually means cancel for the reasons of the travel insurance company-- Aon's reason. When I cancelled a trip to switch to a different one with a less strenous activity level, the Rhode Scholar customer service person told me I could submit a claim with Aon and get my money back. No, they didn't. I was out of a lot of money. I don't trust this company.
Response from Road ScholarMay 27, 2026
Dear Cheryl,
I am responding on behalf of Road Scholar.
We are sorry you feel you were misinformed. The cancel for any reason coverage, that is included with the optional trip protection plan, if purchased on or before the final payment of a program, is outlined on our website, https://www.roadscholar.org/about/protection-plan . This benefit is also explained in the terms and conditions that is sent after purchase. When you file a claim that doesn't qualify as a covered reason for reimbursement through Aon, you'll automatically receive a travel credit with Road Scholar instead. This credit can be applied toward a future adventure—whether you'd like to rebook the program you had to cancel or explore a completely different experience.
We've confirmed that the "cancel for any reason" credit has been successfully applied to your Road Scholar account, covering the full cancellation fees. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please don't hesitate to reach us at 1-877-426-8056.
Sincerely,
Road Scholar
AB
Amy B.
Gettysburg Trip
Except for our guide for three days, Rich, who was fantastic, and the musician who performed one night, I was pretty disappointed with this trip. The first night, after much delay while technological isses got figured out, we saw a video that was available on line which I could have watched at home. On that evening, there was only one waitress for all 19 of us and, by the time food was delivered, it was cold. No drinks other than water were offered and I had to go to out to the front desk and purchase something there. The second day we had a very poor tour guide who walked us through the town and spoke to us as though we were very young children and showed very little depth of knowledge. The food that night was terribly poor -- steak so overcooked that it was more like a hockey puck. A knife bairly cut it. Again, no drinks were served, just water. The speaker that night basically described his museum which had little to do with the battle. This was supposedly a 4 day venture, but it was less than three days with no food provided for lunch on the second day. I had assumed that we would have historians as speakers during at least some of the evening events. One of the mornings a room change occured that was not communicated to me. The guides did not leave a note as to the change and did not count to see that all participants had made it to the new location. I would have missed Rich's presentation that day if one of the other participants hadn't text messaged me. This was my effort to try out Rhodes Scholar. If it hadn't been for Rich, I would have been terribly disappointed. As it was, he was excellent and made the trip worth going on. Since I don't know that every trip will have someone like Rich, I would be very reluctant to participate in another Rhodes Scholar program. Based on what the other participants said about other trips, I might try one more short one, but I would also be inclined to search for alternatives.
Response from Road ScholarMay 20, 2026
Dear Amy,
I am responding on behalf of Road Scholar.
We apologize that your initial experience fell short of expectations, though we're delighted you appreciated Rich. The first evening's film, created by a local Gettysburg resident, serves to establish context following orientation for upcoming days. Each adventure includes a sample daily schedule to help you choose the option that best matches your interests and expectations. Additionally, we indicate any excluded meals, allowing you to explore local dining independently or alongside fellow Road Scholar participants. We do strive for excellence with all meals and are constantly looking to improve and appeal to all palates/tastes. Your input matters greatly to us, and we've forwarded your comments to our team for review and potential enhancements. We do hope you consider giving us another try and encourage you to contact us, so we can assist in finding the perfect program for you.
Sincerely,
Road Scholar
KT
ktking
Road scholar is not a good business
Road scholar is not a good business. I had to change my trip and was told I had flight insurance. They lied. Now I can transfer my trip but plane tickets not covered. They lied when I booked flight.
All I wanted to do is transfer the flight , I didn’t want a refund
Pure rip off! Will never use them again after this trip I need to transfer. And even with trip insurance, you do not get full refund of trip just fyi
Will book my own trip or go with gate 1 travel. Have had no problems with that company They are more ethical
Should be laws that companies cannot rip people off like they do.
Many other companies to use, they have a lot of competition
I will be climbing that ladder and complain to anyone I can at road scholar.
Just disgusting
Don’t recommend them
When I tried to check them on yelp, they literally bury the one star ratings, and tell you to go to the person’s profile and you can just never get there
That is so dishonest
Response from Road ScholarApr 27, 2026
Dear KtKing,
I am responding on behalf of Road Scholar.
We'd appreciate the opportunity to discuss your situation and address any questions or concerns you may have. When the optional trip protection plan is purchased and cancellation or transfer occurs for a covered reason, both Road Scholar air and independently purchased airfare qualify for reimbursement. However, if cancellation or transfer happens for an uncovered reason and the plan was purchased in time to include the cancel for any reason benefit, independently purchased airfare won't be covered, though Road Scholar air receives reimbursement as a cancellation fee credit applicable toward another program. For additional details about the optional plan, please visit our website: https://www.roadscholar.org/about/protection-plan/. We've also sent you direct message to confirm the best way to connect with you.
Sincerely,
Road Scholar
