Road ScholarReviews of roadscholar.org

I booked my first Road Scholar trip to South Dakota because Mom always wanted to visit Mount Rushmore for as long as she could remember. Because we would stay in one hotel for the entire trip (she dislikes constantly packing and unpacking) and would not have to drive at least 17 hours to get there (we flew to Rapid City), we thought the tour would be perfect for us. The tour director was fantastic, as he was knowledgeable and passionate about Mount Rushmore, the Badlands, and other attractions and landmarks in the area. (He is also an avid motorcyclist.) While we crossed off our bucket list item named above, we also explored hidden gems of the state, including Custer State Park, Wall Drug, and a literal gem—an old gold mine converted into a research center. The tour went smoothly, and we met curious, like-minded travelers. I would have rated Road Scholar five stars for our South Dakota trip. Instead, the low rating was for the Met Opera tour that we had to cancel. We love operas, so we booked the opera tour more than a year in advance. A couple months later, we discovered a schedule conflict, so we canceled the tour. We were certain our deposit (we had not paid in full) would be refunded 100%. Instead, they refused to refund $500 for canceling the trip outright, even though the trip would be ten months away. We are still angry, as it is a lot of money. What thieves! Even though it says in the fine print (which we, like so many other travelers, overlooked), they should be fair and refund the full amount (and amend that d**n fine print so the amount is fully refundable until a certain date). Don’t book with Road Scholar unless you are absolutely sure you want to travel on the date. Now, we are stuck with one other opera trip, the Santa Fe Opera, (which we want to go anyway—booked shortly after the Met Opera tour), so we made it nonnegotiable, even if one of us is dying. After the Santa Fe Opera tour, we will not book another Road Scholar trip.

My husband and I traveled overseas with Road Scholar International both in 2017 and 2023. I am disabled and the organization did little to provide accommodations that would allow for a high quality experience. However, we enjoyed the cultural experience and all tour guides were extremely kind. Although the programs are expensive, they provide an immersive experience and attention is given to detail. This is why I was shocked when I was recently contacted by Danielle, a staff member who indicated she handled special needs, and needed to discuss concerns from staff in the Switzerland office about my ability to walk during our upcoming program. She went on to say that the walking terrain would be hilly with cobblestone and lots of steps. The concern was that this might be an issue due to my disability. I pointed out that Our first trip with Road Scholar was the Independent Paris program where I kept up with the group and climbed numerous flights of steps to and from the metro which was the group’s mode of transportation while other group members opted for an escalator wherever it was available. All without falling on my face---imagine that! Road Scholar claims to value diversity but lacks knowledge about it; this is nothing short of disgraceful. Seniors beware! You may receive a call from Road Scholar suggesting you might be too old to participate in a program that requires walking. You can save yourself a lot of money by doing some research and planning your own trip. I thought this was a reputable and respectable organization, but I was clearly wrong.

I used Road Scholar to book my airline flights to Rome, Italy& then onto to Naples for an Amalfi Coast trip on September 30, 2025. Yesterday I got an email that ITA Airlines had cancelled my flight on September 30th & booked it on September 28th (2 days earlier). Not sure where I was supposed to stay for 2 nights??? Road Scholar did not contact me. I had to call them this morning. I also paid to select a seat on my IAD to Rome flight & Road Scholar said that they could not help me resolve this problem. I don't think that I will ever use Road Scholar to book any airfare for me! Shame on them!

I’ve traveled twice yearly with small group adventure travel groups for over 40 years however this was my first Road Scholar trip and I experienced difficulties immediately. Neither the airport transfer nor a prearranged meal materialised on day one which set the tone for what became a running joke with mistaken meal orders the rule rather than the exception. Transportation was also problematic with a surly female bus driver who made racist and, homophobic comments some of which were directed at road scholar participants and the tour guide being “too woke”. This bus driver point blank refused me entry to the bus to rest because I was nursing an archilles injury citing the need to take her break in private. As a solo traveller I was paired in a room with an older woman who insisted on lights out around 9.00pm each night and lights on at her discretion. This wore thin after 5 nights so I enquired about the spare room on the manifest as a couple had cancelled at the last minute leaving a spare room for the entirety of the trip. Rather than offer me the room which I would have happily paid the a rack rate for, the guide cancelled all future bookings for the spare room depriving me of an option to upgrade. It is unclear whether Roads Scholar got a windfall from this action as they do offer a “cancel for any reason” insurance policy offering a credit for a year. Either way, there was no alternative accommodation offered to make my trip more enjoyable. The positives of the trip included the knowledgeable guest lecturers, a high tea at Lake Louise, a boat trip to the grizzly bear sanctuary and whale watching however the group was too large which made for a sometimes slow and cumbersome pace exacerbated by 12 to 16 hour travel days backed up by early starts. One thing I did enjoy was lively conversation with some like minded individuals.

Although the trip was lovely in many ways, the guide spent the entire tour touting his own ludicrous "theories" (the ancient Egyptians saw dinosaurs, they traveled to Australia, they had technologies more advanced than we have in the 21st century) rather than presenting supported educational information. I paid for an educational tour, not misinformation and pseudoscience. I complained to Road Scholar during the tour. They offered a modest credit for future travel, but did nothing about the problem. I complained after the tour, and they didn't respond at all. In addition, the guide announced to the entire group that I had made a complaint about him--utterly inappropriate. Again, when I informed RS about this, they didn't respond. This experience and the lack of response from RS are the reasons I will choose another tour company in the future.

I went on a RS tour to Costa Rica and although I enjoyed the experience overall, our guide was often moody, keeping to himself, and a bit mean at times. My review (left nearly a year ago) has not posted so it appears they don't post critical reviews! Trust Pilot reports that 20% reviewers leave a 4-5 star review, with 80% giving 1-2 stars. The Road Scholar website, however, has reviewers for all programs averaging 4.5-5 stars, and claim they post all reviews. Hmm.

I am on hold for over an hour. The only time they responded immediatly was when I booked. Once your booked they ignore you.

Did a birding trip of Southern Costa Rica. 1. This trip is intended for people who are only interested in doing life lists and seeing birds not on their life list. This is not mentioned on the website. The guide and some participants were single minded on listing and seemed to have little interest in other aspects of nature or Costa Rica. 2. There were 12 people in the group with only one guide. It is impossible for 12 people to stand behind the guide to see what he is pointing to. Road Scholar calls it a "micro-group". With 12 people there should be a second guide and split the group as other companies do. 3. The guide constantly uses audio calls to bring the bird of interest in. This is unethical in my opinion and may be illegal in Costa Rica National Parks. 4. The guide doesn't realize that people to his side do not have the same line of sight that he does when using a laser pointer. With 12 people this is a big deal! The guide doesn't describe the location of the bird very well. We will never do another RoadScholar or birding trip