Overseas Adventure Travel Reviews

We took an Overseas Adventure Travel tour to Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands in May of 2026. The tour started in Quito, a big city that can't be fully understood in just a couple of days. We enjoyed what we were able to see. Then we travelled to the Amazon near Coca. That was fascinating. We spent considerable time walking or canoeing through the rainforest looking for birds, animals, and plants. We were lucky to have Marcelo as our guide. There did not seem to be a plant, bird, or animal he could not identify. He was also able to explain how the Amazon natives used the plants for medicinal purposes food. If you are a birder, you should go to the Amazon.

We have been home one week from our 27 days in Scotland. We did both the pre-trip and the post-trip. The pre-trip took us to the Outer Hebrides and the ancient history of that area. There were stops for short hikes, and tastings (Scotland loves it whisky), important to that area. The transition from one location to another was broken up by interesting Learning and Discoveries that made the change in locations seem short. Visiting the Stones of Callish was a highlight, especially for Outlander fans. Visiting the Isle of Lewis and Harris was a step back to a different time (lifestyle, attitudes, etc.) with modern conveniences. We meet a man who weaves tweed in his own house. This is a requirement to be Harris tweed.

Everything about our OAT journey - the group leader, the staff on the ship, the accommodations and the OAT planned activities were great and deserve a 5 star rating. My only complaint is with customer service prior to our trip. This was the first OAT trip where we wanted to make side trips during the journey to visit two UNESCO sites that weren’t included on the trip’s agenda, both of which required reservations as much as 3 months ahead of the trip to get a reservation directly through the site itself rather than through a private, less trustworthy, and far more expensive private tour agent.

I recently completed my first OAT Inside Vietnam tour, and it was a truly amazing experience. The trip was exceptionally well managed and organized, I felt incredibly lucky to have been assigned such a top-notch and witty Tour Experience Leader, Emma. From the moment I received an introduction email from Emma before the trip, I already felt prepared and excited. I truly glad to have that early communication along with her profile picture, it set the tone for an engaging and memorable long journey, far from home.

My husband and I had never experienced a tour before. We have always planned our overseas travels, but were a but intimidated by Greece and Turkey since we don't speak the language and Greece has a different alphabet. OAT solved our problem magnificently! We went to the usual sites in both countries, but also to very interesting places we had never heard of before. During the entire trip our trip leader gave us clear, understandable descriptions of everything we saw. She kept our group together and found the optimum time of day to see each site. She was also very personable. Because we traveled in the Aegean during early spring, the wind and weather was not always optimum, but I was so impressed with the ingenuity used by our trip leader and ship captain to ensure we saw all of the key islands and the one that was substituted was my favorite!

I have taken 10 trips with OAT and Grand Circle -- both land and cruise. The experiences have uniformly been positive. I'm most impressed with the quality of the Trip Leaders and with the opportunity to interact with locals in every country that I've visited. I have learned so much about places in the world that I previously knew nothing about -- like Algeria and Albania, for example. The pricing is also extremely reasonable and I appreciate the opportunities to personalize my trips.

I just got back from Mongolia last week and it has now become one of my favorite trips! It was my 10th trip with OAT, but I have been to over 100 countries. Our guide, Eric, was one of the best guides ever - he made sure we saw every national sport event, dealt with an air flight being canceled, was totally knowledgeable, funny and absolutely fabulous. I just enjoyed the culture, the history and the people we met who were lovely and friendly. So nice to visit a country that still maintains so much of their culture. The hotel in Ulaanbaatar was lovely and the gers we stayed in were quite delightful.

OAT provides an excellent experience for overseas exploration. In my experience, their guides are professional, well trained, and knowledgeable. Their itineraries who are full and well thought out but you do not have to choose to do every single thing that they provide. There are unique experiences such as a "day in the life" and home hosted dinners, which give you a view into how the people in the communities live. This gives us more than just a superficial tourist experience. I highly recommend using this company and plan to use them again myself.

I recently completed OAT's Ultimate Africa trip, and it was an unforgettable experience. Our group leader, Tendai, was exceptional. He shared a wealth of knowledge about the cultures, history, environments, and wildlife of South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, which greatly enriched the journey. The safari guides were equally outstanding. They quickly felt like family and worked tirelessly to help us experience the best of Africa's wildlife. One of the highlights was seeing a pack of endangered painted dogs, a rare and exciting sighting that few travelers get to witness.

The Crossroads of the Adriatic was a fantastic trip. The Trip Leader had the most outstanding knowledge of the history of area and the breakdown of Yugoslavia. The adventures were endless, complete with great local tour guides, home visits, and beautiful scenic locations. Never have I experienced such a terrific bus driver that was always willing to assist. Hats off to OAT for a memorable adventure that took me to Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Slovenia!