Tours of Exploration is a licensed travel operator and agency (BC #3401). For 35 years, we’ve been helping our customers plan adventure travel adventures around the globe. Our network of partners reaches Canada, Europe, Asia, Central & South America, Africa, and the South Pacific, and are devoted to delivering personal and enriching experiences for each of our travel clients. What we guarantee, is that you will return from a Tours of Exploration trip with a travel-diary full of unique tales of your adventures.
Tours of Exploration acknowledges Traditional Lands: We know and respect that we live, learn and work on the traditional lands of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish) and shíshálh (Sechelt) ancestors and families, who have lived, hunted, fished and gathered here since time immemorial, and who shared these traditional land resources with neighbouring Nations. It is with gratitude that we now work on these lands, where the past, present and future of Indigenous and non-Indigenous residents come together. We will endeavour to honour the traditional lands of the peoples we encounter during travel.
Tours of Exploration has extensive industry expertise that will guide you along your journeys to remote regions. We can create personalized experiences for your family & friends, or join one of our set date departures. and connect you to active adventures, cultural connections, nature travel, wildlife and birdwatching, or expedition cruises. We can deliver a trip of a lifetime!
Our trips include a conservation or sustainability fee. This eco-fund and conscientious practices help maximize the financial, social, and environmental impacts on local communities we travel to. We believe in low-impact travel with meaningful exchanges with the land and cultures we encounter. Our love and respect for the natural and cultural world are boundless and reach into our psyche and soul. Most importantly, we are committed to sharing this passion with you!
If the idea of paddling alongside whales in Canadian waterways, soaking in a sunrise along a coastal beach, contemplating life atop an ancient Buddhist temple, learning about ethno-botany from an Indigenous elder, or rising before dawn to listen to the rainforest’s wildlife symphony sound like your idea of a dream adventure– then we are the perfect match for you.
Customized and Innovative travel planning: Curated Travel is the specialty of Tours of Exploration. It is the work we love to do. We can assist with air only pricing, land packages, expedition cruises, or travel insurance. We offer 2-3 day mini-adventures as well as multiple week adventures. We are passionate about co-creating your travel experience. Our sample itineraries on our website serve as a starting point for possibilities on all seven continents. We take the time to listen before matching you with destination offerings. We offer individual, family, and join-in small groups. We work with natural history clubs, with professional associations, photography groups, special interest organizations, and academic institutions to provide Authentic, Educational, and Transformational travel. We have worked closely with the WWF - Worldwide Fund for Nature, Toronto Zoo, Royal Ontario Museum, the John G. Shedd Aquarium, the Sierra Club of California, the American Birding Association, Durham Region Field Naturalists and others. We are focused on maximizing enjoyment while limiting our environmental impact on the cultural areas we visit. We proudly work within the guidelines of the Global Ecotourism Network and the United Nations Global Sustainability Goals.
Let us create an unforgettable travel experience for you!
More about us...
Our Founder’s story…Catherine Evans
I can’t believe I have been at the helm of Tours of Exploration for 35 years now. I was always traveling and after one fifteen month journey through Asia and the South Pacific I decided to combine my interest in wildlife (zoology degree from the University of Toronto) and culture (minor in Anthropology) with entrepreneurship. My goal was to enrich the lives of others in a way that my own experiences had enriched my life. This is both in travelers and the communities visited.Over the decades, my journeys have taken me to five continents in roles ranging from tour escort, conference presenter, family holidaymaker and independent explorer. While there have been many challenges to navigate as a tour operator, the ever-changing nature of the industry is exciting and rewarding.
I have worked on destination development projects in Costa Rica, Guyana, Colombia, Guatemala, Trinidad & Tobago, Peru, Honduras, and Greenland as well as British Columbia. Her consulting work has included developing plans to establish a Sunshine Coast destination-marketing organization, creating an arts retreat, contributing to whale research and working with the World Wildlife Fund and other Nature non-profit organizations. With an Instructors diploma, a MA in Tourism Management and nearly twenty years in the classroom, I enjoy mentoring the next generation of travel professionals as Associate Faculty at Royal Roads University where I teach Masters degree and Undergraduate students in Entrepreneurship, Strategic Tourism Marketing and Transforming Destinations.
Our digital marketing coordinator - Szilvia Paradi
Hi! Szilvia here :) I have been working part-time for Tours of Exploration as the Digital Marketing Coordinator for about a year now. Before that, I was a Market Research intern, helping Tours of Exploration monitor the fluctuations of the pandemic on the travel industry. It may come as a surprise to some, but… I love all things travel! I have a lofty goal of exploring 30 countries before 30 - a dream that was rudely interrupted by recent world events. But we won’t let that stop us! My favourite countries I’ve traveled to so far have been Iceland and Germany. I definitely fall into the “Adventure Traveller” category, and more than anything, I love seeking out a destination’s stunning vistas, natural phenomenon and challenging hikes during my travels.
Other than travel, I am passionate about and work within the Canadian tourism industry. I also love all things food-related (including trying out adventurous cultural cuisines!), fitness, and my cat-son Theo!
Marketing - Lille Carter Pound
Hello Travelers! My name is Lille and I have been working with Tours of Exploration on and off since 2016. I have currently taken over the role of Digital Marketing Intern and It has ignited a new passion for travel and marketing! My favourite destination is South East Asia, more specifically Thailand. I love learning about different cultures, new cuisines and exploring the beauty each country has to offer. I plan on doing more travelling this year and I could not be more excited. :)
When I am not working you can catch me looking for birds, cooking, or hanging out with my animals - 2 bunnies and a cat! 🐱 🐰 🐰
Marketing / Europe specialist - ST
Hi everyone, ST here! I’ve been working with Tours of Exploration since February 2022. I have travelled across North America, Europe, and Asia over my lifetime so far and one thing I have always enjoyed the most was doing walking tours in the countryside, particularly in Europe. It is one of many things that Tours of Exploration and I have in common. My goal here at ToE is to help travellers in the coming months and years with amazing eco-friendly tours. I have great wisdom of worldwide adventure travel to share. In addition to my time at Tours of Exploration, I’m a Business Consultant helping out various clients in their IT, Marketing, and Management needs.
Social Media Marketing - Anu Metso
Greetings to all travel enthusiasts - whether you love to travel locally or around the globe. Sometimes travels turn into longer stays, as it happened to me on Vancouver Island. After a holiday, the island's charm drew me to live there for a while and that is where I met Catherine. Since 2021, I have been supporting Tours of Exploration in social media marketing campaigns. This role involves researching new destinations or new ways of seeing familiar destinations. This effectively allows me to travel virtually to the most amazing places and learn about their cultures, natural habitats, and wildlife. National Parks are my favorite destinations.
Local Guides
Working with local guides: At their core, our travel offerings are arranged by trusted experts, handled by reliable local suppliers, prioritize small and medium sized social enterprises (keeping profits inside communities), and are escorted by trained local guides. Our travel partners are selected based on their knowledge, service, reliability, and core values. We work with long-term destination specialists in each country. They employ experienced escorts and guides, local to the communities we work in, who enhance the experience for even the smallest of groups.
Information kits: Customized documents are available for each Tours of Exploration program and will be provided upon receipt of deposit.
Prices: We price in Canadian dollars (CDN) and/or US dollars (USD) unless otherwise indicated. Prices are based on tariffs and currency exchange rates as on January 1, 2022 and may change with fluctuations in currency until time of final payment.
Accommodation: Accommodation is selected based on the desired level of comfort, with attention to ambience and setting.
Single travellers: Single travellers can be matched with travel mates as requested. A single supplement will be applied to single accommodation. We do our best to provide nominal supplements for single travellers.
Meals: Meals provided as indicated by the codes (B) Breakfast, (L) Lunch, (D) Dinner on each sample itinerary.
Transfers: Transfers are provided between airports, hotels, bus, boat and train terminals once at the destination.
Flights: We are able to assist with international and domestic flights, as well as domestic flights. Domestic flights are typically included in the itinerary.
Terms and conditions: In the wake of COVID-19, booking, change and cancellation policies are being re-written for greater flexibility and reduced financial risk. This includes zero risk refundable or transferable deposits on most destinations. We can provide current terms and conditions, entry options, and local conditions at time of inquiry for each of the destinations we work with. Here is a pdf of our terms and conditions.
How to book information: Information on booking can be found here.
How to reach us
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Toll free: 1.800.690.7887 or (604) 886-7300