National Geographic selects expeditions in locations around the world that offer a diverse experience for participants. As of February 2011, the family vacations take place in Alaska, Egypt, the Galapagos Islands, Greece, Ireland, Norway, Peru, Provence, Switzerland and Tasmania. In small countries like Ireland, tours make thorough sweeps of the area so that the participants experience the best the countries have to offer. In larger countries like Egypt, the vacations focus on a combination of city culture and natural life.
Highly trained and educated guides conduct the expeditions so that the guests learn a great deal about the environments they tour. National Geographic selects guides from its pool of writers and photographers to teach guests about the surroundings. Photographers provide advice about how to take good photos. National Geographic also chooses guides from college and university staffs to share their expertise about the biology, geology or cultural history of regions.
Families join the National Geographic tours at cities close to the point of departure. The expedition in Norway features a tour of the polar bears along the Arctic Circle, and Oslo is the arrival and departure point. The Switzerland tour begins in Zurich, and participants ride a train into the Swiss Alps. Many of the tours involve traveling on ships, hiking to specific destinations and bicycling. The Tanzania tour includes canoeing through the Arusha National Park to view wildlife at the banks of the lakes. National Geographic advises participants about trips that may be physically challenging, such as the expedition to Peru, which involves high elevation hiking and travel on mountains more than 11,000 feet high.
Some of the National Geographic tours use two different ships to explore the regions. The Endeavour accommodates 96 guests and includes a swimming pool, a fitness center, a lounge and bar, a full-time physician, Internet access and laundry services. The second ship is the Sea Bird, a narrow ship with a capacity of 62 used in the Alaska cruises. The Sea Bird has a bar, dining room and sundeck. The expeditions use local lodging for tours on land that feature historic hotels, or luxury tents for the safari tours in Africa. On land, National Geographic chooses local hotels with special interests or services for guests in its Ireland and France destinations.
