Moondance Adventures

What Moondance Adventures does

Moondance Adventures, Inc. is a privately held, Nashville, Tennessee-based adventure travel company that designs and operates multi-sport summer programs for teenagers in grades 6 through 12. Founded in 1993, the company runs three age-tiered divisions — Discovery (grades 6–7), Classic (grades 7–9), and Leadership (grades 9–12) — offering backpacking, rock climbing, white water rafting, scuba diving, surfing, kayaking, canyoneering, and coasteering itineraries across 5 continents, 21 countries, and 9 US states. Each trip operates with 10–14 students and 2–3 leaders and is staffed by approximately 150 seasonal Trip Leaders recruited annually through a national college-campus pipeline, with only the top 25% of applicants accepted and completion of a 12-day staff training plus Wilderness First Aid/First Responder certification required.

The business operates on a direct-to-consumer go-to-market model with no third-party resellers in its primary distribution. Revenue is generated primarily through per-student tuition priced at $6,695–$7,195 depending on destination and duration, supplemented by a $200 incidentals deposit, TripMate travel insurance referrals, and a WooCommerce-powered gear and merchandise e-commerce store. Customers — typically upper-middle-class families paying $1,000 to reserve a spot and the balance by February 1 — enroll through the company's website and are supported by dedicated admissions staff, a CampSite-powered Parent Dashboard, and a phone-based customer service operation. The technology stack is composed entirely of third-party SaaS tools (CampSite, WooCommerce, ShipStation, Waldo, Insightly, Vimeo/YouTube) with no proprietary platform, no public APIs, and no disclosed AI capabilities. Core competitive differentiators are the 'unplugged' philosophy, rigorous leader selection, small group sizes, and a self-reinforcing alumni community in which former students return as Trip Leaders.

Name

Moondance Adventures

Legal name

Moondance Adventures, Inc.

Website

https://moondanceadventures.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Moondance Adventures is a privately held Nashville-based teen adventure travel company running multi-sport summer programs across 5 continents for students in grades 6–12, sold direct-to-consumer to families at $6,695–$7,195 per trip.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Teen Adventure Travel

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Tour Operators (561520), RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps (72121)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Adventure Camps & Summer Programs (THAAAOAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Instructor-Led Skills Academies (Climbing, Paddling, Mountaineering Schools) (THAAAOAI), Ropes Courses & High/Low Challenge Courses (THAAACAB)

Keywords

• Teen adventure travel
• Summer youth programs
• Wilderness leadership trips
• Outdoor teen expeditions
• Multi-sport student travel

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Teen Adventure Trip Tuition: Moondance generates revenue through tuition fees charged to families for teen adventure travel programs. Each trip has a published price (ranging from approximately $6,695 to $7,195). Families pay a $1,000 initial investment to reserve a spot, with the balance due February 1st. Payment options include ACH (no fee) or credit card (3% processing fee). Additional revenue comes from an incidentals deposit ($200), gear store sales (merchandise, apparel, gear), and optional travel insurance (TripMate).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Moondance Adventures is a teen adventure travel company that runs guided, multi-sport summer trips for students in grades 6 through 12 across more than 30 destinations in 21 countries and 9 US states. Its programs are organized into three age-tiered divisions — Discovery (grades 6-7), Classic (grades 7-9), and Leadership (grades 9-12) — each with its own curriculum blend of outdoor activities (climbing, rafting, backpacking, paddling, scuba, surfing, canyoneering) and personal development. Trips are sold directly to families at tuition between $6,695 and $7,195 and include activities, lodging, meals, and in-trip transportation, supported by a parent dashboard and a WooCommerce-branded gear store.

Product overview

Moondance Adventures operates as a teen adventure travel company offering a portfolio of summer programs organized into three divisions: Discovery (grades 6th-7th), Classic (grades 7th-9th), and Leadership (grades 9th-12th). The core product consists of multi-sport adventure trips to destinations across domestic U.S. locations and international venues in 5 continents, 21 countries, and 9 U.S. states. Each trip is a distinct product with specific itineraries, activities, pricing, and grade requirements. Supporting services include a Trip Finder search tool, Parent Dashboard for enrolled families, Trip Comparison Chart for decision-making, and a Gear Store for merchandise and required equipment. Individual trip products include destinations like Belize (PADI diving, jungle activities), Madeira (hiking, canyoneering, surfing), Albania/Montenegro/Greece (rafting, trekking, island hopping), and many others spanning adventure, cultural immersion, and leadership development themes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Discovery Division Trips Introductory multi-sport adventure trips for 6th-7th grade students (ages 12-13) with little or no prior outdoor experience, emphasizing a supportive first introduction to overnight camping, hiking, climbing, and paddling at domestic US destinations.
• Classic Division Trips Intermediate multi-sport expedition trips for 7th-9th grade students featuring climbing, rafting, backpacking, and paddling across US wilderness locations, with the framing goal of expanding the student's 'homeland.'
• Leadership Division Trips Advanced wilderness immersion trips for 9th-12th grade students (ages 15-18) that pair challenging international terrain with an explicit leadership curriculum, designed to develop expedition skills and confident leadership for college and beyond.
• Belize Trip 14-day adventure in Belize for 8th-9th graders that combines PADI Open Water Diver certification, sailing, ziplining, cave tubing, waterfall rappelling, and cultural immersion, priced at $6,695 per student.
• Madeira Trip 17-day adventure on Madeira, Portugal for 10th-11th graders featuring hiking, canyoneering, rock climbing, surfing, and coasteering, with a group size of 12 students plus 2 leaders, priced at $6,795 per student.
• Albania, Montenegro + Greece Trip 17-day multi-country expedition for 11th-12th graders featuring white water rafting in Tara Canyon, hut-to-hut trekking in the Albanian Alps, Greek island hopping, sea kayaking, rock climbing, and snorkeling, priced at $7,195 per student.
• Moondance Gear Store Direct-to-consumer online retail store (powered by WooCommerce) selling branded Moondance apparel (shirts, shorts, hoodies, hats), gear, duffels, packs, and trip-required items such as sleeping bag liners and water bottles, sold to students, alumni, parents, and trip leaders.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students from 34 US states and 6 foreign countries served in a single summer, demonstrating broad geographic reach and diverse customer base.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Outfitters and Local Guides (various)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 May 2026Moondance partners with professional outfitters and local guides at each trip destination worldwide. These partners run specific activities (e.g., white water rafting guides, climbing instructors, scuba dive shops) while Moondance trip leaders manage group dynamics, logistics, and student safety. The company also partners with local transportation companies, campgrounds, accommodations, and park services (U.S. National Parks and Forests).
• Exito Travel AgencyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMoondance refers families to Exito Travel as an optional third-party flight booking service for international trips. Exito provides flight options for families who prefer not to book their own travel. Moondance explicitly states it is not responsible for Exito's services or policies.
• All Outdoors Rafting (Yosemite)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll Outdoors Rafting is the white water rafting outfitter used for the Yosemite trip. Guides from All Outdoors lead rafting sections, provide equipment, and prepare meals. Trip updates from the Yosemite 1 session reference All Outdoors guides Annika, Michael, Emma, and Liam by name.
• PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors)coreTechnology or IntegrationMoondance partners with PADI to provide students on the Belize trip with PADI Open Water Diver certification. Students complete PADI E-Learning coursework prior to the trip and diving skills in-country, enabling them to explore Belize's barrier reef.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rustic Pathways: Largest direct competitor in teen adventure travel; offers multi-week service-learning and adventure trips for high schoolers across dozens of countries, mirroring Moondance's model and grade-level targeting.
• Global Leadership Adventures: Teen service and adventure travel company combining leadership curriculum with international expeditions — directly comparable to Moondance's Leadership division positioning.
• Where There Be Dragons: Boulder-based teen experiential education company running small-group multi-country expeditions focused on cultural immersion and wilderness, directly comparable to Moondance's Classic and Leadership divisions.
• Walking Tree Travel: Teen travel company focused on international multi-country service and adventure itineraries for middle and high school students — closely overlapping Moondance's destination mix and target parent buyer.
• Road Less Traveled (RLT): Community-based teen adventure travel provider offering domestic and international small-group trips for grades 6-12, with similar leadership-to-student ratios and wilderness activity mix.
• Bold Earth Teen Adventures: Operates small-group teen adventure trips domestically and internationally, with similar grade-targeted programming, pricing tier, and leader-to-student ratios as Moondance.
• Putney Student Travel: Teen adventure travel operator offering small-group pre-college summer programs across international destinations, overlapping Moondance's customer profile and pricing tier.

Broad incumbents

• Outward Bound USA: Established wilderness education nonprofit offering teen adventure and leadership programs; comparable on wilderness/leadership curriculum and target age group but operates as a non-profit across multiple course types.
• EF Educational Tours: Large incumbent student travel operator offering teen and educator-led trips worldwide with similar international destinations, but at much larger scale and broader (not teen-only) demographic.
• National Geographic Student Expeditions: Brand-backed teen adventure and photography expeditions with overlapping itineraries and target demographic, but operated under the broader National Geographic parent ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/moondanceadventures
• Instagraminstagram.com/moondanceadventures/?hl=en
• Facebookfacebook.com/MoondanceAdventures
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/moondance-adventures

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Moondance Adventures