Studiosus

What Studiosus does

Studiosus Reisen München GmbH is a privately held German tour operator founded in 1954 and headquartered in Munich. The company sells guided cultural study tours and curated vacation packages to individual travelers, primarily in the German-speaking markets, under the umbrella of approximately 650 distinct itineraries spanning 100+ countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East. Its core product is the all-inclusive "Studienreise" (study tour), in which package pricing bundles flights, hotels, meals, guided excursions, entry fees, and local transportation, with per-person prices ranging from roughly €2,395 for shorter European/North African tours to €7,350+ for long-haul Japan tours.

The company's offering is organized into multiple sub-brands that segment the product line by group size, traveler profile, and trip style: smart & small (≤15 participants), me & more (singles and solo travelers), CityLights (city breaks with ≤15 guests), kultimer (event and cultural trips), Studiosus family (children aged 6–14), Wanderreisen (hiking tours), Studiosus Expedition (remote destinations such as Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mongolia), Studiosus Klassik (intensive cultural tours), and Studiosus Kreuzfahrt (cruise-based tours including Nile cruises). Across all sub-brands the company differentiates on the basis of its "specially qualified Studiosus-Reiseleitung" — bilingual local tour leaders who function as cultural interpreters — and on full climate-neutral (Klimaneutral) travel, with emission compensation covering flights, ground transport, ship travel, and hotel stays in place since 2021. Reported per-tour customer recommendation rates range from 76.9% to 100%.

Studiosus generates revenue through one-time package-tour bookings distributed via a multi-channel sales system: direct online booking on studiosus.com, a partner travel-agency network (Reisebüro-Finder) accessible through a store locator, freecall and email consultation, and free printed catalogs. Marketing channels include the physical catalog suite, an e-newsletter, Facebook and Instagram pages, the "Intensiverleben" branded podcast, the Studiosus Magazin, and the Studiosus-Reiseforum online community. The company operates the Studiosus Foundation, which funds destination-level social and environmental projects, and has 251–500 employees. No public financial disclosures, funding rounds, M&A activity, or leadership changes are present in the available data.

Name

Studiosus

Legal name

Studiosus Reisen München GmbH

Website

https://studiosus.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Studiosus Reisen München GmbH is a Munich-based, privately held German tour operator founded in 1954 that sells approximately 650 guided cultural study tours and vacation packages across 100+ countries, serving culture-oriented travelers through sub-brands like smart & small, me & more, and CityLights.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Guided Cultural Tour Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Other (4879)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Escorted Coach & Bus Package Tour Operators (THAKADAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Inclusive Tour (IT) & Leisure Package Charter Operators (THABADAC)

Keywords

• Guided study tours
• Cultural travel packages
• Small group tours
• International group tours
• Escorted vacation packages

Headquarters

HQ city

Munich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Package Tour Sales: Studiosus generates revenue through the sale of all-inclusive package tours. Prices typically include flights, hotel accommodations, meals, guided excursions, entry fees, and local transportation. The company offers various tour types including Studienreisen (study tours), smart&small (small group tours max 15 participants), CityLights (city trips), me&more (singles travel), kultimer (event tours), and family tours.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Studiosus sells all-inclusive guided package tours to 100+ countries, bundling flights, hotel accommodations, meals, guided excursions, entry fees, and local transportation with a qualified Studiosus tour leader. The portfolio spans approximately 650 tours across study tours, small-group tours (max 15 participants), singles trips, city breaks, event trips, family vacations, hiking tours, and expedition-style itineraries. Customers select, book, and pay per person, with single-room supplements available.

Product overview

Studiosus is a German travel company (Studiosus Reisen München GmbH) offering a comprehensive portfolio of guided study tours and vacation packages. The core offering consists of Studienreisen (study tours) in multiple variants including Studiosus Klassik (classic tours with intensive cultural programs), Studiosus Kreuzfahrt (cruise-based tours on ships like MS Hansa Spirit and MS La Traviata), and Studiosus Expedition (adventure expeditions to remote destinations). The company operates several sub-brands: smart & small (small group tours with max 15 participants), me & more (singles/solo travelers), CityLights (city trips with max 15 guests), kultimer (event/cultural trips), Studiosus family (family vacations for children ages 6-14), and Wanderreisen (hiking tours). Digital services include the Intensiverleben podcast, Studiosus Magazin (travel magazine), and Studiosus-Reiseforum (online community). The company also offers physical travel catalogs (Fernreisen, Europareisen, CityLights, smart & small, family) and specialized tour guide services. Total offering includes approximately 650 travel packages across all categories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Studiosus CityLights: City break trips and short urban getaways in small groups with a maximum of 15 guests, guided by qualified Studiosus tour leaders.
• Studiosus me & more
• Studiosus smart & small
• Studiosus family
• kultimer
• Studiosus-Reiseforum
• Studiosus Magazin
• Intensiverleben – Der Reise-Podcast von Studiosus

Products and services

• Studienreisen (Study Tours) Classic guided study tours in multiple variants, always accompanied by qualified Studiosus tour leaders. Includes flights, transfers, hotels, and comprehensive cultural sightseeing programs. Approximately 285 tours available.
• smart & small Small group tours with a maximum of 15 participants, positioned between beach holidays and intensive study tours. Approximately 62 tours combining cultural experiences with relaxed pacing.
• me & more Vacation packages designed for singles and solo travelers, offering varied activities and opportunities to meet like-minded people. Approximately 55 dedicated singles tours.
• CityLights City trip packages in groups with maximum 15 guests, offering short immersive urban experiences with qualified Studiosus tour guides. Approximately 30 city tours available.
• kultimer Event and culture trips worldwide featuring concerts, exhibitions, and festivals with Studiosus tour leadership and accompanying cultural framework programs. Approximately 178 event trips.
• Studiosus family Family vacation packages designed for parents with children aged 6-14 years, featuring engaging experience programs suitable for families. Approximately 14 dedicated family tours.
• Wanderreisen (Hiking Tours) Hiking tours combining active outdoor movement with nature experiences and cultural enjoyment. Approximately 26 hiking tours available.
• Studiosus Klassik Classic study tours with particularly rich cultural programs, offering deeper immersion into destinations with extended time at key sites.
• Studiosus Kreuzfahrt Study tours combined with cruise experiences, including Nile cruises on ships such as MS Hansa Spirit, MS Queen of Hansa, and MS La Traviata.
• Studiosus Expedition Expedition-style tours to remote destinations such as Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mongolia, featuring adventurous itineraries and safari experiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• High customer recommendation rates ranging from 76.9% to 100% across different tours
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• LufthansaminorOthersAirline partner providing flights to destinations including Japan, South Africa, Egypt, and Morocco. Offers nonstop flights from Frankfurt and Munich with connecting flights from various airports in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Luxembourg.
• Royal Air MarocminorOthersAirline partner for Morocco flights, operating nonstop services from Frankfurt, Geneva, and Zurich.
• ANA (All Nippon Airways)minorOthersAirline partner for Japan tours, providing domestic flights within Japan such as Hiroshima to Tokyo.
• EmiratesminorOthersAirline partner for Japan tours, operating flights from Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hamburg, Munich, Vienna, and Zurich.
• Egypt AirminorOthersAirline partner for Egypt tours, providing nonstop flights from Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna and connecting flights.
• Oman AirminorOthersAirline partner for Oman tours, operating flights from Frankfurt, Munich, and Zurich to Muscat.
• CondorminorOthersAirline partner for South Africa tours, operating nonstop flights from Frankfurt.
• Turkish AirlinesminorOthersAirline partner for South Africa tours, operating flights from 18 airports in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Luxembourg.
• Qatar AirwaysminorOthersAirline partner for South Africa tours, operating flights from Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Geneva, Munich, Vienna, and Zurich.
• Studiosus FoundationcoreOthersThe company's own foundation supporting social and environmental projects at travel destinations. Projects include Kliptown Youth Project in Soweto (South Africa), biological garden project in Oudtshoorn, Lalla Mimouna source museum in Morocco, and eco-project on Bigeh Island in Egypt.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Gebeco: Gebeco is a German escorted study/cultural tour operator owned by TUI, headquartered in Kiel. It offers a near-identical product mix (Studienreisen, small-group tours, event trips) to German-speaking customers, making it the closest direct competitor to Studiosus.
• Marco Polo Reisen: Marco Polo Reisen is another German tour operator specialising in escorted "Begegnungen" tours with qualified tour guides, similar mid-to-high price positioning and target demographic overlap with Studiosus.
• Wikinger Reisen: Wikinger Reisen is a German operator focused on active-cultural trips (walking, hiking combined with cultural content). Comparable in guided-tour model and DACH customer base to Studiosus' Wanderreisen sub-brand.
• Dr. Tigges Studienreisen: Dr. Tigges is one of the oldest German study-tour operators (founded 1970s), offering escorted cultural tours to a similar DACH clientele with a comparable catalogue-driven sales model.
• Explore Worldwide: Explore is a UK-based small-group adventure/cultural tour operator selling guided worldwide itineraries with an emphasis on authentic local encounters, mirroring Studiosus' intensiverleben positioning in the UK market.
• Ikarus Tours: Ikarus Tours is a medium-sized German tour operator offering guided worldwide cultural tours with a comparable per-customer pricing model and German-speaking target audience.

Broad incumbents

• Intrepid Travel: Intrepid Travel is a global publicly-listed small-group tour operator (ASX) with a much larger catalogue and broader geographic footprint than Studiosus, providing comparable escorted tours to younger and more international demographics.
• DER Touristik: DER Touristik is the tourism division of REWE Group, one of the largest German tour operators offering a full-spectrum portfolio (FIT, escorted, beach, cruise). It overlaps with Studiosus on escorted tours but is much larger and broader.
• TUI Group: TUI is Europe's largest integrated tourism group, operating airlines, hotels and tour brands (including Gebeco). It dwarfs Studiosus in scale but competes on overlapping guided-tour product lines through its German-market tour subsidiaries.

Emerging players

• Road Scholar: Road Scholar (formerly Elderhostel) is a US non-profit educational-travel provider focused on learning-focused group tours for older adults, conceptually the closest North American analogue to Studiosus' Studienreisen.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/StudiosusReisen
• Instagraminstagram.com/studiosusreisen/?hl=de

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Studiosus