Expedition Trips
Expedition Trips is a Bainbridge Island, Washington-based travel agency founded in 1999 that connects affluent individual travelers with expedition cruise operators across 30+ partner lines covering all seven continents via a consultative phone and inquiry-form sales model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersSeattle, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Expedition Trips does
Expedition Trips is a privately held travel advisory firm headquartered in Bainbridge Island, Washington, founded in 1999 by Ashton Palmer, a former expedition leader for Abercrombie & Kent, Quark Expeditions, and Zegrahm Expeditions. The company operates as an intermediary connecting individual leisure travelers with expedition cruise operators to remote destinations across all seven continents, including Antarctica, the Arctic, Galapagos, Alaska, the Amazon, the South Pacific, Africa, Asia, South America, and Europe. Trip offerings span from approximately $600 entry-level Galapagos itineraries to $53,030+ premium Solar Eclipse and luxury expeditions, with average couple spend typically between $10,000 and $20,000.
The core product is a consultative travel-planning service rather than a technology platform. Customers reach the company exclusively through a toll-free phone line (1-877-412-8527), a Seattle local line, website inquiry forms, or email; the company does not process bookings online and offers no public API, SDK, or mobile application. Underlying technology is limited to a content-marketing website with blog, email newsletter, and social channels. The advisor team of 8-15 members provides itinerary matching, operator selection, and pre-/post-trip logistics support, with a stated differentiator being that advisors have personally traveled to the destinations they recommend.
The business model is commission-based: Expedition Trips earns affiliate/referral fees from booking expedition cruise operators across 30+ partner lines including National Geographic-Lindblad, Quark, HX (Hurtigruten), Silversea, Ponant, Seabourn, Aurora, Antarctica21, Swan Hellenic, and Scenic. The company does not charge consultation fees to clients. Distribution is sales-led and direct-to-consumer, supported by content marketing (blog, newsletter), social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), editorial recognition (Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure A-List, Wendy Perrin's WOW List), and a structured Adventurer Referral program for past customers. The customer base is exclusively individual travelers with no enterprise contracts, and tens of thousands of clients have been served cumulatively since 1999.
Expedition Trips firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Expedition Trips
- Legal name
- Expedition Trips
- Website
- https://expeditiontrips.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Expedition Trips is a Bainbridge Island, Washington-based travel agency founded in 1999 that connects affluent individual travelers with expedition cruise operators across 30+ partner lines covering all seven continents via a consultative phone and inquiry-form sales model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Expedition Trips industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Adventure Travel Services
- NAICS
- Travel Agencies (561510), Travel Agencies (56151), Tour Operators (56152)
- SIC
- Transportation Services (4700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Luxury & Expedition Cruise Specialists (THAKAKAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Polar & Remote-Destination Expedition Tour Operators (THAKADAM), Adventure & Expedition Travel Agencies (THAKAFAB)
Keywords
Where Expedition Trips is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seattle
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Expedition Trips business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Travel Agency Commissions: Expedition Trips acts as a travel agency and earns commissions from booking expedition cruise operators. They work with all major expedition cruise lines and earn referral fees or commissions on completed bookings. The company does not charge consultation fees to clients.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Budget to premium expedition options |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Expedition Trips product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Expedition Trips is a travel advisory agency that plans and books expedition-style small-ship cruises for individual travelers to remote destinations worldwide, including Antarctica, the Arctic, Galapagos, Alaska, Amazon, South Pacific, and other wild locations. The company acts as an intermediary, leveraging relationships with 30+ expedition cruise operators to match travelers with appropriate ships, itineraries, and departures based on their preferences and budget. Bookings are handled through consultative phone and email interactions with travel advisors, not through online booking.
Product overview
Expedition Trips is a travel advisory firm specializing in small ship and expedition-style cruise planning, founded in 1999 and headquartered in Washington State. The company acts as an intermediary connecting travelers with expedition cruise operators, offering curated trip planning services rather than a unified software product. Their portfolio spans over 15 destination regions including Antarctica, the Arctic, Galapagos, Alaska, Amazon, South Pacific, Baja California, Africa, Asia, South America, Australia & New Zealand, Europe, and more. The company offers access to numerous partner cruise lines including Quark Expeditions, HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions), Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic, Seabourn, Silversea, Swan Hellenic, Ponant, and others. Trip offerings range from budget options (from approximately $3,125) to ultra-luxury expeditions (up to $53,030+), with trip lengths spanning from 4 days to 20+ days. The company provides advisory services but does not offer online booking or API access.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Expedition Cruise Planning Services Travel advisory and planning services connecting individual travelers with expedition cruise operators across 30+ cruise line partners to remote destinations including Antarctica, the Arctic, Galapagos, Alaska, Amazon, and other wild locations worldwide. Service is delivered through dedicated travel advisors via phone and web inquiry forms, not via online booking.
Quantifiable outcome
- 95% of travelers who say they're not cruisers return without regret
Companies that use Expedition Trips
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Expedition Trips technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Expedition Trips partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- National Geographic - Lindblad ExpeditionscorePrimary partner offering expedition cruises to Galapagos, Antarctica, Arctic, Alaska, and worldwide destinations. NatGeo-Lindblad has been at the forefront of Galapagos exploration for over 65 years and first commercial expedition in 1976. The partnership includes new ships like National Geographic Gemini and National Geographic Delfina launching in 2025.
- Quark ExpeditionscoreLeading polar expedition operator offering trips to Antarctica, Arctic (Svalbard, Greenland). Known for innovative vessels like Ultramarine and special promotions like Northern Lights expeditions and Solar Eclipse 2026 trips.
- HX Expeditions (Hurtigruten)coreNorwegian heritage expedition company with roots dating back to 1896. Offers expeditions on ships like MS Spitsbergen and MS Fridtjof Nansen to Svalbard, Greenland, and polar regions.
- SilverseacoreUltra-luxury expedition cruise line. Partnership includes Silversea's new The Cormorant at 55 South hotel in Puerto Williams, Chile - described as the Southernmost Hotel in the World for Antarctica fly-cruise programs.
- Swan HellenicmajorLuxury expedition cruise line offering voyages to Arctic, Antarctica, and other remote destinations. Featured in Northern Lights promotions with up to 50% off offers.
- Aurora ExpeditionsmajorAustralian expedition company offering trips on Greg Mortimer with 10% plus $2,500 air credit for Northern Lights Explorer itineraries.
- PonantmajorFrench luxury expedition cruise line. Partnership includes Le Commandant Charcot, the world's only luxury icebreaker, offering polar expeditions.
- ScenicmajorUltra-luxury cruise line with Scenic Eclipse expedition vessel. Featured in Solar Eclipse 2026 itineraries at premium price points ($53,030+).
- SeabourncoreLuxury expedition cruise line with Seabourn Venture (2022) and Pursuit (2023). Partnership includes custom-built submarines, 268-passenger intimate settings, and Kimberley region expeditions.
- Antarctica21majorPioneer of Antarctica air-cruise expeditions. Offers fly directly from Punta Arenas to King George Island, skipping the Drake Passage crossing.
- Abercrombie & Kent (A&K)majorNew partnership for 2027: A&K Expeditions aboard Crystal combining A&K's expedition philosophy with Crystal's luxury ships. 10 inaugural voyages across Europe, Atlantic islands, North Africa, and Southeast Asia with exclusive savings for Expedition Trips clients.
- MIRU AdventuresminorExpedition cruise operator featured in partner logos section.
- UnCruise AdventuresminorSmall ship adventure cruise operator featured in partner logos section.
- Latin TrailsminorExpedition operator focused on Latin American destinations including Galapagos.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Expedition Trips competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Zegrahm Expeditions: Zegrahm Expeditions is a small-ship expedition cruise operator offering itineraries to Antarctica, the Arctic, Africa, and remote islands. It overlaps with Expedition Trips' product set both as a competitor and as a supplier in the curated expedition cruise category.
- Boundless Journeys: Boundless Journeys is a small-group adventure travel company offering active itineraries to remote and culturally distinctive destinations globally. It targets a similar experiential, advisor-assisted traveler and competes in the high-touch adventure segment.
- Classic Journeys: Classic Journeys is a boutique travel company offering expert-led small-group and walking tours worldwide. It serves a similar affluent, experience-seeking customer and competes in the curated, advisor-driven travel space.
- Natural Habitat Adventures: Natural Habitat Adventures is an adventure travel company specializing in small-group wildlife and nature expeditions, including polar and Galapagos itineraries. It is a direct competitor in the curated, expert-led expedition travel market.
- Adventure Life: Adventure Life is a small-group and expedition travel agency offering curated trips to Antarctica, the Arctic, Galapagos, and other remote destinations. It competes head-to-head with Expedition Trips in the expedition cruise advisory niche with a similar consultative, multi-operator model.
- Wild Earth Travel: Wild Earth Travel is a New Zealand-based expedition travel agency offering small-ship cruises and wildlife-focused itineraries worldwide. It serves a similar affluent, experience-driven clientele with a comparable advisory-led distribution model.
Broad incumbents
- Quark Expeditions: Quark Expeditions is a leading polar expedition cruise operator and one of Expedition Trips' core supplier partners. While primarily an operator rather than a travel agency, it competes for direct bookings from expedition travelers and overlaps in destination coverage (Antarctica, Arctic).
- Abercrombie & Kent: Abercrombie & Kent is a global luxury travel operator with a dedicated expedition division and small-ship cruises to remote destinations. It competes for the same affluent expedition traveler but operates as a much larger, vertically integrated brand.
- Lindblad Expeditions (National Geographic): Lindblad Expeditions operates the National Geographic-branded expedition cruise fleet and is one of Expedition Trips' largest supplier partners. It also sells direct to consumers, making it both a partner and an indirect competitor in the expedition cruise distribution chain.
- Intrepid Travel: Intrepid Travel is a global adventure tour operator with small-group expeditions to all seven continents. While broader in scope and more price-sensitive than Expedition Trips, it overlaps in target destinations and adventure-travel customer base.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Expedition Trips social profiles
Digital presenceExpedition Trips financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Expedition Trips leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Expedition Trips funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Expedition Trips M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Expedition Trips
What does Expedition Trips do?
Expedition Trips is a travel advisory agency that plans and books expedition-style small-ship cruises for individual travelers to remote destinations worldwide, including Antarctica, the Arctic, Galapagos, Alaska, Amazon, South Pacific, and other wild locations. The company acts as an intermediary, leveraging relationships with 30+ expedition cruise operators to match travelers with appropriate ships, itineraries, and departures based on their preferences and budget. Bookings are handled through consultative phone and email interactions with travel advisors, not through online booking.
Is Expedition Trips a public or private company?
Expedition Trips is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Expedition Trips founded?
Expedition Trips was founded in 1999. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Expedition Trips based?
Expedition Trips is headquartered in Seattle, United States, in the North America region.
How does Expedition Trips make money?
One revenue line is on record: travel Agency Commissions.
Who are Expedition Trips's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Zegrahm Expeditions, Boundless Journeys, Classic Journeys, Natural Habitat Adventures, Adventure Life and Wild Earth Travel. Broad incumbents are Quark Expeditions, Abercrombie & Kent, Lindblad Expeditions (National Geographic) and Intrepid Travel.
Does Expedition Trips have an API?
No public API is recorded for Expedition Trips.
What industry is Expedition Trips in?
Expedition Trips's product category is Adventure Travel Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAKAKAE, Luxury & Expedition Cruise Specialists, with a secondary code of THAKADAM, Polar & Remote-Destination Expedition Tour Operators. Its NAICS code is 561510 and its SIC code is 4700.