Explorator

What Explorator does

Explorator is a privately held French travel agency founded in 1971, headquartered in Paris, that designs and sells curated small-group discovery trips to 80+ countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, the Americas, and Oceania. The company operates with approximately 34 employees and runs two principal product lines: "Voyages en petits groupes" (guided group tours of 4–8 participants led by French-speaking local guides) and "Voyages sur-mesure" (bespoke/custom trips operated via the Ikhar sub-brand). Trips are organized around three pillars — Nature, Culture, and Encounters — and segmented into themed verticals such as deserts, festivals, geopolitics, ethnic discoveries, wildlife safaris, and grand crossings.

The business runs on a direct-to-consumer distribution model with no intermediary channels. Sales are generated via phone (Monday–Friday 9h30–18h30), in-person consultations at the Paris office, and website inquiry forms. Pricing is published across four tiers ranging from under €3,000 (one-week trips) to over €7,000 (three-week-plus expedition-style trips), with durations spanning one to three-plus weeks. Marketing is primarily organic and content-driven through the explo.com website, email newsletter, and social channels (YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn).

There is no proprietary technology platform, no mobile application, no disclosed API, and no AI or machine learning capabilities identified. Operations rely on curated itineraries, a network of vetted French-speaking local guides, and 24/7 telephone assistance during travel. The company is independently owned with no parent entity, no institutional investors, and no disclosed funding rounds. Ownership, legal entity structure, and revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Explorator

Legal name

Explorator

Website

https://explo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Explorator is a privately held French travel agency, founded in 1971 and based in Paris, that sells curated small-group discovery trips (4–8 participants) and bespoke itineraries to 80+ countries for French-speaking individual travelers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adventure & Cultural Travel Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152), Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Adventure & Expedition Travel Agencies (THAKAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Multi-Activity & Expedition Packages (Guided Adventure Trips) (THAJABAL), Destination-Specific Custom Itinerary Specialists (THAKAOAN), Bespoke Multi-Day Itinerary Planning & Custom Tour Design (THAJALAB)

Keywords

• Small group travel
• Cultural discovery tours
• Bespoke travel planning
• Themed travel experiences
• Guided adventure tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Champtoceaux, Pays de la Loire

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Group Tour Packages: All-inclusive small group travel packages (4-8 participants) featuring guided tours, accommodations, transportation, and experiences across nature, culture, and authentic encounters with local populations.
2. Custom/Bespoke Travel: Tailored travel experiences designed according to individual customer preferences, destinations, dates, and budgets. Collaborative travel planning with customers as co-authors of their journey.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Explorator is a French travel agency that sells small-group discovery trips (4-8 participants accompanied by a French-speaking guide) to more than 80 countries, plus bespoke/custom itineraries delivered through its Ikhar sub-brand. All packages are all-inclusive, covering accommodations, transportation, guides, and immersive experiences across themes including deserts, wildlife, festivals, geopolitics, ethnic discoveries, and great crossings, centered on the values of Nature, Culture, and Encounters.

Product overview

Explorator is a French travel agency founded in 1971 specializing in small group discovery travel. The company offers two main product lines: 'Voyages en petits groupes' (Group Trips) with 4-8 participants for structured itineraries around 80+ countries, and 'Voyages sur-mesure' (Custom Trips) for personalized travel experiences. Both offerings focus on three core values: Nature, Culture, and Encounters, with trips organized by themes including deserts, cultural festivals, geopolitics, ethnic experiences, wildlife, and great crossings. The company provides 24/7 telephone assistance and operates from Paris with phone support available Monday-Friday 9:30-18:30.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ikhar: A separate brand referenced for custom/bespoke travel services, with its own website (ikhar.com) and phone number (01 43 06 73 13) for tailored travel planning.

Products and services

• Voyages en petits groupes (Group Trips) All-inclusive small group discovery trips with 4 to 8 participants, accompanied by a French-speaking guide, offering comprehensive itineraries covering Nature, Culture, and Encounters across more than 80 countries. Trips are organized by themes including deserts and great spaces, festivals and cultural events, geopolitics, ethnic discoveries, wildlife, and great crossings.
• Voyages sur-mesure (Custom Trips)

Quantifiable outcome

• Small group travel (4-8 participants) ensures personalized attention and meaningful cultural exchanges

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• Evaneos: French online marketplace connecting travelers with local agencies for tailor-made trips. Comparable on discovery-style itineraries but competes via technology platform rather than guided group tours.
• Voyage Privé: French private online travel club offering discounted premium stays and trips. Comparable as a French digital travel channel but focused on luxury deals rather than guided discovery travel.

Direct peers

• Atalante: French trekking and adventure travel agency focused on nature, culture and encounters in remote regions. Comparable on small-group guided adventure trips and French-speaking customer base.
• Maison du Voyage: French travel agency selling tailor-made and themed discovery trips to a French-speaking clientele. Comparable on custom/bespoke product mix and direct-to-consumer French sales motion.
• Allibert Trekking: French adventure travel specialist offering trekking, expedition and discovery trips across continents. Comparable product catalog and target audience of French adventure travelers.
• Voyageurs du Monde: Leading French specialty tour operator offering cultural, discovery and off-the-beaten-path itineraries worldwide. Closest direct competitor given overlapping French-speaking customer base, custom plus small-group format and similar country catalog depth.
• Terres d'Aventure: French adventure and trekking tour operator (now part of Voyageurs du Monde) selling guided nature, culture and walking trips. Directly comparable on adventure-led discovery positioning and small-group guided format.
• Huwans: French adventure travel club (part of Voyageurs du Monde group) selling guided discovery and trekking trips to members. Direct peer on small-group adventure format and French market.

Broad incumbents

• TUI France: French arm of a global tour operator offering packaged holidays, tours and cruises. Comparable as a large packaged-travel provider but at mass-market scale versus Explorator's small-group niche.
• Club Med: Major French all-inclusive resort operator with a wide portfolio across geographies. Comparable as a French heritage travel brand but offers standardized resort product rather than small-group discovery.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@EXPLORATORvideos/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/ExploratorVoyages
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/explorator-voyages
• Instagraminstagram.com/exploratorvoyages

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Explorator