Imagine seeing Normandy through the eyes of the grandson of the general who managed the D-Day landings. Or traveling around Florence on a route created by one of the leading authorities on Italian food and wine.
Those are the kinds of travel tours being rolled out by new premium travel brand Passage Journeys, which just launched reservations for its inaugural collection of small-group trips departing in 2027. Created for culturally curious travelers, the new experiences combine expert-curated itineraries with immersive experiences that go beyond the standard travel tour.
On the History and Heroes of Normandy by David Eisenhower tour, that means the historian, author, and grandson of General and President Dwight D. Eisenhower adds personal perspective to the key battlefields and historic sites related to D-Day and the Allied liberation of Europe. Writer, photographer, and author Carla Capalbo created an itinerary for the Florence at the Table by Carla Capalbo journey that goes deeper than just the well-known sites to showcase the connections among food, history, craftsmanship, family, and community.
The Pursuit of Happiness in Bhutan by Eric Weiner tour was inspired by the author’s work on global happiness, and he curated an itinerary focused on engaging with Bhutanese daily life through experiences such as visiting monasteries and interacting with local artists and craftspeople. The Soul of Japan – Living Like a Local by Pico Iyer trip takes a similar approach, helping travelers experience the country’s rituals and sense of place through the personal lens of the essayist, novelist, and longtime resident of Japan.
Travel expert Joseph Rosendo curated The Living Provence by Joseph Rosendo tour to combine authentic experiences—exploring historic towns like Aix-en-Provence and Arles, enjoying Provençal cuisine—with meaningful interactions with the people of the region that illustrate everyday life there. “We really started with the experts,” says Kristen Cash Dennison, general manager of Passage Journeys. “The biggest thing was, how do we get people who have a point of view or perspective to make these itineraries really pop and come to life?”
The experts’ main role was curating the trips, though there will be some specific departures where the experts will be in attendance. “I think the thing that’s really special is how involved they’ve been with it and actually picking places that really matter to them,” says Cash Dennison. “There’s lots of expertise that’s integrated into the trips.”
Each tour tops out between 24 and 28 guests, and the theming of each trip helps foster memorable experiences around shared interests and passions. “It really creates a special community dynamic in group touring that I don’t think we’ve seen in generations past,” says Cash Dennison. “I’m really excited to build these tours around that kind of concept.”
And Passage Journeys is just getting started. Many of the initial experts are already cooking up new tour ideas, and the company is seeking out others with unique perspectives. “We definitely are going to be adding product,” says Cash Dennison. “If there is an interesting destination that’s up and coming, or if we have a perspective to tell, we want to make sure we’re bringing that to the marketplace.”
TourScoop takeway: This kind of expert insight helps make travel a much richer experience, opening travelers’ eyes to people and places they might not encounter otherwise. And when tour groups start off with common interests like history or cuisine, meaningful connections often result.
