The Road Less Traveled

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The Road Less Traveled creates impactful summer programs for teens to explore the world through adventure, service, cultural immersion, and meaningful travel experiences. The Road Less Traveled is a teen summer community service and adventure travel company that offers an opportunity for young people to engage in a service of presence and active listening in the world. We encourage involvement and

cultivate leadership, excellence, openness and sensitivity, initiative, communal participation, social activism and environmentalism.

🎙️ “They returned home energized and showing so much more agency and responsibility — exactly what they needed for high ...
05/27/2026

🎙️ “They returned home energized and showing so much more agency and responsibility — exactly what they needed for high school.”

Transitioning into freshman year is a big shift, and sometimes the best way to prep is to get away from a desk. This alum parent shared how their teen’s time on our Hawaii trip made that difference:

“The Road Less Traveled (RLT) experience in Hawaii, was wonderful for my rising freshman. They returned home energized and showing so much more agency and responsibility, exactly what they needed for High School. The RLT team was great from the start with good information for expectations and preparations, great communication during transit, and photos along the way. We highly recommend RLT if your teen is ready to experience something more and grow into their sense of self.”

We keep our groups small to make sure this kind of growth has space to happen. Hawaii is one of our most popular summer routes and we are down to the final spots for 2026.

Luis was born in the Azores and Bethany is a zoologist from the US. Together, they run Burros e Amigos, a sanctuary dedi...
05/22/2026

Luis was born in the Azores and Bethany is a zoologist from the US. Together, they run Burros e Amigos, a sanctuary dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating the island’s donkey population. 🫏

When our teens arrive, they get to work. Daily feeding and grooming, sanctuary maintenance, and the slow, patient process of building trust with rescued animals. Luís and Bethany will tell you that before you can lead an animal, you have to earn its respect. Our teens learn that pretty quickly.

This is one of our favorite partnerships. And it shows up that way every summer in what our teens tell us when they get home.

🇵🇹 Azores: The Secret Island — only a couple spots left for this summer

Families sometimes ask us why RLT costs what it costs. It is a fair question. Here is an honest answer. After 30 years o...
05/20/2026

Families sometimes ask us why RLT costs what it costs. It is a fair question. Here is an honest answer.

After 30 years of running these programs, we have learned that the difference in price usually comes down to the things you cannot see in a brochure.

For us, there are a few things we will never compromise on.

🛟 The safety net you hope you never need

A significant part of our tuition goes into infrastructure that is invisible until something goes wrong. 24/7 office support, rigorous risk management, and contingency planning for every single trip. We spend the whole year preparing for Plan B so our leaders and your teens always supported and have access to the best resources.

🤝 Partners we have known for years

We do not work with the lowest bidders. We work with local partners, guides, and families we have known for years, sometimes decades. We believe in paying people fairly for their expertise and their hospitality.

🌎 Small groups on purpose

It is more expensive to run a trip for 12 teens than 25. We do it anyway because that is the only way real mentorship happens. Our leaders are there to help your teen navigate challenges and build real confidence, not just manage a schedule.

3 more things most families don’t know about our Morocco trip 🇲🇦Morocco is a beautiful blend of Amazigh, Arabic, and Eur...
05/15/2026

3 more things most families don’t know about our Morocco trip 🇲🇦

Morocco is a beautiful blend of Amazigh, Arabic, and European cultures located just a short distance from Western Europe. There is a lot more to the story than just the desert.

🌊 It is a surf and turf experience

The trip ends in Essaouira on the Atlantic coast, and the vibe could not be more different from the rugged High Atlas Mountains where the trip begins. Surf lessons, beachside markets, sea breeze. A refreshing contrast that catches most teens off guard.

🪚 Teens work on village-led service projects

In the High Atlas Mountains, teens partner with local Amazigh residents on projects the community has specifically requested. Light construction, small-scale farming. Because the projects are designed by the village, teens see exactly how their work connects to the community’s long-term goals.

🤝 They meet Moroccan teens

In Marrakech, our travelers sit down with local Moroccan teens and talk about music, school, and daily life. It is usually the moment where they realize that despite the distance and the different language, they have a lot more in common than they expected.

🎙️ “I wholeheartedly recommend this program for anyone who is ready to get outside their comfort zone, make genuine frie...
05/12/2026

🎙️ “I wholeheartedly recommend this program for anyone who is ready to get outside their comfort zone, make genuine friendships, and explore the world!”

We often talk about the grit and the work, but sometimes it is just about having the best two weeks of your life. This alum traveler recently shared her experience from Costa Rica:

“I went to Costa Rica this past summer with the Road Less Traveled, and it truly was an experience of a lifetime. Each day brought a new adventure. Everything about this program is amazing... It was certainly the best two weeks of my life!”

If this sounds like something your teen would love, our Costa Rica roster is almost full. We only have a handful of spots left for this summer. 🌿

Maui Cultural Lands was founded with a massive goal: restoring the Honokowai Valley. Their work is guided by the princip...
05/08/2026

Maui Cultural Lands was founded with a massive goal: restoring the Honokowai Valley. Their work is guided by the principle: He ali’i ka aina, he kaua ke kanaka (The land is chief, we are its servants).

On our Hawaii trip, our teens spend four days working alongside the MCL team. On any given day, our teens might be:
 
🌿 Reforesting the valley by planting native and endemic Hawaiian species.
 
🪓 Removing invasive plants that threaten to choke out the native ecosystem.
 
🧱 Stabilizing archaeological sites to help preserve the ruins and history of the Honokowai Valley.
 
💨 Restoring habitats near local wind turbines to balance modern energy needs with land preservation.

It is physically demanding work, but the team teaches our teens that this is about Kuleana, the responsibility to care for the land so it can sustain future generations.

Check out our Hawaii: Island Exploration trip today ✈️

🎙️ “They had a knack for drawing out the best in every kid on the trip. I could hear this in my son’s voice when we had ...
05/07/2026

🎙️ “They had a knack for drawing out the best in every kid on the trip. I could hear this in my son’s voice when we had our ONE short phone call with him halfway through the trip (in 2 weeks otherwise free of electronic devices - WOO HOO!)”

There is a lot we could say about our Colorado trips, but we’ll let this alum parent tell you instead:

“Our son absolutely loved it, and so did we as parents. He made fast friends, pushed himself physically and enjoyed every moment, especially all of the animal interactions, from chipmunks and emus to wolves and horses. He even overcame a longtime fear of heights and conquered the rock climbing (though I loved there was no undue pressure to do so).

Best of all, our son built on his leadership skills and gained even more confidence to be himself and share his many gifts with others. Meanwhile, as a parent, I was impressed with the level of organization and attention to detail (as well as safety) shown by all of the staff, from before the trip and throughout. All of the counselors were terrific: they did their job, but they also made the trip fun and goofy.”

We keep our trips small by design and Colorado only has a few spots left for this summer. Don’t miss out on your spot 🏔️

Our trips are tech-free. No phones, no scrolling, no social media. 📵It is consistently the thing parents are most excite...
05/06/2026

Our trips are tech-free. No phones, no scrolling, no social media. 📵

It is consistently the thing parents are most excited about and the thing teens are most nervous about. Both reactions make sense.

Here is what we have seen over 34 summers: the first 24 hours are the hardest. After that, most teens realize they do not actually miss it. What they gain instead is harder to put into words. Face to face friendships built without a digital crutch. Full attention on the place they are in. A confidence that comes from navigating something unfamiliar without a safety net in their pocket.

For parents, we know the silence can feel like a lot. We send regular updates, emails, and photo galleries from the road so you can follow along without interrupting their experience.

It is one of the things that makes an RLT trip different. And honestly, it is one of the things our alumni talk about most when they get home.

3 things most families don’t know about our Italy trip 🇮🇹This is one of the most skills-based programs we run. It is des...
05/01/2026

3 things most families don’t know about our Italy trip 🇮🇹

This is one of the most skills-based programs we run. It is designed for teens who want to spend their summer in the water, earning real certifications and working alongside researchers. Here is what that actually looks like.

🤿 Teens earn a PADI certification

The first week is spent on the island of Sardinia working through PADI dive training. Whether starting from scratch or moving into Advanced levels, teens leave with an internationally recognized certification they can use for the rest of their lives.

🌊 They participate in Dive Against Debris research

On Day 9, teens complete a specialized course where they learn to safely remove marine debris from the seafloor and log that data to help scientists track pollution patterns in the Mediterranean. Their new skills put to immediate use.

🐬 They track dolphin behavior with scientists

In Alghero, teens board research vessels and work alongside scientists collecting and recording data on dolphin behavior and local marine ecology. A look at how professional researchers actually monitor species health in one of the most historic maritime regions in the world.

Only a month and a half left until our days start to look like this again 🌎
04/30/2026

Only a month and a half left until our days start to look like this again 🌎

Address

Chicago, IL

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

(773) 342-5200

Website

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