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Part of the Royal Geographical Society collection, travel from top to toe and explore Italy’s famous landmarks. Visit iconic cities Venice, Florence and Rome and discover the hidden gems of Pompeii, Sicily and more.
Explore the awe-inspiring Rocky Mountains and the vibrant cities of Victoria and Vancouver on a holiday that’s packed full of magnificent sights and scenery.
From Tokyo to Kyoto, Osaka and beyond, discover the unforgettable highlights of Japan including an incredible high-speed ride on the Bullet Train.
For 200 years, the Royal Geographical Society has sought to document our world, its environments, landscapes and peoples, through the exploration and research of its resourceful and knowledgeable Fellows and members.
The Society’s membership has been a roll call of some of the most distinguished explorers, scientists, travellers, geographers and photographers – all who have played a unique role in advancing our understanding of the world in which we live.
Through this great scientific endeavour, the Society has curated a collection of over two million items, including manuscript material, mapping, scientific data and photography. This includes the largest private map collection in the world and nearly a million pieces of original photography dating from the inception of the photographic medium.
Through their partnership with Travelsphere, the Royal Geographical Society has opened up this unique and unrivalled repository to illustrate, provide context and offer wider engagement opportunities to specially selected Travelsphere tours.
These new tours allow you to journey to Japan, Italy, India, Canada, the Five ’Stans and Latin America in the company of some of the most important figures of exploration and science.
You can now follow in their footsteps on comfortable, well-planned escorted tours. Here are a few explorers, writers and photographers who changed how we see the world – and how you can explore their routes with Travelsphere.
A pioneering chemist and mountaineer, J. Norman Collie explored the Canadian Rocky Mountains in the 1890s and early 1900s. He made over 20 pioneering ascents, including Mount Athabasca and Mount Victoria, which he named after Britain’s reigning monarch.
Collie documented the beautiful scenery of the Canadian Rockies in vivid prose, describing the ‘rushing rivers’, ‘silent forests’ and ‘lakes of turquoise’, and ‘peak after peak, snow-clad and glacier-crowned’.
The Canadian Rockies can be explored these days on the Rocky Mountaineer train, with its modern comforts and glass-domed carriages ideal for taking in the wildlife and waterfalls.
Learn more about the RGS perspective on Canada and explore our Grand tour of Canada & the Rocky Mountaineer.
Early practitioners in photography relied on heavy cameras, glass plates and flash powder to capture the mountain views of the American West.
William Henry Jackson, an American explorer and photographer, joined Ferdinand Hayden’s 1871 geological survey, photographing some of the West’s most iconic sights, including Yellowstone geysers and the Rocky Mountain canyons. Another photographer, Carleton Watkins, worked in a similar spirit further west. His mammoth-plate views of Yosemite, made from glass plates measuring 18 x 22 inches (46 x 56cm) and weighing 4lbs (1.8kg) each, were breathtaking. The iconic landscape photography of both men helped shape public opinion on nature preservation and played a crucial role in establishing national parks in the United States.
You can walk into those vistas today. Travelsphere’s Epic Wonders of the National Parks is a natural fit for anyone inspired by these explorations. With expert guides, you’ll travel in comfort through Yellowstone’s geyser country, peer into the depths of the Grand Canyon, and stand before Yosemite’s Bridalveil Fall.
Isabella Bird is one of the 19th century’s most remarkable travel writers and explorers. Her global travels and acclaimed books led her to be one of the first women elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
Isabella Bird thrived in the great outdoors, away from the constraints of Victorian society. In 1878, she embarked on a journey to Japan, where she travelled long distances, often on horseback, exploring the country. She ventured north towards Hokkaido, living amongst the indigenous Ainu people and learning about their culture and beliefs.
In her book Unbeaten Tracks in Japan, Bird describes her impressions of Japanese society and culture, transport methods and landscape, including her first sighting of the iconic Mount Fuji.
Immerse yourself in Japanese culture like Isabella Bird on our Japan – Land of the Rising Sun guided tour.
A mountaineer and explorer, Willi Rickmer Rickmers led and organised expeditions across Central Asia in the early 20th century. He was also a pioneering skier and contributed to the development of winter sports in Austria.
In 1897, he married C. Mabel Duff Rickmers, a mountaineer and trained Orientalist, who would accompany him on his expeditions. He made many expeditions to Central Asia and contributed significant research to the glaciology of the region. In 1913 and 1928, he led the Alai-Pamir (C. Asia) Russo-German expeditions, successfully carrying out the first precise surveys of part of the NW Pamirs and determining the length of the Fedchenko glacier, Tajikistan – the largest glacier outside of the polar regions.
On Travelsphere’s Silk Road Adventure: The Five ‘Stans’, you’ll visit desert forts, blue-tiled madrasas and broad mountain valleys. See Registan’s shining mosaics, Bukhara’s domes and horses grazing in Kyrgyz alpine meadows. It’s a journey Rickmers would recognise – now with modern comfort.
Sir Clements Markham was a geographer, explorer and President of the Royal Geographical Society from 1893 to 1905.
After serving in the Navy, Markham travelled to Peru with £500 his father had given him and spent time researching Inca history and describing the architecture and ruins in the vicinity. He was also introduced to the cinchona plant, its cultivation and its use as a source of quinine as a treatment for malaria, and in 1860, he successfully led the ‘Chinchona Mission’ to collect and transplant chinchona plants to selected sites in India for quinine production. His influence helped shape later expeditions, including in the Polar regions, but it was Peru that left the deepest imprint on him.
Follow in Markham’s footsteps in South America with Travelsphere’s Latin Wonders of the World. From Inca heartlands to the roar of Iguazú, this journey blends big sights with rich stories. Expect fresh ceviche, scenic train rides through river gorges and hidden citadels revealed.
One of the most famous female explorers of her age, Fanny Bullock Workman, defied Victorian gender constraints. She was a pioneering mountaineer and led multiple expeditions with her husband, William Hunter Workman. They embarked on extensive cycling tours of Europe and India and led numerous expeditions into the Himalayas. She set several women’s altitude records, wrote books and produced meticulous maps and photographs of their findings. She was also a fierce advocate for women’s rights and was famously photographed holding a “Votes for Women” newspaper on the Siachen Glacier in the Karakoram in 1912.
The mountains she explored still attract today’s adventurers. Travelsphere’s Incredible India & Nepal: Culture, Wildlife & Ancient Wonders showcases the subcontinent’s highlights – from Agra’s majestic Taj Mahal and Delhi’s lively streets to Kathmandu’s prayer-flagged squares.
Founded in 1830, the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) is the UK’s professional body for geography and exploration. Its purpose is to advance geographical science. This is achieved through supporting geographical research, education, fieldwork and expeditions.
Travelsphere’s partnership with the Royal Geographical Society is grounded in a shared commitment to purposeful travel – journeys that illuminate, respect and support the communities and environments visited.
Our RGS Collection features curated itineraries to Japan, Italy, India, Canada, the Five ’Stans and Latin America, enriched with exclusive Society content and a keepsake tour booklet. A contribution from every booking supports RGS research and fieldwork – so your holiday helps fund new knowledge and responsible travel.
This 18-day journey weaves through India and Nepal's most significant landscapes and cultural treasures.
Embark on an unforgettable adventure across the legendary Five Stans of Central Asia on a journey weaves its way through ancient Silk Road cities, breath-taking mountain landscapes, and remote desert wonders.
Part of the Royal Geographical Society collection, travel from top to toe and explore Italy’s famous landmarks. Visit iconic cities Venice, Florence and Rome and discover the hidden gems of Pompeii, Sicily and more.
From Tokyo to Kyoto, Osaka and beyond, discover the unforgettable highlights of Japan including an incredible high-speed ride on the Bullet Train.
From east to west, this ultimate trip across Canada takes in all the must-see highlights and includes a breathtaking journey on the Rocky Mountaineer train.
Venture through seven states and be mesmerised by the breath-taking and diverse scenery on this Royal Geographical Society tour to Americas National Parks.
Soak up the spectacular sights and sounds of four Latin American countries - Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Brazil - on a tour that's strictly for the adventurous.
Discover India's diverse landscapes, from historic temples built by ancient dynasties to the forests where Bengal tigers roam freely.
Discover the incredible diversity of Indonesia as you journey through Java and Komodo before unwinding in beautiful Bali
