The National Geographic Difference

For more than 133 years, we’ve sent our explorers across continents and into remote cultures, down to the oceans’ depths and up the highest mountains in an effort to better understand the world and our relationship to it. National Geographic Expeditions grew from this legacy as a way to invite others to explore—to encounter the wonders of the world up close and in depth, and to be transformed by the experience.

Through National Geographic Expeditions, you gain access to people and places. You’re enriched by the knowledge of our experts and guides, and by the local experts you meet along the way. And you give back. When you travel with us, you help further the work of our explorers.

That is the National Geographic difference.

| KNOWLEDGE |

EXPLORE WITH OUR EXPERTS

Deepen your understanding of the world when you travel with us. From the scientists, photographers, and explorers who accompany our trips to the local guides and experts we meet in the field, you'll be surrounded by people who are steeped in knowledge and insights about the places we visit.

FABIO AMADOR

Fabio Amador is an archaeologist and host of the National Geographic Mundo television series Mysteries of the Underworld. Originally from El Salvador, Fabio has excavated ancient Maya settlements on the Yucatán Peninsula, and researched Maya art and iconography throughout Central America and the Caribbean. His articles and images have appeared in National Geographic magazine’s Latin American edition.

Explore with Fabio on our Wild Belize Escape: Wildlife, Reefs, and Rivers expedition (see page 99).

SANDESH KADUR

National Geographic Explorer, photographer, and filmmaker Sandesh Kadur creates wildlife documentary films and photography books that expose the need to conserve threatened species and habitats. His films have appeared on National Geographic, the BBC, the Discovery Channel, and elsewhere. Sandesh was a member of the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project team in Botswana to document a 360-degree video series, The Okavango Experience. His many awards include CIWEM Environmental Photographer of the Year and the International Conservation Photographer award.

Travel with Sandesh on our Africa by Private Jet expedition (see page 123).

KOKETSO MOOKODI

Koketso (Koki) Seipleleng Mookodi is a National Geographic Explorer, conservation educator, and community mentor who has drawn on her background in tourism management to establish a successful conservation education program in the Okavango Delta. Born in Botswana’s capital, Gaborone, Koki works to educate and empower local communities, equipping them to protect wildlife and their environment. She has also facilitated a growing women's craft group and serves as Botswana country director for the Wild Bird Trust.

Join Koki on our Southern Africa Safari by Private Air expedition (see page 16).

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER SANDESH KADUR

photographs wildlife in Botswana while surveying for the Okavango Wilderness Project.

Late sun lights up the ruins of Machu Picchu, Peru.

| ACCESS |

CLOSER THAN YOU'VE EVER IMAGINED

We open doors around the globe, so that you can go behind the scenes to get a close-up view of the world's treasures and the work National Geographic is doing to help protect them.

Join renowned archaeologist and National Geographic Explorer Ana Pinto on a visit to the Spanish archaeological site of Atapuerca, where she has been involved in excavations. This important site has yielded some of the earliest known human fossils in Europe, as well as cave art and clues to everyday life in Europe’s first human communities (see page 25).

In Southeast Alaska, meet members of the Alaska Whale Foundation (AWF) to hear about some of their recent findings on humpback whales. With support from National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions, AWF’s scientists conduct wide-ranging research on Alaska’s cetaceans and their marine habitat, from studies on human-whale conflict to the documentation of whale behavior (see page 78).

Meet master Andean weaver Nilda Callañaupa Alvarez, a National Geographic Explorer who has helped revive traditional weaving practices throughout Peru. We’ll also join National Geographic Explorer Peter Frost or one of his colleagues for a talk on his archaeological expeditions in Peru, which have been featured in National Geographic magazine (see page 124).

| GIVE BACK |

EXPLORATION HAPPENS BECAUSE OF YOU

When you travel with us, you help further the work of the National Geographic Society. Every year, we distribute a portion of our proceeds to the Society, a global nonprofit that invests in an international community of changemakers— National Geographic Explorers—who use the power of science, exploration, education, and storytelling to protect and illuminate the wonders of our world. Take a look below at some of the projects we’ve helped support. To learn more, visit natgeo.com/impact.

The National Geographic Pristine Seas program, led by Explorer in Residence Enric Sala, combines exploration, storytelling, scientific research, and economic and policy analysis to protect at least 30% of the ocean by 2030. To date, Pristine Seas has helped create 23 marine reserves covering a total area of more than six million square kilometers.

In the Samburu region of northern Kenya, National Geographic Explorer and conservation biologist Shivani Bhalla works to reduce conflicts between humans and lions through the National Geographic Big Cats Initiative by mobilizing local men to become first responders for conflicts, and by educating Samburu women and children so that they can become conservationists themselves.

The National Geographic Society is funding research on how COVID-19 has affected the world— from the protection of wildlife and cultural heritage to urban flight to the effects of reduced tourism. Through these studies, we hope to better understand how this pandemic—or the threat of another—will shape our world for years to come.

A Pristine Seas diver encounters various species of soft coral in the waters of New Caledonia.