Rustic Pathways

Fantastic experience: Everyone was so sweet and they took really good care of me and others when we got sick. They brought me food and checked on me every couple hours and overall had amazing positive energy. They were really knowledgeable and made me feel like we were one big family. Overall, great experience with them!

Fantastic experience: Guides were so helpful and such nice people. Experiences and food were really good. Amazing time!!

Fantastic experience: Boy oh boy where do I begin. These trip leaders were the apples of my eye, the dreamiest, most charismatic coolest Koreans in the world…I don’t wanna leave :(

Fantastic experience: I love alo and chang

Fantastic experience: chang is so tuff experience was amazing i loved it!!!!

Fantastic experience: Chang and Alo the goats

Fantastic experience: Chang mo, alo and everyone else made the trip incredible

Fantastic experience: As a mother of teens, I was so nervous to send my daughter on her Rustic Pathways trip to Thailand and Italy last summer, but in so happy I did! They take such great care of the kids from the start of their trip meeting at the airport, to the end! The kids are in great hands with intelligent and educated adult leaders that focus on their safety and having fun! I cant wait for many more Rustic adventures for my daughter!

Fantastic experience: I traveled to Peru, Alaska, and South Korea with Rustic Pathways when I was in high school, and I cannot express how thoughtfully these trips are put together. I felt encouraged as a student and absolutely supported by trip leaders. The personal growth on these trips was exponential, and I wish I had known about this company sooner. Rustic truly cares about the well-being of its students and fosters learning, relationships, and adventure. I ended these trips knowing a community of people passionate about travel who have helped shape my identity as a team member and as a leader.

Negative experience: I am long over due in sharing our experience, and I would give zero stars if I could. My daughter was excited to travel to Costa Rica during the summer of 2023. Our experience starting on the day of her departure was horrid. She met a group and chaperones at a major city airport and all seemed good until a series of delays and their flight was finally cancelled after midnight. From there, it became apparent that Rustic Pathways had neither a plan nor enough or chaperones to handle the situation. Around 2am, they took the group to a nearby motel and piled them in a few rooms with 8+ kids to a room. Also, only one of the chaperones was actually focused on the kids, the other went to sleep. The details of the night were unreal and scary. With no hope of the group finding another flight, we were thankfully able to arrange for her and her friend to travel home first thing in the morning. Relieved that our daughter was home safe, we were now thinking about the cost of the trip that never happened. To make a long story short, we received no compensation. We were offered a credit for another trip, but after the experience of that night, we had absolutely no comfort with the idea of sending our child with this group and after the experience she had that night, she would not have gone anyway. We had multiple challenging exchanges over an extended period of time, and it took the intervention of our credit card company to even get the refund from the airline for the cancelled flight. I'm sure some have had better experiences, but go in with your eyes wide open if you decide to work with the company.

Negative experience: I cannot begin to describe how disappointing my experience with Rustic Pathways was. From the moment I arrived, it was clear that this company is more concerned with profit than with providing a meaningful experience for its participants. First off, the accommodations were a joke. We were promised rustic, yet comfortable lodging, but what we got was barely livable. The "campsite" was poorly maintained, dirty, and far from what was advertised. The so-called "adventure activities" were either incredibly boring or downright dangerous due to lack of proper safety measures and supervision. The staff? Let's just say they seemed more interested in having their own fun than in guiding or teaching the participants. They were unprofessional, unorganized, and at times even rude. Communication was a disaster, with very little information given about what we were doing or why. Food was another major letdown. They claimed to offer a taste of local cuisine, but what we got was barely edible. The meals were bland, repetitive, and lacked any variety. It's hard to enjoy your time when you're hungry and disappointed at every meal. As for the supposed cultural immersion, it felt superficial at best. We were rushed through activities with little context or explanation, making it impossible to truly connect with the local culture. It felt more like a tourist trap than an enriching experience. In short, Rustic Pathways failed in every possible way to deliver what they promised. It was a complete waste of time and money. I would not recommend this camp to anyone looking for a meaningful, enriching, or even remotely enjoyable

Positive experience: expensive but met good people

Fantastic experience: I had an incredible week with Rustic Pathways in Costa Rica!! The entire experience was amazing—from ziplining through the rainforest to the rewarding feeling of helping the local community. Meeting new people and forming connections made the trip even more special. Every moment was filled with adventure and purpose and I definitely recommend!

Fantastic experience: I had a great trip the people and experiences were so perfect, and it was definitely a worthwhile trip!

Fantastic experience: chaperones were super nice and understanding the activities we did was super fun and the work was hard but fun

Fantastic experience: Goated

Positive experience: Amazing but some of the people were crazy

Fantastic experience: This trip was my first time out of the US and it was really fun. I had a great time meeting new people, exploring costa rica, and learning all about the culture and what pura vida means

Fantastic experience: So much fun. had a great tune and also had a great hime base

Fantastic experience: Had the most fun! Best leaders, best activities, and best experience. Would recommend to anyone!!

Fantastic experience:

Fantastic experience: So fun, really enjoyed having an amazing time, staying at an amazing place and being with amazing people!

Fantastic experience: muy limpio, bien mantenido, buena ubicación con una piscina muy bonita 10/10 el personal fue atento y muy amable.

Fantastic experience: Pura Vida service trip was amazing! I had a lot of fun helping at the school, national park, and planting a garden with trees and plants. We also went zip lining and white water rafting which was super cool. The counselors were super funny and nice and genuinely all really great people!!! Pura vida

Fantastic experience: Incredible experience, recommend to anyone. Such great memories, and amazing location.

Fantastic experience: Everything was very organized and counselors were very understating and kind. My favorite part was meeting so many new people and leaving with friends for a lofe time. It was my forst time in Costa Rica and i’m glad i did it with Rustic Pathways

Fantastic experience: I did the greece program and it was amazing. The adults with us were Aaron, Sara, Mario, and Emma. They all made the experience so much better.

Fantastic experience: I went on a Rustic Pathways trip to Guatemala and had an absolute blast!! I was able to engage in many different hands-on activities such as tree planting and coffee grinding. I was also able to hear from many different individuals such as a local coffee farmer named Alberto and the CEO of a water filtration company, Philip Wilson. All in all, the trip was fantastic. Not only was it a very educational experience but it was also extremely fun, making the entire experience massively rewarding.

Fantastic experience:

Fantastic experience: love love loved every second of my trip. the PLs and extra team members were all amazing and i made so many friends! i learned so many things and really enjoyed visiting one of my top bucket list countries with Rustic.

Fantastic experience: My experience was great! It was fun and welcoming! Cool beans

Fantastic experience: I did the surf and service trip and it was the most amazing thing I’ve ever done!

Fantastic experience: Best trip ever! My leaders were the best!

Fantastic experience: So much fun!! I love my leaders Kimmy and Zoe

Fantastic experience: The CLF summit was an amazing opportunity for any teenagers interested in climate change and its impact on the environment and communities from a global perspective.

Fantastic experience: This was my first ever trip out of America and first ever trip by myself and never once did I question if I was unsafe. The food was amazing, and the whole experience was so amazing! They genuinely care for you and all ways ask how you are feeling, and will go out of they're way to help you! Absolutely amazing! I will be recommended this to my friends, and will be joining another experience for rustic pathways soon!

Fantastic experience: I loved getting to learn about Costa Rican culture while having fun and doing service!!

Fantastic experience: Really fun and a great way to meet new people

Fantastic experience: Great bonding experience and opportunity to connect with the local community!

Fantastic experience: This program was super fun and had a great balance between community service hours and fun activities.

Fantastic experience: My counselors were zoey, ocher, and kimmy and these were the nicest most welcoming people I have ever meet. They really made this trip special for me. I will forever remember them and cherish this trip in my heart. So sad to leave.

Fantastic experience: LOVE !! :))) miss you guys !!! you guys were amaze

Fantastic experience: great chaperones and activities!!!

Fantastic experience: 10/10 i loved my counselors sooooo much

Fantastic experience: Pura Vida service was amazing!!

Fantastic experience: Great educational experience!

Fantastic experience: Pura Vida

Fantastic experience: I made so many friends and memories.

Fantastic experience: I had a lot of fun on this trip! Highly recommend

Fantastic experience: It was one of the best experiences of my life. The stuff did a very good job at accommodating us and making friends with us. And the elephant company was very nice and fun. Overall the experience was very good.

Fantastic experience: Traveling with a Rustic Pathways program allows you to experience a country in ways you wouldn’t get to otherwise. I just finished the Peru trip and we did so many amazing different activities and learned about the culture while seeing both the mountains and the jungle. When I went to Thailand last year I had the time of my life! Both times met so many new friends and I still talk to my friends from Thailand trip

Fantastic experience: I’ve never seen or done anything like this. I got to see and do so much with really awesome leaders and students.

Fantastic experience: I had such an incredible time!! I loved all the places we visited, and honestly one of the highlights were the games and forced fun! Also, we actually had the bestest leaders!!

Positive experience: Loved it! The leaders were so funny and fun to bond with

Fantastic experience: cool beans

Fantastic experience: Rustic pathways let’s teens make great friends and experience great cultures

Fantastic experience: Very very fun, I met a bunch of amazing people on my trip to Japan and the group genuinely felt like a family. All the days were well spaced, the food was great, and everyone was super sweet!

Fantastic experience: It was so fun the leaders are so awesome and I loved everything we did in Japan!

Fantastic experience: This was so amazing! The leaders were awesome and so we're the other students! At no point did I feel unsafe. It was a fantastic way to experience the Japanese culture! It was so much fun!

Fantastic experience: I love how every leader is loving and caring for all of the students.

Fantastic experience: I’ve never had so much fun in my life. Thank you so much Rustic Pathways for this amending experience. I can’t wait for more adventures across the world thanks to you.

Fantastic experience: LOVEE IT HAD HAD THE BEST TIME OF MY LIFE 100% WOULD RECOMMEND!!

Fantastic experience: Rustic pathways program provides a safe, organized way to explore new cultures, meet people, and create lasting memories without the stress of planning. I had lots of fun and truly had a great experience.

Fantastic experience: Loved the whole experience and everybody involved

Positive experience: It was ok

Positive experience: i really loved this experience because it taught me many things about the world and the underwater life, i loved meeting new people and the culture. i loved every experience and, even though it was really hot and humid the walks were cool and i felt really helpful while picking up trash and with the kids. the accommodations were really comfortable and i’m thankful for the friends i made.

Positive experience: Lo que llevo de esta experiencia me está gustando mucho, he aprendido mucho sobre la vida marina y lo que está sufriendo. Me ha hecho darme cuenta que tenemos que ayudar al planeta. También hacemos actividades muy divertidas, me a encantado poder ver el océano y los corales, peces etc. Me llevo muchas cosas positivas de esta experiencia y sobretodo me a hecho reflexionar en que tenemos que ayudar al planeta.

Fantastic experience: I had a great week in Costa Rica and would highly recommend this trip to anyone. I met a lot of new people and tried many things. I would definitely come back and do it all again.

Fantastic experience: such a fun an engaging program! Lots of memories and learning experiences to bring home :)

Fantastic experience: I loved this trip and all the fun activities that we did! I wish we had a little more variation of activities during a few of the days but it was still amazing

Fantastic experience: I really like what we did and what we talked about. The people were nice and caring. Some people were a clicky towards each other but other then that it was really fun.

Fantastic experience: Persone molto precise e leali con una bravura nel suo dovere che arreso il mio lavoro ancora più emozionante e rilassante grazie ancora Nick.

Fantastic experience: Everyone was very welcoming and the staff always made sure to involve everyone and make sure we were more than well fed and taken care of. Italy is a must do experience!!

Fantastic experience: so so so much fun. Great leaders and great friendships made. I will do Rustic trips for as long as I can!

Fantastic experience: good

Fantastic experience: Very lovely guides and people on the trip

Fantastic experience: Very very cool helping out people.

Fantastic experience: It was fun and loved everyone

Fantastic experience: This was so much fun! Met so many kind people and discovered gorgeous new places

Fantastic experience: it was very fun to meet new people and help out the community

Fantastic experience: It was a amazing experience

Fantastic experience: Had a great time, staff was very helpful. Their knowledge of the locale was both interesting and helpful

Fantastic experience: I have had one of the best trips of my life. Our days have been filled with fun and amazing activities. Zoe, Teh, and Khimmy have been amazing trip leaders. They are all so kind and fun. I recommend doing this trip, it is a once in a lifetime experience I would never want to miss out on!❤️

Fantastic experience: Amazing people and such a great experience! I loved meeting all the different people and being with the program leaders who were so funny, inviting, and helpful. I got to know more about the language of the country I was in and was fully immersed in it! Much thanks to program leaders: Zoe, P Teh, and P Kimmie from Sadie!

Fantastic experience: Absolutely fantastic and life-changing experience. The program leaders each brought fantastic aspects to the trip, serving as tour guides, friends, supporters, and organizers. After the trip, I walked away feeling as if had gotten the absolute best of Japan. The program has also heightened my interest in returning to the country as well as exploring others. Absolutely would recommend to anyone looking for a fun and rich cultural experience.

Fantastic experience: This was an excellent experience. Do it! NOW

Fantastic experience: I had so much fun meeting new people and with all the community service and activities! The program leaders were great because they were always enthusiastic and helpful! The accommodations were very nice, our rooms were comfortable and I enjoyed the pool! I wish we did more community service, and interacted more with the kids because that was my favorite part, but overall I loved this experience!

Fantastic experience: The program is a lot of fun. As a city girl, it was outside of my comfort zone but it was still an enjoyable experience. Packing was a little complicated but the general rule is that during community hours, your shorts must be longer than your fingertips when your arm is hanging down and no tank tops. During free time, you can wear whatever you want.

Fantastic experience: I had a great time and met a lot of great people as well as experiencing Costa Rica in its entirety

Positive experience: Food was alright, I’d like there to be more engaging community service.

Fantastic experience: Absolutely one of the greatest experiences I've ever had masterfully planned. But I would like to have gone to Mount Fuji and longer sparring in kendo (japanese sword fighting).

Fantastic experience: This was the best trip I have ever gone on and my mom is a travel blogger so you already know I’ve been on some good trips. But this trip has given me a new perspective on the world and has changed me for the better. I learned about the Japanese culture which has really benefited me and other. Rustic pathways is great.

Fantastic experience: Really fun trip. Lots of hard work but lots of fun. Nacho and Holly made the trip really great. Could not have asked for a better time.

Fantastic experience: Thank you, Kristi and Patrick, for helping with Ava’s connecting flight home when the JetBlue flight from Costa Rica was delayed and then eventually canceled. Communication was great and we appreciate you going the extra mile with Ava’s journey back home. Thank you!

Fantastic experience: so much fun!!!! i loved my trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina and our tour guides!!! absolutely a once in lifetime experience and they made the most out of it and took us to the best spots!!

Fantastic experience: our daughter returned with stories galore about all the wonderful moments in Costa Rica! Thank you very much to the two Rustic pathway counselors(deidre and ema i think?) who made sure all the details were in place for each endeavor. Mostly, how gracious and kind they were to the group. They were not only helpful but were intimately involved sharing stories and meals together with the group. Same with johnny the bus driver and the 3 local women in charge of prepping delicious meals...they all were the highlights of the trip! Alyssa's "best trip ever!" really nice work from the heart! mahalo, mike lyons

Fantastic experience: Rustic Pathways gives students and chaperones a foundation to build a life of service. The experiences were valuable and educational, full of meaning and purpose. It was an experience of a lifetime!

Fantastic experience: Our son participated in the Stanford x Rustic Climate Leaders Fellowship program this past fall semester. We both found it to be a very valuable learning experience for him and definitely worth the time commitment. He is looking forward to hopefully returning next fall as a student facilitator and fellow. And a special thanks to John Hsu, the climate fellowship director, for his time organizing and leading such a great program!

Fantastic experience: The 2022 Climate Leader Fellowship from Rustic Pathways was a novel, and amazing experience for me. It connected me with new people, empowered me to make a difference on communities, and raised my confidence as a person. In addition, the Fellowship was well organized with mentors assisting you at any given moment. Overall, I really enjoyed the Climate Leader Fellowship. Thank you so much Rustic Pathways!

Fantastic experience: I can not say enough positive things about my daughters experience last summer in Fiji with Rustic Pathways. What she got out of the trip was priceless. The leaders were amazing and so knowledgeble. They really made the students feel welcome and comfortable. The friendships she made I know will be life long. She has seen several of her friends from the trip since it has ended. Most importantly the experience of service within Fiji and interaction with the locals in was such a highlight for her. It was an amazing time to unplug and really immerse into another culture that she absolutely fell in love with!