BC Beyond Educational Travel is pleased to facilitate lifelong learning opportunities through travel. We work with tour operators who expedite the travel arrangements and make available educational tours across the U.S. and around the world to Boston College alumni, parents, and friends. The program aims to connect alumni with Boston College, to showcase its faculty, and to embrace and expand the global reach of Boston College, in alignment with its Jesuit mission to learn continuously and to serve others.
Details of our upcoming 2026 and 2027 tours are below. Please join us, and experience the world through BC!
Inquire: 2026 Tours
For more information and to register, please call the National World War II Museum Travel toll-free at
877-813-3329, x257.
For more information and to register, please call Thalassa Journeys toll-free at 866-633-3611.
For more information and to register, please call Odysseys Unlimited toll-free at 888-370-6765.
For more information and to register, please call Odysseys Unlimited toll-free at 888-370-6765.
To receive a mailed, printed brochure for any tour(s), contact continuinged@bc.edu.
2027 Tours
SAVE THE DATES!
Southwest National Parks, May 5-13, 2027
Norway’s Majestic Coastline & Fjords: A Voyage from Amsterdam to the Arctic, June 6-17, 2027
Journey through Britain, August 28 - September 10, 2027
Exploring Australia & New Zealand, September 15 - October 6, 2027
Brochures including Faculty Hosts, as well as full tour and registration details, will be available soon. Please check back often!
Egypt & the Eternal Nile
March 22 - April 5, 2027
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15 days from $6,797
Join fellow BC alumni and friends on an exclusive journey to experience the ancient wonders of Egypt. Begin in vibrant Cairo, with visits to the new Grand Egyptian Museum, the Sphinx and the Great Pyramids, as well as Old Cairo. A relaxing cruise on Lake Nasser will include tours of the magnificent temples at Abu Simbel.
A classic voyage along the Lower Nile follows, with visits to Kom Ombo, Egypt’s best-preserved Temple of Horus, and the vast temple complexes at Luxor - Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, Karnak, and Luxor Temple - before returning to Cairo to discover more of its charms.
A special opportunity to discover the treasures of Jordan is available with an optional 4-day post-tour extension. Tour group size is limited to 24 alumni and friends of Boston College.
Cairo · Grand Egyptian Museum · Pyramids of Giza · flight to Aswan · embark Lake Nasser ship, M/S Prince Abbas · Abu Simbel · Wadi el-Seboua · Aswan High Dam · Nile sailing on feluccas · embark Nile cruise ship, M/S Sunray · Kom Ombo · Edfu’s Temple of Horus · Luxor · Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens · Karnak · flight to Cairo ·
| Day | Itinerary | Hotel |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Depart U.S. for Cairo | |
| 2-4 | Cairo | Sheraton Cairo Hotel & Casino |
| 5-7 | Abu Simbel / Lake Nasser cruise | M/S Prince Abbas |
| 8-11 | Nile cruise | M/S Sunray |
| 12 | Luxor | Steigenberger Nile Palace |
| 13-14 | Cairo | Sheraton Cairo Hotel & Casino |
| 15 | Depart Cairo for U.S. |
Your BC Faculty Host
Elizabeth H. Shlala
Elizabeth H. Shlala is a historian of the Middle East and North Africa. She is the Associate Dean and Professor of the Practice in the University Core Curriculum at Boston College. She has appointments with the History Department, International Studies, and Islamic Civilization and Societies Programs. Dean Shlala is the founding director of the Core’s Justice and the Common Good Living and Learning Community. She teaches the Enduring Question course, Geographies of Imperialism: History of Colonization. Her most recent book is entitled, The Late Ottoman Empire and Egypt: Hybridity, Law and Gender. She sits on the editorial boards of the Contemporary Levant Journal and HAWWA: Journal of Women of the Middle East and the Islamic World. She has extensive research experience in Egypt, Italy, Sri Lanka, and Turkey.
2026 Tours
Canadian Rockies Explorer, with Glacier National Park
August 12-22, 2026
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11 Days from $8,291 from Boston
Join fellow BC travelers on a tour through the Canadian Rockies, one of North America’s great unspoiled wildernesses, with bountiful rewards for outdoor enthusiasts. Stay in unique mountain lodges amid stunning alpine scenery, while visiting four national parks in Canada and the U.S. It’s a feast for the eyes and the spirit!
Beginning in Calgary, Alberta, travel south to Waterton Lakes National Park, then cross into Montana to majestic Glacier National Park. Cross the Continental Divide to explore Whitefish and Kalispell, Montana, then travel north back into Canada to Banff National Park and emerald Louise Lake. Take an all-terrain vehicle onto Athabasca Glacier, then head further north to Jasper National Park, where the scenery is truly breathtaking. View Maligne Canyon, cruise on Maligne Lake, tiptoe across the cliff-edge Glacier Skywalk, and ascend on a gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain. Tour group size is limited to 24 alumni and friends of Boston College.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada • Waterton Lakes National Park • Glacier National Park, MT, U.S. • St. Mary Lake • cross the Continental Divide • Whitefish • Kalispell • Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada • Lake Louise • Columbia Icefields • Athabasca Glacier • Jasper National Park • Maligne Canyon and Lake • Glacier Skywalk • Sulphur Mountain • Banff
| Day | Itinerary | Hotel |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Depart U.S. for Calgary, Alberta, Canada | Hyatt Regency Calgary |
| 2-3 | Glacier National Park (St. Mary, Montana, U.S.) | St. Mary Village |
| 4-5 | Whitefish, Montana | Grouse Mountain Lodge |
| 6 | Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada | Lake Louise Inn |
| 7-8 | Jasper, Alberta | Whistler’s Inn |
| 9-10 | Banff, Alberta | Rimrock Resort |
| 11 | Depart for U.S. |
Your BC Faculty Host
Noah Snyder
Noah Snyder is a geomorphologist who studies the response of rivers to changes in land-use, climate, and tectonics. He is Professor and Chair of the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department at Boston College. He studied geology at Bates College, finishing in 1993. He received his PhD from MIT in 2001, and conducted postdoctoral research for the US Geological Survey in northern California. Since arriving at Boston College in 2004, his research has focused on rivers and associated land-management issues in the eastern United States, such as dam construction and removal, reservoir sedimentation, and changing flood risk.
Paradores & Pousadas: Historic Lodgings of Spain & Portugal
October 17-31, 2026
WAITLIST ONLY
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15 Days from $6,174
Tour the Iberian Peninsula with fellow BC travelers while staying in unique, intimate lodgings of Spain’s paradores and Portugal’s pousadas - medieval monasteries, historic fortresses, and stately palaces, each reflecting the spirit of its region. Feel the spell of Iberia’s rich Roman and Moorish past, and the pull of its vibrant contemporary life.
In Portugal, following a tour of the capital of Lisbon, travel through the Alentejo district’s rolling hills, sample wines at a local winery, and discover the charms of the university town of Evora. In Spain, visit the Roman ruins of Merida; the Moorish capital of the Andalusia region, Seville; Cordoba’s UNESCO sites; and the cliff-clinging town of Ronda. The highlight of Granada is the extraordinary Alhambra palace and its Generalife gardens. Round out the tour with visits to Toledo, with its incomparable hilltop setting, and the monumental capital city of Madrid.
Tour group size is limited to 24 alumni and friends of Boston College.
Lisbon, Portugal • Alentejo district • Evora • Merida, Spain • Carmona • Seville • Cordoba • Ronda • Granada • The Alhambra • Ubeda • Toledo • Madrid
| Day | Itinerary | Hotel |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Depart U.S. for Lisbon, Portugal | |
| 2-3 | Lisbon | Corinthia Lisbon |
| 4-5 | Evora | Pousada dos Loios |
| 6-8 | Carmona, Spain | Parador de Carmona |
| 9-10 | Ronda | Parador de Ronda |
| 11 | Ubeda | Parador de Ubeda |
| 12-14 | Madrid | Wellington Hotel |
| 15 | Depart Madrid for U.S. |
Your BC Faculty Host
Michael Noone
Music historian Professor Michael Noone has Spain on the brain. With an inextinguishable passion for connecting the sounds, images, and gestures of the past to vibrant living cultures, Michael uses his knowledge of Iberian music as a key to unlock the secrets of Spain and Portugal. In 2006, he was recognized by King Juan Carlos I for his contribution to Spanish cultural life. As a fluent Spanish speaker, a frequent visitor to the Iberian peninsula, and a scholar of the Age of Discovery, Michael brings an easy familiarity to the inexhaustible diversity of Spain and Portugal. Having taught in five countries on four continents, Professor Noone invites you to share his warmly cosmopolitan approach founded on rigorous scholarship and a determination to enjoy Iberia to the full.
A Voyage from Venice to Athens
June 5-15: A cruise of the Adriatic with fellow BC Beyond travelers on a voyage from Venice to Athens aboard the luxurious cruise ship Explora II.
Insiders' Japan
October 16-18, 2025: Japan is a land of many wonders - with remarkable history, exquisite cuisine, and stunning landscapes. This tour highlights Tokyo and Kyoto.
Provincial French Countryside
August 26-September 9, 2024: Traverse the country from south to north, taking in breathtaking scenery and visiting unspoiled villages. The 14-day tour began in Toulouse and ended in Paris.
Enchanting Ireland: A Tour of the Emerald Isle
September 29–October 11, 2019: It’s a beautiful, magical land, where the gentle green landscape dazzles and the people delight; where warmth and hospitality are national traits and poets are national heroes.
Easy Company: England to the Eagle's Nest
May 24 - June 6: A journey to visit major European sites of World War II, as experienced by Easy Company. The best-selling book, Band of Brothers, was adapted into the HBO miniseries that brought the story of Easy Company to millions of viewers worldwide.
Passage from Ireland to Iceland
May 30 - June 13, 2025: Join fellow travelers on this ocean voyage from Dublin to Reykjavik as we explore Europe’s northernmost islands aboard the new, state-of-the-art, expedition cruise ship, Diana.
Discover Southeast Alaska
August 2-9, 2024: Explore some of nature’s more secluded landscapes as we discover the remote inner reaches of Alaska’s Inside Passage.
Northern Italy: From the Alps to the Adriatic
September 30–October 14, 2023: Experience the romantic Lake District, spending three nights on Lake Maggiore and cruising to beautiful Isola Bella.
Journey to Southern Africa
March 3-18, 2026:Join fellow travelers on an exciting tour through Southern Africa! Encounter incredible landscapes and untouched natural wonders on this awe-inspiring journey through three countries - South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana.
Machu Picchu to the Galapagos
January 7-22, 2025: Explore two of South America’s treasures: the enigmatic ruins at Machu Picchu and the fascinating Galapagos Islands.
Greece Through the Ages
May 18-30, 2024: Join us for a journey that will explore the long legacy of Greece during the springtime with stops in Athens and Santorini.
Oberammergau Passion Play & Cruising the Danube River
June 5-15, 2022: Nestled in the storybook landscapes of the Bavarian Alps, more than 2000 residents of the quaint hamlet of Oberammergau stage one of the world’s greatest dramatic performances, the extraordinary Passion Play.
Disclaimer: Boston College is pleased to facilitate educational travel opportunities for its alumni and friends, and works with tour operators to make available interesting and enriching travel opportunities for Boston College travelers. Please note that Boston College does not conduct the tours, make travel arrangements, or act as an agent for guests interested in tours. The Tour Operators are responsible for all travel arrangements, payments, and bookings. Boston College is pleased to act as a liaison with tour operators should you have any questions or concerns that may arise before, during, or after your tour. Boston College encourages you to familiarize yourself thoroughly with the tour operator’s cancellation and refund policies, and also to investigate available services such as trip cancellation insurance. Boston College is not responsible for changes to trips or travel arrangements or for losses or expenses resulting from travel.