International Mystery Tour

You’ll have no idea where you’re going, only that you’ve never been there in the past.

Dear Traveler,

Some people spend a lifetime trying to figure out what they really want out of life.  But the most invigorating answer is always adventure

So while the rest of the world is trying to "find themselves" this next year, you'll embark on the ultimate escape…

6-12 days in one of the most photogenic and amazing places on the planet.  Only, you’ll have no idea where you’re going until the day before you get there.

Bhutan, Beijing, Ecuador, Bali, Thailand, Abu Dhabi, Jordan, Peru…

It’s natural to feel the most comfortable when things are certain, but research shows you feel the most alive when they’re not.

Join us on a Mystery Tour and get an insane rush of dopamine, improve your creativity, reinvigorate your life’s purpose and enjoy the profoundly positive effect the element of surprise has on your wellbeing.

Here’s what you need to know…

As the saying goes, "life begins at the end of your comfort zone."

A Mystery Tour is your chance to step outside your comfort zone while still in the relative safety of a group.

Our small groups of 6-12 people ensure a more intimate and personalized experience that allows us to be flexible and avoid crowded tourist areas.

We use local artists, food bloggers, and photographers to create unique and unforgettable itineraries that cater to your interests and passions.

You’ll answer a long survey about your preferences and travel history, then we find the perfect destination for you in the months you’re available for travel.

We look through our other respondents’ answers, and find those with shared interests to make a group. We then use that group to negotiate for discounts and schedule things you can’t otherwise do on your own (like private photo shoots, store openings and backstage passes).

The accommodations we choose are part of the adventure. We can’t always stay in luxury properties but sometimes we can negotiate luxury properties down to mid-range prices with the power of a group.

In the past, accommodations have included everything from bubble hotels in Jordan to high-end luxury glamping tents in Tanzania and chateaux in France. Just know that every destination is different. More remote locations have more bare-bones accommodations. You’ll be ased about your comfort level with this on your survey.

Once assigned on a Mystery Tour, you’ll have 7 days to accept the dates and confirm your seat with a deposit and an interview to be sure you’re a good fit.

Once fully confirmed on the tour, you’ll get a group leader, a packing list and a hint about the location. You’re free to guess where you’re headed, but we won’t reveal the truth until the day before your trip when we meet online for a grand reveal.

If your flight(s) are longer than 5 hours, you'll have the option to upgrade to business class for an extra cost.

Registration for our next Mystery Tours is open. The price is $7,500 and includes almost everything from your hotels to your flights.

Outside of your $7,500 fee and the cost of your travel insurance, you should allow up to $30/day for alcohol, laundry, small gratuities for porters and other things you buy. You may also need to cover pre-trip vaccinations that may be required or recommended by your destination.

Should you prefer not to get vaccinations, you can let us know in your pre-trip survey and we’ll be sure you’re not sent to a country that requires them.  See below in the FAQ for more details.

All Focused Escapes focus on photogenic locations and a break-away from the traditional tourist path.

All gratuities (except for porters who carry your bags) are included.

If you’re up for the ultimate adventure, this is the most intriguing kind of tour.

You’ll gain spontaneous experiences, unforgettable memories and bragging rights for years to come.

When you have the ability to handle uncertainty, you become a real explorer.

Our team has been leading and crafting tours for more than 20 years with an entire network of travel writers, bloggers and photographers around the world!

This is truly a unique way to travel.

 FAQs

  • No. $7,500 will cover all single supplements with plenty of space to relax and unwind in your own private room. No extra charge.

  • Yes! Just let us know and we’ll let you know of the discount amount for sharing a room when we confirm your final booking. The price for the second person is typically $400 - $1,200 cheaper when you share a room.

  • You can still apply and tell us your availability on the application. You probably won’t be the only one to need something in the spring, summer and fall of 2025 and 2026.

  • No. Our Mystery Trips are picked to be spontaneous, exotic, off the beaten tourist path and extraordinary. If you want to go somewhere specific, you should do that. That’s not what this is.

    Mystery Tours are for the kind of traveler who realizes they only live once. They’re for the traveler who values experiences AND destinations. Not just the destination itself.

    We encourage you to keep an open mind and know that this world is incredibly beautiful and we have bloggers and photographers all over it who capture the most unusual things.

    These trips include all their favorite experiences.

  • If you decide to apply for a Mystery Tour, you'll first fill out our survey. It’s here where you'll list everywhere you've been, any mobility issues you have, and what dates you have available. You’ll also be asked if you ski, scuba, or horseback ride along with a myriad of other fun things we may incorporate into the tour.

    Once we have enough applications, we’ll work on pairing people into groups/creating tours that fit the group.

    Once paired with a group, you’ll get an email with trip dates and you’ll have 7 days to respond and pay the trip deposit.

    The balance of your fee can be split into payments or paid all at once at your request. Everything must be paid in full 60 days before your trip. Trips may be 3 months to a year (or more) in advance.

  • If you respond yes and pay your deposit for the trip, it becomes non-refundable once paid.

    We understand that some situations are outside of your control; illness, injury etc. This is why we highly encourage you to have a general, cancel for any reason, travel insurance policy.

    After you have paid your deposit we will work with you to create a payment plan for the remainder of the trip. Due to the nature of this type of trip we highly encourage people to only consider if they are fairly certain they can move forward with the process.

  • We will do our best to manage your dietary needs and only put you on a trip where most of your needs can be met. If there are concerns we will discuss them with you in advance. If you have multiple food allergies or strict dietary preferences (vegan), you may need to bring your own food or at least pack supplements in case your restrictions can’t be managed at every stop.

    Some countries handle food allergies very well. Other countries mean well but they don’t see things like this in their country so their efforts often don’t make sense (Ex: Feta cheese on a vegan salad. Chicken as the vegetarian option. Etc.)

    You’ll need to be prepared the same way you might prepare for visiting a stranger’s house. Nutrition bars. Vitamins. Safety gear if cross-contamination occurs (epi pens). Almost every country has rice, beans, nuts and fruits to get by.

  • If this is the case, simply mark those places as “already been” on your application and we’ll be sure not to send you there.

  • Yes! Just add them to your already-been locations and we won’t take you there.

  • If we can’t accommodate you because you’ve been to too many places or your application isn’t a good fit for others in the group, we’ll refund your deposit.

    If you were already placed into a group but you requested to move and then we can’t accommodate you because that was the only place you fit, then your deposit is not refundable.

  • As with all international travel, it’s recommended that you are up to date on all your typical travel vaccines. These include MMR, tetanus and polio as well as Hep A, B and C.

    In addition, it’s also recommended that you be up to date on your yearly flu shot, Covid and chicken pox/shingles.

    Typhoid is a common recommendation for places throughout Africa and Asia. It’s basically another strain of salmonella that comes from kitchen staff (or yourself) not washing hands before they touch food.

    If this vaccine, yellow fever or malaria meds are recommended in the location you’re going, we’ll notify you in advance.

    Unwillingness to take any of these vaccines/medications should be documented in your pre-trip application. It will limit the countries you can go to but it won’t stop you from traveling to countries that don’t have these recommendations or requirements.

  • It depends on the destination but most tours will be between 6 and 10 days.

  • No, unfortunately not.

    You will, however, be able to collect the reward points from your travel when you see who you’re flying and where we’re staying.

    You’ll receive your boarding pass 24-48 hours before departure. You can then log into the company’s website and attach your loyalty number at that time. Your points should accumulate when your flights are completed.

  • Aside from our reputation that’s kept us running tours for the last 20 years, you can rest assured that we never take a profit of more than 20% on a tour.

    We look up flights to get the best deals. Then work with insiders to create supreme experiences with whatever budget remains.

    With the power of a group, we’re often able to negotiate luxury properties down to discounted rates. And convince tourist shows to open privately just for us.

    We can do more with your money than you can on your own and our network around the world is vast. You just have to have faith (or look at our long history) to know it’s true.

  • Bhutan, Beijing, Egypt, Thailand, Abu Dhabi/Dubai, Uganda, Peru, Ecuador, Iceland, South Africa and Japan are Mystery Destinations we’re excited about.

    We can also curate Mystery Tours in Bali, Tanzania, Morocco, Namibia, Jordan, France and Spain.

    It depends on the applications we receive.

    We look forward to expanding this list with more countries as we grow.

  • This will also be addressed on our very lengthy application. If there are certain places that make you feel uncomfortable, you can note that and we won’t send you there.

  • No. Please note your passport country on your application and we’ll ensure you can get in and out of the country.

  • Yes, this is entirely possible. If it’s less than 6 people, we lose the power of a group so the prices are higher.

    You can learn more about private mystery trips here.

  • Focused Escapes has an Ambassador Program where participants can apply to repeat a trip (for only the cost of their flight) if they become the next trip’s group leader. This means, if you come on one of our tours, and you really like the destination, you can go again as group lead.

    To be an Ambassador, you must have good leadership and conversation skills.

    Your job on the free trip includes: Pre-trip communication with the incoming participants (answering questions on what to pack, weather, gear, flights, etc). Hosting the Grand Reveal on Zoom. Coordinating schedule changes with our ground team during the trip. Resolving issues that turn up on the ground (twisted ankles, sickness, weather delays, construction, missed reservations). Taking pictures for our social media. Creating a slideshow at the end. Creating a shared folder for photo collection after the trip.

Apply here!

Join our 2023 or 2024 mystery trips (pending availability) by registering your interest and filling out our travel survey.

Important dates.

 

TODAY!

Add your name to the waitlist and watch your email inbox in July for the survey which tells us where you’ve been. The next round of applicants won’t be processed until July 2023.

July 2023

Look for an email with the survey and 1-2 weeks later, look for an email with dates for the trips you qualify for.

7 days after trip dates rec’d

Deadline for accepting the trip you’ve been assigned to.

 

3-6 months before your trip

Confirm the flights details we send you and request an upgrade (if you want).

Two months before your trip

We’ll send you vaccination requirements (if needed) and a packing list.

1-3 days before your trip

We’ll surprise you with the destination and you can make changes to the things you intended to pack.