A Private Jet Expedition operated by tcs world travelNorthern Summer
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Follow the midnight sun around the globe to the world's northernmost reaches. Explore Mongolia’s Gobi Desert and discover Kazan and St. Petersburg, Russia. Experience the magic of long summer days in Reykjavik, soar over Greenland’s starkly beautiful glaciers and cruise the fjords of the Svalbard Islands on a journey of eternal summer.
What's Included
The price of this all-inclusive expedition covers everything from travel on our private jet, hotels, ground transportation and meals, down to all daily activities, top-of-the-line guides, beverages and all tips.
See what else is includedItinerary
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June 28
Seattle, USA
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Arrive in vibrant Seattle.
Seattle’s abundant natural beauty is matched only by its wealth of urban attractions. Enjoy unfettered access to the Seattle Art Museum, world-class dining and shopping, and Pike Place Market. Meet fellow travelers and expedition staff at a welcome dinner at Chihuly Garden and Glass, which showcases the striking glass sculptures of local artist Dale Chihuly against the backdrop of the iconic Space Needle.
Accommodations
Accommodations
Four Seasons Hotel Seattle
With views over the Puget Sound toward the snowcapped Olympic Mountains, Four Seasons Hotel Seattle is a luxurious urban oasis in the middle of the city. Enjoy sophisticated Pacific Northwest cuisine prepared with the finest local ingredients at Goldfinch Tavern, a cozy yet upscale gathering place. -
June 29 - July 2
Kyoto, Japan
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The glory of Old Japan comes to life in Kyoto.
Because the city served as the emperor’s home base for more than a thousand years, the name Kyoto means “capital” in Japanese. Kyoto blossomed as a center for learning and the arts—and today boasts 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Accommodations
Accommodations
Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto
Intimate and contemporary, Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto is located in the city’s most scenic district. At the heart of this hotel is an 800-year-old pond garden that will envelop you in the serenity and beauty of ancient Japan. Indulge in the blissful spa, take in the views from the waterside terrace, or sip a cup of freshly brewed matcha in the lovely tea house. -
July 3 - 5
Gobi Desert, Mongolia
Alternate destination:Alternate: Gorkhi-Terelj National Park, MongoliaView detailsOverview
Encounter one of the world's few remaining nomadic societies.
Covering much of southern Mongolia, the Gobi Desert is filled with dramatic landscapes, from craggy mountain peaks to breathtaking sand dunes. Mongolian nomads roam this extreme terrain, seeking pasture for their animals.
Accommodations
Accommodations
Three Camel Lodge
In the heart of the Gobi, the Three Camel Lodge was built according to sustainable guidelines. Guest rooms are handmade gers, or traditional Mongolian felt tents that feature hand-painted, wood-framed furnishings.Alternate destinationAlternate • July 3 - 5
Gorkhi-Terelj National Park, Mongolia
Overview
Mongolia's traditions thrive amid the country’s vast landscape.
Experience a different side of Mongolia in bustling Ulaanbaatar and in Gorkhi-Terelj National Park, an easy respite from the urban capital. The protected park land is characterized by high granite cliffs, serpentine rivers and pristine forests. Guests choosing this alternate will travel separately and meet up with the rest of the group before heading to our next destination.
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July 6 - 7
Kazan, Russia
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European and Asian cultures meet in this storied city on the Volga.
In the Tatar language, Kazan means “cooking pot,” an apt name for this cultural melting pot, where orthodox belfries share the skyline with colorful minarets.
Accommodations
Accommodations
Luciano Spa and Hotel
Modeled after the spa hotels of the Mediterranean, the Luciano sits in the heart of Kazan, within blocks of historic Baumana Street. After experiencing Kazan's rich Tartar culture, retreat to the hotel's spa and unwind in the aquatic center where you can plunge into a seawater pool, take an aromatic steam bath or energize with a few laps in the fitness pool. The onsite restaurant offers Italian fare and other European favorites. Guest rooms are furnished with a comfortable sitting area and work desk, and include a large, well-appointed bathroom. -
July 8 - 10
St. Petersburg, Russia
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Elegant St. Petersburg is Russia's gateway to Europe.
Designed by Peter the Great in the 18th century to rival the great cities of Europe, sumptuous St. Petersburg entices travelers with its magnificent palaces, superb art collections and riveting history.
Accommodations
Accommodations
Hotel Astoria
Capturing the grandeur of this historic city, Hotel Astoria boasts comfort and elegance in the heart of St. Petersburg. A city landmark for over a century, the hotel is located directly across from St. Isaac’s Cathedral in the Admiralteysky District. Its restaurants and bars offer a range of Russian and European cuisine, inventive cocktails and decadent blinis. A pool, fitness area and spa round out the offerings. -
July 11 - 14
Svalbard Islands, Norway
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Embark on a private expeditionary cruise through the Svalbard Islands.
Polar bears, reindeer and seals are among your possible wildlife sightings from the deck of the ship while traveling high above the Arctic Circle. In summer the sun never sets, which leaves ample time for animal spotting or simply relaxing and taking in this arresting landscape.
Accommodations
Accommodations
Ocean Adventurer
The newly renovated Ocean Adventurer expeditionary ship has been refreshed with both cosmetic and technical enhancements. A small ship designed to navigate the challenging Arctic, the Ocean Adventurer is outfitted with stabilizers to create smooth sailing over choppy waters. Congregate with fellow travelers in the bar, take in sweeping views from the deck and enjoy the camaraderie that comes with having a privately chartered ship. -
July 15 - 16
Reykjavik, Iceland
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Explore the world's northernmost capital.
Reykjavik may be one of Europe’s smallest capitals, but its residents have a big-city mentality that spills into café-lined streets late into the summer evenings. Iceland enjoys 22 hours of sunlight during the summer, allowing plenty of time to explore Reykjavik’s modern dining scene and embark on outdoor adventures.
Accommodations
Accommodations
Hotel Borg
As Reykjavik’s first luxury property, the Hotel Borg encapsulates timeless elegance. Polished rooms feature art deco design throughout as well as custom-made furniture and original photographs of the hotel from the 1930s. -
July 17 - 18
Ilulissat, Greenland
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Track the midnight sun across the world's largest island.
There are few places more remote than Greenland, sitting near the top of the world with its unparalleled, wild natural beauty. Gaze upon the ever-evolving landscape of craggy icefjords, freshly formed icebergs and pristine glaciers under a brilliant midnight sun.
Accommodations
Accommodations
Hotel Arctic
Perched on the edge of Greenland’s Ilulissat Icefjord overlooking Disko Bay, the Hotel Arctic is one of the world’s northernmost accommodations. Enjoy the spectacular views of the nearby town and the iceberg-dotted harbor from comfortable guest rooms and the hotel’s restaurants, where you can try traditional Greenlandic foods. -
July 19 - 20
Boston, USA
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Recap your journey among new friends in venerable Boston.
The gateway to New England, Boston offers numerous opportunities to explore United States history, including the Freedom Trail. Enjoy a farewell dinner with your fellow travelers and a luxurious overnight stay at the Four Seasons Hotel Boston, before returning home on your independent flight the next day.
Accommodations
Accommodations
Four Seasons Hotel Boston
Located in Boston’s Back Bay, Four Seasons Hotel Boston offers a prime position right across the street from the Public Garden. Many guest rooms feature postcard views across the greenery to Beacon Hill and the gilded dome of the State House.
Join Us
The world's most iconic places, remarkable experiences, and
not-to-be-missed natural wonders are waiting for you.
Our Dedicated Staff and Knowledgeable Experts
An experienced team takes care of all the logistics before, during and after your trip. Your dedicated guest services manager prepares you for your trip of a lifetime and a veteran team of expedition leaders travels with you, taking care of all the details throughout your journey. We also invite knowledgeable lecturers and local experts to join us on our expeditions to bring each destination to life with real-time insights into culture, history and daily life.
An Experienced In-Flight Team
Throughout your flight, you’ll have highly trained staff and crew with years of experience at your service. They’ll know your name, your likes and your dislikes, so you can have the most personalized experience possible. Our flight team can accommodate your food allergies or special dietary requirements and a dedicated physician travels with you for peace of mind.
Physician
An expedition physician will travel with you throughout the entire journey, providing health care services free-of-charge where needed. Should you become seriously ill en route, the trip physician will be able to liaise with local doctors at your request and, if necessary, your medical providers in the U.S., to assist in determining what further care you may require.
Flight crew
An experienced crew from TUI Airways, the world’s largest charter airline, will accompany you from start to finish. The crew includes three pilots, two engineers, an operations officer, and catering operator, along with the eight flight attendants.
The Private Jet Experience
The moment you board the private jet, you can breathe deep and leave your worries at the door. The hidden costs of international travel, such as transit time and airport delays, cut into quality vacation time. Flying direct to most destinations reduces overall travel time, maximizing the time spent exploring each iconic destination.
Welcome Aboard
Throughout your flight, you’ll have highly trained staff and crew at your service. They’ll know your name, likes and dislikes, so you can have the most personalized experience possible. All inflight meals and beverages are included, as well as a selection of beer, wine and spirits. In addition, we can accommodate your food allergies or special dietary requirements.
Aircraft: Boeing 757-200ER
Number of seats: 52
Type of Seats: Flatbed (180-degree recline)
Features: In-seat power outlets, USB ports and personal storage ottoman
Amenities: Noise-canceling headphones and onboard tablet, WiFi where available
Expedition Details
Relax, discover and explore on an expertly curated journey, meticulously produced by a passionate team of seasoned world travelers. Learn more about the services we offer—before, during and after your trip, as well as what to expect on our expeditions.
This once-in-a-lifetime trip is the perfect way to spend quality time with your partner or to treat yourself to an adventure you’ll never forget. Adults of all ages take our trips, sometimes with a companion and sometimes by themselves. You will meet fellow guests with a curiosity about the world and come away with unforgettable memories and special friendships. It can also help you memorably mark a special occasion, whether it’s an anniversary, birthday, retirement, honeymoon or other milestone.
The minimum age to take our expeditions is 12, but we will consider younger guests on a case-by-case basis.
Shortly after booking, your guest services manager will mail you more details about your trip. This dedicated professional will be your main point of contact. He or she will provide you additional information leading up to your departure and is available to answer any questions via phone or email.
Prior to departure, you will receive a set of amenities for your trip. These may include a wheeled bag, a backpack, packing cubes and other useful travel items.
Our trips are a unique opportunity for like-minded travelers who are interested in learning and exploring to come together. The strong friendships forged on our trips continue long after guests return home and open the door to more travel adventures.
On expeditions with 48 or more travelers, daily activities will be divided into intimate groups of 6 to 12, so you never feel like you’re part of a crowd. On all trips, we offer numerous activity options at each destination such as: guided small-group sightseeing, curated shopping, and exclusive visits to museums and landmarks. Other examples include more active options like hikes or snorkeling, as well as unforgettable moments like an intimate guided exploration of Angkor Wat and our hot air balloon ride over the Serengeti.
TCS World Travel is committed to maintaining the quality and safety of the expedition for all participants. Overall, our trips give you the freedom to set your own pace. Each destination on every itinerary offers a variety of options with different activity levels. In some, you may only be walking for short periods of time and have more downtime between excursions, while in others, you may spend the entire day touring or walking over uneven terrain. You may, of course, choose to have a day off and relax at any location.
On all our expeditions, you can expect the following:
- Uneven ground/frequent walking up to one mile at any given time
- Walking up the steps to the jet, as many foreign airports do not have jetways
- Trip pace—only one to three nights in each stop with some late-night activities and early-morning departures
- Time zone changes
- High altitude (some expeditions)
- Changes to your ‘normal’ routine: unique cuisine, frequent packing/unpacking
We will make reasonable efforts to accommodate participants with special needs; however, we cannot accommodate wheelchairs or walkers. If you require a slower pace, extra assistance, or the use of a cane or walking stick, arrangements can be made for private touring at each destination. Any extra cost for such arrangements will be the responsibility of the participant.
Trip Pace Definitions
These icons refer to the overall pace of the trip and not to specific activities at each destination. For example, an expedition classified as moderate or relaxed in overall pace can still offer active options such as hiking or snorkeling.
- Active Pace: Almost every day fully scheduled, and/or longer flight durations; expedition crosses multiple time zones
- Moderate Pace: Downtime opportunities every three or four days, and/or shorter flight durations; crosses fewer time zones
- Relaxed Pace: Many opportunities for relaxation, and/or three-night minimum stays in most destinations
Destination Safety
Before TCS travels to any destination, we vet it for safety. We and our consultant medical advisors, Dr. Thomas Burke and the BostonMD team, closely monitor all health situations. We monitor the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), the US Department of State, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and other third-party destination experts, and are consulting with our trusted local suppliers to evaluate travel to all locations featured on our expeditions.
The beauty of private jet travel is the ease of pivoting. If we need to change an itinerary for any reason, we can use our contacts in countries worldwide to assist us with making alternate arrangements for our group. These changes could be made well in advance of arrival or even while we are in the air en-route to a given location.
On-Trip Resources
On many expeditions, a trip physician will be available to consult with you at your request about general medical health issues such as upper-respiratory infections or gastro-intestinal upsets, which are not uncommon on this type of trip. Should you become seriously ill en route, the trip physician will be able to liaise with local physicians at your request and, if necessary, your medical providers back home, to assist in determining what further care you may require.
On-Trip Activity Level
This is an active program which requires a serious health assessment. There will be walking excursions at nearly every location, and you will need to climb stairs at some of the sites, as well as when you board and disembark the aircraft. There are some airports where you will be responsible for transporting your small wheeled overnight bag. We will have some early-morning departures and late-night activities, and may travel through multiple time zones.
To help counterbalance the carbon footprint that results from flying, starting in 2023 TCS World Travel is investing directly in measurable and meaningful sustainability projects that reduce the amount of carbon emissions in the atmosphere while positively impacting local communities and protecting local biodiversity.
Our luggage allowances are based on the type of aircraft on which the expedition is offered. On the custom Airbus A321, luggage typically is limited to two checked bags: the wheeled bag we mail you and one additional large suitcase of your own. On expeditions on smaller aircraft like the Fokker 70, guests are allowed the wheeled bag we mail you and one additional smaller bag due to weight restrictions. Bags will be stored in the hold of the jet during our flights, but you will be allowed to take your backpack and another small personal item, such as purse or camera bag, along with you in the cabin.
On many trips, a dedicated expedition staff member handles your luggage throughout the journey. In many destinations, our staff will transfer your luggage directly from the plane to your hotel room. In others, you may be required to walk your bags through customs before handing them over to our staff, but we take over from there. Secure vehicles accompanied by a dedicated expedition staff member are used to transfer luggage between the airport and the hotel on arrival and departure. Often times, your bag is in your room by the time you’re checked into the hotel.
We suggest you bring comfortable clothing that can be layered. One of your most important items is a pair of comfortable shoes for walking. Our guests generally dress up a little for the welcome and farewell dinners, but this is their choice and is certainly not required. Also, you will find slightly more formal dining options at many of the hotels where we stay. For this reason, you may want to bring a few nicer outfits. A more detailed packing list with specific clothing recommendations will be sent to you closer to the departure date. While you’re packing, please keep in mind that laundry services are available at most of our hotels. We also recommend you leave extra space in your suitcase to bring home souvenirs of your journey.
TCS World Travel is committed to safeguarding the security of its guests on every expedition. The company has implemented a set of security processes throughout the journey – from before guests depart to when they touch down in a destination. These processes have been fine-tuned over two decades and more than 300 private jet expeditions and thousands of custom trips to help ensure peace of mind for everyone involved.
All guests must have valid passports to participate in this program. Passports must be valid at least six months beyond the end date of your expedition. If visas are required for the expedition, a visa kit will be sent to you approximately between 6 and 3 months prior to departure depending on destination requirements. We work with an expediting service that helps make getting your required visas easier. Although you’re still required to fill out your visa forms and cover the application costs, they will review the application to make sure it’s complete and liaise with the necessary consulates and embassies to process your visas.
We pre-fill your customs and immigrations forms at every stop—all you have to do is sign. Where possible, our guests enjoy special privileges, such as expedited customs and immigration formalities. We may have a dedicated customs counter for our group and are occasionally allowed to go through without individual clearance.
The price of your expedition incorporates large items like the jet, hotels, transportation and meals, but it also includes many other things, such as activities, top-of-the-line guides, private dinners in restaurants, beverages and every single tip (guides, restaurants, hotel staff, drivers, etc.). In addition, we give you some “walking around money” in the local currency at each stop. We also supply you with all the bottled water you can drink all day every day. We even provide you with postcards that we mail for you—all you have to do is write.
Your expedition includes:
- Travel on a privately chartered jet
- First-class accommodations
- Ground transportation
- All meals and beverages, including select beer, wine and spirits aboard the jet and group lunches and dinners
- All sightseeing activities, from guided small-group excursions and private shopping to more active options such as snorkeling and hikes
- Special events and private access
- Top local guides and/or on-trip experts
- A veteran expedition team who handles all logistics
- On some itineraries, a trip physician who accompanies you throughout your journey
- All gratuities
- Luggage handling
Your expedition does not include:
- Commercial airfare between your home city and departure/arrival destination
- Optional and additional accident/baggage/cancellation insurance
- Passport and visa fees
- Personal expenses such as laundry, telephone and fax fees
- All beverages not mentioned above as included
- Hotel minibar charges
- Meals not scheduled by TCS World Travel
- Inoculation and medication costs of any kind
Reservation Process
To reserve your place on the Tour, you must complete and sign the Reservation Form and pay your deposit. The deposit can be made by wire transfer or by a major credit card such as American Express, Visa, MasterCard or Discover Card. To cover the cost of processing a credit or charge card transaction, and pursuant to applicable state regulations (including, with respect to Colorado, section 5-2-212, Colorado Revised Statutes), TCS charges a surcharge of 3.0 % for credit card payments. This surcharge is not greater than our merchant discount rate for credit card transactions and does not apply to payment via debit card, ACH or check or redemption of a gift card, or to credit card payments with a billing address in Connecticut, Massachusetts, or Puerto Rico. Your place on the Tour is not reserved until the deposit and signed reservation form are both received.
Cancellation Policy
If you cancel your reservation or change your plans, your right to receive a refund is limited, as set forth in the trip payment schedule. All cancellations will become effective as of the date of the postmark or email receipt. All requests for refunds must be sent to TCS World Travel in writing via mail, fax or email.
If you are traveling solo and prefer the privacy of your own room, you will be charged a solo traveler supplement. This ensures that individual travelers will get the same type and size rooms as our double occupancy travelers.
The Jet tour is operated by TCS World Travel, dedicated to delivering immersive, worry-free travel experiences for the globally curious and modern luxury traveler. The aircraft is operated by Titan Airways, an IOSA-certified airlines with over 30 years of experience in bespoke air charter travel.
Global health institutions like the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control are now categorizing COVID-19 as an endemic disease, similar to other infectious diseases we live with daily.
In response to this changing global scenario, most countries have now relaxed or dropped their COVID-19 vaccine and testing regulations – so TCS has adapted our policy as well.
- While we highly recommend that guests be vaccinated, we are no longer requiring vaccines for guests to travel on a TCS group jet expedition, unless it is required by one of the destinations on the program.
- There will no longer be required testing for COVID-19 either prior to trip start, at trip start or during your journey, unless it is required by one of the destinations on the program or recommended by the trip physician for treatment support.
- We will ask any guests who are exhibiting symptoms of illnesses (such as colds or flu) to mask when they are around other guests, helping to reduce transmission and ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all.
We look forward to embarking on an extraordinary journey together as travel gradually returns to normal. Please reach out if you have any questions.