Some people collect travel destinations the way others collect Biedermeier furniture or presidents’ autographs.

What’s come onto the market this year? Bhutan? Libya? Mongolia? Why not fly over this summer and add it to the collection?

Others travel for an entirely different set of reasons. Reasons which have less to do with collecting countries (who needs another trophy on the shelf?) than with gathering experience.

If you’re a member of the latter group, you know that, at its best, a journey down the Sepik River or up Mount Kilimanjaro, across Provence or along the Antarctic Peninsula, can change you deeply in ways both tangible and intangible, acknowledged and unavowed.

However, when changing the way you look at the world is one of your travel objectives — when authentic experience matters more to you than casual acquisition — the travel company you choose has a tall order to fill.
 

That’s where Abercrombie & Kent comes in

Since 1962, A&K has been doing one thing exceptionally well. We specialize in matching unique people with unique places, and in providing the expertise and (unobtrusive) support that allows them to experience those places fully, at first hand and in their own personal style.

It’s simply the best way to travel. And it requires a unique combination of local knowledge and global organization that only Abercrombie & Kent is equipped to provide.

The travel industry is filled with companies who own only their brochures and a handful of contracts with independent suppliers overseas. In contrast, A&K has its own network of offices (48 and counting) across the globe, staffed full time by A&K professionals. We own and operate luxury camps and lodges in remote destinations to ensure that our clients have access to the best.

And we draw on the knowledge, humor and creativity of an incredible team of staff members and local “friends of A&K,” to bring you face-to-face with an Antarctic iceberg the size of Chartres Cathedral, or make it possible for you to walk around Chartres itself with an expert on its stained glass. To set you down for a private picnic a deux in the middle of the African savannah or give you and the children your own tropical island for a day.

Experience does count. Ours will make yours unforgettable.
 

The A&K Difference

What sets Abercrombie & Kent apart?

At Abercrombie & Kent, we strive at every turn to redefine your notion of what is possible on a vacation. Our approach combines singular service — such as a private passage by road and lake through the Andes, or a maximum group size of only 12 guests on each Galápagos shore excursion — with insider-access opportunities unlike any you have experienced before. A&K lets you discover Machu Picchu through the eyes of its former resident archaeologist, and introduces you to Mayan culture firsthand, through an exclusive meeting with a Mayan family.

In these and myriad other ways, Abercrombie & Kent consistently goes above and beyond the call of duty — and no A&K journey is complete without that extra, unexpected "and" that makes your experience unique and unforgettable.

Choose from a Luxury Small Group Journey, the finest group travel experience in the world; a Connections journey, which combines A&K’s renowned service with unbeatable value; A Marco Polo Club Invitational Journey to an exotic locale; a private Signature Series itinerary; or a custom independent journey created just for you. When it comes to discovering the world, the possibilities are endless.
Making these extraordinary journeys possible are the handpicked experts in our 50 offices worldwide, on call around the clock. Chief among them are our resident A&K Tour Directors and local guides. The Tour Director leads each group departure, providing unmatched on-the-ground expertise with A&K local guides contributing along the way.

With expertise in not only luxury but culture, wildlife and history as well, Abercrombie & Kent reveals your destination with an authenticity beyond the reach of any other travel company.

History

Geoffrey Kent and his parents, Valerie and Colonel John Kent, founded Abercrombie & Kent in 1962. The company’s beginnings were modest; Geoffrey Kent remembers their first safaris were conducted with little more than "a Bedford truck and my mother’s sterling silver ice bucket."

In 1967, Geoffrey Kent (by now Managing Director, following his parents’ retirement) decided to expand A&K’s signature style of travel. In 1969, he began opening additional companies in Africa; in 1971, he met Jorie Ford Butler of Oak Brook, Illinois. She became a partner in the business and together they expanded A&K into a worldwide group of companies, with offices in London, Downers Grove, Illinois and Melbourne, Australia.

Today, A&K runs 50 full-time offices worldwide, staffed by more than 2,300 people; it also operates its own safari camps and Nile cruise ships, and maintains a fleet of customized safari vehicles. Its reputation allows A&K travellers private, sometimes exclusive access to museums, archaeological sites and cultural attractions around the world. The company’s more recent innovations include Extreme Adventures that bring travellers face to face with nature at its most uncompromising, and Connections — group journeys that offer something never before possible: a chance to discover the world in the company of unmatched local experts, at an unbeatable value.

A&K’s staff continues to seek pioneering new ways of exploring the globe — and among it is Geoffrey Kent, who still travels the world interviewing guides, scouting locations and ensuring that the standards he and his parents established nearly 50 years ago remain in place on each and every A&K journey.


Geoffrey KentGeoffrey Kent Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Geoffrey Kent was born while his parents were on safari and grew up on the family farm in Kenya. At 16, he became the first individual to motorbike between Kenya and Cape Town. Since founding Abercrombie & Kent with his parents, Geoffrey’s focus has been to enable travellers to discover the world in a uniquely stylish manner. Geoffrey has served as President of The Prince of Wales Foundation in the U.S. and chairman of the World Travel & Tourism Council, and in April 2012 was named to the British Travel and Hospitality Industry Hall of Fame for his outstanding contributions to the luxury travel industry.

Jorie Butler KentJorie Butler Kent, Vice Chairman

Jorie Butler Kent is a businesswoman, conservationist and professional photographer. She is the daughter of Paul and Marjorie Stresenreuter Butler, who founded Oak Brook, Illinois. She and Geoffrey Kent are co-owners of the Abercrombie & Kent Group of Companies. Today, Jorie leads A&K's conservation efforts as president of Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy (AKP). Between her travels, Jorie has found time to be involved in numerous organizations, including the World Travel and Tourism Ecological Research Center, The Royal Geographical Society in London and The Explorer's Club in New York.

Travel Weekly Best Tour Operator - Africa Best Tour Operator - Luxury	Luxury Travel Advisor Best Luxury Tour Operator Best Luxury Destination Management Company Worldwide	Recommend Best Africa Tour Operator	TravelAge West Best Africa Tour Operator
Travel + Leisure World's Best Tour Operators and Safari Outfitters	National Geographic Adventure Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth	World Travel Awards Africa's Leading Luxury Tour Operator	Porthole Best Worldwide Tour Operator

A&K’s impressive and enticingly varied list of luxury and adventure holidays combine active days with comfortable, luxuriant nights. Small group escorted journeys allow guests to confidently travel to places they might otherwise hesitate to go on their own, with a choice of itineraries at varying levels of luxury. Family holidays are tailored to the interests, attention spans and abilities of all ages, with comfortable hotels and comforting meals, and, most importantly, a friendly guide who understands children. Tailor made private travel offers independent travellers meticulous attention to detail, safety and customer service. These lifestyle-oriented programs are one reason why A&K was honored at the World Travel Awards as “World’s Leading Luxury Specialist Tour Operator.”

Geoffrey Kent, who along with Jorie Butler Kent owns and operates A&K, was born-most fittingly-while his British parents were on safari in Zambia. Indeed, he spent much of his childhood on the African continent. In 1962, Geofrey Kent, along with his parent's Colonel John and Valerie Kent, formed Abercrombie & Kent.

In the 1970s, Geoffrey Kent, who by then had long been the Managing Director of the company, entered into a partnership with Jorie Ford Butler of Oak Brook, Illinois, to run A&K. They continue to travel the world in search of adventures that will surprise and thrill their guests. Under their passionate and visionary guidance-Geoffrey Kent serves as Chairman and CEO, Jorie Butler Kent as Executive Vice Chairman - Abercrombie & Kent represents the uncompromising best at every turn in the road.

With a philosophy that is governed in equal parts by the Kents' unswerving commitment to conservation and their mission to provide "memories of a lifetime," A&K goes to seemingly limitless lengths to design tours that offer privileged access and special insight. Further distinguishing A&K is the fact that the company owns luxury safari lodges in pristine wilderness areas, including Chief's Camp and Chobe Chilwero in Botswana; exclusive rights to camps with some of Africa's finest game-viewing; a fleet of comfortable, well-maintained ground transport vehicles; and the Sun Boats on the Nile. A&K also creates unique travel experiences built around the luxury trains of Venice Simplon-Orient-Express and the Royal Scotsman; the Road to Mandalay river cruiser and 29 canal and river cruisers in Europe; and the legendary Sea Cloud, the world's most beautiful sailing ship.

Abercrombie & Kent's headquarters are in Oak Brook, Illinois. Forty-seven offices worldwide, employing more than 1,700 travel professionals, offer unrivaled attention to detail, safety issues and service standards.

A deep-rooted concern for the natural world infuses each and every A&K trip: Geoffrey Kent and Jorie Butler Kent believe passionately in "high-yield, low-impact" tourism-adventure that respects the natural environment and benefits indigenous peoples. They are the founders of Friends of Conservation and the Abercrombie & Kent Global Foundation, established to address global environmental and conservation concerns. Among its achievements have been significant contributions to the preservation of Kenya's famed Masai Mara Game Reserve, as well as to anti-poaching and environmental education projects on all seven continents.