Travel Program FAQ

Educational travel with UAF Summer Sessions & Lifelong Learning is a great way to see the world with friends and peers. Our trips are organized and curated with immersive and enriching experiences. 

If you have any questions about our travel programs, don't hesitate to email us at summer@alaska.edu or call us a (907)474-7021.

When COVID-19 restricted international travel in March of 2020, all Summer Sessions &Lifelong Learning trips were cancelled for the 2020 season. Participants were refunded their reservations.

So far, there are no international travel programs scheduled for 2021, but we are actively planning how to move forward with tours as the COVID-19 guidelines change. 

Stay tuned for new information on our trips. We look forward to getting back to our amazing adventures! 

For all international travel, you will need an updated passport. For domestic travel, a current passport is still recommended, but follow your home state’s guidelines regarding identification for travel.

Regarding Alaska’s Real ID:

“Beginning in October 2020, non-compliant cards will no longer be valid identification to enter federal facilities, access military bases, and to board commercial airplanes. If you do not need access to those facilities, then you may not need a REAL ID. Additionally, you may already have another form of ID that is REAL ID compliant. These include a valid passport, a valid military ID, and some forms of tribal IDs.  TSA list available here.” -Alaska DMV

More info on REAL ID can be found at the DMV website.

All in-country costs are covered in our tour experiences. This includes airport shuttles, hotels, lectures, entrance fees, three meals a day, tipping, and ground transportation.

Your airfare to/from the starting/ending locations of the tour are not covered, nor are the three Ls: liquor, laundry, and luxuries (souvenirs).

We encourage travelers to arrive a day early to the arrival city in order to relax before the tour starts. Some travelers start their adventures on their own and meet up the first night of the tour. 

If you are interested in staying extra nights in the arrival and departure cities, you can often book the hotels directly with us as an add-on to your registration. 

Depending on the countries you will be visiting, vaccines may be required or recommended. When you register, you will be given additional information on what you might need to do.

Typically our tours are made up of travelers near to or in their retirement years. Summer Sessions & Lifelong Learning prides itself in offering engaging programs for students of all ages and courses of study. The pace and activities included in the tour often have the age group in mind.

If you are a young college student looking for international travel opportunities, visit UAF’s Study Away department to learn more!

Often times, our groups are made up of mostly Alaskan residents from the Fairbanks area. Over the years, friends have spread the word and now our tours include travelers from all over the US.

If you live outside of Alaska and want to travel with us, we would be pleased to have you! You will be given info about how to join the orientation conference call, and we are only a phone call away if you have any questions about your tour. 

Our tours are designed for people who are able to walk comfortably for up to 3 miles per day, sometimes  on uneven terrain, as well as handle stairs easily.

If there are additional concerns, we will make it clear to travelers as they register. If you have concerns about the accessibility of locations on the tour, please contact us.

All in-country costs are covered in our tour experiences. This includes, hotels, lectures, entrance fees, three meals a day, tipping, and ground transportation.

Your transportation costs to and from the start and end destinations are not covered.

What we do not include in our tours are "The Three L's"

-Liquor
-Laundry
-Luxuries (shopping)

Travelers should budget for souvenirs, gifts, and other experiences outside of the planned itinerary.

CampDoc does allow users to set up their own payment plans. Visit their support page to learn more about how to set it up.

When you register for a tour with Summer Sessions & Lifelong Learning, the planning process begins with your space in the tour accounted for. If plans change, which we understand they do, this insures that the rates and activities we plan are not affected if something happens and you are unable to make the trip.

We typically announce our tours and open registration about a year in advance. We close registrations when final payments are due (typically 3 months before the tour dates). If you are concerned about plans changing in that timespan, you are welcome to call us and discuss your options.

UAF does not offer travel insurance. CampDoc, our travel registration system, has an insurance you can add to your registration.  You will be prompted to do so during registration. We advise our travelers to carefully look at the policy information before choosing this option. It is not perfect for every traveler.

You can delcine that offer during the registration process and still choose to sign up for it later.  We encourage you to do a bit of research to see what options may be available to you, either through your booking agent or online.

Travel insurance is always recommended for any travel out of the United States. It protects the passenger’s financial investment, as well as any unexpected medical needs during travel.

If you have any specific questions about what kind of travel insurance to purchase for our tours, please call us at 907-474-7021