ACIS Educational Tours is a provider of educational travel opportunities designed specifically for teacher-led student groups. The company focuses on creating enriching travel experiences that empower educators to expose their students to diverse cultures and global perspectives beyond the classroom. Through a variety of customizable tour packages, ACIS aims to enhance students' learning through real-world experiences, fostering personal growth and cultural awareness.
The primary customers of ACIS are teachers, school administrators, and educational institutions seeking to organize meaningful travel experiences for their students. With dedicated program consultants and experienced tour managers, ACIS ensures that every aspect of the trip is well-planned and executed, allowing educators to focus on the educational aspects of travel. By prioritizing safety, educational value, and logistical support, ACIS Educational Tours strives to offer exceptional student travel programs.
ACIS Educational Tours has a positive customer experience.
ACIS Educational Tours receives high praise from many customers, who highlight the exceptional planning and execution of their trips. Reviewers frequently commend the knowledgeable and friendly tour guides, as well as the centrally located hotels that enhance the travel experience.
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Many express satisfaction with the well-organized itineraries, noting that their trips to destinations like Paris, Costa Rica, and Italy were memorable and enriching for students. However, some customers report issues with trip cancellations and delays in refunds, which have caused frustration. Despite these concerns, the overall sentiment remains positive, with a significant majority of travelers expressing their intent to continue using ACIS for future educational tours.
Each source counts by its number of reviews. Only reviews written by people are scored.
Rating, volume, share of the score, six-month trend and fake-review risk for each source
Source
Rating
Reviews
Weight
6-mo
Fake risk
★
Trustpilot
Imported Trustpilot reviews
4.6
737
100%
+0.5
● Low
4.6 / 5 overall
=
737 reviews across 1 scored source
How fake risk works ⓘ
Reputation trend
Monthly average rating from reviews written by people · latest review Jul 2025.
Last 3 months
4.9▲ 0.5
12-month avg
4.7
All-time
4.6
Category avg
4.0
Monthly averageCategory average
Monthly average rating and review count
Month
Average
Reviews
Aug 24
5.0
3
Sep 24
5.0
1
Oct 24
4.5
6
Nov 24
—
0
Dec 24
5.0
1
Jan 25
5.0
1
Feb 25
—
0
Mar 25
4.2
5
Apr 25
5.0
2
May 25
—
0
Jun 25
5.0
4
Jul 25
4.9
7
What people praise & complain about
Share of positive (4–5★) and negative (1–2★) reviews mentioning each topic · based on the 500 most recent reviews.
Top praiseof 440 positive reviews
Helpful support21%
94 mentions
Customer service17%
74 mentions
Fast & efficient7%
32 mentions
Professionalism7%
32 mentions
“I can't imagine traveling with a better company”
On “Helpful support” · Jul 14, 2025
Top complaintsof 54 negative reviews
Refund69%
37 mentions
Cancellation67%
36 mentions
Payment issues33%
18 mentions
Customer service24%
13 mentions
“When ACIS canceled the trip, they promised a full refund”
On “Refund” · Mar 29, 2025
How it compares
Same method for every company: overall rating, legitimacy checks, the average rating of reviews mentioning each area and the 6-month trend · Travel Agencies.
Overall rating and review count for this company and similar companies
My high school has used ACIS since the '80's. I am honored to have taken over the trip from the teacher that took me to Europe when I was a student. Throughout the years, ACIS has provided the most outstanding experiences for our students. I have compared similar trips that other companies offer and have actually used another company for a different trip, and nothing compares to ACIS. From customer service, to the tour managers, to the accommodations, to the excursions, everything ACIS does is top tier. We travel on the most convenient flights, stay at the nicest and best-located hotels, eat local and authentic cuisine, and fill our days with the most meaningful outings and connections. When something unexpected comes up during a trip, ACIS has always stepped up and made on-the-fly adjustments that made the new situation seem normal. When COVID shut down two trips in a row, ACIS made the most generous refunds possible for our travelers. After leading multiple trips with ACIS, I am certain that they will continue to exceed my expectations for years to come.
I can't say enough great things about ACIS! I have completed two successful trips with them and they were terrific in terms of planning the trip (our program manager was in constant communication and made sure that the itinerary met our precise needs) and the trip itself. ACIS tour managers are knowledgeable, expert in working with teenagers and are able to pivot on a dime when situations change. Hotels are centrally located, clean and provide a hearty breakfast. Further, the ACIS staff is professional and readily available to accommodate our needs both before and during the trip. I traveled once with another educational tour company and discovered that ACIS is far superior.
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I have worked with ACIS for many many years (and have also previously traveled with other companies) and I can honestly say that ACIS is truly the best travel company out there. The support given to the group leaders is outstanding, from the earliest stages of planning a trip with fantastic Program Managers, to communications and check-ins during the tour from both your own program manager and those from offices overseas, plus follow-ups after the trip. With ACIS, your ideas and your voice really do matter, and they listen and try to accommodate whatever plans you may want to arrange for your group.
When weather delays or city strikes have ever affected plans, ACIS bends over backwards to make sure that alternative plans are activated so that your group has the best possible experience no matter what. When our return flight was affected because of a commercial airline strike, ACIS arranged for us to travel by train from Paris to London, and arranged an amazing city tour for us including theater tickets to a show of our choice and a fabulous meal at Covent Garden so that we could then fly home on a different airline from a different city without skipping a beat. When luggage was once delayed longer than usual because of major weather issues at the airport, ACIS met us with cash in hand for each of the travelers so that everyone could purchase toiletries and necessary items so that we could carry on a bit longer until our luggage caught up with us.
ACIS tours are educational in ways large and small! We have traveled to Central America, China, Russia, Australia + New Zealand and all over Europe and the UK with ACIS and each trip included a well-balanced itinerary with a trip that included really excellent hotels and restaurants that I would gladly return to if traveling to that destination again. The food is local, fresh, authentic and delicious, and mealtime becomes a cultural event. The points of interest selected on their itineraries are a combination of sites you absolutely must see plus sites you may not have been as familiar with, but are so glad you experienced!!! The tour managers make every effort to weave in stops at local markets, shops, concerts or shows that may be of interest so that you can experience more from each area you visit.
ACIS uses experienced tour managers and guides who not only know the history and culture of each destination, but who also know how to interact well with both students and adults. They are stellar additions to the ACIS team in every corner of the world we have visited, and I have repeat travelers who tell me that the ACIS tour managers and guides are one of the many reasons they continue to return. Experienced, knowledgeable guides make learning fun and fascinating, and we have never been disappointed in all the years we have traveled with this company.
We have an ACIS trip planned for Japan that was postponed because of COVID-19 travel restrictions, and I can’t wait to travel again. They have made very reasonable and flexible reservation arrangements in light of the world’s pandemic, demonstrating once again their ability to pivot and help the traveler as much as possible. It has been my continued experience that ACIS will be there for you when it counts, helping you plan for just about anything that may come up in as stress-free a manner as possible. We have had one awesome trip after another, every single time. This has not been my experience with other travel companies. You get what you pay for…and although ACIS may not be the least expensive travel company, they are truly, truly the best, and you will be SO glad you chose to travel with them!"
ACIS is a true 5-star company. I have had the pleasure to work with this company for over 25 years. The Boston Team is by far the best educational travel team. I have worked with two other companies and each one yielded a sub-par experience with so many problems and extra-hidden charges. This is never the scenario, from my experiences with ACIS, in fact, the total opposite. As a Group Leader, one does except planning and organizing, but I must say that Tom Heigham, facilitated my trip from start to finish that at times, I felt like I was a participant! Tom is the utmost professional, meticulous and ensures a smooth transition from each leg of the trip. As my last trip left prior to the pandemic last February, Tom and his team were able to defuse a dilema I was experiencing regarding an ill student. Due to my long-standing relationship with ACIS, my student was able to receive a full refund minus the initial deposit. I was extremely grateful for this gesture by ACIS. My Tour Manager in Span, Nil, was excellent and not only provided insightful recommendations for our free time, but also offered to arrange any extra activities for my students. Nil was knowledgeable and an expert in Spanish art, culture and history. I would definetly request Nil for my next trip! However, whomever I would be assigned, would be up to the exemplary standards of ACIS. I would highly recommend ACIS for a new teacher venturing out on a new trip or a returning teacher. I look forward to working with Tom and the Boston Team for my next trip in 2022.
Sincerely,
Liza Iolli
Woodward School for Girls
Quincy, MA
My first trip with ACIS was in 2019. It was during this trip that I became hooked on ACIS and would always use them as my travel company. That trip was not even with students yet, it was the Group Leaders trip to Barcelona. This company is amazing at putting together incredible experiences and giving us tools to be great group leaders. They are with you every step of the way. I would not travel with any other comapany.
Summer 2014 trip to France : We could not have dreamed up a better tour manager! Her suggested changes to our itinerary made the trip for us so memorable because not only did we get to see many more typical French villages that were lesser known to foreign tourists, but we also got to have a picnic on an authentic farm and even take advantage of the proximity of Italy by going there for a day. Our tour manager was so knowledgeable, positive, hilarious, engaging, and organized: a true diamond in the rough!
2016 trip to France: This entire trip honestly felt like a dream! We could not have asked for a better experience, and my kids learned and grew so much in just 9 days. I particularly love this itinerary because it allowed for three completely different views of France: city (Paris), mountains (Chamonix), beach (Nice). In addition, our group was elated to get to drive through Italy en route to Nice!
Feb 2019 to Quebec: This was an absolute dream trip, and I would not have changed anything about it! The kids raved about the experience, especially dog-sledding, snow tubing, and sugar shack dancing! We definitely plan to offer this exact same trip (hopefully with Tony!) every other year for our school.
ACIS is an amazing student travel company. We have used them for about 10 years and have never had a negative experience. They go to great lengths to make sure our students have a great experience. They are easy to work with and know how to plan a trip that holds each student's interest.
The ACIS representative that works with us (Jill) is AMAZING. She makes the trip planning (which could be an intimidating, tedious process) into something fun. In fact, I actually look forward to planning with her.
In March 2020, when we were on one of their student trips to Europe, travel was shut down and they managed the very complicated and tense situation perfectly. They juggled complex travel arrangements and connections for us and ushered us back to America quickly and safely. While doing that, they also made efforts to maintaining as much of the trip as possible so our students continued to get great experiences even as plans were being made to bring them back to the U.S.
ACIS might not be the cheapest student travel company, but you definitely get what you pay for...hotels close to the city centers (so you don't spend your precious trip hours commuting through traffic), very cool cultural experiences that are a great change of pace from all the major tourist attractions you see, and tour leaders who thoroughly know the countries you're visiting AND know how to hold a student's attention.
I can't recommend ACIS strongly enough!
My students, another teacher, and I took a trip to Spain and France that started at the end of Feb. and went through the first week in March around the time Covid 19 was just beginning to become a news topic. We were very lucky that everything went beautifully and ACIS handled it all very well. It ended up being one of the greatest trips ever, especially in Paris because many people were staying home and the crowds in Versailles and the Louvre were so small that we were able to easily do both in record time on the same day. We got a wonderful picture of our group in the hall of mirrors with just our group in the room! Our hotels were wonderful and so was all the food as usual. All of the sites we visited were interesting and the kids enjoyed enough free time to explore and shop everywhere we went. Our guide was absolutely the greatest. She worked so hard to make it a good experience for us. I can't wait until we can all get back to traveling the way we want to. ACIS is a great company and I plan to use them again as soon as I can.
ACIS is an outstanding travel company. They truly have customer satisfaction at the forefront of their programs. They are especially responsive to the needs of the group. I have traveled with other companies in the past but have strictly only used ACIS for my last 8 trips with students and parents. ACIS is the best!
Ireland & Paris spring break (end of Feb-beginning of March) 2020
We were able to have our 19th annual spring break Europe Trip trip to Ireland and Paris last spring right before the Covid19 situation escalated. The numbers jumped up while we were in Europe but we were able to make changes to the itinerary--skip the Louvre, do the Musée D'Orsay at night after dinner when no one was there , we changed some things so the students could sleep in (more sleep to keep them well)
Our fantastic Tour Manager Angélique did an amazing job while everything around us started to go crazy. Heidi met us in Boston at the airport with snacks during our layover which was perfect timing--Middle School kids seem to eat every hour! We had an amazing trip--everyone stayed well. We felt taken care of every part of the trip! ACIS checked in with us--we felt we were getting good information each day. Every airport was very nice about the amount of hand santizer each student and adult carried. We just had to x-ray. Our bus drivers cleaned the bus each day and were wiping down and providing santizing moments. Ireland and Paris is an awesome combination--Irish dancing and music, exploring castles and ruins..Paris for pastries and shopping!
ACIS consistently provides excellent transportation and hotel services. I always feel that I am well supported when I take groups of students to France.
I've traveled with them for several years and they continue to impress. Excellent quality and customer service. For those that are new or aren't familiar with student travel, don't be fooled by competitors who try to sway you with cheaper prices. You get what you pay for! There is literally no comparison, and ACIS is the best, hands down!
Note - I've read many others reviews, and almost every negative review is centered on the current Coronavirus situation. It seems that every person is upset that they didn't get 100% of their money back even though everyone who read the terms and conditions knew that to be the case before they even signed up. Our school's trip in April was cancelled, and while we were disappointed, it was the right thing to do and our travelers got the vast majority of their money back. ACIS even improved their refund policy and returned more than what was originally stated. I feel most people are mad at Coronavirus and taking it out on ACIS. I've used them for years and will continue to do so.
I am so thankful that our group used ACIS to travel to France in March. We started off the trip
apprehensive because of COVID-19, but there were no restrictions in place. Angelique our tour guide was incredible at explaining the history and culture of France to us. All of our accommodations were clean and comfortable, and always provided us with a delicious breakfast. Where my true gratitude comes in is after the a travel ban was enacted and was unclear as to whether or not American citizens would be allowed to re-enter the country. ACIS was quick to inform us of all our options and keep my group together for our return to the US not more than 36 hours after the announcement. Overall, I will continue to use ACIS for my groups because they have proven that they will take care of their customers.
It all went so smoothly. Our Iceland tour guide was amazing- made us feel like family that she took care of diligently. We saw places that blew our minds. As a teacher responsible for 25 students I felt the tour guide -manger - bus driver made it all safe and fun. We saw amazing things. Thank you
I have taken students with them 6 times. Great hotels that are close to everything. Good restaurants. Very helpful pretrip. Quality and refund policy better than most student travel companies.
I was a bit worried about resolving an issue I had via email vs. live person. But that quickly disappeared when I received a response from Miss Jennifer V. Her response was quick and concise. She had patience with my endless questions. And cleared up the issues with missing information as well as next steps.
So, thank you for your attention to my needs during this stressful time.
My daughter had planned to join a HS trip to Germany this summer and it was canceled due to COVID-19. These are difficult times and I am sure this company is dealing with quite a few issues. I had the insurance and was promptly refunded all money including funds that were to added back to a cancelled credit card. I was pleasantly surprised not to have to call and email the company to get refunded.
I was a group leader on a European trip which was scheduled for Spring Break, right in the middle of the uncertainty of the outbreak, but before shutdowns in the US. It was stressful, we were watching the news everyday, and parents were emailing all the time, but ACIS kept in touch almost daily about our travel plans leading up to departure. As various countries were closed they gave us options to reschedule, cancel, or reroute. When we decided to reroute to a safer destination, they were so responsive and helpful in getting a new trip set up. We got new hotels (Even nicer than our original ones!), and a full time tour guide to travel with us plus the tour manager. When a site we had planned to visit was closed to visitors midway through our trip, ACIS called and gave us three new options and made our choice happen. When we had trouble with our flights getting back home because of airlines cancelling flights, ACIS was able to get us on a new airline and we got home the same time as planned. When a few of our students decided they weren't comfortable going on the trip, they cancelled and got the full refund.
I really can't say enough good things. As a group leader, I so appreciated the support in making decisions and making the trip smooth, fun, and memorable for the students. So many of them kept telling me throughout the trip how happy they were to have been able to do this despite the uncertainty and difficulties.
My son had a trip to France in June. The trip was canceled 130 days prior to departure date. ACIS honored the agreement and a full refund(minus the insurance and 50$ deductible) was issued. Thank you!
ACIS Educational Tours is a provider of educational travel opportunities designed specifically for teacher-led student groups. The company focuses on creating enriching travel experiences that empower educators to expose their students to diverse cultures and global perspectives beyond the classroom. Through a variety of customizable tour packages, ACIS aims to enhance students' learning through real-world experiences, fostering personal growth and cultural awareness.
The primary customers of ACIS are teachers, school administrators, and educational institutions seeking to organize meaningful travel experiences for their students. With dedicated program consultants and experienced tour managers, ACIS ensures that every aspect of the trip is well-planned and executed, allowing educators to focus on the educational aspects of travel. By prioritizing safety, educational value, and logistical support, ACIS Educational Tours strives to offer exceptional student travel programs.
