explore the world with the Bruin community | winter 2026
upcoming tours
From bison to polar bears to penguins; make 2026 the year you stand face-to-face with some of the most fascinating animals on earth.
For something close to home, step into the heart of America’s Old West in late August for our beloved National Parks trip. Or come face-to-face with a polar bear aboard a safe tundra buggy in Churchill, Canada. For a trip of a lifetime, visit Antarctica by bypassing the Drake Passage, flying directly from Patagonia to the Antarctic Peninsula on a short two-hour flight.
Over half of our 2026 tours are now sold out or almost sold out. We have also started marketing our 2027 tours. For the latest updates, visit our homepage to be one of the first to learn about exciting new tours. We’d love to hear from you, so contact us by phone 310-206-0613 or email travel@alumni.ucla.edu. We hope to see you on a UCLA Alumni Travel tour soon!
Regards from Westwood,
Christel Aragon
Director, Alumni Travel
From Mount Rushmore to Old Faithful and the Snake River, see the best of the Old West while staying in historic hotels and lodges within the parks themselves. Enjoy the rolling plains of Custer State Park, teeming with bison and elk, and learn from seasoned expedition leaders.
In the company of Professor Daniel Blumstein, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, witness one of the largest confluences of polar bears in the world in Churchill, Canada. Partake in an unforgettable adventure to observe, photograph and learn about these magnificent “Kings of the North.”
With Professor Amy Mainzer, Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, bypass the traditional Drake Passage by flying from Patagonia to Antarctica. Enjoy the penguins with their endlessly amusing antics and see icebergs of epic proportion.
Amy Mainzer is a planetary scientist at UCLA's Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences and one of the world’s foremost experts on asteroids, comets and near-Earth objects. With a career that spans major space missions, including her role as principal investigator for NEOWISE, the Earth-orbiting infrared telescope that scanned the skies for Earth-approaching objects, Mainzer has built a reputation for scientific excellence. She is also widely recognized for her commitment to public outreach and real-world scientific impact. Today, she’s leading the development of the next generation space telescope, Near-Earth Object Surveyor, aimed at discovering the large asteroids that pose a regional impact risk to Earth.
Travelers strike a pose in Siglufjörður, Iceland View Tour
UCLA Alumni Travel: Tour Lineup 2026-27
Our tours are compiled from proposals presented by the finest specialized tour operators. Tours we sponsor have met our strict criteria for financial responsibility, established reputation, professional staff, quality operations and all-around dependability. We hope to see you soon!
