Our 7-Step Planning Process

All you do is “pack and go play!”

Do you like to travel off-the-beaten-path, doing things that no one else is doing?
Would you like to travel worry-free, knowing that your hotels and guides have all been vetted?
horseback riding in Tunisian desert
Would you love to have your friends say “How did you find THAT?”
Are you looking for that one-of-a-kind trip but you just don’t have time to plan it?

Rare Finds Custom Travel Design Service is the answer!

We are a full-service travel design service where we specialize in trips that are 100% customized, just for you. Pick your dream destination and Rare Finds will do the rest.

All you do is “pack and go play!

Our 7-step planning process

DIY Guides include everything you need to play your own adventure, including:

  • Listen carefully to want you want.

    We want to learn more about you, so your adventure caters directly to your dreams and interests.

  • Research the possibilities.

    We research your requests but we always add our own secret recommendations too, which you may have not even realized were possible!

  • Share our travel “candystore”.

    We lay out all your options, like a candy store, and you choose what you like.

  • Design a nuanced, meticulously detailed, door-to-door itinerary.

    Into your Trip Plan, we incorporate your selections, pace, lifestyle, budget, special needs, and personalized requests.

  • Secure all the reservations and deliver to you a comprehensive Trip Packet.

    Your Trip Packet includes your At-A-Glance (your daily schedule of where you go and what you do - even dinner reservations if you like), as well as a Voucher Packet (all your confirmations and receipts in chronological order for your trip, as well as maps and menus, historical write-ups, info on customs and tipping, and more)

  • Get you ready for your adventure!

    We suggest books to read and movies to watch to get you excited to go. Would you like some packing suggestions? Is your technology ready to travel? Do you have currency and tipping questions? We answer every last question so you can travel with confidence.

  • Confirm and Concierge

    We confirm everything before you go, and our Trip Concierge remains at your service while you travel - just a call or text away in case you need anything!

Cost

  • Fees

    Our travel design fees start at $1800 for a 1-week US trip, and $2200 for international destinations.

  • The Satisfaction Promise

    All custom travel plans are 100% Happiness Guaranteed and come backed by a deep book of raving fans.

  • Deposit

    50% of fee is paid to get started, and the balance is not due until your Trip plan is complete. Payment is easy with personal check as well as all major credit cards.

Learn More

Get started with a phone call. It’s our chance to hear more about your vision for your trip, and it’s your chance to ask all your questions (and it’s complimentary!) Go here to pick a good time for a call with our chief travel planner, Melanie Tucker.

Hourly Consult

Already have your trip partly organized and just need some expert advice on some thorny questions? Wishing for a second pair of eyes (that have “been-there-done-that” experience) to look over your plan before you finalize? Hoping to incorporate some of our “rare” lodging or experiences into your plan? Rare Finds Travel offers private consulting. Cost: $175/hour, 3-hour minimum.

Got a Family Reunion or Group Trip?

Custom-designed trips for your extended family or social groups are also available upon request.