Frequently Asked Travel Questions

Traveling with us makes it easy to discover and explore new places, make new friends and leave the planning and details to our reputable, pre-screened tour operators. We partner with them to create high quality group travel experiences that feature opportunities for immersive lifelong learning. The Wolfpack alumni camaraderie, special NC State touches and unmatched care set us apart.

No. Most of our WolfTreks programs include alumni groups from other universities, colleges or museums as well as our NC State alumni, family and friends. If a trip is exclusive, it will be noted on the brochure and on the website. Typically, we have from four to 30 NC State travelers per departure. When we have larger groups, we provide an NC State staff or faculty host to accompany the group.

Travelers range in age from late teens to late retirement. Our programs are designed for those more than18 years of age, and there is no maximum age limit for travelers in good health. The median age for our travelers is 64, so travelers skew to post-retirement ages. We also offer trips for our young alumni (ages 22 to 35) and our Essential European Graduation Trip for new alumni.

WolfTreks travels to every continent, including Antarctica. Europe is, by far, the most popular continent. Domestically, we provide at least 10 destinations. WolfTreks also offers trips to popular events: Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, the Kentucky Derby and the Albuquerque Balloon Festival.

The NC State Alumni Association has been offering educational travel for more than 30 years.

You do not need to be an alum of NC State to travel on a WolfTreks trip. We offer WolfTreks travel as a service to our alumni, their families and friends of the university.

The majority of our travelers are adults and the programming is created with this audience in mind. Some tour operators have minimum age requirements. Please call 919.515.0508 to inquire if we accommodate your children or grandchildren.

To enjoy your travel experience, participants should be in good physical and mental health with the ability to keep pace with the group. All tours require an element of walking and activity levels vary according to individual tour destination and schedule. Program participants who require extraordinary assistance must be accompanied by someone who can provide the help needed. If you have specific concerns, call the WolfTreks office at 919.515.0508

Yes, we welcome solo travelers. Single rooms are available on a limited basis on all of our tours and may require a single supplement to cover the cost of accommodations.

All of our tours involve a reasonable amount of walking, which may be uphill or on uneven or cobblestone streets. The traveler should be able to board a motorcoach and climb stairs on some departures. If you have limited mobility or special needs, contact the WolfTreks office at 919-515-0508 to determine if accommodations can be made for you.

You can call WolfTreks Travel at 919.515.0508 or use our online reservation form. If you use the form, your reservation will be forwarded to the tour operator, who will then contact you for your deposit. For some trips, you can book online directly with the tour operator. Check the webpage for your trip to determine if online booking is available.

We suggest making reservations as early as possible once a trip becomes available for booking. Some trips fill very quickly, while others do not. It is impossible to predict. But to ensure availability (particularly if you want a specific cabin type on cruise, call sooner rather than later. Some of tour operators offer incentives for early booking. Call WolfTreks travel at 919.515.0508 if you want to check availability.

Some of our tour operators will hold a room for 24 to 48 hours while you finalize your decision. Email WolfTreks Tour Director Kathy Hart at hart@ncsu.edu or call her at 919-515-0508 to ask about the possibility of a hold. All tours are reserved on a first-come, first serve basis.

Yes, we do. Each tour is reserved on a first-come, first-serve basis. If spaces are filled, you can choose to place your name on a waitlist and will be notified if and when space becomes available for a particular tour. Most cancellations come when final payment is due for a trip.

WolfTreks Travel will send you a confirmation email with travel insurance information after your reservation is received. The tour operator will also send a confirmation email after your reservation is received and your deposit is paid. They will also offer additional information about the tour, including a more extensive itinerary, more complete information about accommodations, travel requirements and more.

Some of our operators offer early booking discounts or other incentives. However, there are no discounts for booking as a group.

Yes. Family members often book for other members of the family. Just be sure that the family member is committed to the trip. You can determine who in the group pays or each can pay individually. We just need to know at the time of booking who to charge for what.

Single rooms are available on a limited basis and may require a single supplement to cover the cost of accommodations. Why? Trip prices are always based on two people sharing the cost of the hotel room or ship cabin. However, some of our tour operators offer trips with “no single supplement,” allowing you to reserve a single, private room at no additional cost.

If you are a single traveler interested in sharing a room on a specific tour, contact WolfTreks Travel at 919.515.0508 and, whenever possible, we will try connect you with another single traveler.

Each tour includes your accommodations, leadership of an experienced tour director and travel during your tour. Other fees and expenses are noted in each brochure. Meal inclusion varies by tour and depends on the tour schedule. Some tours include airfare costs from selected cities. Others do not.

Some trips may include airfare in the price of the trip, but for tours without airfare, you can choose to make your own air arrangements or let the tour operator do the planning for you. Many people participate in frequent flyer clubs and prefer to book their own flights, while others choose to take advantage of the special airfare rates offered by the travel operator. We recommend discussing your options with the tour operator. If you choose to book your own flights, be aware that you are responsible for making connections and transfers to join the group. The travel operator can provide you with these details prior to reserving your own flight.

All international travel requires a passport, and your passport needs to be valid for six months beyond your planned return date. If you need to apply for a passport, more information can be found here. For domestic travel, you will need either a REAL ID beginning May 7, 2025, or a passport.

Almost all of our tours use motor coaches for transporting groups. Even on cruises, motor coaches are used to take travelers to their excursions off the ship. We do offer a few trips that offer train travel for a portion or most of the trip. On excursions, travelers may travel via pontoon boats, safari vehicles, kayaks or arctic crawlers. Finally, a handful of trips also have internal air flights.

Many travelers opt to arrive early or stay longer. Some tours also offer a pre-program and/or post-program for an additional fee. While we are unable to change the itinerary to meet the needs or wishes of an individual or couple, it is always an option to leave the group for periods of time if you would like to explore on your own. 

In addition to your fellow NC State alumni and friends, all tours are led by an expert travel director appointed by our travel operator. The tour director is knowledgeable about the travel destination and will oversee the group, answer questions, troubleshoot and guide your group throughout the duration of the trip. An NC State staff or faculty host may also accompany the group if the required minimum of participants is met. We make every effort to send an NC State host to enhance your travel experience. 

Most travel companies charge a nominal cancellation fee from the time of deposit to cover expenses incurred in processing a new reservation and mailing out preliminary trip information. As the departure date gets closer, cancellation fees will become more substantial as the tour operator make greater financial commitments to their suppliers, such as airlines, hotels and ground transportation. Cancellation penalties are strictly enforced because of these contractual supplier commitments. Our travel operators all have different policies regarding cancellations. We suggest that your read the tour operator’s cancellation policy (usually found in the Terms & Conditions) prior to make a trip deposit. We also strongly encourage purchasing travel insurance to minimize financial risks.

WolfTreks Travel provides information to each of our travelers regarding trip cancellation insurance through Meyer and Associates, our travel insurance partner. Whether you select this insurance coverage or a insurance program of your choice, we strongly recommend for your protection that you purchase trip cancellation insurance. For more information on travel insurance, visit our WolfTreks Insurance webpage. To request an online quote  or purchase a policy online, visit Meyer and Associates. Insurance can be hard to understand. Call Meyer and Associates at 800.635.7801 with your insurance questions.

WolfTreks Travel is not the tour operator. WolfTreks serves only as the sponsor of the travel program for its alumni and their family and friends. We have long-standing relationships with our tour operators, and they value our input. However, it is ultimately the tour operator’s decision whether to cancel a trip. In the event that a trip is cancelled by the travel company, all funds paid to the travel company will be refunded.

Contact either WolfTreks Travel Director Kathy Hart at hart@ncsu.edu (919-515-0508) or call the tour operator. Refunds are processed within two to four weeks.

WolfTreks Travel and each of our tour operators consider the safety of our travelers as a top priority. For our international tours, our tour operators follow the guidelines and advice of the U.S. Department of State. For information on a particular country, visit the Department of State’s Background Notes. For current travel warnings, visit the State Department/Bureau of Consular Affairs. For the latest information on airport and transportation security, visit the Transportation Security Administration.

Tour operators are responsible for establishing their own travel safety protocols for their trips. Specific tour operator and national health and safety protocols will apply to each trip Travelers should review all protocols and trip terms and conditions, including terms and conditions regarding cancellations, refunds, health and safety, and insurance prior to making a reservation. See the tour operator safety protocols:

Any traveler who experiences acute injury or illness that impacts their ability to participate in their tour itinerary will be encouraged to seek immediate medical attention. Tour operators and their tour directors will work with travelers to ensure they have access to timely medical treatment; travelers will be able to resume scheduled touring once approved to do so by a medical professional. Any medical expenses incurred will be at the traveler’s expense. Changes to travel arrangements, such as additional hotel nights or changes to flight itineraries, may be required due to injury or illness on tour. While our tour operators will assist with such arrangements when possible, any associated costs would be at the traveler’s expense.