Rustic Pathways Reviews

I recently got back from a Japan and Korea Tokyo to Seoul Rustic Pathways trip. To say it was life changing is an understatement. The experiences I had will be kept tight within my heart. I saw two beautiful countries I now want to move to. Shoutout to Scott, Chang, Chet, and Scarlett.

Feedback:
My biggest piece of advice is I would suggest adding opportunities to see the cities at night given how cool they are.

Food:
During my trip I was extremely well fed and everything was delicious. I loved our morning and nighttime konbini runs. When going out to eat we were allowed to eat really well and had a budget that was extremely reasonable.

Lodging:
On my trip all lodging was comfortable and safe. The guesthouses had a great vibe and really contributed to the ideas of the program.
The hostel in Japan was great and had lots of amenities making that part of the trip very smooth.

Activities:
Meeting the locals and participating in the activities was amazing. I loved our South Korea community service. We had a mix of classes and sights and it was a very good balance. I saw almost everything I wanted to see in both cities. It was a great challenge by choice experience.

Transportation:
It was great getting to use the public transportation and experience that part of the culture. Getting to use the train card and learn the train system was a great experience.

Community:
I have done lots of summer programs. Rustic is definitely the best one I’ve done. You make friends so fast and I feel like your program leaders and managers don’t censor you and you can genuinely partake in good conversation.

The itenerary/ Pacing:
This program was paced really well with a full itenerary. Scott and Chang designed a very good, memorable experience. Chet and Scarlet both made our experience super easy and enjoyable and helped keep the program going.

Thank you for an amazing experience and I hope I travel with you guys again soon!

Had a great time the whole week. The food was great and the group coordinators made sure to confirm mine along with everyone else’s every needs were met. I’d like to issue a special shout out to our counselor Sydney for putting in the extra work taking people on late night convenience store runs when they were desperately needed along with having a great attitude all week. The housing was great as well, with my time in the city being very enjoyable, along with the home stay family being very welcoming and understanding.

My son went to Belize with Rustic Pathways summer of 2025. He said he had a blast and got to have some really cool experiences like swimming with nurse sharks. As a parent I appreciated the communication and that they uploaded pictures. Before my son left we had several phone conversations about what to expect and help making sure we had what we needed for travel. I felt well informed and as comfortable as a parent can feel sending he baby to another country. This experience really helped him grow as a person

I really enjoyed the service—teaching English to students and everything that came with it! I loved connecting with locals and learning about their culture. Huge shout-out to Chang-Mo, Heeju, Yuri, Annabel, and Amy—they were amazing group leaders and made the whole experience even better!

This was really fun, everyone was so great, I made lots of new friends, and every day was a new adventure 100% worth it, one of the best times of my life. My counselors were wonderful, and I loved meeting all of the amazing locals! I will definitely be returning to Rustic Pathways!

I went on the Rustic Pathways Thailand Adventurer trip, and it was the best experiences of my life. The leaders were absolutely fantastic and always there whenever you need them. The company itself was very well ran and organized. The people were all super nice making my time even more enjoyable! The people I met will be lifelong friends of mine, and I am forever grateful for that. The elephants were insane, the cooking class was super cool, and the muay thai boxing class was so unique. All the activities were super fun and I loved my time traveling, exploring, and immersing myself into the Thailand culture!

This program allowed me to learn more about a place I had not been before with the support of kind peers and leaders. We were taught a lot of history and ventures deep into new areas the average tourist might not go. This trip was educational, adventurous, fun, and full of new experiences. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to learn about a place full of interesting history, customs, languages, and stores. The leaders from Rustic Pathways are also very kindhearted and caring. They always ensured everyone had what they needed to enjoy themselves in Thailand.

This trip was absolutely amazing. I’m a 17-year-old male, and I had an absolute blast. The counselors had a vast understanding of the area and took us to some amazing spots. I feel that I deeply connected with all three of my Counselors. Throughout the trip, they constantly asked if we wanted to visit anywhere or do anything specific, and every time we asked, our request was always met. I definitely recommend this if you’re looking to explore Japan. Initially, I was a little scared of how much free time we were going to have, but after arriving, I quickly realized that we had a lot of it. This was truly an amazing trip. Thank you so much to Scott, Tim, and Ashley. I will truly remember and cherish this trip for the rest of my life.

I cannot recommend Rustic Pathways enough. I’ve gone on three trips with them, my first being Peru, and this was the most formative travel experience I’ve ever had. It was highly adventurous, reflective, and community focused. The service I had the opportunity to complete and the meaningful relationships I was able to create really will stick with me for life. Peru was utterly stunning and a journey of leadership and self growth. If you’re looking for a way to group as a teammate and learn about yourself and others in a context of support and collaboration Rustic is for you.

As a parent, I want my kids to explore the world. Life gets busy, work demands happen and I was so excited to find a travel program specifically for teens! Of course I was nervous, but I can’t say enough great things about Rustic from beginning to end.

Emily was amazing during the pre-departure process and answered my million questions!

The leaders are educated and awesome with the kids! They have a WhatsApp to keep us informed every step of the way. They meet the teens at the airport, send parents updates, and keep a great eye on all the teens traveling! I am excited that my daughter will be doing another trip this year :)