Accessible journeys with Kensington

At Kensington, our vision for personalized journeys is rooted in flexibility, customization, and access for all types of travelers. It’s to help our clients see the world, differently. It is about understanding not just our travelers’ wishes, but also their individual needs throughout every facet of their journey.

Accommodating your every need

Accessible journeys are made possible with our signature privately guided formula, and it all begins with a conversation with a dedicated Destination Expert. With fully customizable itineraries in countries around the world, each travel consultant knows the ins and outs of the countries they specialize in, is sensitive to accessibility concerns, and will design an itinerary that provides the most positive and enjoyable experience based on their clients’ needs. Taking the limitations of each individual locale into consideration, the beauty of a privately guided trip is that it is always flexible, even in-destination, and can be changed and modified as needs arise. Some cities have adapted at a faster speed than others, and it is our commitment to ensure we plan trips around the places that pair best with client wishes.

Mobility restrictions and wheelchair accessible travel

Travel for those with limited mobility can pose a variety of challenges – the first of which is finding a destination that is wheelchair-friendly overall, and then getting into the granular details about the sites visited, accommodations chosen, and vehicles arranged along the way.
Beyond that, accessible tours include adapting the pace of the itinerary – from spending more days in a particular locale to adding or removing hours from a popular day excursion. We will review each tour with our partners on the ground to ensure that mobility restrictions are addressed, and that vehicle sizes are appropriate to accommodate mobility devices.

Pictured above is Kensington three-time traveler Cat and her husband Chuck, who have traveled with us on safari in East Africa, to Machu Picchu in Peru, on a journey to experience the sights and sounds of Spain and Portugal, and most recently, through Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. Catherine’s Destination Expert Christine has customized tours and accommodations to ensure all rooms had wheelchair access, that she was secure and comfortable in her vehicles, and that there were extra porters on hand to assist where paths were not wheelchair accessible, including stairways leading up to the vantage point to Machu Picchu.

“Christine has done a wonderful job of understanding and working with the issues associated with wheelchair travel. Her attitude is ‘we’ll figure out a way to make it work’ whenever there is an obstacle or complication. Her creativity and compassion paired with fabulous local guides and staff have provided the opportunity for memorable trips. Thank you, Kensington!” –Chuck

In another instance, one of our travelers had hip surgery about six weeks before her departure to Egypt with her family. Her Destination Expert Christine was able to adapt the itinerary with accessible vehicles, guide her along the most accessible paths, and even arrange a horse-carriage for her to take part in her family’s camel riding excursion by the Pyramids of Giza.

And in Europe, Destination Expert Alan planned a journey through Ireland and Scotland for Laurie and his family.

“The trip was phenomenal,” Laurie told Alan. “I don’t know if you instructed everyone to treat us special, but they treated us as royalty and me as a king. We were floored how the people in Scotland and Ireland were so friendly. In Scotland, our guide Ian, and our driver Neal became as family.”

Sensory, health, and dietary needs

We also know that accessibility is much more encompassing than those with mobility needs and wheelchair access requirements. Our personalized journeys can also accommodate travelers with hearing and vision impairments, and those living with allergies, dietary needs, and long- or short-term illness that may impact the enjoyment of a traditional tour. For those with hearing or vision impairments, we’ll ensure they’re paired with local guides who are sensitive to and knowledgeable about their needs and provide any necessary accompaniments or technologies available in destination. For those who need special attention to health and dietary requirements, we’ll work with closely with our team on the ground to plan a journey around hotels and restaurants equipped to provide the taste of the country they crave, all while accommodating any dietary limitations. A traveler with vision impairment approached us years ago with a request to accommodate his travels, and has since taken trips with us to Vietnam, Italy, Cambodia, and South Korea. Along his journeys we have ensured that all hotels had a butler service, and that each tour was customized to his needs. His local guides put particular emphasis on spending time describing sites, providing extra special context, and accommodating taste, touch, and aromas where appropriate, so he could experience the country in a way that intrigued his dominant senses. In another instance, a family of Kensington travelers was traveling with a child on the autism spectrum, in which we selected tours appropriate to sensory sensitivity, including visiting or staying in places with dim lights and quieter spaces.

Our favorite accessible destinations around the world

Not all countries around the world are created equal, which is why we’ll spend time getting to know our clients wishes and requirements, and design an itinerary in a country that is both exciting and accommodating.

The ENAT (European Network for Accessible Tourism) recently awarded Barcelona and Helsinki as part of the top accessible cities in Europe, and we’d like to give special attention to Milan as well. In the Caribbean, the “Fully Accessible Barbados” program puts Bridgetown at the top of our list. With its future-forward infrastructure, Cape Town is one of the most accessible cities on the African continent, with the possibility for safari at a nearby camp, and Seoul tops our list of accessible countries in Asia.

These are just a few places to ignite your inspiration, but a simple phone call is all it takes to unlock the door to a world of possibilities.