Founded in 2014 by Richard Bright above a coffee shop in Northeast Philadelphia, we've stayed deliberately small so that every traveler still talks to the person planning their trip.
Richard started the studio after fifteen years working logistics for a tour operator that had grown too large to remember who its travelers were. He wanted something smaller and more honest — closer to a tailor than a department store.
Today we are three full-time planners, a part-time bookkeeper, and a small network of partners in the cities we work with most: Lisbon, Kyoto, Mexico City, Cape Town, Reykjavík, and Buenos Aires. We do not have a call center. The phone rings on a desk in Philadelphia, and one of us picks it up.
We believe a good trip is one where nothing memorable goes wrong. That is harder than it sounds.
We do not own hotels, tour operators, or transport companies. We charge a planning fee so we can recommend the right thing for you, not the most profitable thing for us.
The person you speak with on the first call is the person who designs the itinerary, makes the bookings, and answers the phone if something goes sideways at 3am.
Every quote breaks down accommodation, transport, guides, fees, and taxes line by line. No commissions hidden in the room rate.
If we don't know a region well enough to plan it properly, we say so and refer you to someone who does. There are places we politely decline.
Founder & lead planner
Twenty-six years in the industry. Specializes in Iberia, Japan, and southern Africa. Speaks workable Portuguese, terrible French.
Italy & the Mediterranean
Born in Bologna, lived in Athens for nine years. Plans Italy, Greece, Croatia, and Malta. Known for ordering the off-menu thing.
Africa, South America & logistics
Former safari guide turned trip designer. Handles complex routings, multi-country itineraries, and most award-ticket work.
We work from a converted attic in Philadelphia's Fox Chase neighborhood. There's a long table, a wall of city maps, a kettle that's always on, and a black cat named Pilot.
Clients are welcome by appointment. Most of our planning happens over the phone or on video — we have travelers in 31 states — but if you'd like to come in, we'll put the kettle on.
Studio: 4300 Rocky Road, Philadelphia, PA 19111
Hours: Mon–Fri, 9:00–18:00 ET
Phone: 215-663-4138