These New Tour Packages Are Making Accessible Group Travel Easier Than Ever

Destinations include Israel, the Greek Isles, and Costa Rica

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Published on 01/19/22

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View of two people on a foot bridge in costa rica. There is a feminine person in a power wheelchair looking over the side of the bridge as a masculine person stands next to the wheelh — Courtesy of Wheel the World

If you’ve traveled with a disability, you likely know the additional challenges that come along with planning an accessible trip. Planning to travel with a group? Even more challenging. But now, the online travel booking platform Wheel the World, which promotes accessible travel experiences with detailed accessibility information, is aiming to make things a little easier with its brand new group tour offerings.

Created to make travel easier for seniors and people with disabilities, Wheel the World helps people find and book accessible hotel rooms, private tours, and activities in more than 80 destinations. Feeling a need for the “community and camaraderie” that group travel fosters, Co-founder and CEO of Wheel the World Alvaro Silberstein looked to launch group tours that cater to the needs of travelers with disabilities.

Travelers can choose from nine packages to six destinations—Switzerland, Israel, Morocco, Greece, Costa Rica, and New York City. Whether island-hopping through Greece, ziplining through the forests of Costa Rica or enjoying a ladies-only trip to Morocco, trips include accessible accommodations, disability-trained guides, select meals, and more.

Tours have a maximum capacity of eight or 10 people and up to five power wheelchair users, depending on the itinerary selected. These trips range from $2,400 to $5,600 per person and exclude airfare. However, costs may increase if a person is traveling alone or if the tour does not meet the participant minimum.

When designing the tour itineraries, Wheel the World worked with local operators, “carefully making sure that the destination and capabilities of our tour operator partners could provide the quality accessibility standard needed for travelers with disabilities to move around safely and without worry,” said Silberstein. The result is a range of offerings where travelers can enjoy arts, culture, and adventure in new destinations without worrying too much about logistics and safety.

While the offerings launched with nine packages, Silberstein noted that this is just the beginning for Wheel the World, so keep your eyes open for new destinations and new itineraries! Outside of group tours, Wheel the World also offers private multi-day trips to a wide variety of destinations, from seeing the sights in San Francisco to dune bashing in Qatar, with flexible travel dates.