Explore the World with the MIT Alumni Travel Program

Interested in learning about Chile's amazing observatories? Curious about the engineering marvels of Northern Italy? These trips and more are available through the MIT Alumni Travel Program, which annually offers unique trips to locations around the world. In the past year, more than 600 travelers took part in the MIT trips.

The trips, which are open to the greater MIT community, often feature MIT faculty or other expert scholars who add a learning component to each program. An excellent example of the program’s offerings is “Berlin: Historic Treasures and Modern Marvels,” a week-long program in Germany that took place earlier in summer 2013.

The trip, which explored the architectural, cultural, and historic side of Berlin, included trips to more than a dozen museums, historical locations, and architectural spectacles. Close to 15 MIT community members took part in the trip, which also included day tours of German cities Dresden and Potsdam.

“The excitement went beyond sight-seeing,” says traveler Robert Hsiung MArch ’62. “The best parts of the trip were the learning experience in architecture, art, and history from our knowledgeable tour guide—he was first class—and the sharing of individual interests among our MIT alumni group.”

The week-long history lesson touched on German-specific issues such as the transformation of East Berlin since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the restoration of Dresden after its bombing during World War II, and visits to the Jewish Museum and the German Historical Museum. The trip also explored a wider scope of European history, such as viewings of the Egyptian bust of Nefertiti, the Ishtar Gate, and the Pergamon Temple.

“My wife and I had enjoyed visits to Berlin's historical museum treasures on two earlier trips," James Kistler ’62, SM ’63 says. "But the Alumni Travel program provided a much more comprehensive understanding of the history of Berlin and Germany through the efforts of our tour guide, Stefan Albrecht. His superb commentary enhanced our understanding of the social, economic, and geopolitical elements that shaped Germany's history.”

Visit the MIT Alumni Travel Program page to explore upcoming programs. The 2014 schedule has been announced and features a trek a geology-based excursion of the Mojave Desert, a centennial celebration of the Panama Canal, and two trips geared toward families: a sight-seeing tour of China and a trip to the Galapagos that includes seven days aboard the cruise ship National Geographic Islander.