Travel is personal
Every itinerary is built for the people taking it — not for a spreadsheet. Your pace wins, always.
WanderCrest — est. 2014
We plan trips the way we'd take them.
No call centres. No templated brochures. Just a small team of travellers who turned a two-desk side project into one of the most personal travel studios you'll find.
Our story
It started with one map and two very stubborn opinions.
In 2014, Mara Ellison was a travel journalist tired of watching great trips get booked badly. Jonas Reyes was an expedition leader tired of great travellers getting rushed. Over one long dinner in San Diego, they decided the fix was simple: plan every journey like it was their own.
Twelve years later, that rule hasn't changed. The studio now covers 48 countries, employs destination specialists on three continents, and still reads every single traveller feedback form — personally.
We're not the biggest travel company. We're not trying to be. We're the one that knows your name, your pace and the exact table with the view.
The studio today
One address on Market Avenue,
48 countries on the wall.
From our San Diego studio, a team of destination specialists designs every departure — then tests it on the ground before it ever appears on the website. If we wouldn't take our own family, we don't sell it.
14 travel specialists · one shared opinion: go slowly.
What we stand for
Four rules we never break.
Small is better
Twelve guests per departure means real access: the guide's favourite table, the quiet trail, the unlisted village.
Leave it better
We stay in family-run places, work with local guides and keep groups small enough to tread lightly.
Honesty, in writing
Prices are final, inclusions are clear and our cancellation terms fit on one page. No surprises, ever.
The journey so far
A short history of long trips.
2014
Two desks, one map
Mara and Jonas start WanderCrest from a San Diego apartment, planning trips for friends of friends.
2017
The first 10,000 travellers
Small-group departures launch across Greece and Japan, and the 10,000th traveller comes home.
2021
The studio grows
A proper destination studio opens on Market Avenue, with specialists for Asia, Europe and Africa.
2026
48 countries & counting
Today the map covers 48 countries, with a 24/7 concierge desk and a waiting list for every departure.
The people
The ones who'll know your name.
Mara Ellison
Founder & Creative Director
Former travel journalist with 40+ countries under her belt. Designs every itinerary that leaves the studio.
Jonas Reyes
Head of Trip Design
Spent a decade guiding in the Andes and the Alps. Turns "we'd love to see..." into day-by-day perfection.
Amara Chen
Destination Specialist, Asia
Grew up between Taipei and Kyoto. Knows which temple to visit at 6am and which ramen shop is worth the queue.
Luca Moretti
Expedition Leader
Led expeditions on four continents. Your safety, comfort and best-possible-story are his three priorities.
12+
Years crafting journeys
48
Countries on our map
9,400+
Trips planned & delivered
4.9/5
Average traveller rating
Want the trip planned by us?
It starts with a ten-minute conversation. No obligation, no pressure.