About AERA

The People Behind Your Perfect Journey

AERA was born from a simple belief: travel should feel personal, intentional, and beautifully designed — not mass-produced.

Our story

We started as travelers who couldn't find what we were looking for.

In 2012, three friends took a trip to Morocco. The hotel was fine. The food was fine. The tours were fine. But nothing felt personal. Nothing felt designed for them. That trip planted a seed.

They asked: what if every journey felt like a magazine spread come to life? What if the planning process itself felt exciting? What if you had a real human who knew every hidden alley, every quiet café, every sunset viewpoint — and put it all together just for you?

That question became AERA.

"Tourism shouldn't feel like tourism. It should feel like a story being written — with you as the main character."

— Elena Reyes, Co-founder

Today, we operate across 84 countries with a team of 45 curators, local guides, and travel designers. We've planned over 8,500 journeys. And the philosophy hasn't changed: every trip should feel like it was made for one person — because it was.

Detail
Our story

Our Promise

Every journey is personally designed, never templated. Your trip exists only for you.

Our values

Six principles that shape every journey we design.

01

Deeply Personal

No templates. No itineraries recycled from last month. Every journey is built from scratch around you.

02

Sustainably Mindful

We partner with eco-certified stays, offset carbon, and support local communities at every destination.

03

Obsessively Crafted

We treat your trip like a design project. Every restaurant, every route, every timing is intentional.

04

Locally Connected

Our guides aren't hired — they're friends. Born-local experts who open doors you didn't know existed.

05

Effortlessly Smooth

From airport pickup to surprise upgrades, everything just works. You focus on the experience, we handle the rest.

06

Beautifully Presented

Your itinerary looks like a magazine. Your travel pack feels premium. Even the emails are designed with care.

The curators

Meet the humans behind AERA.

Each curator has personally visited every destination they design. No desk research — only lived experience.

Our timeline

12 years of curating unforgettable journeys.

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Behind the scenes

Where the magic happens.

From our design studios to the destinations themselves — a peek into how we work.

Team
Design Studio, NYC
Planning
Itinerary Workshop
Travel pack
Travel Pack Design
Research
Destination Research
Field
On-Ground Scouting
In the press

What the world's best publications say about us.

"AERA has redefined what premium travel planning looks like — editorial, personal, and effortlessly smooth."

World's Best 2025

"The itineraries read like short stories. The trips feel like dreams you didn't know you could have."

Readers' Choice

"In a sea of generic tourism, AERA stands out with design-thinking applied to every journey."

Top 10 Agencies

"Their local guide network is unmatched. AERA travelers access experiences most tourists never see."

Featured Partner
Trusted partners

We work with the world's finest travel brands.

Aman Resorts

Luxury stays partner

Emirates

Premium flights partner

Silversea

Expedition cruises

Michelin Guide

Dining curation

World Wildlife

Eco-travel advisory

Join the AERA team

We're always looking for passionate travelers, sharp designers, and empathetic planners who want to change how the world experiences tourism.

Travel Curator Visual Designer Local Guide (Kyoto) Marketing Lead Operations Manager
View Open Roles
Start your story

Now that you know us — let us get to know you.

Tell us where you want to go, how you want to feel, and what matters most. We'll do the rest.

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