We’ve come a long way from our beginnings as a tiny start-up, offering a new, personal style of travel from a flat above a post office in Northampton. Vietnam, the first destination we offered trips to, will always hold a soft spot for us — and we’re still in touch with some of our very first clients. Today, we offer trips to destinations worldwide, and have offices in Oxfordshire, London, and Boston, but we still hold to our founding belief that travel means the most when it’s created for you.
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1991
The beginning
![Audley founder Craig Burkinshaw]()
Our story starts with a backpack in Vietnam. Craig Burkinshaw’s backpacking journey around Asia brought him to Vietnam, where he fell in love with a destination and its culture. Craig returned home and placed a small ad in The Sunday Times to begin leading his own small-group tours there.
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1996
Asian Journeys is formed
![Asian Journey's brochure cover]()
Craig joins forces with fellow London School of Economics graduate John Brewer to found Asian Journeys. It paves the way for a new type of travel: individually crafted trips shaped around your interests to show destinations in a different light. With our first specialist joining the team and a brochure sent out into the world, our new approach to travel sees us go from strength to strength.
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1998
Uncovering more of Asia
![Taj Mahal in Agra, India]()
Asian Journeys begins to plan adventurous trips into North and Central Asia for those who want more meaningful, authentic travel experiences beyond the obvious. We also unveil the Indian Subcontinent, choosing experiences that introduce you to the region’s true character.
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2001
Audley Travel is born
![Audley's Stratton Audley offices]()
After moving to the rural Oxfordshire village of Stratton Audley and launching our first website, we add South America to our growing list of destinations. However, this calls for a name change. ‘Audley Travel’ is inspired by the village where the office is based at this time.
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2005
A host of new destinations
![Driving the Dampier Peninsula in Australia]()
We show people more of the world, launching several new countries and regions. After touring the destinations ourselves to hand-pick the best experiences, we begin offering trips to North Africa, the Middle East, New Zealand, the Galapagos, and Africa safari destinations, followed by Australia. We also receive our first award from Wanderlust magazine.
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2006
A new home at New Mill
![Audley's New MIll offices in Oxfordshire]()
We move to our current headquarters, the New Mill in Witney, Oxfordshire — a large 18th-century converted blanket mill on the banks of the River Windrush. National recognition is growing, and we’re named 'Best Small Tour Operator’ by The Guardian/The Observer.
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2007
Uncovering more of the world
![Adelie penguins, Antarctica]()
Drawing on the first-hand experiences of our specialists, many of whom have lived and worked in their destinations, we start planning trips to some of the world’s furthest corners. Our travelers can now venture to Antarctica and the Arctic, as well as Canada, Alaska, and Madagascar.
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2008
Giving something back
![Education is the key to success mural]()
We introduce our first Charity of the Year — nominated by our team, the chosen charity receives funding generated from client donations and our own fundraising efforts. Soon after we also start giving our travelers the option to carbon-offset their flights, working closely with our long-time partner — ClimateCare.
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2012
Trips to the USA
![Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, USA]()
We introduce the US as a new place for our British travelers, giving them the chance to experience regions including California, New England, the Rockies, and the Deep South the Audley way, from epic road trips to traditional ranch stays. It quickly becomes our most popular destination for UK travelers.
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2014
New offices open in Boston and London
![Audley's Boston offices]()
As the team — and the breadth of our destinations — grows, we open our Boston office in March of this year and begin offering our same style of highly individual travel to Americans. A few months later, our new London office in Shepherd's Bush opens its doors.
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2016
La dolce vita
![Pienza in Tuscany, Italy]()
As we reach our 20th anniversary, we turn our gaze to Europe. Our first stop? Italy. As with all our destinations, our team hand-pick experiences that show you Italy in a new light, from truffle hunting in Tuscany to e-bike rides through Umbria. Over the next couple of years, we continue to highlight Europe’s diversity by introducing the UK, Ireland, and France, closely followed by Spain and Portugal.
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2020
Trips closer to home
![Boats in Hvar, Croatia]()
We expand closer‑to‑home travel across the US, Canada, and the Caribbean, while also growing our European destinations. In 2020, we become a Travelife partner and publish our first sustainability report.
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2021
25 years of travel
![25 years of travel with Audley]()
We celebrate 25 years of creating meaningful travel experiences built around you, thoughtfully designed to connect you with the people, cultures, and places that make our world so extraordinary. We've come a long way, but we still want to offer you even more ways to ignite your passion for travel.
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2023
B Corp Certified
![B Corp Certified logo]()
We proudly become a certified B CorporationTM, joining a global community of businesses that consistently aim to improve their social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.
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2025
Charting new waters
![The World By Water Cruise Brochure Cover]()
We add ocean cruising into the mix, giving you more opportunities to explore the world by water. Our cruise specialists pair sailings with bespoke trips on land so you can get the most out of your destinations. As with our other trips and experiences, the team hand-picks the best ships and sailings to suit your individual needs and interests.
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2026
Turning 30
![Audley Manchester Destinations 2026]()
2026 marks 30 years since we were founded as Asian Journeys. In three decades, we’ve grown from a one-man show to a global business, helping you explore over 80 destinations worldwide. Yet, what we offer remains the same: meaningful travel shaped around you.
