Flying Jayhawks Travel

Travel the world with other Jayhawks

Take the Trip of a Lifetime

The Flying Jayhawks Program offers all graduates, former students, families and friends the chance to travel among the camaraderie of fellow Jayhawks through discovery, adventure and education.

 

The program provides enrichment through the exploration of other cultures and lifestyles while strengthening loyalty, friendship, commitment and communication among a unique community drawn together by KU.

Featured Destinations

Antiquity to Anatolia | Oct 29 - Nov 9, 2025

Embark on an unforgettable journey with us through the timeless allure of Italy, Greece, and Turkey. Explore the artistry of legendary painters and architects in Italy. Venture into the depths of history in Greece, discovering ancient ruins and iconic landmarks. Discover the vibrant markets of Istanbul and stand in awe of monumental structures that have withstood the test of time.

2025 Destinations

Alpine Splendor
Sept. 4 - 17, 2025
Flavors of Sicily
Sept. 5 - 13, 2025
Tuscany & Emilia-Romagna
Sept. 9 - 18, 2025
Great Trains & Grand Canyons
Sept. 14 - 19, 2025
South Korea & Japan
Sept. 22 - Oct. 8, 2025
France - Pleasures of Provence
Sept. 30 - Oct. 8, 2025
Casablanca to Lisbon
Oct. 14 -23, 2025
Cruise the Heart of Europe
Oct. 19 - Nov. 3, 2025
Patagonia and Chilean Fjords
Oct. 22 - Nov. 2, 2025
Antiquity to Anatolia
Oct. 29 - Nov. 9, 2025
Douro River
Nov. 7 - 15, 2025
Legends of the Nile
Nov. 11 - 22, 2025
Christmas Markets Along The Danube
Dec. 1 - 9, 2025

2026 Destinations

Antarctica In Depth
Jan. 4 - 16, 2026
Journey through Vietnam
Jan. 20 - Feb. 3, 2026
Enclaves of Indochina
Feb. 21 - March 11, 2026
Journey to Southern Africa
Feb. 22 - March 9, 2026
Tanzania Safari
March 1 - 12, 2026
Tahiti & French Polynesia
March 3 - 13, 2026
The Galapagos Islands
March 10 - 17, 2026
A Collector's Treasure - New Zealand & Australia
March 15 - 30, 2026
Finland ~ Arctic Magnificence
March 22 - 30, 2026
The Masters
April 8 - 11, 2026
Dutch Waterways
April 11 - 19, 2026
Legendary Turkey
April 17 - May 1, 2026
Normandy - Honfleur
April 18 - 26, 2026
Rivieras of France & Italy
April 21 - 30, 2026
Etruscan Waterways - Spain to Italy
April 21 - 28, 2026
Kentucky Derby
April 29 - May 3, 2026
Casablanca to Porto & Andalusia
May 4 - 13, 2026
Romance of the Douro River
May 8 - 19, 2026
Danube Delights
May 15 - 22, 2026
Flavors of Piedmont
May 16 - 24, 2026
Great European Journey
May 16 - 27, 2026
European Coastal Cruise
May 23 - June 1, 2026
Cruise Sicily, Malta & Amalfi Coast
May 25 - June 2, 2026
Bordeaux and Basque Country: Wine & Culture
June 4 - 14, 2026
Treasures of Peru
June 5 - 15, 2026
Dalmatian Coast & Italy
June 11 - 20, 2026
Croatia & the Dalmatian Coast
June 16 - 27, 2026
The Charm of the Amalfi Coast
June 17 - 25, 2026
Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea
June 29 - July 10, 2026
Kenya Safari: The Big 5
July 1 - 11, 2026
Discover Southeast Alaska
July 3 - 10, 2026
Europe's Historic Rivers: Main, Rhine & Moselle
July 23 - Aug. 2, 2026
Majestic Vistas & Wildlife of Alaska
July 28 - Aug. 6, 2026
Visions of the Solar Eclipse
July 30 - Aug. 13, 2026
Vancouver to Toronto by Rail
Aug. 13 - 19, 2026
Scotland
Aug. 26 - Sept. 3, 2026
Easy Company
Aug. 31 - Sept. 12, 2026
Exploring Australia & New Zealand
Sept. 9 - 30, 2026
Around the World by Private Jet
Sept. 13 - Oct. 3, 2026
Cambodia, Vietnam & the Mekong River
Sept. 14 - 28, 2026
Swiss Alps & The Italian Lakes
Sept. 16 - 25, 2026
Village Life Cotswolds
Sept. 20 - 28, 2026
Bordeaux to Lisbon
Oct. 1 - 12, 2026
Kingdom of Bhutan
Oct. 2 - 13, 2026
Balloon Fiesta
Oct. 2 - 5, 2026
Bohemian Wonders
Oct. 7 - 16, 2026
Southern European Gems
Oct. 23 - Nov. 2, 2026
Legends of the Nile
Oct. 26 - Nov. 6, 2026
Spain ~ Andalucia in a Parador
Oct. 29 - Nov. 6, 2026
Iceland & the Northern Lights
Nov. 7- 15, 2026
Holiday Markets Cruise ~ The Festive Rhine River
Nov. 28 - Dec. 6, 2026

Ready To Travel

The Flying Jayhawks Program welcomes anyone interested in travel; graduates, former students, families and friends. You need not hold a KU degree to travel with the Flying Jayhawks.

Jayhawk Stories
Flying Jayhawks
Flying Jayhawks: La Bella vita in Toscana

Read a firsthand trip of a Flying Jayhawks trip to experience the "Flavors of Northern Italy."

Jayhawk Stories
Flying Jayhawks
Jayhawks Abroad: Adventures in the Mediterranean

Jodi Nachtigal, the Alumni Association’s assistant VP of finance, hosted a Flying Jayhawks trip to the Mediterranean April 18-29.

Jayhawk Stories
Driving with Jayhawks
Driving with Jayhawks: Flying Jayhawks

In the monthly Driving with Jayhawks series, we’re taking the best of KU on a ride through campus as we talk about their Jayhawk experience.

Jayhawk Stories
Flying Jayhawks
The Galapagos Islands: A Living Museum

Austin Johanning, g’21, assistant director of donor relations, hosted a Flying Jayhawks trip to the Galapagos Islands January 17-27.

Travel Providers

Travel Resources

Travel Insurance

You’ve dreamed of this trip for months or years — maybe even a lifetime — but life can be unpredictable. Travel Insurance Select offers three different levels of coverage so you can choose the right plan for your unique needs and budget.

Passport & Visa Information

Travel to most other countries requires that you have a valid passport, and often times a visa. Click here to find out how to obtain one.

Customs Information

Many of us love to shop when we are traveling abroad. The U.S. Bureau of Customs Web site will help you understand what you can and cannot bring back to the states.

Center for Disease Control

What to know before you go. From the Center for Disease Control home page, select travel health information by your destination countries.

Climate

Traveling to other countries generally results in a change in climate. Click here to find out what the weather is like for tens of thousands of places worldwide.

FAQS

The Flying Jayhawks Program offers all graduates, former students, families and friends the chance to travel among the camaraderie of fellow Jayhawks through discovery, adventure and education. The program provides enrichment through the exploration of other cultures and lifestyles while strengthening loyalty, friendship, commitment and communication among a unique community drawn together by KU.

The Flying Jayhawks Program offers all graduates, former students, families and friends the chance to travel among the camaraderie of fellow Jayhawks through discovery, adventure and education. The program provides enrichment through the exploration of other cultures and lifestyles while strengthening loyalty, friendship, commitment and communication among a unique community drawn together by KU.

The Flying Jayhawks Program offers tours to traditional as well as unique destinations. KU Alumni works closely with expert tour operators based on established reputations, dependable financial, operational and administrative specifications, and a professional staff. Our intention is to offer KU alumni and friends only the finest tour values; thus, tour operators and trips are selected based on feedback we receive from our past travelers as well as current trends in the industry.

 

Dates, itineraries, program details, and costs (per person, double occupancy) are subject to change and revision. Please check each trip brochure for details. Every effort will be made to carry out the program as planned.

The number of Flying Jayhawks on a trip can range from six to 50, but is typically somewhere in between. Some travel programs also include groups from other colleges and universities.

Unless otherwise indicated, tours include pre-trip information, first-class cruise/river ships, trains, hotels (or best available in remote areas), transfers and luggage handling, services of experienced tour directors, local guides and academic lecturers; some meals and sightseeing, and a name badge. Specific included features are noted in individual tour brochures.

Airline class and hotel room upgrades, domestic air transportation, deviations from the published itinerary, passport and visa fees, pre and post-program extensions, optional excursions, airport, departure and/or port taxes, travel insurance, laundry and dry cleaning, wines, liquors, mineral waters and meals not specifically noted, and items of a strictly personal nature. Please refer to individual tour brochures for specific exclusions.

Should airfare be included in the total cost of the tour, you may remove this component. If you prefer to make your own air arrangements to the destination city, our tour operators will give you a land only price (discount). If you do choose to make your own air arrangements, you will be responsible for arranging your ground transportation from the airport to the hotel/ship when you arrive in the destination city.

Trip pricing is always based on two people sharing the cost of the hotel room or ship cabin. If you are traveling alone and do not wish to be matched with a roommate, you will incur an additional charge. Please note that the single supplement for a cruise is generally much higher than a land trip since a substantial portion of the total trip cost is the ship cabin. All programs offer only a limited number of single rooms.

To enjoy the alumni group travel experience, participants must be in good physical and mental health and be able to keep pace with the group. Any physical constraints must be reported at the time of registration. Participants who require extraordinary assistance must be accompanied by a helper who is capable of and totally responsible for providing the required assistance. Look for the “What to Expect” section in the tour brochures for more information on the rigors of individual tours. Most of the tours involve some element of walking, high altitudes, etc.

The right is retained by the tour operator to decline to accept or to retain any person as a member of the tour who is unfit for travel or whose physical or mental condition may constitute a danger to themselves or to others on the trip.

The Flying Jayhawks Program accepts reservations by mail or fax, using the specific trip brochure’s reservation form. If using a credit card for the deposit, we also accept reservations by phone. It is perfectly acceptable to send in a deposit for a trip whose brochure has not been printed.

Most tour operators charge a nominal cancellation fee from the time of deposit to cover expenses incurred in processing a new reservation and mailing out preliminary trip information. As the departure date gets closer, the tour supplier has made more financial commitments to their vendors (airlines, hotel, and ground transportation) and accordingly, cancellation fees become more substantial. Our many travel operators have different policies governing cancellations, and thus we suggest that you discuss cancellation fees with them prior to making your trip deposit. Please also read the cancellation clauses on each brochure.

We strongly recommend that you purchase travel insurance that covers trip cancellation/interruption, and/or baggage loss or damage, emergency evacuation, and accidents incurred while traveling. We will send insurance information with each of our confirmation letters. Pay close attention to stipulations about insuring a pre-existing condition within 7-15 days of initial trip deposit payment. Options for insurance purchase include travel insurance through USI Travel Insurance Services, the preferred vendor of KU Alumni.

You are free to make travel insurance arrangements with another insurance company of your choice.

You may choose to forego purchasing travel insurance coverage, but must sign a waiver stating that you are choosing this option

Contact Us for More Information

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Austin Johanning
Assistant Director of Donor Relations

Welcome to KU Alumni

Your gift to KU Alumni is the single most powerful way to make all of KU stronger, including the value of your own degree. Through your support, KU Alumni:

KU Alumni