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Sights and Soul Travels is a boutique tour operator specializing in luxury tours and vacations for women, with destinations in Europe, South America, Africa, Asia, Australia, and Atarctica. The small group tours incorporate historical and cultural exploration, outdoor activities, fine dining, wine tastings, spas and luxury hotels, and cultural activities. The company is based in Germantown, Maryland, in the greater Washington, DC area. Sights and Soul Travels was founded in 2004, and currently has 6 full time employees who cooperate with several off-site partners and Tour Directors.

The story of Sights and Soul Travels

It’s been amazing! We have no other words to describe the past twenty plus years. Even before the idea of a women-only tour company became a reality, we have been dreaming, planning and traveling to countries around the world, gathering ideas and information, making contacts and mental checklists. In 2004, we managed to turn our passion into reality and Sights and Soul Travels, Tours and Vacations for Women was born. 

We started out with great hopes, very little money and no clients, but with lots of determination and a strong belief that there are women out there who will appreciate this approach to travel. The first year was challenging. Many people were puzzled by the idea of women-only travel. We did a lot of explaining. 

Meanwhile, we were slowly laying out the groundwork for what was to become the most trusted women-only tour operator. Soon, the demand exceeded the spaces we had on our tours and we had to resist the temptation to add more tours so that we could maintain the “friends traveling together” quality. But with time, we gathered a dedicated team of devoted travel professionals focused on building bridges between cultures and introducing more women to the wonders of world travel, and we could increase our offer. It is this dream team, who puts together our tours and sets the stage for our tour directors, which allows us to provide awesome experiences to more and more women. We are both very proud and very thankful. Today, Sights and Soul Travels runs over 60 tours a year, we have welcomed more than 10,000 tour guests, many of them several times and we made just as many friends. Our scale might have changed, but our original intention holds true: to share with other women the incredible experience of discovering the world, and to do so with heart and dedication, providing unique journeys and authentic experiences to each and every woman who trusts us with her travel dreams.

All our tours are defined by high style and in-depth cultural exploration, and each is tailor-made to highlight the most captivating aspects of its destination, but also meticulously paced so that we can savor every intriguing stop on our itinerary. Add in our inspiring guides, awesome tour directors, like-minded fellow travelers, truly fine dining, beautiful hotels and access to extraordinary places and special experiences, and you'll get a luxury, yet mind-expanding adventure like no other.

High-quality experiences tend to attract high-quality people. And as we meet many amazing women, we are grateful for and cherish each friendship and each connection we make. We are honored that you trust us with your vacation time and we love getting to know each woman who travels with us. We are thankful to those who share Sights and Soul with others, as we wouldn't be where we are today without your continued support. If you're only starting to get familiar with us, please know that we look forward to hearing from you. We answer each email within a day and answer each phone call in person. We love chatting about travel and helping you with turning your travel plans into reality.

What Others Are Saying about Us

YOLANTA BARNES, Executive Director 
YOLANTA BARNES

Yolanta is the force behind Sights and Soul Travels. With traveling and passion for people having always been essential in her life, designing travel experiences for women is her dream job. As the Executive Director of Sights and Soul Travels, her responsibilities include destination research, tour development and itinerary implementation, marketing and customer relations. Yolanta’s background in the arts is ever present in her choices of destinations, authenticity, and informed attention to all details. The tours which she curates are infused with spirit for life and zest for exploration, and her focus is on experiences particularly appealing to women. As an experienced world traveler, she understands the needs of women-on-the-road and is committed to making the tours enjoyable, comfortable and fun. When not planning new adventures, Yolanta enjoys being home, gardening and re-reading the classics. She can also mix a mean martini.

Latest journey: Turkey
Favorite destination: South Africa
Bucket list trips: South Korea, Mongolia, Namibia
What travel means to me: In 2004, when Sights and Soul Travels, a tour company geared solely for women, was founded, it took over my life and became my great passion. With the tremendous help of our talented office staff of Tour Managers and our star quality Tour Directors, we aim to create dream journeys for women. What could be better than the ability to make someone's dream come true? Since Sights and Soul Travels has become a part of my identity, I don't see travel in terms of personal journeys any more, but rather as a calling that allows me to make travel possible for other women. And I love every single day doing this.

Sights and Soul Travels' Team

TAYLOR CARTWRIGHT, Tour Manager

Areas of Expertise: Australia, New Zealand, Holland & Belgium, Bali, Iceland, Germany, Tuscany
Favorite destination: Ecuador
Bucket list trips: Greece, Croatia, Iceland
What travel means to me: I joined Sights and Soul Travels to be able to help create memorable experiences for women who take our tours around the world. Working here has given me a chance to learn and to embrace different cultures, different natural environments and to increase my awareness of the world we live in. I am constantly reminded of both the beauty and the complexities we are surrounded by. I love playing a part in empowering women to travel and create memories from some of the amazing places and experiences that the world has to offer.

ANDREA RICAURTE, Tour Manager

Areas of expertise: Ecuador, Brazil & Argentina, Costa Rica, Chile, Peru, Morocco, Spain, Eastern Europe (Hungary, Austria, Czech Republic), The Baltic Countries (Lithuania, Latvia & Estonia), Amalfi Coast, Rome
Favorite destination: Amalfi Coast
Bucket list trips: Greece, Iceland, Italy
What travel means to me: Travel means the ability to bring joy and happy memories for the years to come, and the happiest memories in my life come from the travels I have done. Working at Sights and Soul Travels, we have the opportunity to empower women to travel, encourage them to be adventurous, see new places, make new friends, and try new things. I joined this team to be a part of the process, where we creat travel memories that last a lifetime and curate these fantastic experiences for other women. I find it fascinating to discover the history, culture, and food native to each destination, and it is my never-ending curiosity that keeps me traveling to new places every year.

MOLLY MYRZA, Tour Manager

Areas of expertise: Croatia, Scotland, France, Egypt & Jordan, Sicily
Favorite destination: Thailand
Bucket list trips: Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, Italy
What travel means to me: Travel means freedom. It's a break from the usual, a chance for new experiences and unforgettable moments. Discovering delicious food, stunning views, and meeting new friends – that's the joy of it. Traveling opens my mind, fuels my curiosity, and reminds me how amazing our world truly is.

EMILY WILBERG, Tour Manager

Areas of expertise: England, Ireland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Turkey
Favorite destination: Nepal
Bucket list trips: River cruise on the Nile, Amazon jungle, Transylvania
What travel means to me: My grandmother, a world traveler, once told me she had never regretted a minute or a dollar she had spent on travel. I have found that travel is a crucial part of education; not only you learn about the location you visit, but you also learn so much about yourself! I love planning trips and either remembering about where I've been or daydreaming about where I might go. I joined the Sights and Soul Travels team because I wanted to be involved in assisting women make lifelong memories and friendships, as they see the natural and cultural wonders of our world.
 

JAYE ADDY, Tour Manager

Areas of expertise: Greece, Thailand & Laos, Vietnam & Cambodia, United Arab Emirates, Switzerland
Favorite destination: South Africa
Bucket list trips: Seychelles, Zanzibar, Machu Picchu
What travel means to me: Traveling internationally is a spiritual journey of exploration and self-discovery that expands our mindsets and connects us to other cultures through the similarities in our differences. Global travel teaches unforgettable lessons, and we are lifelong students. I joined Sights and Soul to help provide access to curated experiences of the cultural and natural wonders of our world, for women.

Sights and Soul Travels' Tour Directors 

Tour Directors' Meeting in Cancun, Mexico, November 2017

In addition to local guides, who share with the group their in-depth knowledge about the place where each tour takes us, each Sights and Soul Travels’ tour is accompanied by a Tour Director. These incredible women are there to assure that all the logistics during the tour run smoothly, they take care of all the details, and assure that everyone is enjoying the experience. Our Tour Directors are from the US, France, Poland, Germany, Iceland and Italy, speak several languages, are trained in first aid, and many of them have been working with Sights and Soul Travels for many years, so they treat the women who travel with us as extended family. Our Tour Directors are the one feature that makes our journeys uniquely special. Chosen for their charisma, expertise and affability, these women are the secret ingredient that turns a fine tour into an unforgettable experience. Their enthusiasm is contagious, their guidance consistently brings depth, excitement and substance to all the women who join them on our tours. We're proud to introduce you to our stars:

SIGHTS AND SOUL TRAVELS' TOUR DIRECTORS