Dean Alumni Travel Program

Dean College is planning two new international travel opportunities for alumni in 2027: a stay-and-learn experience in Tokyo, Japan, and a more traditional guided tour through the British Isles. Both are still in the planning stages, but we are ready to begin hearing from alumni who may want to join us.

Explore the World with Dean in 2027

Two destinations. Two very different ways to experience them. One more reason to stay connected to Dean.

If you would like to receive information about either of trips, please click here. Submitting an interest email does not commit you to travel. It simply ensures that you will receive updated itineraries, pricing, registration details, and invitations to upcoming information sessions as they become available.

Tokyo, Japan: A Stay-and-Learn Experience
Dates: March 12 - 20, 2027

Travel partner: EF Study Abroad / EF Language Abroad

This is not a traditional move-from-city-to-city tour. Tokyo will serve as our home base for the week, giving travelers the opportunity to settle in, learn, and experience the city with more depth. The program combines introductory Japanese language and cultural learning with guided excursions, hands-on experiences, and time to explore independently.

The current recommended itinerary includes daily EF Language & Culture in Context sessions, along with visits and experiences throughout Tokyo.

Tentative itinerary highlights

A guided Tokyo city tour and time to explore on your own
Tokyo Skytree and Senso-ji Temple
A traditional tea ceremony and time in the Harajuku shopping district
An immersive teamLab experience
Meiji Shrine
A hands-on sushi-making experience
Welcome and farewell dinners

The British Isles: A Traditional Guided Tour
Dates: May 16 - 25, 2027

For alumni who enjoy seeing more than one destination in a single trip, Kingdom by the Sea offers a traditional guided-tour experience through Ireland, Wales, England, and Scotland. Travelers will move through the itinerary together, with an ACIS Tour Manager overseeing the group, coordinating logistics, and helping bring each destination to life.

The 10-day itinerary begins with two nights in Dublin, followed by the Lake District, Edinburgh, York, and London. Along the way, the group will cross the Irish Sea by ferry, visit historic and literary landmarks, and experience a mix of guided sightseeing, cultural activities, and time to explore independently.

Itinerary at a glance

May 16: Depart the United States on an overnight flight
May 17-18: Dublin - become acquainted with the city; tour O'Connell Street and St. Patrick's Cathedral; explore Temple Bar; and try an Irish dancing lesson
May 19: Travel by ferry from Dublin to Holyhead, Wales, then continue through North Wales to England's Lake District
May 20-21: Visit Grasmere and Wordsworth's Dove Cottage, stop at Hadrian's Wall, and continue to Edinburgh for a guided city tour, Edinburgh Castle, free time, and an evening Old Town walking tour
May 22: Travel through Northumberland to York for guided sightseeing and a visit to York Minster
May 23: Visit Shakespeare's Birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon before continuing to London
May 24: Tour London's landmarks and St. Paul's Cathedral, with time for additional exploring or shopping
May 25: Depart for the United States

What is included

Round-trip flights and all local transportation
Three- or four-star, centrally located hotels
Daily breakfast and five dinners
A 24-hour ACIS Tour Manager and personal headsets throughout the tour
The Dublin-Holyhead ferry
Guided tours in Dublin, Edinburgh, York, and London
Admission to St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dove Cottage, Edinburgh Castle, York Minster, Shakespeare's Birthplace, and St. Paul's Cathedral
An Irish dancing lesson and a guided evening walking tour of Edinburgh's Old Town

If you have questions, please email Joanne Coluccio, Director of Alumni Engagement, at jcoluccio@dean.edu.

Iceland offered an unforgettable, immersive experience that won't soon be forgotten.

Dean Alumni Travel Program Launches with Unforgettable Iceland Journey

This spring, Dean College alumni joined students for a remarkable week in Iceland, marking the inaugural alumni experience in Dean’s new Alumni Travel Program.

Dean College colleagues Dr. Rob Lawson, Professor of History and Director of the Honors Program, and Joanne Coluccio, Director of Alumni Engagement, partnered to welcome alumni into the program and create an experience designed to be as memorable for the connections it fostered as for the places it visited.

From May 11–17, three Dean alumni, Arte Lundgren ’71, Sarah Tower ’16, and Cathy Wong ’25, traveled alongside Dean’s Honors Program students for an immersive journey through Iceland’s dramatic landscapes, vibrant capital city, and rich cultural traditions. What began as a group of travelers preparing for an international adventure quickly became a shared experience shaped by discovery, conversation, laughter, and many new friendships.

A Shared Journey Through Iceland

The journey was also shared with Southern New Hampshire University, whose faculty sponsor was Dean alumna Dr. Amanda Presswood ’14. Several Dean students who enrolled in the trip while seniors also traveled as newly minted alumni, further broadening the alumni experience and adding to the range of perspectives within the group.

Along the way, travelers experienced both Reykjavík and the remarkable landscapes beyond it, exploring sites such as Hallgrímskirkja and the National Museum of Iceland, visiting a greenhouse powered by geothermal energy, and encountering waterfalls, moss-covered cliffs, black-sand beaches, basalt formations, and sweeping coastal views. A guided glacier walk and a visit to the Blue Lagoon rounded out a week that offered a vivid introduction to Iceland’s history, culture, and natural environment.

More Than Sightseeing

For Arte Lundgren ’71, the trip’s impact went well beyond the sights themselves. He shared that concerns he had before leaving “immediately disappeared while waiting to board at Logan,” describing the program as “such a well-organized experience that encompassed so much more than just sightseeing.”

As the week unfolded, travelers found connection not only during the major excursions, but also in the quieter moments in between: morning breakfasts, evening meals, chance encounters around town, conversations on the bus, and the easy familiarity that comes from sharing a full week together. Arte noted that some of his favorite memories included “the mornings and evenings enjoying our meals and just having simple ‘get to know you’ conversations,” as well as “the banter in the back of the bus.”

Building Community Beyond Campus

Those moments are at the heart of Dean’s Alumni Travel Program. By welcoming alumni into a student travel experience, the program creates opportunities for alumni and students to learn alongside one another, share perspectives, and build relationships that might not otherwise happen on campus. Traveling with the SNHU group added another dimension, bringing together people from different backgrounds around a shared curiosity, openness to adventure, and appreciation for the experience.

Thoughtful planning, experienced guides, and a carefully designed itinerary gave travelers the confidence to fully engage with the journey while leaving room for the conversations and spontaneous moments that made the week personal and memorable.

As Dean looks ahead to future travel opportunities, the inaugural alumni experience in Iceland has set a meaningful standard. It demonstrated that travel can be more than a chance to see extraordinary places. It can create new friendships, strengthen connections to Dean College, and offer alumni a meaningful new way to remain part of the Dean community.

Thank you to everyone who made this first shared journey such a special one.