Our Why

Explorer X was founded in 2017 by travel industry veterans Jake Haupert and Michael Bennett, Ed.D. Driven by their own life-changing travel experiences and recognizing that many others were seeking more meaningful, immersive, and thought-provoking adventures, Jake and Michael set out to create a new type of travel company … One that not only takes people to the most incredible destinations around the world and invites them to venture into its most unique cultures but a company that also guides people on an Inner Journey of exploration, discovery, learning, and growth.

The mission? To support you in becoming the Hērō of you own story … to empower you to practice courage, seek understanding, and foster communication … and to inspire you to create change in your own life, in your community, and in the world.

Our Philosophy

We believe that travel, at its roots, is about exploration … That it’s as much about the Inner Journey of learning and growth as it is about the Outer Journey of exploration … It's about adventuring off into the unknown, disconnecting from the demands of work and technology and exploring the world and ourselves … It’s about the special moments, whether you are camping in the Australian outback, staying in a remote ecolodge in Greenland, or treating yourself to a boutique hotel in Patagonia … It’s about connecting with new people, places, and cultures, wrestling with new ideas, perspectives, and beliefs, and building awareness, understanding, empathy, and global citizenship … And it's about reconnecting with ourselves so that we can live with more meaning, purpose, and intention.