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Gohagan & Company

Review Highlights

“ My husband and I were excited to be traveling on the "Antiquities of the Red Sea and Aegean Sea " which was scheduled to leave on October 31st. ” in 2 reviews

“ The tour guides were knowledgeable and Gohagan representatives were friendly and helpful throughout our 10 day adventure in the South Pacific! ” in 2 reviews

“ As a Tour Director, my colleagues and I proudly enjoyed every minute of being with you, through the Baltic, Mediterranean, Tahiti , New Zealand, Antarctica and every other part of the world. ” in 2 reviews

Location & Hours

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8550 W Bryn Mawr Ave

Chicago, IL 60631

Delphia Ave

O'Hare

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About the Business

For more than 35 years, Gohagan & Company has been curating all-inclusive, affinity travel programs for intellectually curious and discerning travelers. As the preferred provider of exclusive travel programs for North America’s most prestigious alumni associations, museums and cultural institutions, we offer enrichment opportunities on board and excursions designed to enhance and illuminate the culture, history and traditions of our destinations—including private or early admission to museums and specially arranged architectural site visits. …

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Overall rating

My wife and I traveled with Gohagan numerous times over the past 10 years on trips sponsored by National Trust Tours (NTT). We always appreciated the quality of the services provided, as well as the mix of travelers, primarily sponsored by university alumni associations and cultural organizations. Unfortunately, the sale of the company by the founding family, the Gohagans, to a private capital business, in conjunction with the pandemic, virtually destroyed the company. Office staff in Chicago were let go or left, and new hires quit before they learned their jobs. The institutional knowledge base was lost. It got so bad that, for a while, the standard voice response if you called Gohagan was: "We are not able to take your call now, but will get back to you in three weeks." -- No lie! We were booked for a trip to Iceland in July, 2022, and, while Iceland and the Ponnant ship were a delight, anything about the trip that was dependent o Gohagan was a disaster. We vowed never to travel with them again. Alas, a year and a half later, with assurances from NTT that things had improved at Gohagan, along with a substantial discount offered in way of apology by Gohagan, we booked on for a trip to Panama and Costa Rica, albeit with some trepidation. Much to our delight, Gohagan has indeed recovered much of its former quality. They are not back to where they were 4 or 5 years ago, but they did an excellent job planning and executing this trip. The Chicago office is no longer a black hole where questions go to die, and they assembled a mostly excellent team of local guides. The contractors who served as travel leaders were all responsive to the needs of us travelers, and, while I would have liked them to be a bit more proactively engaged in our trip, they were at least available to help when needed, throughout. My wife and I are pleased to see Gohagan recovering so well, and look forward to the possibility of traveling with them again in the future.

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Business Owner

Mar 21, 2024

Charles, thank you for taking the time to leave your comment. We appreciate your feedback, and your ongoing patronage of Gohagan & Company. We want to assure you that we continue to make improvements with ongoing training initiatives, product research and other enhancements. We would love to welcome you on another NTT and Gohagan & Company journey soon!

Very bad performance by Gohagen today in Santorini. They gave us very bad instructions as to how to get off the island, and as a result we had to wait in line for two hours fifteen minutes in a unruly crowd in the hot sun. SHAME ON YOU GOHAGEN

Last year's trip with Saint Mary's College Alumnae Association was wonderful. The planning with Gohagan could have been much smoother. There were unhelpful staff members and phone calls not returned. I hope there customer service has improved. I received the most help from Ana Gurian. I'm hesitant about traveling with Gohagan again. Also the single occupancy rate for the current alumnae association is ridiculous. 200% higher than double occupancy.

Vi, we apologize for your disappointing experience. Thank you for your positive feedback about Ana. We are proud of strides we've made in our service department, with ongoing training initiatives, caring staff and increased stability. We would love to have you travel with us again!

We booked an alumni trip to Alaska. The initial agent was awful-- did not return calls or answer emails, gave faulty information and did not functioning in a timely manner--we frequently waited weeks for answers and only got them by repetitious calling and emailing. We were told Gohagan would help book our flights but they were too busy-- when they finally got around to offering to assist us-- we had booked our tickets at a much higher price than if we had booked at the time we reserved our trip-- almost double the cost. No help was ever offered with hotel booking although we were told they would. We were not told about shore excursions until they were sold out. They would not initially give us the arrival departure schedules to book our own. Again by the time they granted us that info (they were afraid we would miss the boat, we are all seasoned travelers). T The cruise was actual nice due to it being on Windstar and their wonderful staff except we were in an old room that had no outlets on the bed walls-- so we had to string an extension cord across our room to use a medical device. Safe to have an extension cord strung across the room in the middle of the night? But the most disturbing aspect is the title of our trip was The Inside Passage to Alaska-- but we didn't go up the Inland Passage way-- they went around Vancouver Island in the open sea-- a totally different experience that what we expected. Beautiful but not what we paid for. Never was this change explained. Once Gohagan replaced the initial agent, answers were much more forthcoming but by then the stress and disgust had really built up, as well as missing opportunities to book shore excursions that we were really interested in. Again, I would travel on WindStar but never would I use Gohagan to arrange my travel. Gohagan's agents on the actual cruise ship were helpful but by then all of the above was done. Not the experience we had expected for a high end cruise.

I recently took a cruise to Alaska with "Inland Passage" in the title. I do not believe we took the Inland Passage as advertised. There were excursions that were full before I even knew they existed. When I arrived in my cabin I soon realized I needed an adapter for my CPAP. I was offered an adapter as well as an extension cord because my CPAP cord wouldn't reach the adapter. This could have caused a trip hazard. In hindsight they could have offered me a different room. The ship had newer rooms that had more than one 110 outlet, and the ship was not full. I had difficulty selecting my own excursions because it was next to impossible to get arrival and departure times for each port. The agent I worked with would not return calls nor emails. I did eventually have a different agent who was much easier to work with. I think the WindStar ship itself was excellent, but I can not recommend Gohagan.

Apr 11, 2023

Rita, thank you for taking the time to bring this to our attention. A team member has been notified to reach out to you as soon as possible to discuss the situation and answer any questions you have about your cruise. We look forward to talking with you soon!

I, as well as the three friends I am traveling with, have repeatedly requested specific information regarding our cruise for over three weeks and we seem to be getting the run around. They have not returned any of my calls in this three week period. This is frustrating because we would like to book excursions, but cannot get daily disembarking and departure times.

This is our third cruise with Gohagan that I've taken with my husband and we have always had an amazing time. This cruise featured the Adriatic and Aegean Seas and we traveled through the 70 foot wide Corinth Canal just at sunset when the lights were on - truly spectacular! The travel directors with Gohagan were attentive and took care of every detail to make sure our cruise was enjoyable and memorable. Sue S.

Dec 5, 2023

Susan, thank you so much for sharing about your cruise, we are glad you enjoyed your experience! We can't wait to see you travel with us again soon.

Gohagan is staffed by unprofessional, unresponsive, passive aggressive service agents who refuse to provide trip details in a timely manner -- for a $20k+ vacation. The fact that Brown University uses them for alumni-affiliated travel literally keeps us from booking those trips. Once was enough. Everyone we met on our cruise had the same experience -- it was literally how people introduced themselves: Comparing nightmare experiences with Gohagan. Save yourself the tremendous stress and book directly with the cruise line.

BEWARE!!!! We booked a tour with them and specifically asked about their Covid policy prior to booking, we were told they issue a full refund if someone can't go on a tour due to Covid. After taking our full payment for the tour, they changed their covid policy and did not notify us of the change. One of us tested positive for covid two days prior to the tour, and when we contacted our Gohagen representative, he stated he would start processing a refund. Well, that refund never came and now our attorney is involved. This company is NOT Reputable, does not stand behind their words, on their recorded line, and their customer service department uses "Ghosting" as a means of conflict resolution. Horrible company! Sue M.

Mar 24, 2023

Susan, we are sorry to hear about your experience with us. Please email [email protected] with your contact information and a team member will reach out shortly to further discuss your experience. Thank you.

Made a reservation for a trip in September 2023 and had to cancel due to conflict with family plans. Been waiting for a $1600 refund for 5 week's now and all I get is a run around from them. Very frustrating and unfortunately in seeking help I find they have a D- rating with the Chicago BBB. Saw other reviews that experienced same problem.

Mike, we are sorry to hear about your experience receiving a refund. We would appreciate it if you emailed [email protected] with your contact information so a team member can contact you soon to further discuss your concern. Thank you!

My husband and I were excited to be traveling on the "Antiquities of the Red Sea and Aegean Sea" which was scheduled to leave on October 31st. We had also opted to add on the 5 day post tour of Israel. This tour was definitely a "bucket list" trip of a lifetime! Sadly our excitement for this trip was extremely compromised by the war which erupted between the Hamas extremists and Israel at the beginning of October. And this is where the entire staff of Gohagan Travel really stepped up to the plate. When I emailed Ana Gurian, our Senior Advocate, about my concerns for our safety with the growing unrest in the region, she promptly answered my email and assured me that Gohagan Travel was monitoring the situation and would keep all of the tour group up to date with any decisions about changes that might be made. When I later spoke with her by phone, she truly listened to me and again assured me that the Gohagan Travel staff would put our safety at the top of their priority list! Finally when we received an email from John Stogis, Director of Passenger Services, and were given the option of continuing on the trip or receiving a Travel Certificate which gave us a credit to use for future travel with their company, I thought this was a fair and reasonable solution for this concerned traveler. I also want to mention that our initial airline reservations were handled very carefully and capably by Desiree Velazquez who kept us up to date on subsequent changes in airline times, etc. When our trip was cancelled, Michelle Rich facilitated that transaction with complete accuracy. Both Desiree and Michelle were always courteous and prompt in answering the questions we presented. Although this trip did not go, as we had hoped and planned, we are positive that we will be making travel arrangements in the near future with Gohagan travel group. They are superb at what they do. Dianne and Michael Young

Nov 10, 2023

Dianne, Thank you so much for your kind feedback. We hope to see you on a trip with us in the future!

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Cruise Charters With Gohagan & Co.

Aerial view of vung vieng, halong bay - hien phung / adobe stock.

We recently tried something new. Gohagan & Co., a tour operator specializing in chartering small luxury ships, offered a complimentary Vietnam cruise to the Andrew Harper editorial team. Ordinarily we don’t entertain such proposals. But with encouragement from our long-suffering accountant, I accepted the offer with the caveat that I would not hold back from criticism in my review. The Gohagan office was aware of my identity, but as far as the other passengers, local guides and cruise staff were concerned, my traveling companion and I were ordinary guests.

Once we arrived in Asia, the tour went beautifully. We started with a stay at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, a longtime favorite hotel of mine, followed by a cruise down Vietnam’s magnificent coast aboard Ponant’s Le Lapérouse ( see our review ). Gohagan chartered the entire plush 92-cabin vessel (though our sociable group numbered fewer than 80 people), which gave it full control of shore excursions. We hit major highlights of Vietnam — Ha Long Bay, Hue, Danang, Hoi An — on well-organized outings ideal for first-time visitors to the country. The small size of our ship allowed us to sail up the Saigon River and dock in downtown Ho Chi Minh City , where we all disembarked. We separated here from the rest of the group, which continued on to Siem Reap , Cambodia, to explore Angkor Wat and other nearby temples.

The itinerary was lovely, but what set it apart were the several special guests Gohagan arranged to have accompany the group. Phan Thi Kim Phuc, famously photographed as a child running from a napalm attack during the Vietnam War, gave deeply moving talks about her journey from resentment and rage to forgiveness and hope. Nick Ut, who captured that Pulitzer Prize-winning image, spoke about how his older brother, a photographer killed in the war, inspired him to pick up a camera himself. Journalist Jim Laurie told us about his time as a young reporter, covering the fall of Saigon and beyond. Professor Reiko Ohnuma, chair of the department of religion at Dartmouth, gave fascinating lectures about Buddhism. And award-winning photographer Mark Edward Harris taught helpful classes about making our vacation shots more compelling.

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We're looking at an alumni association tour to a village in France.

Although they are marketed through many universities' alumni lists, a

lot of them are actually run by Thomas P. Gohagan & Co..

Has anyone had any experience with this company's tours?

We went on an alumni travel tour run by Gohagan and Co. It was our first alumni travel trip. We cruised along the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. It was a small group travel. The ship was a Croatian Ship. We sailed from Venice to Dubrovnik and back to Venice. It was an older ship, but it was immaculate and the food was fabulous!! We had guest speakers come on board who were excellent. The total number of guests on board were about 50 people total and then at each port, we broke up into smaller groups. We also opted for the pre-tour extension. Gohagan booked us a room at the Bauer Hotel just off of San Marco's Plaza in Venice. We spent one day going to Ravenna and the next going out to an island where they specialized in lace making. Our room at the Bauer Hotel was fabulous. I don't think that we could have booked such a room as an independent traveler. I would highly recommend this company based on our one experience with them; I would go on another Gohagan and Co. trip. Croatia happened to be a real jewel of a place to visit and Gohagan took really good care of us

I have done two trips with the Thomas P. Gohagan & Co. -- One was the Great Journey which went to Switzerland and then a 5 day Rhine river cruise.

I liked the Gohagan & Co so much I just went to Dordogne with them. I booked Dordogne just because Gohagan was running it. I had no interest in Dordogne before but I enjoyed it and Gohagan did a great job in getting me interested and then producing a great trip.

I would go where they were going again just be cause Gohagan would be running it. They are a great tour group.

I have done two tours with them. One was "The Great Journey" which was Switzerland land tour combined with a Rhine River cruise from Basel to Amsterdam.

The other one was "The Villages of Dordonne"-- I took the second tour because the first was so good.

Thomas P. Gohagan & Co.. did not disappoint me and I am looking to see if I can get on another one.

Our first one was "the Great Journey" which was a Switzerland trip to the Matterhorn combined with a Rhine River cruise from Basel to Amsterdam.

My second was to "The Villages of Dordonne" and I went because they did such a good job on the first tour.

They do an exceptionally good job.

We are also going on the Great Journey tour in June. We'd appreciate information from those who already went on the level of activity that's required. We certainly walk a lot but the brochure indicates there are numerous very long walks as well as climbing staircases with no railings, which concerns us. Are participants required to be very agile and be able to easily climb or is there some tolerance for those of us who might need a little extra time to navigate the steps? We'd hate to keep groups waiting for us. Thank you!

I think don't recall any steps that were difficult. Good transportation. You might have to do some walking from the boat when you are in the center of a town, but the tours have wireless head sets so all can hear the descriptions.

https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=f6fe23a6e5a9ec3f#cid=F6FE23A6E5A9EC3F&id=F6FE23A6E5A9EC3F%21786

Joe, how nice of you to reply and send such lovely pictures. Now we are REALLY excited about the trip!!

My wife and I just returned on Monday from a Gohagan Travel trip called "Island Life Cuba." Travel to Cuba is difficult without going through another country like Canada, but this made it simple. We really had lots of fun with the alumni--the excursions, stays, meals, and custom activities were memorable. They arranged custom performances, student and professional, in venues like schools and churches and even in a hotel meeting room. They do the best they can in a country under oppression.

I loved the trip so much that I am placing my email address in their mailing list.

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How to Find Us

If you have any questions, just fill in the contact form, and we will answer you shortly. If you are in need of more immediate service, please feel free to give us a call.

GOHAGAN & COMPANY 8550 W Bryn Mawr Ave, Suite 650 Chicago, Illinois 60631 Phone: 312-609-1140 or 1-800-922-3088 (9-5 CT, M-F) Fax 312-609-1141

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