Your Escape Begins with Our Story
Kensington was founded by explorer and Royal Geographic Society Fellow Jeff Willner, whose love of travel was shaped by a childhood spent in Africa, where he discovered the richness of global cultures firsthand. After years of traveling the world, Jeff came to a simple but powerful realization — that personal discovery cannot be compared to a package tour, and that only local professional guides, exclusive access, and meticulous trip organization can transform an ordinary trip into a lifetime experience.
Jeff launched Kensington in 2006 from his kitchen table, with a clear vision: to build a travel company rooted in deep destination expertise and genuine personalization. What started as a small operation quickly grew into one of the most respected names in private-guided travel, earning recognition from some of the most trusted publications in the industry including National Geographic and Travel + Leisure.
Today, Kensington crafts handcrafted itineraries across more than 90 countries, with a team of destination experts who have lived, worked, and traveled extensively in the regions they represent. For Carlisle Travel clients, that means every trip is built from the inside out — thoughtfully, personally, and unlike anything a package tour could ever deliver.