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Frequently asked questions

Thinking of attending the Explore weekend? Get detailed answers to your questions and concerns right here.

Explore FAQ: your questions answered

I want to attend the Explore weekend, but I don’t live in London and I’m concerned about costs. How can I make it affordable?

The Society acknowledges the financial and other obstacles preventing many who would benefit from attending Explore from doing so.

To that end, we have made efforts to bring down the cost to delegates, including offering discounts for students and concessions (email go@rgs.org to enquire), and arranging exclusively discounted shared accommodation.

We hope this helps, but we also know it isn’t everything.

If you’re finding the cost of train travel to London prohibitive, try searching for advance fares rather than open returns, travelling during off-peak hours on weekdays, splitting a single journey across multiple tickets with TicketySplit, or getting together with other attendees for group discounts. If you are on the east coast main line, try Lumo instead of National Rail.

Long-distance bus travel is often much cheaper than train. Try Megabus (who also sell cheap train tickets) or National Express (who also offer group and student discounts).

If you are part of a group or know other nearby attendees, and you have access to a vehicle, consider car-pooling, either informally or via a platform such as BlaBlaCar.

More general advice on affordable UK transport can be found on the MoneySavingExpert website.

Don’t forget that your Explore weekend ticket includes many of your meals for the weekend, including lunches on both days, and refreshments throughout the Saturday and Sunday programmes.

Finally, if you are attached to a professional, educational or research institution, don't forget to check whether some or all of your conference costs might be eligible for reimbursement.

Will it be possible to watch recordings of the talks and workshops after the event?

All of the main stage sessions are professionally recorded and will be made available online shortly after the event for all delegates to watch or listen to at their leisure.

The conversational nature of the topic-specific workshops makes them harder to capture, and so we do not usually provide recordings of these sessions.

Fellows and members of the Society can access recordings both for several previous years’ events, as well as an extensive back-catalogue of Monday Night Lectures. Thanks to the diverse and changing speaker line-up (browse past Explore speakers), becoming a member significantly expands the breadth of knowledge available beyond the Explore weekend itself.

Find out more about this and other benefits of a Society membership.

I’m not planning a specific project yet, but I am interested in getting into expeditions and fieldwork. Is the Explore weekend for me?

Absolutely, yes – in fact, many celebrated expedition and fieldwork projects of recent years began as a glint in a delegate’s eye at a past Explore weekend. But don’t take our word for it – here’s a direct quote from one of last year’s delegates:

‘It has opened my mind to a huge range of possibilities and avenues. I suddenly have faith that I can pursue what I am interested in and make it happen.’

Watch or listen to video testimonials from other past attendees to get a deeper flavour of what to expect.

Can I attend any of the Explore events online?

While the Monday night lectures before and after the Explore weekend are live-streamed and available on demand to RGS members as part of their membership benefits, the magic of the Explore weekend lies in the coming together of diverse people and ideas.

For that reason, while the main stage talks are professionally recorded and made available online to delegates, the Explore weekend currently remains an in-person-only event – for many attendees, it is the sole annual opportunity to meet many of their peers and to make new connections in an area of work characterised by spending long periods of time in remote locations.

Indeed, we would suggest that you consider the Explore weekend to be a unique opportunity to share the room with a rare concentration of like-minded people, as much as it is an introduction to the realm of expeditions and fieldwork.

Watch or listen to the experiences of a diverse range of past attendees, or browse the profiles of the speakers and experts you might find yourself sitting next to.

I’m neither a professional, student, nor academic – I just love adventure! Will my crazy idea fit in here, and will the advice be relevant?

Expeditions are often defined as 'journeys with a purpose' – and at Explore you will find that there are as many purposes in the room as there are attendees.

Some of our delegates will indeed be planning field science and institution-backed research projects, but you will meet many others with ambitions to pursue a huge diversity of adventurous undertakings. Watch or hear what past attendees had to say about their Explore experiences.

In other words, if you have a passion for exploration and discovery in the outdoors, then – no matter your background, experience level, or motivation, nor where you want to go or what you want to do – the chances are you’ll fit right in at Explore.

I like the look of some of the sessions, but others don’t seem relevant. Will alternative activities be on offer?

Activities on offer throughout the Friday before Explore include extended hours for the Foyle Reading Room where our unique archive of expedition reports may be consulted, and an introduction to accessing and using the Society's vast collection of over 2 million maps, journals, artifacts, and other items spanning more than 500 years.

The weekend programme begins on Saturday morning by introducing some of the lenses through which to view expeditions and fieldwork and continues in the afternoon with workshops on aspects of planning and logistics.

The Sunday morning workshops focus on the many ways to inject purpose into your journey, while the afternoon sessions cover the art of engaging others with your stories and findings.

In parallel with programmed sessions, there are communal spaces within the historical Lowther Lodge which are open for delegates throughout the weekend, whether to hold one-to-one conversations or spontaneous side meetings, to browse the exhibitors’ stands or items on display from the Society's Collections, or simply to reflect and recharge.

And if you need a change of scenery at any point during the weekend, the Society building looks out over Hyde Park in one direction and the world-class museums of South Kensington in the other!

Is it possible to attend just one day of the weekend for a reduced price?

The Explore weekend programme has been carefully refined over many years to deliver value across both full days. You’ll find that the workshops and sessions mirror common aspects of all expeditions, fieldwork, and purposeful travel projects, including not just planning and logistical considerations, but effectively achieving your objectives and telling engaging and important stories on return.

For that reason, we strongly encourage you to consider attending both days of the Explore weekend – you might just meet your next expedition partner or project funder at the coffee stand or Explorers’ Bar!

If you’re simple unable to attend both days, however, please contact us on go@rgs.org for information on reduced-rate day tickets, of which a limited number are available.

May I attend only the Friday night micro-lecture event without buying a weekend ticket?

Yes – although a weekend ticket also includes access to the Friday evening kick-off event and subsequent pay bar, tickets for the Friday night alone are also available for RGS members and non-members alike. Book your ticket here.

Can I get a discount on Explore weekend tickets? 

Members and Fellows of the Society benefit from reduced-rate tickets for the Explore weekend (as well as many other benefits). Discounts are also available for students and concessions – please contact us on go@rgs.org for details. We shall also consider individual cases where financial hardship is a factor.

Will you be repeating Explore on another date? 

The Explore weekend has traditionally been an annual event – indeed, 2025 will mark Explore’s 49th consecutive year!

And while it will never be possible to choose a date that will perfectly satisfy every potential attendee, late autumn has proven the best compromise for expedition and fieldwork projects originating in the UK that see their planning phases occurring over the winter months and are launched in the northern hemispheric spring or summer of the following year.

In short, we will indeed be repeating Explore on another date: approximately one year later, when many of this year’s delegates will return to share their stories and findings with another new cohort of budding explorers.

In the meantime, why not browse our Events listings for additional exploration-themed events that might whet your appetite?

Can you recommend any affordable nearby accommodation for the weekend? 

In 2024, exclusively discounted bunk-style accommodation for Explore delegates was available at SafeStay Kensington Holland Park for two nights including breakfast and towel hire.

While originally arranged to reduce the financial burden on student groups, this offer proved popular and was made available to all attendees. We hope to be able to provide a similar offer for Explore 2025.

We also list other local hotel partners offering special rates for those attending RGS events.

How accessible is the venue and programme? 

Except for the Council Room, all of the spaces used during Explore are wheelchair-accessible (though some may require taking a circuitous route). The Ondaatje Theatre (where the main stage sessions are held) has an induction loop, but workshop sessions take place in spaces that do not currently have this facility. Talks recorded during the event are published online as videos with closed captions in addition to an audio track.

Read more about accessibility during visits to the Society. If you have any questions whatsoever, please contact us on go@rgs.org

Can my dietary requirements be catered for? 

Meals provided during the weekend include vegetarian and vegan options. Some of these meals can be made gluten-free on request. Snacks during refreshment breaks typically consist of fresh fruit and biscuits/pastries.

If you are gluten intolerant or have any other requirements, please indicate 'other' and include details when submitting your delegate questionnaire so that we may liaise with our catering team. While we will do our utmost to accommodate all requests, there may be cases where we recommend you bring your own food to be certain of your needs being satisfied.

Is food and drink included in the weekend ticket price? 

Yes – as well as hot and cold drinks and a variety of snacks during breaks in the programme, lunches on both Saturday and Sunday are provided.

In addition, the Friday and Saturday evenings will see the return of the Explorers’ Bar, where speakers and delegates gather to let off steam. A complimentary glass of wine is included in the ticket price.

The Saturday evening meal for Explore delegates traditionally takes the form of a mass 'expedition' to the nearby branch of Wagamama on Kensington High Street (attendance is optional!).

Bringing your own water bottle and/or travel mug for hot beverages is encouraged and will help us both reduce waste and save energy.

What is your sustainability strategy for reducing Explore’s carbon footprint? 

It is important acknowledge the inherently problematic nature of in-person events that consume resources and require many attendees to make long journeys to attend.

And while the Society’s commitment to tackling issues of sustainability is enshrined within our strategy, we have for many years taken pragmatic steps to reduce the environmental impact of Explore weekend itself, including: 

  • Minimising waste by reducing or eliminating printed materials, packaging and single-use items, reusing items such as lanyards and name pouches, and recycling all other materials where possible,
  • Helping delegates and speakers to make informed choices about their mode of transport and associated carbon emissions, and to maximise the effectiveness of their time at the event, 
  • Incorporate into the programme a running theme of environmental responsibility and sustainable practice in the projects that are presented, developed and discussed throughout the weekend. 

There is always more to do, and we welcome your innovative ideas – email go@rgs.org

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