Since a young age, Katie has been passionate about immersing herself in new cultures and experiences.

Katie was born and raised in the Bay Area and grew up traveling often. Her love of travel began at an early age, as her father introduced Katie to the world by venturing across Europe on a road trip through Germany, Austria, and France. This early experience only sparked Katie’s wanderlust, which continued to grow through frequent travels to China, Hawaii, and Europe during her teenage years.

While Katie has always had an eye for the finer things in life and loves staying in luxury hotels, her most memorable moments while traveling have come from connecting with individuals and swapping stories with people she’s met along the way. Prior to her career in travel, Katie practiced as a general Dentist. When planning travel for others, it’s her mission that her clients will feel the same connection to their destination; she feels so lucky to help create these moments for her clients!

Katie founded Katie Lee Travel Co to create custom curated itineraries for her clients that go far beyond a vacation, delivering a seamless, luxurious experience. Her goal is take your travel to the next level and elevate trips to a level beyond your imagination.

What is your most memorable travel experience?

My most memorable travel experience was this past year at Nihi Sumba Island. Over the past 17 years, the Sumba Foundation has worked to alleviate poverty many different ways across Sumba Island. We visited one of the Malaria clinics founded by the Sumba Foundation and meet the scientists and nurses who operate the clinic; through the Malaria Clinics and education on the island they have reduced the occurrence of malaria by 93% and are working hard to eliminate Malaria on Sumba over the coming decade. Spending time with locals who are so grateful for this clinic and experiencing first hand the profound impact that Nihi and the Sumba Foundation has on the community was remarkable. This day was so inspiring and has truly changed the way that I travel!

Which destinations are you looking forward to visiting and why?

There are countless destinations I am excited to explore, but I am most looking forward to going back to Africa! I had a chance to spend a month in East Africa in 2017 and I fell in love with the culture, safari, the food, and the people we met. I can’t wait to explore South Africa, Botswana, and Rwanda next!