[15][16] AFAR was founded by Greg Sullivan and Joseph Diaz, after the pair took a six-week trip to India.

[18] Defunct programs include AFAR Ambassadors, a large group of unpaid contributors who could create online content.

Learning AFAR is a travel scholarship program for students from low-income backgrounds and for those with mixed abilities.

Since Learning AFAR was founded, they have sent more than 1,300 young people on trips to places like Cambodia, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Peru.

[25] Several stories from AFAR Magazine have also been included in the Best American Travel Writing series, including "Vietnam's Bowl of Secrets" by David Farley,[26] "The Sound of Silence" by Lisa Abend,[27] "Counter Revolution" by Anya von Bremzen,[28] and "Out of Sight" by Ryan Knighton.