Final answer:
The verb phrase commonly used to describe exploring or visiting different places with a structured plan is 'touring'. This term is closely linked with historical structured trips like the Grand Tour, involving educational visits to museums, historic sites, and acquiring souvenirs as part of the experience.
Step-by-step explanation:
The verb phrase commonly used to describe the action of exploring a place or visiting various locations, often with a guide or as part of an organized itinerary, is d) Touring.
This verb phrase captures the essence of traveling with a specific purpose or route in mind and is closely associated with structured trips like the historical Grand Tour, which saw tourists often accompanied by a range of personnel including valets, coaches, and scholarly guides.
Touring encapsulates a range of travel activities from visiting historic sites to studying art at museums, and emphasizes a more deliberate and educational approach to travel.
Additionally, tourists on the Grand Tour would bring back souvenirs and mementos which became highly popular as a means to demonstrate the places they visited and the experiences they had.
Touring thus served both as a cultural enlightenment exercise and as a status symbol among the elite of the time.