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School Trips to Atlanta

The Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta.

School trips to Atlanta are educational group programs focused on civil rights history, HBCU college exploration, marine biology and natural history. Programs can stay in Atlanta or extend through Birmingham, Selma and Montgomery.

Programs run 6–7 days and cost $2,410 to $3,255 per student, depending on the itinerary. Airfare is not included.

No commitment, and no sales call unless you ask for one.

4.9on Trustpilot and Google

$2,410–$3,255
per student
6–7 days
three core programs
Custom school trips
built around your dates, curriculum and budget
1 free teacher spot
for every 8 paying students
321 schools
have partnered since 2012, each counted once
Rustic Pathways · 6082 Pinecone Drive, Mentor, OH 44060 · +1 (440) 975-9691 · groups@rusticpathways.com · rusticpathways.com

Compare school trips to Atlanta

The three Atlanta school travel itineraries are Civil Rights in the American South, HBCU College Exploration, and Atlanta Science, Arts and Civil Rights. Civil Rights in the American South starts at $3,255 for 7 days, HBCU College Exploration starts at $2,790 for 6 days, and Atlanta Science, Arts and Civil Rights starts at $2,410 for 6 days.

Get my Atlanta proposal
Compare the three core programs side by side
Core programs: duration, per-student USD price excluding airfare, learning focus and route. Optional extensions are separate.
ItineraryCivil Rights in the American SouthHBCU College ExplorationAtlanta Science, Arts and Civil Rights
Length7 days / 6 nights6 days / 5 nights6 days / 5 nights
Starting priceFrom $3,255From $2,790$2,410
Learning focusCivil Rights history, youth activism and voting rightsCollege choice, academic fit and financingCivil Rights, marine biology, natural history, public policy and arts
Route and nightsBHM → Birmingham (2) → Selma stop → Montgomery (2) → Atlanta (2) → ATLATL → Atlanta (3) → Tuskegee stop → Montgomery (2) → MGMATL → Atlanta (5) → ATL
PaceTwo airport days and five program days; multiple coach transfersTwo airport days and four campus/program days; one interstate transferTwo airport days and four city days; one hotel base
Best fitGrades 8–12; prepare for accounts of racial violenceGrades 10–12 during teaching terms; campus slots must be confirmedGrades 6–12; weekday museum reservations and age-selected content
The 16th Street Baptist Church exhibit inside Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.

Civil Rights in the American South

Civil-rights history across Birmingham, Selma, Montgomery and Atlanta.

Choose this program
7 days · From $3,25510+ studentsSocial Studies · US History
  1. Birmingham2 nights
  2. Montgomery2 nights
  3. Atlanta2 nights

Your seven-day itinerary

  1. Day 1

    Arrive in Birmingham

    The group lands at Birmingham with nothing ticketed, checks in and walks the neighborhood if the arrival allows.

    MorningTravel to BHM; no ticketed morning program.
    AfternoonAirport welcome, hotel check-in and a short neighborhood orientation if arrival permits.
    EveningDinner and supervised social time; a brief reflection if useful.
    Route
    BHM to the Birmingham hotel, by private group transfer.
    Travel
    Private group transfer
    Overnight
    Program-approved lodging in Birmingham; twin student rooms, teacher singles.
    Meals
    All meals required by the arrival and departure timing are included, with drinking water.
    Physical demand
    Low effort, with breaks and accessible routing agreed before booking.
  2. Day 2

    Birmingham: the movement led by young people

    A focused selection of galleries with a local guide, then the park and the church where the story happened, with a real break between them.

    MorningVisit Birmingham Civil Rights Institute with a focused selection of galleries on the 1963 Birmingham Campaign and Children’s Crusade. A local history guide is subject to the confirmed school-group allocation; prepare with King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail.
    AfternoonWalk Kelly Ingram Park and visit 16th Street Baptist Church on an advance group allocation. Discuss the 1963 Ku Klux Klan bombing that killed four girls, with a long lunch and quiet break between sites.
    EveningDinner and supervised social time; a brief reflection if useful.
    Route
    The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Kelly Ingram Park and 16th Street Baptist Church, on foot.
    Travel
    Charter transport and on foot
    Overnight
    Program-approved lodging in Birmingham; twin student rooms, teacher singles.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included, with drinking water.
    Physical demand
    Moderate effort, with breaks and accessible routing agreed before booking.
  3. Day 3

    Selma and the voting-rights campaign

    Follow the Selma-to-Montgomery march corridor, with U.S. Civil Rights Trail sites connecting local organizing to national voting rights.

    MorningDrive to Selma and join locally guided interpretation of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, Bloody Sunday and the historic district, including the exterior of Brown Chapel AME Church. Use the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to connect the march to legislation.
    AfternoonAfter lunch in Selma, follow the historic march corridor and allow about one hour at the Lowndes Interpretive Center before continuing to Montgomery. General access is included, and a school-specific educator session can be added.
    EveningDinner and supervised social time; a brief reflection if useful.
    Route
    Birmingham to Selma and the Edmund Pettus Bridge, then the march corridor and Lowndes to Montgomery.
    Travel
    Private intercity coach
    Overnight
    Program-approved lodging in Montgomery; twin student rooms, teacher singles.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included, with drinking water.
    Physical demand
    Moderate effort, with breaks and accessible routing agreed before booking.
  4. Day 4

    A full day for the Legacy Sites

    One day for the Legacy Sites, with the time they need and no third site added because a ticket allows it.

    MorningReserve timed entry to the Legacy Museum, part of the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Sites; allow 3–4 hours and a real lunch break.
    AfternoonVisit the National Memorial for Peace and Justice for 1–2 hours, then return to the hotel for decompression. Do not add two further Legacy sites because the ticket includes them.
    EveningEarly dinner; optional private journaling or conversation, with no required public disclosure.
    Route
    The Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, by charter transport and on foot.
    Travel
    Charter transport and on foot
    Overnight
    Program-approved lodging in Montgomery; twin student rooms, teacher singles.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included, with drinking water.
    Physical demand
    Moderate effort, with breaks and accessible routing agreed before booking.
  5. Day 5

    Montgomery organizing, then Atlanta

    A prebooked hour and a half on how Montgomery organized, then the drive across to Atlanta.

    MorningVisit the Rosa Parks Museum on a prebooked 9:00–10:30 a.m. allocation to study Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
    AfternoonDrive to Atlanta after lunch, allowing 3–4 hours with a rest stop and traffic margin. Atlanta is one hour ahead of Montgomery; check in and enjoy an unhurried dinner.
    EveningDinner and supervised social time; a brief reflection if useful.
    Route
    The Rosa Parks Museum, then Montgomery to Atlanta by intercity coach.
    Travel
    Private intercity coach
    Overnight
    Program-approved lodging in Atlanta; twin student rooms, teacher singles.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included, with drinking water.
    Physical demand
    Moderate effort, with breaks and accessible routing agreed before booking.
  6. Day 6

    Atlanta: from King’s neighborhood to human rights

    King's own neighborhood in the morning and the wider human-rights argument in the afternoon, in a sequence the teacher sets.

    MorningExplore Sweet Auburn and the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park, including the temporary visitor center and available historic Ebenezer Baptist Church interpretation. Visit The King Center’s outdoor campus and the crypt of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King.
    AfternoonAfter lunch, visit the National Center for Civil and Human Rights on a booked school allocation, using teacher-selected galleries and the current MLK: A Committed Life exhibition. Ranger-led presentations at the Martin Luther King Jr. Birth Home, the Auburn Avenue house where he was born in 1929, are an optional same-day allocation. Places are limited and there are no advance reservations.
    EveningFarewell dinner; discuss one specific civic question students can investigate at home.
    Route
    The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park on foot, then the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.
    Travel
    Charter transport and on foot
    Overnight
    Program-approved lodging in Atlanta; twin student rooms, teacher singles.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included, with drinking water.
    Physical demand
    Moderate effort, with breaks and accessible routing agreed before booking.
  7. Day 7

    Depart Atlanta

    Breakfast, packing and a transfer with the check-in margin it needs, with nothing distant bolted on.

    MorningBreakfast and packing.
    AfternoonTransfer to ATL with the required check-in margin; no distant final attraction.
    EveningOnward travel after departure; no RP group evening program.
    Route
    The Atlanta hotel to ATL, by private group transfer.
    Travel
    Private group transfer
    Overnight
    None on program: the group departs on day 7.
    Meals
    All meals required by the arrival and departure timing are included, with drinking water.
    Physical demand
    Low effort, with breaks and accessible routing agreed before booking.
White Hall at Tuskegee University, a historic campus building visited on the HBCU College Exploration route

HBCU College Exploration

Six days across Atlanta, Tuskegee and Montgomery, visiting four historically Black colleges and universities with their own admissions teams and weighing academic fit against what each one costs.

Choose this program
6 days · From $2,79010+ studentsSocial Studies · US History
  1. Atlanta3 nights
  2. Montgomery2 nights

Your six-day itinerary

  1. Day 1

    Arrive in Atlanta

    The group lands at Atlanta and settles in before the campus visits start.

    MorningTravel to ATL; recommended Monday arrival to align Tuesday group tours.
    AfternoonCheck into hotel; each student prepares questions about academic fit, support and cost.
    EveningDinner and counselor-led introduction to HBCUs and college choice.
    Route
    ATL to the Atlanta hotel, by private group transfer.
    Travel
    Private group transfer
    Overnight
    Program-approved lodging in Atlanta; twin student rooms, teacher singles.
    Meals
    All meals required by the arrival and departure timing are included, with drinking water.
    Physical demand
    Low effort, with breaks and accessible routing agreed before booking.
  2. Day 2

    Clark Atlanta and institutional fit

    A reserved campus tour in designated group slots, then a comparison built from the university's own publications.

    MorningReserved Clark Atlanta group tour, using designated group slots; obtain explicit approval for school-supervised minors under current policy.
    AfternoonLunch and admissions/financial-aid discussion only if booked; otherwise counselor-led comparison using university publications. Rest afterward.
    EveningDinner and individual college shortlist revision.
    Route
    The Atlanta hotel to Clark Atlanta University and back, by charter transport and on foot.
    Travel
    Charter transport and on foot
    Overnight
    Program-approved lodging in Atlanta; twin student rooms, teacher singles.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included, with drinking water.
    Physical demand
    Moderate effort, with breaks and accessible routing agreed before booking.
  3. Day 3

    Morehouse and application preparation

    A second campus and its mission, then a workshop that treats every student as a candidate for somewhere.

    MorningReserved Morehouse group tour if cohort eligible; explain its institutional mission and admissions context without assuming every participant is an applicant.
    AfternoonLunch then structured application/essay workshop with the school counselor; students compare private university and liberal-arts college options.
    EveningDinner and preparation for Tuskegee; no nightlife program.
    Route
    The Atlanta hotel to Morehouse College and back, by charter transport and on foot.
    Travel
    Charter transport and on foot
    Overnight
    Program-approved lodging in Atlanta; twin student rooms, teacher singles.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included, with drinking water.
    Physical demand
    Moderate effort, with breaks and accessible routing agreed before booking.
  4. Day 4

    Tuskegee: disciplines and place

    The drive down to Tuskegee with the time change allowed for, and a student ambassador rather than a brochure.

    MorningDrive Atlanta to Tuskegee, allowing traffic/rest and Central time adjustment. Reserve a 60–75-minute student-ambassador group tour.
    AfternoonLunch and academic-program exploration using a booked session if available, otherwise official material with counselor; continue to Montgomery and check in.
    EveningDinner and reflection on campus scale, setting and student support.
    Route
    Atlanta to Tuskegee, then on to Montgomery, by charter transport.
    Travel
    Charter transport and on foot
    Overnight
    Program-approved lodging in Montgomery; twin student rooms, teacher singles.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included, with drinking water.
    Physical demand
    Moderate effort, with breaks and accessible routing agreed before booking.
  5. Day 5

    Alabama State and the cost of college

    A fourth campus in the morning and the price of all four in the afternoon, with each student drafting a next step.

    MorningReserved Alabama State group tour and available admissions introduction; school group requires confirmed allocation.
    AfternoonLunch; counselor leads financial-aid/net-price literacy and an evidence-based fit comparison. Each student drafts next steps. A fictional admissions outcome is not part of the program.
    EveningFarewell dinner and optional low-intensity city walk.
    Route
    The Montgomery hotel to Alabama State University and back, by charter transport and on foot.
    Travel
    Charter transport and on foot
    Overnight
    Program-approved lodging in Montgomery; twin student rooms, teacher singles.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included, with drinking water.
    Physical demand
    Moderate effort, with breaks and accessible routing agreed before booking.
  6. Day 6

    Depart Montgomery

    Breakfast, checkout and a transfer to the near airport rather than a drive back to Atlanta.

    MorningBreakfast and hotel checkout.
    AfternoonTransfer to MGM; no return drive to Atlanta airport on departure day.
    EveningOnward travel.
    Route
    The Montgomery hotel to MGM, by private group transfer.
    Travel
    Private group transfer
    Overnight
    None on program: the group departs on day 6.
    Meals
    All meals required by the arrival and departure timing are included, with drinking water.
    Physical demand
    Low effort, with breaks and accessible routing agreed before booking.
Atlanta’s skyline above the city’s interstate roads.

Atlanta Science, Arts and Civil Rights

Six days in Atlanta, connecting the Civil Rights record with marine biology, fossils, presidential decision-making and puppetry. Five nights in one hotel leave four full days for the city.

Choose this program
6 days · $2,41010+ studentsSTEM · Arts · US History
  1. Atlanta5 nights

Your six-day itinerary

  1. Day 1

    Settle into Atlanta

    An arrival day leaves room for airport formalities, traffic and rest.

    MorningTravel to ATL; no ticketed morning activity.
    AfternoonAirport welcome and transfer to the Atlanta hotel. Settle in before a short neighborhood orientation if arrival timing allows.
    EveningDinner and a discussion of the questions students will investigate across the city.
    Route
    ATL to the Atlanta hotel by private group transfer.
    Travel
    Private group transfer
    Overnight
    Program-approved lodging in Atlanta; twin student rooms, teacher singles.
    Meals
    All meals required by the arrival and departure timing are included, with drinking water.
    Physical demand
    Low effort, with breaks; walking and support requirements reviewed before booking.
  2. Day 2

    Sweet Auburn and the Civil Rights record

    Connect King’s neighborhood with the museum record, allowing time to prepare and reflect.

    MorningWalk Sweet Auburn in the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park, with available historic Ebenezer Baptist Church interpretation and The King Center’s outdoor campus, including the crypt of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King.
    AfternoonVisit the National Center for Civil and Human Rights with teacher-selected galleries, including MLK: A Committed Life. Presentations at the Martin Luther King Jr. Birth Home, the Auburn Avenue house where he was born, need a separate same-day allocation and are not guaranteed for the group.
    EveningDinner and quiet reflection.
    Route
    Sweet Auburn to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights by coach and on foot.
    Travel
    Coach and on foot
    Overnight
    Program-approved lodging in Atlanta; twin student rooms, teacher singles.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included, with drinking water.
    Physical demand
    Moderate effort, with breaks; walking and support requirements reviewed before booking.
  3. Day 3

    Marine biology and a global brand

    Compare how an aquarium explains conservation and how a company tells its own story.

    MorningExplore Georgia Aquarium’s available galleries using a marine-biology study plan. Whale sharks, manta rays and beluga whales provide species-study examples; sightings and dolphin presentations depend on current availability.
    AfternoonAfter lunch, visit World of Coca-Cola for marketing history, the secret-formula story and beverage tasting. Discuss how a brand chooses its evidence; no specific flavor count or behind-the-scenes access is promised.
    EveningWalk Centennial Olympic Park to examine the public-space legacy of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, then dinner.
    Route
    Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola and Centennial Olympic Park, with walking breaks.
    Travel
    Coach and on foot
    Overnight
    Program-approved lodging in Atlanta; twin student rooms, teacher singles.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included, with drinking water.
    Physical demand
    Moderate effort, with breaks; walking and support requirements reviewed before booking.
  4. Day 4

    Fossils and forest ecology at Fernbank

    Use the museum’s dinosaur reconstructions and outdoor habitats to compare two kinds of scientific evidence.

    MorningVisit Fernbank Museum of Natural History to study fossil evidence and the Argentinosaurus reconstruction. Reserve a school program only when its grade range, group minimum and calendar fit.
    AfternoonAfter lunch, explore WildWoods with weather and walking needs considered. Record habitat observations for a classroom comparison; allow indoor time if conditions prevent the outdoor visit.
    EveningDinner and time to organize observations from the museum and forest.
    Route
    Atlanta hotel to Fernbank Museum of Natural History and WildWoods, returning to the same hotel.
    Travel
    Coach and on foot
    Overnight
    Program-approved lodging in Atlanta; twin student rooms, teacher singles.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included, with drinking water.
    Physical demand
    Moderate effort, with breaks; walking and support requirements reviewed before booking.
  5. Day 5

    Presidential choices and puppetry

    A museum morning and an arts afternoon examine how decisions and stories reach an audience.

    MorningVisit the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, using the Oval Office replica and exhibits to discuss presidential decisions, diplomacy and Carter’s humanitarian work.
    AfternoonAfter lunch, visit the Center for Puppetry Arts and its Jim Henson Collection. A performance or workshop is included only if specified in the confirmed school proposal.
    EveningFarewell dinner and students’ short presentations connecting one scientific, artistic or civic question to the evidence they found.
    Route
    Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum to the Center for Puppetry Arts by coach.
    Travel
    Coach and on foot
    Overnight
    Program-approved lodging in Atlanta; twin student rooms, teacher singles.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included, with drinking water.
    Physical demand
    Moderate effort, with breaks; walking and support requirements reviewed before booking.
  6. Day 6

    Leave Atlanta with a classroom project

    The final day protects the airport transfer and leaves students with a question to pursue at school.

    MorningBreakfast, packing and final project notes.
    AfternoonTransfer to ATL with the required check-in margin; no distant attraction before the flight.
    EveningOnward travel after departure; no RP group evening program.
    Route
    Atlanta hotel to ATL by private group transfer.
    Travel
    Private group transfer
    Overnight
    None on program: the group departs on day 6.
    Meals
    All meals required by the arrival and departure timing are included, with drinking water.
    Physical demand
    Low effort, with breaks; walking and support requirements reviewed before booking.

Choose a different focus or add days

These changes are options, separate from the three core itineraries. Confirm the final route, reservations and price in your school’s proposal.

Atlanta: science, arts and outdoor substitutions
  • Space science: Fernbank Science Center is a separate institution from Fernbank Museum of Natural History. Replace the museum day’s morning with an advance-booked planetarium program, then keep a lighter afternoon; the planetarium is not part of the Museum ticket.
  • Literature and historical memory: Replace day 5 with a full day at Atlanta History Center in Buckhead, using the Atlanta Cyclorama to examine how the Civil War is remembered. Alternatively, substitute the Margaret Mitchell House in Midtown for the Carter morning and retain puppetry in the afternoon.
  • Conservation: Substitute Zoo Atlanta for the Carter morning, or replace day 4 with the Atlanta Botanical Garden and observation time in neighboring Piedmont Park. Giant pandas are a conservation-study topic: Zoo Atlanta currently has none on view, and a future arrival date has not been announced.
  • Geology and monuments: Replace day 5 with a full day at Stone Mountain Park. Study the rock landscape alongside the Confederate memorial carving’s history; the Summit Skyride cable car depends on the operating calendar and weather.

The Varsity serves chili dogs and onion rings, and works as a group dinner after a dietary review. Ponce City Market offers a second dinner with an adaptive-reuse discussion in the former Sears building. Games on The Roof need a confirmed group booking, and the 21+ cocktail bar is excluded.

CNN Studio Tours are permanently closed, so a media lesson uses published news material and the puppetry collection instead. Separately, LEGO Discovery Center Atlanta runs primary-grade building workshops for younger local groups on a short trip of their own.

Alabama: add a Montgomery day or change a Selma stop

An eight-day Civil Rights variant adds a third Montgomery night, at $3,720 per student excluding airfare. Keep the Thursday arrival and the Monday Rosa Parks visit. The afternoon is a facilitated session in Montgomery on one question: how do people decide when an unjust rule should be refused? Students work from what they saw that morning. Tuesday books Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church around 9 a.m. and the Civil Rights Memorial Center around 10:30 a.m., then leaves for Atlanta after lunch. Wednesday covers Atlanta and the group departs ATL on Thursday.

The indoor Center is a separate site from Maya Lin’s outdoor Civil Rights Memorial, which records the names of 40 people killed in the movement. Both Tuesday bookings must be confirmed before this sequence is offered. Dexter tours are by appointment and do not run on Sundays or Mondays.

On the core Selma day, a booked visit to the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute can replace the Lowndes Interpretive Center. Brown Chapel AME Church’s exterior is already part of the historic-district interpretation. An interior tour needs its own confirmed booking and replaces another stop.

On HBCU day 4, the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site at Moton Field can replace the afternoon academic workshop that follows the university tour. Its hangar museums are a separate site from Tuskegee University. Confirm the Monday to Saturday opening and leave time to reach Montgomery.

Memphis: add the Lorraine Motel, nine days

Two added nights in Memphis, Tennessee, before Birmingham make a nine-day trip at $4,185 per student excluding airfare. The group arrives at Memphis International Airport (MEM) on Tuesday, day 1. Wednesday is the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel, then an afternoon on Civil Rights photography at the Withers Collection Museum & Gallery.

Day 3 is the coach transfer to Birmingham with meal and rest stops. The group then follows the core route’s remaining six days and departs ATL on day 9. The National Civil Rights Museum closes on Tuesdays and Withers needs a confirmed group slot. Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum is closed after a fire, so its history belongs in classroom preparation.

Greensboro: add the sit-in museum, nine days

After the core route’s Atlanta visits, day 7 becomes a full coach transfer to Greensboro, North Carolina, with meal and rest stops. The group stays two nights, visits the International Civil Rights Center & Museum on day 8, and departs Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO) on day 9.

Planning details
Rooms
Gender-separated student rooms with individual beds; private teacher rooms.
Airports
Civil Rights: BHM–ATL. HBCU: ATL–MGM. Atlanta: ATL return. Samples use private transfers; MARTA serves ATL’s domestic terminal.
Time and access
Georgia is one hour ahead of Alabama. Plan for museum and campus walking, heat and emotionally difficult history.
Decision documents

How much do school trips to Atlanta cost?

School trips to Atlanta cost $2,410 to $3,255 per student, excluding airfare. Atlanta Science, Arts and Civil Rights costs about $2,410, HBCU College Exploration starts at $2,790, and Civil Rights in the American South starts at $3,255.

Program Tuition covers lodging, meals, ground transportation, scheduled activities, guides and entrance fees. Schools receive one complimentary teacher place for every eight paying students.

$2,410

Atlanta program; per student, excluding airfare.

6 to 7 days

core program length; extensions run 8–9 days.

Group quote

every school receives its own, built on dates, group size and route.

What Program Tuition includes
IncludedWhat it covers
TravelEvery program night's lodging, all meals and drinking water, airport transfers, coach transport throughout, scheduled activities, guides, and entrance fees.
Staff and supportAt least two trained Program Leaders, including both a male and a female leader, pre-departure planning, and school documentation.
Community donationsRequired by a service project, paid by Rustic Pathways and never collected from students.
ChaperonesOne complimentary Program Tuition place per eight paying students. Chaperone airfare and insurance are separate.

Not included: Transportation to and from the destination, travel insurance, medical insurance, and personal spending.

What changes Program Tuition?
EffectFactor
raisesPeak school-trip weeks and holiday dates
raisesNamed-experience bookings and paid facilitation
raisesUpgraded lodging
raisesExtra chaperones beyond the complimentary place
lowersMore students in the group means fixed costs split more ways.
raisesShorter trips cost more per day, since fixed costs spread across fewer days.

Payment and cancellation

Installment plans are available. Schools pay as a group, or families pay monthly under the current enrollment terms.

Choose the route and payment arrangement for your school.
Request Atlanta pricing

What do students learn on an Atlanta school trip?

Students study the Civil Rights Movement and civic change, compare HBCUs and explore science and the arts in Atlanta.

  • US history and civics

    Students study how organizing in Birmingham, Selma, Montgomery and Atlanta shaped national events, connecting the Montgomery Bus Boycott and voting-rights campaigns to civic participation and law.

  • College exploration

    On HBCU College Exploration, students compare the missions, academic programs and published costs of four institutions, with admissions conversations where confirmed.

  • Science and the arts

    In Atlanta, students examine marine conservation, fossils and habitats, and how puppeteers and brands tell stories. Teacher-selected questions connect visits to classroom learning.

The Lowndes Interpretive Center on the Selma to Montgomery march route.

What makes Rustic Pathways educational trips different?

A Rustic Pathways school trip is one private group on your school's own dates, one bed per student, and an itinerary built to your curriculum.

  • 01No mixed groups. Just your school
  • 02One student, one bed
  • 03Your school picks the dates
  • 04Monthly payment plans available
  • 05No tipping; Rustic Pathways Program Tuition includes community donations
  • 06Aligned to your curriculum

How is safety managed on a school trip to Atlanta?

Program Leaders manage local operations and safety procedures alongside school chaperones. Across 13 years of published incident data from Rustic Pathways programs worldwide, about 87% of reports were GREEN, the minor tier where the group stays intact.

What the team plans for

  • Walking days

    Site and campus walking in Southern heat, with shaded rest and indoor afternoons scheduled after long outdoor mornings

  • Long road transfers

    Multi-hour coach legs between Birmingham, Selma, Montgomery and Atlanta, built with rest stops

  • Emotionally heavy content

    Sites that document racial violence, briefed before and debriefed after, with no student required to respond in public

  • Urban movement

    Group movement through downtown Atlanta and Birmingham, kept together on daylight routes

  • Site access

    Museum and interpretive center sessions are reserved in advance; any substitute is disclosed in writing before sale

Controls built into every trip

  • Written risk plan. A score above 5 requires new controls, reassessment or cancellation.

  • Two-Deep Leadership. A single staff member is never alone with students, and at least two trained Program Leaders, including both a male and a female leader, support each School Group Travel trip.

  • Assessed activity vendors. Every named vendor is reviewed before use, every one to two years, and on site when high risk.

  • Medical readiness. Dr. William R. Smith leads medical protocols, staff medical training and emergency response planning as Medical Director.

Is Rustic Pathways the right partner for your school trip to Atlanta?

Yes, Rustic Pathways is the right partner for private, curriculum-focused school trips to Atlanta. Your school chooses the travel dates, and Rustic Pathways builds the itinerary around your curriculum.

Students travel only with their teachers and classmates and never join another school's group. Individual students can join open-enrollment teen travel programs in the United States instead.

A strong fit

  • You want a private group on your school’s dates, with a curriculum-led itinerary.
  • You have 10 or more students and 6–7 days, or 8–9 days for an extended Civil Rights route.
  • You want Civil Rights history, HBCU college exploration or Atlanta science and arts.

Talk with us first

  • A student has significant mobility, medical, sensory, mental-health, dietary or religious support needs.
  • You have fewer than 10 students or plan to travel around Selma anniversary dates or campus blackout periods.
  • A particular speaker, Birth Home presentation, museum visit or campus appointment is essential to your trip.

Probably not a fit

  • You want to combine your students with another school or enroll individual students.
  • You want a Civil Rights itinerary that avoids accounts of racial violence.

Questions about school trips to Atlanta

What determines the cost of an Atlanta school trip?

Staying in Atlanta for six days costs $2,410 per student; six-day HBCU exploration starts at $2,790, and the seven-day Alabama–Atlanta civil-rights route starts at $3,255. The routes differ in travel, nights and booked sessions. Airfare and travel and medical insurance are extra.

When is the best time for a school trip to Atlanta?

March–May or September–November suit Atlanta’s outdoor visits. Avoid exams and campus holidays for HBCU tours, and expect more visitors in Selma around the March anniversary. Summer needs shorter outdoor sessions and heat breaks.

Patrick Ziemnik, Leader of Global Operations at Rustic Pathways.
Patrick Ziemnik has been with Rustic Pathways since 2012 and leads global operations. He directed teen travel programs as Country Director in Mongolia, Tanzania and Costa Rica.

Have a question before you ask for a proposal?

Patrick Ziemnik answers Atlanta school-trip questions with the school travel team.

Send your group size, dates, trip length, and what you want students to learn. I’ll reply within 1 business day and send you options within 48 hours, and no sales call unless you ask for one.

Start with your travel window

Start your Atlanta trip proposal with your travel dates, group size, and learning goals. Receive a reply within 1 business day and customized trip options within 48 hours.

Or reach a person directly: +1 440-975-9691 or groups@rusticpathways.com

Need approval or funding first?

Certificate of insurance, risk management plans, and fundraising templates for families, on request.

Step 1 of 2 · Your contact details

We reply within 1 business day and send options within 48 hours.

Submitting this form starts a conversation with the Rustic Pathways school travel team. Read the Rustic Pathways privacy policy.

The Center for Civil and Human Rights in downtown Atlanta.Centennial Olympic Park and the downtown Atlanta skyline.The Atlanta Braves sign lit at night.The Atlanta skyline seen along the interstate.