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Student Adventure Travel for School Groups

These student adventure travel programs are rated high for activity level, so students spend much of their time outdoors and on the move.

Each program is a starting point. We adjust the dates, length and focus to your school’s learning goals. Open any program to see the day-by-day itinerary, or use the filters to narrow the list.

Days follow each sample itinerary and may include travel to or from the destination. Nights count from the U.S. departure to the departure from the destination, so an overnight flight out is included and the flight home is not. Your proposal confirms the dates and overnight plan.

26 programs found

A long line of young people stand shoulder to shoulder on a covered wooden deck strung with festoon lights at night, several holding small gifts, with foliage behind them.
Days
9
From
$2,385

USD per student · international airfare extra

Nine days out of Hanoi. Two days on the city and its war sites, a three and a half hour drive into the Ngoc Son nature reserve for four days of homestay and service in the Tu Do Commune villages, then back through the countryside for two days on Halong Bay by junk boat and kayak.

Hanoi 2 · Tu Do Commune homestay 3 · Hanoi 1 · On the boat, Halong Bay 1 · Hanoi 18 nights

A blue-footed booby stands on dark lava rock beside breaking surf, its bright blue feet and long grey bill clearly visible.
Days
8
From
$3,995

USD per student · international airfare extra

Students spend six nights exploring Santa Cruz and Isabela through wildlife study and outdoor activities. They observe giant tortoises, visit the Charles Darwin Research Center, kayak, snorkel, surf and explore volcanic landscapes.

Hotel beside Quito airport 1 · Hotel, Santa Cruz Island 1 · Glamping, Isabela highlands 1 · Hotel, Puerto Villamil, Isabela 2 · Hotel, Santa Cruz Island 27 nights

Students sit low in a black gondola smiling back at the camera, with the water and the ochre wall of a narrow canal behind them.
Italy · Europe

Science Meets Art

Days
8
From
$3,590

USD per student · international airfare extra

Students trace the Renaissance as engineering as well as art, from Leonardo in Milan through Brunelleschi's dome and the Accademia in Florence to Pisa's leaning campanile and three days in Venice.

Milan 2 · Florence 3 · Venice 27 nights

Giraffes and zebras gather around a muddy waterhole on open green grassland, with more zebras grazing back toward a line of bush on the horizon.
South Africa · Africa

Ranger Conservation and Safari

Days
10
From
$3,995

USD per student · international airfare extra

Conservation shapes this ten-day itinerary from the Cradle of Humankind to Karongwe Game Reserve. Students visit fossil dig sites before spending four days at Karongwe learning about wildlife and conservation through game drives, bush walks, and ranger-led activities.

Cradle of Humankind 2 · Karongwe Game Reserve 57 nights

Days
5
From
$1,995

USD per student · international airfare extra

Students work at up to 2,500 meters on glacial erosion and deposition, sampling Vall d'Incles and reading moraines down to Andorra la Vella.

Soldeu 44 nights

The jagged blue-white front of Perito Moreno Glacier stretching back to snow mountains under low cloud.
Argentina · South America

Buenos Aires, Patagonia and Chile

Days
15
From
$6,535

USD per student · international airfare extra

Students spend four days in Buenos Aires on memory, identity and a partner-school exchange, then fly to El Calafate for Perito Moreno Glacier and cross into Chile for four days on the W Trek in Torres del Paine.

Buenos Aires 4 · El Calafate 2 · Torres del Paine 1 · Las Torres 1 · Los Cuernos 1 · Paine Grande 2 · Puerto Natales 112 nights

Days
8
From
$3,735

USD per student · international airfare extra

Students start in Munich, move south into the Bavarian Alps for snowshoeing, tobogganing, archery, igloo building, two ski days and hands-on avalanche training, and cross into Austria for a day in Salzburg's Old Town.

Munich 2 · Alpine lodge, Bad Reichenhall 57 nights

A freshly groomed piste at the Bansko ski area, with the snow ridges of the Pirin under cloud behind.
Days
6
From
$2,595

USD per student · international airfare extra

Students fly into Sofia, drive south to Bansko in the Pirin range, and spend four days with ski and snowboard instructors on the pistes above the town, with Bansko's old town, snow tubing and a traditional Bulgarian dinner around the lessons.

Hotel in Bansko 55 nights

A student in a turquoise cap sits cross-legged on the grass in a circle of local children, trading high fives, with a yellow-and-white building and trees behind them.
Dominican Republic · North & Central America

Afro-Caribbean Culture and the Bateyes

Days
8
From
$2,695

USD per student · international airfare extra

Students trace the sugar industry that brought cocolo and Haitian families to the Dominican Republic, then spend three days building in the bateyes those families still live in.

Hotel, Santo Domingo 1 · Volunteer center, San Pedro de Macorís 5 · Hotel, Bayahibe 17 nights

Days
9
From
$5,095

USD per student · international airfare extra

Students explore Ecuador's cloud forest and Galápagos Islands while studying conservation, ecology and tourism. They experience community life in Yunguilla before visiting Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal to examine wildlife and marine ecosystems.

Homestay, Yunguilla 2 · Hotel near Quito airport 1 · Guesthouse, Santa Cruz 2 · Guesthouse, San Cristóbal 27 nights

Students sit on the front steps of a house sorting produce into a bucket alongside a local host.
Days
8
From
$3,295

USD per student · international airfare extra

Students spend the program in mainland Ecuador combining community service with Spanish and cultural immersion. They stay with local families in the Western Andes and explore Cotacachi Cayapas National Park, Cuicocha Lake and Otavalo.

Hotel, Quito 1 · Homestay, cloud forest 4 · Hot springs lodge, western Andes 1 · Hotel, Otavalo 17 nights

An American alligator resting among wetland plants.
Everglades Florida Keys · United States

Florida Marine Ecology and Conservation

Days
7
From
$2,815

USD per student · airfare extra

Seven days from Homestead through Key Largo to Miami, training students to run a reef fish survey with REEF and then running it twice on the same protocol.

Homestead 2 · Key Largo 3 · Miami 16 nights

Days
11
From
$3,295

USD per student · international airfare extra

Travel from the Nausori Highlands to the Yasawa Islands on an eleven-day cultural and service journey. Stay in a remote village and complete construction service before heading to Naviti Island for reef and island exploration.

Eco-lodge base, Momi Bay 1 · Village base house, Nausori Highlands 3 · Eco-lodge base, Momi Bay 1 · Safari tents, Naviti Island 2 · Eco-lodge base, Momi Bay 18 nights

Five people in cold-weather jackets and work gloves stand in a line on open ground beside a lava field, holding up a long tangle of green fishing rope they have collected, with a filled sack on the ground in front of them.
Days
7
From
$5,400

USD per student · international airfare extra

Seven days out of Reykjavík. The week takes the Golden Circle and the Hellisheiði geothermal plant, runs east to the glacier lagoons under Vatnajökull, and gives two full days to organized conservation work in Icelandic protected areas.

Reykjavík area 66 nights

The broken white snout of a glacier fills the middle of the frame in ridges and crevasses, with a dark rock face and cloud above it and grey meltwater in front.
Iceland · Europe

Geology Field Study

Days
7
From
$4,650

USD per student · international airfare extra

Seven days from one Reykjavík base. The week runs the Reykjanes lava fields, the Thingvellir rift and the Golden Circle, walks the Sólheimajökull glacier on the south coast, goes into the Raufarhólshellir lava tunnel and hikes to the Reykjadalur hot river.

Reykjavík 66 nights

Dozens of thin waterfalls run out of the base of a mossy lava cliff and down into a river, spread along the rock face rather than falling from one point.
Days
5
From
$3,095

USD per student · international airfare extra

Five days that cross four landscapes. The week opens on the fresh lava of the Fagradalsfjall flows, runs the south coast for the glacier and the black sands, takes the Golden Circle and the Thingvellir rift, and turns west for the hot springs, waterfalls and craters around Borgarnes.

Reykjavík area 1 · South Iceland 1 · South/West Iceland 1 · West Iceland 14 nights

Days
12
From
$5,295

USD per student · international airfare extra

Students work down Italy from Venice through Florence to Rome and Pompeii, then fly to Barcelona for four days on Gaudi, Picasso and the Catalan Modernista city.

Outbound flight 1 · Venice 1 · Florence 3 · Rome 2 · Naples or Rome 1 · Barcelona 311 nights

A Kazakh eagle hunter in a black embroidered coat stands on open steppe holding a golden eagle on his gloved arm, the bird's wings spread wide, with bare hills rising behind him.
Mongolia · Asia

Off the Map

Days
13
From
$3,770

USD per student · international airfare extra

Students fly west from Ulaanbaatar to Bayan-Ölgii, live in gers in the Kazakh village of Sogoog, then camp for four nights at the edge of the Altai Tavan Bogd range before returning to the city.

Ulaanbaatar 2 · Ger in Sogoog 3 · Tents at base 4 · Ger in Sogoog 1 · Ulaanbaatar 212 nights

Twenty or so students and local workers spread across a bare earth yard laying a stone surface, with a long low red building on one side, stacked cinder blocks on the other and dry brown hills beyond.
Morocco · Africa

Atlas to Medina

Days
9
From
$2,835

USD per student · international airfare extra

Three nights with host families in an Amazigh village in the High Atlas and four days on one community-identified project, then down to Marrakech for the medina, the Mellah and the souks.

Outbound flight 1 · Hotel, Marrakech 1 · Host family, Amazigh village 3 · Hotel, Marrakech 38 nights

Days
8
From
$3,720

USD per student · international airfare extra

Students travel from Windhoek into the Namib for two nights at Sesriem, then south to Aus for three nights of desert interpretation, Kolmanskop's abandoned mining buildings, and colonial Luderitz.

Windhoek 1 · Sesriem 2 · Aus 3 · Windhoek 17 nights

Trekkers with day packs walk single file along a narrow trail through a mossy, close-grown forest.
Days
10
From
$2,745

USD per student · international airfare extra

Trek through the Annapurna foothills on a multi-day route connecting mountain villages and teahouses, with four nights spent on the trail. The journey also includes Kathmandu, two days of whitewater rafting, time in Pokhara, and a sunrise hike to Poon Hill.

Kathmandu 1 · Riverside 1 · Pokhara 2 · Hile teahouse 1 · Ghorepani teahouse 1 · Deurali teahouse 1 · Pokhara 1 · Kathmandu 19 nights

Auckland's skyline and harbour seen from a grassy volcanic crater rim in late afternoon light.
New Zealand · South Pacific

North Island Photo and Cultural Adventure

Days
8
From
$3,895

USD per student · international airfare extra

Students work north from Auckland through the Bay of Plenty and the Waikato to the Bay of Islands, with a marae night, a conservation project, Hobbiton, and two days at Waitangi.

Tauranga 1 · Bay of Plenty marae 1 · Hamilton 1 · Auckland 1 · Waitangi 37 nights

A row of brightly painted wooden beach huts in green, yellow, blue, and red runs along white sand at St James Beach, with a few people walking at the water's edge under a clear sky.
South Africa · Africa

Discovering Cape Town

Days
9
From
$3,995

USD per student · international airfare extra

Students explore Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula through city walks, a township service project, a beach day, and a guided Table Mountain hike. The nine-day itinerary uses Cape Town as its base and ends with a zipline experience in the Elgin Valley.

Cape Town 66 nights

Days
15
From
$5,495

USD per student · international airfare extra

The 15-day itinerary explores the history and culture of Andalusia through Seville, Córdoba, Granada, Málaga, Ronda, Tarifa, and Cádiz. Students visit historic cities, cultural landmarks, and the southern coast while tracing the Roman, Moorish, and Christian influences that shaped the region.

Seville 3 · Granada 3 · Málaga 3 · Tarifa 1 · Cádiz 2 · Seville 113 nights

A school group stands under the wooden Uhuru Peak summit board on Kilimanjaro with their arms raised.
Tanzania · Africa

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro

Days
11
From
$6,395

USD per student · international airfare extra

Students trek the Machame Route to Uhuru Peak over seven days, then recover in Moshi and spend a day on safari.

Arusha 1 · Machame 1 · Shira 2 1 · Barranco 1 · Karanga 1 · Barafu 1 · Mweka 1 · Moshi 2 · Arusha 110 nights

A white multi-deck cruise boat lies at anchor on calm green water, with steep jungle-covered limestone islands rising close behind it and more of them fading into haze along the horizon.
Vietnam · Asia

Water Rich, Water Poor

Days
14
From
$3,225

USD per student · international airfare extra

Fourteen days that follow water. The program opens in Ho Chi Minh City, works the Mekong Delta from Can Tho with a university session on climate change and a field visit to farmers facing saltwater intrusion, flies north to Hanoi for a meeting with the water rights NGO WARECOD, then gives five days to a community water project in the Tu Do Commune villages and closes on Halong Bay.

Ho Chi Minh City 1 · Can Tho 2 · Hanoi 2 · Tu Do Commune 5 · Hanoi 1 · On the boat, Halong Bay 112 nights

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Pricing and inclusions

Displayed prices are starting estimates in USD per student, excluding international airfare. Your proposal confirms the final price for your dates, group size, itinerary and lodging.

Included in Program Tuition

  • Accommodation, with one bed per student
  • Meals and drinking water
  • Airport transfers, in-country transport and scheduled activities
  • Guides, entrance fees and required community donations; no tipping

Plan for separately

International airfare, travel and medical insurance, personal spending, passport or visa fees, and vaccinations.

Complimentary teacher tuition

One teacher receives complimentary Program Tuition for every eight paying students. Teacher airfare and insurance are extra.

Every school group has at least two trained Program Leaders and a written Program Risk Management Plan. Safety and supervision details.

Request a school travel proposal

Send your shortlist, approximate dates, group size and learning goals. You don’t need a final itinerary to get started.

We reply by email within one business day and send initial options within 48 hours. No commitment, and no sales call unless you ask for one.

Patrick Ziemnik of Rustic Pathways.
Patrick Ziemnik
School travel team · With Rustic Pathways since 2012
+1 440-975-9691
groups@rusticpathways.com

School approval documents and fundraising templates are available on request.

Step 1 of 2 · Your contact details

By submitting this form, you’re asking Rustic Pathways to contact you about a school travel proposal. Do not include private student medical information here; individual traveler needs are reviewed through the appropriate secure process.

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