Skip to content

Service Learning School Trips

These school travel programs build service learning into the itinerary, with time spent on community projects alongside local partners.

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.

53 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

Days
10
From
$2,295

USD per student · international airfare extra

Spend three nights with host families in Kampong Cham, where students experience daily life in the community and work together on a locally selected infrastructure project. The 10-day program also introduces students to Cambodia's history in Phnom Penh before ending in Siem Reap with a day exploring Angkor Wat.

Hotel, Phnom Penh 2 · Homestay, Kampong Cham 3 · Hotel, Siem Reap 27 nights

Northern Service Adventure, a Rustic Pathways school program in Thailand.
Days
8
From
$2,385

USD per student · international airfare extra

Waterfalls, mountains, elephants, and service

A four-wheel drive loaded with gear crosses open plains below a flat-topped range
Australia · South Pacific

Outback Wilderness Adventure

Days
10
From
$3,050

USD per student · international airfare extra

Travel by 4x4, sleep under the stars, work with community partners, and hike remote gorges.

A student stands on a rocky outcrop at sunset, a volcanic peak across the valley
Australia · South Pacific

Service & Coastal Adventure

Days
8
From
$2,275

USD per student · international airfare extra

Combine community service, Australia Zoo, Aboriginal cultural learning, farm life, and surfing.

Days
6
From
$2,800

USD per student · international airfare extra

Students work through Salzburg on the film locations, the fortress and the Salzwelten salt mine, spend a half day alongside a community partner, and take the train to Vienna for Mozarthaus and the Schönbrunn gardens.

Salzburg 55 nights

Days
8
From
$3,735

USD per student · international airfare extra

Students start in Sarajevo with the siege and the tunnel that supplied the city, move to Mostar for Herzegovina and a coffee workshop, give two full days to a local environmental partner, then cross into Croatia for the Dalmatian coast at Split.

Sarajevo 1 · Mostar 4 · Split 27 nights

Stone houses with grey slab roofs stand beside a turquoise river where it pours out of a cave at the foot of a sheer cliff.
Days
8
From
$2,895

USD per student · international airfare extra

Eight days and seven nights on the ground. Students begin in Sarajevo with the siege and the tunnel, base in Mostar for the Herzegovina countryside and two service days with a local partner, then cross into Croatia for two nights in Split.

Hotel in Sarajevo 1 · Hotel in Mostar 4 · Hotel in Split 27 nights

Days
10
From
$2,495

USD per student · international airfare extra

Explore Cambodia's history and modern development through visits to key sites and organizations in Phnom Penh before traveling to Kampong Cham for two days of community service. Finish the 10-day program in Siem Reap, where students explore Angkor and learn about the history and culture surrounding its temples.

Hotel, Phnom Penh 3 · Homestay, Kampong Cham 2 · Hotel, Siem Reap 27 nights

Days
5
From
$1,995

USD per student · international airfare extra

Learn about Cambodia's Khmer Rouge history at memorial sites in Phnom Penh before traveling to Kampong Cham for an extended village stay. During this 5-day program, students spend three nights with host families and work alongside the community on a locally selected service project.

Hotel, Phnom Penh 1 · Homestay, Kampong Cham 34 nights

A symmetrical snow-covered volcanic cone rising above forested ridges and a low bank of cloud, with the spiky crowns of araucaria trees along the nearest slope.
Days
10
From
$4,498

USD per student · international airfare extra

Examine Mapuche history, land rights, and contemporary culture on a ten-day journey through Santiago, Temuco, La Araucanía, and Pucón. Students learn from museums, the National Human Rights Institute, CONADI, and Mapuche families before exploring Lago Villarrica and Villarrica Volcano, known to the Mapuche as Ruka Pillañ.

Santiago 2 · Temuco 4 · Pucón 2 · Santiago 19 nights

A wide Costa Rica waterfall drops in two tiers into a green plunge pool, with swimmers small at the base
Costa Rica · North & Central America

Natural Wonders & Adventure

Days
9
From
$3,665

USD per student · international airfare extra

Surf, raft and serve on Costa Rica's Pacific coast, Uvita to Turrialba.

An adult sea turtle at the waterline on Camaronal beach, half in the wash
Costa Rica · North & Central America

Nicoya Turtle Conservation

Days
8
From
$3,345

USD per student · international airfare extra

Sea turtle night patrols, hatchery work and beach cleanups on the Nicoya Peninsula.

Arenal volcano framed by a garden arch and banana leaves under a clear sky
Costa Rica · North & Central America

Sarapiquí Ecological Research

Days
8
From
$3,665

USD per student · international airfare extra

Tropical biology from the La Selva Biological Station, in the Sarapiquí rainforest.

A school group throws its arms up in front of the community project it has just finished
Costa Rica · North & Central America

Turrialba Community Service

Days
7
From
$2,995

USD per student · international airfare extra

Service with the community in the mountain town of Turrialba, ending on the Pacuare.

A school group stands together with rakes and tools at the start of a service day
Costa Rica · North & Central America

Arenal Service & Adventure

Days
9
From
$3,810

USD per student · international airfare extra

6 to 9 days out of the La Fortuna base house: a wildlife sanctuary, trail and reforestation work inside Arenal Volcano National Park, two days with one host village.

A hand holds a sliced starfruit picked on the farm tour
Costa Rica · North & Central America

Turrialba Adventure & Culture

Days
6
From
$2,540

USD per student · international airfare extra

Service with a local school through the afternoons; canyoning, a canopy tour, a waterfall hike and class II and III rafting in the mornings.

Students plant tree seedlings at a reforestation nursery, working row by row.
Days
9
From
$3,650

USD per student · international airfare extra

Explore Cuba's conservation efforts during nine days of field study, service learning, and travel across western and central Cuba. Students work alongside local conservation specialists on reforestation and mangrove restoration while visiting Havana, Las Terrazas, Lomas de Banao, and Trinidad.

Havana 1 · Charco Azul ecolodge 1 · Las Terrazas eco-lodge 1 · Lomas de Banao ranger station 2 · Tunas de Zaza ranger station 1 · Havana 28 nights

A student plays conga drums alongside Cuban musicians on a colorful shuttered street.
Days
8
From
$3,755

USD per student · international airfare extra

Build Spanish language skills through 20 hours of instruction at the University of Havana and a week of immersion with local host families. Cultural and historical experiences throughout Havana, plus a day trip to Las Terrazas, give students opportunities to use Spanish beyond the classroom.

Havana homestay 77 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

A student in a mask and snorkel vest glides underwater with arms spread above a school of striped fish, as other snorkelers kick at the surface overhead.
Dominican Republic · North & Central America

Marine Life and Coastal Restoration

Days
8
From
$2,995

USD per student · international airfare extra

Students build and monitor coral structures with FUNDEMAR marine biologists, walk a turtle beach at night on Isla Saona, and replant mangroves with rangers in Los Haitises National Park.

Hotel, Bayahibe 3 · Isla Saona 1 · Eco-lodge, Sabana de la Mar 2 · Hotel, Santo Domingo 17 nights

A school group walks together across an open plaza in front of a long two-storey stone palace with arched galleries, palm trees along the frontage and a bright cloudy sky above.
Dominican Republic · North & Central America

Spanish Language Immersion

Days
8
From
$2,495

USD per student · international airfare extra

Students take formal Spanish classes in the Cordillera Central at Jarabacoa, then move to host families in La Angostura and use the language outside the classroom for two days.

Bohíos de Campo Añil, Jarabacoa 3 · Homestay, La Angostura 2 · Hotel, Santo Domingo 27 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

Days
6
From
$1,995

USD per student · international airfare extra

Spend six days based in Momi Bay, combining community service, cultural activities and environmental learning. Explore the Sigatoka Sand Dunes, connect with local communities and help build household sanitation infrastructure in Bavu Village.

Eco-lodge base, Momi Bay 55 nights

Days
8
From
$3,050

USD per student · international airfare extra

Combine three days of village school service with conservation experiences across Fiji's Coral Coast. Work alongside local teachers before exploring mangroves, rainforest and the reefs of the Mamanuca Islands.

Hotel in Korotogo 5 · Hotel in Nadi 27 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

A group of village children push a laughing student along a dirt path in a yellow wheelbarrow.
Ghana · Africa

Volta Village Service

Days
9
From
$2,895

USD per student · international airfare extra

Students spend three nights in one Volta Region village on community service and ecotourism study, then hike Ghana's highest peak and stop for a safari on the way back to Accra.

Accra 1 · Tafi Atome 3 · Wli 2 · Accra 17 nights

A school group descends a switchback trail below the canyon rim.
Grand Canyon Flagstaff · United States

Good Works and the Grand Canyon

Days
7
From
$3,255

USD per student · airfare extra

Two host visits, a canyon overnight and a final Phoenix gateway night.

Phoenix 1 · Flagstaff 3 · Tusayan 1 · Phoenix 16 nights

Women in embroidered blouses talking on a wooden lake dock beside moored passenger launches, with a volcanic ridge across the water.
Guatemala · North & Central America

Maya Highlands: Antigua, Lake Atitlán, and Pacaya

Days
8
From
$3,995

USD per student · international airfare extra

Students explore colonial Antigua and the Kaqchikel capital of Iximché before continuing to Lake Atitlán for two half days of agroecological work and a morning with a Tz'utujil weaving collective. The eight-day program concludes with a trek across the volcanic landscapes of Pacaya.

Antigua 2 · Panajachel 3 · Antigua 27 nights

Women in woven skirts and embroidered blouses sitting and standing under an open shelter, winding thread and working cloth.
Guatemala · North & Central America

The Living Maya: Patzún, Pop'Abaj, and Lake Atitlán

Days
7
From
$3,495

USD per student · international airfare extra

Students spend four days in Patzún and neighboring Pop'Abaj, exploring the local market, grinding maize in a community kitchen, and working on a project defined by the community. They then continue to Lake Atitlán for ceramics in San Antonio Palopó, visits to lakeside villages, and time with a women's cooperative kitchen.

Patzún lodging 4 · Lake Atitlán 26 nights

A student is fitted with gloves for volcanic-terrain work on a lava field.
Hawaii · United States

Kona Service and Adventure

Days
8
From
$3,720

USD per student · airfare extra

Eight days on one Kona base, returning twice to the same food-access host, with farm work on the Kohala side and structured reef time in between.

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

Days
8
From
$2,625

USD per student · international airfare extra

After one night in Delhi, students fly to Cochin and travel to Alleppey, where a traditional kettuvallam houseboat serves as their accommodation and transport for five nights. They teach at a local school, complete a community construction project, and volunteer at homes for people with intellectual disabilities and older residents before returning to Delhi.

Delhi 1 · Houseboat, Alleppey 5 · Delhi 17 nights

A sloth bear sits in a clearing at the Agra Bear Rescue Facility with trees behind it.
Days
8
From
$2,555

USD per student · international airfare extra

Six days at the Agra Bear Rescue Facility give students hands-on experience caring for rescued bears and elephants alongside Wildlife SOS staff. The program also includes bird surveys on the Yamuna, a visit to the snake-rescue community at Sapera village, and the Taj Mahal.

New Delhi 1 · Base house, Agra 5 · New Delhi 17 nights

A tall, curved bamboo penjor decoration arches above an ornately carved stone temple gateway, framed by tree branches against a partly cloudy sky.
Days
8
From
$2,195

USD per student · international airfare extra

Explore Bali through cultural experiences, community partnerships, agriculture, and conservation. Students visit temples and cultural sites, spend two days alongside a local school, work with rice farmers, support sea turtle conservation, and finish the journey in Ubud.

Sanur 2 · Homestay or guesthouse, Tabanan 2 · Eastern Bali 1 · Saba Beach 1 · Ubud 17 nights

The stepped face and central stairway of a large stone pyramid, with visitors climbing it in a line.
Mexico · North & Central America

Makers of Mexico

Days
7
From
$2,995

USD per student · international airfare extra

Makers of Mexico takes students from Mexico City and Teotihuacan to Cuetzalan, where they spend four nights learning alongside Nahua and Otomi communities. Students explore traditional crafts and production through hands-on activities while connecting social studies, Spanish, and service learning to daily community life.

Mexico City 2 · Cuetzalan 46 nights

A wide waterfall dropping into a turquoise river gorge between limestone cliffs hung with greenery.
Mexico · North & Central America

Huasteca Potosina

Days
6
From
$2,595

USD per student · international airfare extra

Spend six days exploring the Huasteca Potosina, from swimming in the Puente de Dios cenote to hiking rivers, visiting the Sótano de las Golondrinas, and traveling by boat to Tamul Waterfall. Spend three days with Teneek communities through shared meals, service projects, and an embroidery workshop before visiting Xilitla and the Edward James gardens.

Aquismon 4 · Xilitla 15 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

An adult leans over a school desk to help two young students with a worksheet, with Mongolian-language wall charts and a flag on the wall behind them.
Days
10
From
$2,195

USD per student · international airfare extra

Students work at a public school in a ger district outside Ulaanbaatar City, spend three nights at a ger camp in Terelj for a temple hike and archery, and study the Mongol Empire in the capital's museums.

Ulaanbaatar 2 · Terelj ger 3 · Ulaanbaatar 27 nights

Two rounded granite boulders the size of small buildings stand a few steps apart on a grassy slope, with several people walking through the narrow gap at their base and open hills running away behind them.
Days
6
From
$2,175

USD per student · international airfare extra

Students work on educational enrichment and infrastructure projects at a public school in Ulaanbaatar with local students, then move out to Terelj National Park for a hike to a Buddhist monastery and a day with a herder family.

Ulaanbaatar 1 · Hostel, then ger 2 · Terelj ger 1 · Ulaanbaatar 15 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
10
From
$2,695

USD per student · international airfare extra

Spend several days living with a host family in a Nepali village while participating in community service and learning about local life. Whitewater rafting on the Sunkoshi River and a mountain walk to Namobuddha complement the extended homestay and time in Kathmandu.

Kathmandu 1 · Riverside 1 · Village homestay 5 · Mountain 1 · Kathmandu 19 nights

St Louis Cathedral above Jackson Square at dusk.
New Orleans · United States

Rebuilding New Orleans

Days
6
From
$2,410

USD per student · airfare extra

A sustained environmental service placement, with each host confirming the project, student ages, and dates before booking.

Auckland's harbour with the Sky Tower above the city skyline and a red-sailed yacht on green water.
New Zealand · South Pacific

North Island Culture and Service

Days
7
From
$3,750

USD per student · international airfare extra

Students are welcomed onto a marae at Welcome Bay, work on heritage-area restoration for two days, then travel through Te Puke to Whakatāne for a second marae stay, Mataatua Wharenui, and a hāngī.

Auckland 1 · Papamoa Beach lodging 1 · Welcome Bay marae 2 · Whakatāne marae 1 · Rotorua lodging 16 nights

Machu Picchu's terraces and stone buildings in morning light, Huayna Picchu rising behind
Peru · South America

Sacred Valley Service & Culture

Days
10
From
$3,655

USD per student · international airfare extra

Andean culture and educational service

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

The painted eaves and tiled roofline of Gyeongbokgung Palace
Days
8
From
$2,425

USD per student · international airfare extra

A student pours water from an orange bucket over rows of tree seedlings in planting bags at a nursery.
Days
9
From
$2,695

USD per student · international airfare extra

Students work on habitat restoration with local conservation partners, then study wildlife in Tarangire and the Ngorongoro Crater.

Arusha 2 · Service-site lodging 2 · Arusha 2 · Rift Valley 1 · Arusha 18 nights

Two students carry a concrete block along a half-built wall on a village construction site, with stacked bricks and timber scaffolding behind them.
Tanzania · Africa

Village to Crater

Days
8
From
$4,400

USD per student · international airfare extra

Students spend three working days on a village education building project, then travel to Tarangire National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater.

Usa River 4 · Tented 1 · Arusha 16 nights

Life on the Andaman Sea, a Rustic Pathways school program in Thailand.
Thailand · Asia

Life on the Andaman Sea

Days
8
From
$2,485

USD per student · international airfare extra

Andaman Sea marine restoration

Eco-Service and Education, a Rustic Pathways school program in Thailand.
Days
8
From
$2,295

USD per student · international airfare extra

Reforestation, school service, and elephants

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

Filters

Narrow down your school travel program

Sort programs

Your shortlist

Compare up to four itineraries

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.

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