Europe Odyssey: Portugal, Spain, Italy & Greece

Arrive at Newark Airport (EWR) where you’ll meet your Rustic Pathways Flight Leader. They’ll guide you through check-in and security before you board your overnight flight to Portugal. Use the time to get to know your group and rest up for the week ahead.

For travelers who are not joining the chaperoned group flight, we will meet you when we arrive in Portugal.

Touch down in Lisbon and meet your Program Leaders who will guide you throughout this adventure. Begin your journey with a visit to a local market, where you can experience the sights, sounds, and flavors of Portuguese culture. Afterward, enjoy a traditional Portuguese lunch before heading to the villa base house in Setúbal.

At the base house, you’ll learn about the week ahead, expectations for your adventure, and local culture. Relax, play fun games, and enjoy pool time as you get settled. You’ll share rooms with 2-3 other students, separated by gender. Your spacious and comfortable accommodations will be where we can recharge and connect during our exciting adventure.

Head to Costa da Caparica, one of Lisbon’s best surf beaches. Local instructors will teach you the basics and help you catch your first waves. In the afternoon, take part in a beach cleanup and learn how small actions can protect marine life.

Build on your surf skills with another lesson in the morning waves. After lunch, join a marine conservation workshop to understand how climate change is affecting Lisbon’s coast. Work with your group to come up with practical ideas for protecting ocean ecosystems.

Spend the day exploring Lisbon’s neighborhoods. Walk through Alfama, the city’s oldest district, and then check out the creative spaces at the LX Factory. Try a Pastel de Nata, Portugal’s famous custard tart, and shop for local souvenirs. In the evening, gather for dinner at a waterfront restaurant.

Board a boat to explore the coast around Arrábida, Tróia, and Setúbal. Swim, snorkel, or try stand-up paddleboarding in the calm bays. Have lunch by the water, then head to Parque Natural da Arrábida to relax on the beach and play group games.

Visit Regaleira Palace in Sintra, a UNESCO site known for its detailed architecture and underground passageways. Have lunch in a nearby village, then walk along the coast before driving to Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in mainland Europe. End the day with a hike through local forest trails before returning to the villa. That evening, join your group for the Rustic Ties closing ceremony to share memories and reflections from the week.

Say goodbye to Portugal and board your flight to Barcelona. Upon arrival, settle into to the backdrop for the second chapter of your Europe adventure. Travel to your accommodations, settle in, and share a welcome dinner together before relaxing by the pool with your group.

Start your time in Spain with a community service project that connects you with local organizations in Barcelona. Work alongside your peers and learn directly from the community. Between service sessions, take time to explore—sample traditional snacks, visit markets and cafés, and walk the streets that make Barcelona unique.

Continue your journey exploring Barcelona’s culture through hands-on, expertly crafted experiences. Learn to cook dishes such as paella or Spanish tortilla in a cooking class. Take part in a flamenco dance workshop and design your own mosaic tile art. Balance these activities with the lighter outdoor activities: play a soccer match, wander historic neighborhoods, spend an afternoon at the beach, or ride up to Tibidabo for panoramic views of the city.

Spend the next two days enjoying Barcelona at the table and by the sea. Share tapas meals with your group, go shopping for souvenirs, and explore the city on foot. Head out for a beach afternoon or a boat ride on the Mediterranean. Evenings may bring more pool time and getting to know your new friends better.

On your last morning in Spain, gather with your group and reflect on your experiences so far. Your European Odyssey is now halfway through. Recharge and prepare for the adventure ahead.

Your Program Leaders will then take you to the airport for your flight to Italy to begin the next chapter.

Arrive in Italy and meet your Program Leaders who will be with you for the duration of the program. We’ll head directly to our castle-like base house to settle in and relax with an authentic Italian pizza dinner.
We’ll share rooms, separated by gender, with private bathrooms. Our spacious and comfortable accommodations will be where we can recharge and connect during our exciting adventure.

In the morning, we’ll start the day by relaxing by the pool and playing soccer while enjoying pastries and cappuccinos from a local pasticceria.

Then we’ll head to the historic and beautiful city of Verona to explore its long-lost frescoes, ancient Roman arena and riverside views.
More than just Romeo & Juliet, Verona is a sparkling Renaissance city.

We’ll spend the day exploring famous sights, eating delicious food, and soaking up the unmatched ambience of an Italian city in the summer. We’ll find delicious food, friendly faces, and enchanting views everywhere we turn.

Today we’ll start the day by building up an appetite. Trek through a regional park in the Euganean Hills, searching for the archeological remains of walled cities and other fortifications. Break for lunch and then launch into more service time. Joining forces with local residents, work up a sweat as the impact of our service work grows. Top it off with a refreshing Italian gelato in the local village.

We’ll spend the day exploring one of the world’s most unique and architecturally stunning cities. Built upon over 100 small islands separated by a series of waterways and canals and linked by over 400 bridges, “The Floating City” will not disappoint. Take a walking tour of Venice’s historic streets, viewing sights such as Saint Mark’s Basilica, the Rialto Bridge, and Doge’s Palace. Take a trip to the morning market to see where Venetians have shopped for their food for centuries. Complete the day with a once-in-a-lifetime gondola ride along the Grand Canal.

Get started with more pool time and games in the morning. Gather some regionally-grown ingredients since it’s time to learn the art of pasta! With the help of local farmers, we’ll learn how to make dough just like nonna, and how to cut different shapes and make a variety of classic sauces. After all that hands-on work, we get to eat our handiwork. Che buona!

Today we’ll explore Lake Garda, famous for its breathtaking views and crystal clear water. Before hitting the beaches, we’ll travel back in time and visit a medieval fortress on the shore of Lake Garda. After appreciating how people have gathered here for centuries, we’ll enjoy the cool water that will be a welcome break from the warm sunny weather of the week so far.

Tonight, we’ll relax at the base house with an evening bonfire where we’ll roast marshmallows and reminisce on our highlights so far. We’ll participate in Rustic Ties, a unique and powerful activity that allows students to capture the memories and learning moments of their program to process and share back home.

Your Program Leaders will help you have a relaxing day where you can rest up for the continuing adventures in Greece. Tomorrow we make our way to Kefalonia, the final leg of your European Odyssey!

You arrive in Kefalonia and meet your Program Leaders at the airport. We head straight to our accommodation for the coming week. Unpack, relax for a minute, and then let’s head to the beach to grab lunch and enjoy getting to know our new friends.

We’ll spend the next 6 nights in comfortable, shared hotel rooms located near the beach. Rooms accommodate 2–5 students and include private bathrooms.

We’ll start the morning with an orientation with our turtle conservation service partners. You’ll learn about the projects you’ll work on this week and get a clear understanding of what you will be doing. We’ll do our first turtle monitoring outing, where we’ll work to spot sea turtles in the harbor and along the shore. Then, we come back for a quick workshop to learn about the sea turtle population of Kefalonia.
After a full first day, unwind at your accommodations and enjoy a delicious dinner.

We jump into service with a nesting beach survey in the early morning. This is to check for nests and make sure they are safe from predators.

After lunch we’ll dive into the crystal clear water to continue our service. We’ll snorkel to map out seagrass meadows and help create accurate maps for conservation scientists. In the evening explore the town and then rest at our accommodations after a full day.

Please Note: Before participating in any snorkeling activities, students will complete a brief swim test to ensure safety.

Enjoy a relaxing morning and spend some time at at beautiful beach. After a delicious Greek lunch, head back into the water to continue seagrass mapping while snorkeling.

We start early in the morning with a nest check and a beach clean up for today’s service. After lunch break into groups to continue habitat monitoring while snorkeling.

We head out on the water on a boat tour to explore the beaches and coast of Kefalonia. This is a great chance to soak up the sun and sea. Travel to the small surrounding islands off the coast and see the beautiful scenic views. At the end of the day, we’ll have another group dinner with a stunning Greek sunset.

We’ll spend the morning wrapping up our conservation service with monitoring on land. Then, in the afternoon, we take a well-earned break to cross the island and visit the magical Cave of Melissani. The cave was named after the nymph Melissanthi and is filled with a lake and forest inside of it. Excavations have found items dating back to the 3rd and 4th centuries BC.

At the end of the day, we have our final Rustic Ties closing ceremony. Here we will reflect on our entire experience so far, highlighting all the memories we will bring back with us. Your European adventure has taken you all across Europe, and now is the time to reflect and prepare for returning to your life back home.

We have a slow morning and get one last visit down to the beach to say goodbye to Kefalonia. Then your Program Leaders take you to the airport where you’ll catch your flight back home. You’ll arrive in Newark ready to share pictures, memories, and souvenirs from your magical European Odyssey.