Program essentials
$13,680 tuition + $100 enrollment fee
Shenzhen & Singapore: Two Models of Innovation is a 13-day program for high school students ages 14 to 18. Students go inside DJI, Huawei, BYD and the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, then cross to Singapore for the City Gallery, BLOCK71 and the National University of Singapore.
Singapore had no natural resources. Shenzhen was a fishing village. Both became global hubs inside 40 years, and they did it by opposite methods. Singapore planned everything. Shenzhen was given permission to stop planning.
Students carry one question across both cities: both approaches worked, so what does that say about how innovation actually happens? On the final evening in Singapore, each student argues which model they would choose for a city founded today, using what they saw rather than what they read.
Shenzhen & Singapore: Two Models of Innovation
China · Singapore · 13 days · Ages 14–18
★ 4.9 (218 Trustpilot reviews)
Program details last verified August 31, 2026
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Aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals
155,829 students since 1983 · 38 countries
A typical small-group teen travel itinerary. Activities may be adjusted as needed due to logistics, weather, or local factors.
Departure Day
Day 1 is a travel day. U.S. students can join a chaperoned group flight from Los Angeles with a Rustic Pathways Flight Leader. International students book their own flights, and Rustic Pathways staff meet every student at Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport.
Independent arrivals should land between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM on Day 2.
Objective: arrive with the trip’s question already in hand. Singapore planned everything, Shenzhen was given permission to stop planning, and both worked.
Arrive Shenzhen
Engineering at Scale
DJI and Craft
SUSTech and BYD
Huawei and the City’s Own Story
The Pivot
Welcome to Singapore
The Master Plan
Exchange and University Life
Sustainable Manufacturing
Design Thinking and the Ecosystem
Botanic Gardens and Departure
Included: accommodations · all meals · in-country transport including the Shenzhen to Singapore flight · all activities and corporate visits · 24/7 staff supervision · medical support
Not included: international airfare · travel insurance · enrollment fee · personal spending money
Rustic Pathways uses established safety, supervision, and risk management practices throughout the Two Models of Innovation program.
Rustic Pathways maintains a median student-to-staff ratio of 4.37:1, with no program exceeding 7:1.
Families receive access to a 24/7 emergency number. Rustic Pathways staff responds immediately to emergencies and provides ongoing updates during active situations.
Rustic Pathways’ dedicated Medical Director, Dr. William R. Smith, is a board-certified emergency physician and U.S. Army Colonel with more than 20 years of wilderness medicine experience.
Dr. Smith is available to support Program Leaders and families with medical questions, treatment decisions, and incident escalation.
Rustic Pathways logs incident reports for all medical and behavioral issues during its programs.
In 2025, Rustic Pathways recorded 162 incidents across 2,238 travelers. Of these incidents, 142 (87.7%) were classified as GREEN (lowest severity).
Program Leaders pass background checks through Sterling, a First Advantage company, complete 40+ hours of in-person training (80+ hours total), and hold CPR and First Aid certifications.
Rustic Pathways’ core safety team members have completed Viristar’s 40-hour online Risk Management for Outdoor Programs course.
Rustic Pathways teams maintain lists of medical facilities for every major program location.
Rustic Pathways uses vetted, licensed, and insured ground transportation operators and prohibits night driving outside approved urban routes.
U.S. students can join a chaperoned group flight to Shenzhen (SZX) with a Rustic Pathways Flight Leader. Families booking independently should book one open-jaw multi-city ticket, into Shenzhen Bao’an (SZX) and out of Singapore Changi (SIN). A single multi-city reservation prices 6 to 17 percent below two separate one-way tickets, and keeps the whole trip on one record.
Los Angeles is the recommended gateway. The Shenzhen to Singapore flight on Day 7 is included in tuition.
Arrival window, Shenzhen Bao’an (SZX), Sunday 27 June 2027 departure: land between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM on Day 2. No nonstop flights operate from the U.S. to Shenzhen, so all routings connect through Hong Kong, Taipei, Seoul or Shanghai, and this window matches those arrivals. Arrivals outside the window incur additional transfer costs and miss the Day 2 welcome dinner and evening at Lianhuashan Park.
Departure window, Singapore Changi (SIN), Day 13: depart between 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM. Flights in this window arrive in the U.S. on the same calendar day. Departures outside the window incur additional transfer costs.
International airfare is not included.
Included: Lodging, all meals, the Shenzhen to Singapore flight, in-country transport, all activities and corporate visits, China-enabled SIM card, 24/7 staff.
Not included: International airfare, travel insurance, personal spending ($150–200).
Yes. Payment plans are available for all families, and Rustic Pathways offers both need-based financial aid and merit scholarships. Explore scholarships and financial aid →
Travel insurance is not included in the program tuition. Rustic Pathways recommends that families purchase travel insurance. Get a quote from our recommended provider →
Rustic Pathways Program Leaders complete a four-month vetting process, and programs maintain a median of one staff member per 4.37 students (4.37:1), with no program exceeding 7 students per staff member (7:1). All Program Leaders are first-aid certified, and every program includes at least one leader with 3 or more years of field experience. Program Leaders range in age from 22 to 45.
Yes. Students room with same-gender peers. Staff stay in adjacent rooms.
All Program Leaders are first-aid certified. Nearest hospitals are mapped out in all locations. Our health & safety team reviews all medical forms before departure and works with families to plan medications, allergies, and dietary needs.
Rustic Pathways programs follow the Trip Before Scroll policy. Program Leaders place phones and smart devices in locked storage before daytime programming and return them after the final scheduled activity. Students keep their devices overnight, subject to quiet-hours and lights-out rules.
Students keep their devices on travel days, and medical and accessibility exceptions apply. Read the device policy and contact arrangements.
Wi-Fi is available at accommodations, but speeds vary.
Every student is given a China-enabled SIM card, so calls and texts home work normally for the whole program.
Students receive their phones after the final scheduled activity and keep them overnight, subject to quiet-hours, lights-out rules, and connectivity. Families receive expected timing, time-zone guidance, and contact details before departure.
WhatsApp does not work in mainland China, Program Leaders use WeChat.
For non-emergency program concerns, contact the Country Director using the WeChat details provided before departure. For routine help, call the Rustic Pathways office at +1 440-975-9691 during published office hours. For an urgent matter at any time, use the 24/7 emergency number in the pre-departure materials.
If a student needs to contact home during programming for an urgent matter, medical need, significant personal concern, or family situation, a Program Leader will help arrange communication as soon as circumstances reasonably allow.
The group is limited to 15 students, with a median of one staff member for every 4.37 students. Most students on this program are 15 to 17. Program Leaders group similarly-aged students together for activities.
Yes. Rustic Pathways programs are open to students worldwide, with participants from 53 countries each year. International students fly independently to the arrival airport, where Rustic Pathways coordinates pickup. Visa requirements vary by passport and destination, so contact a travel advisor for guidance.
Most students join without knowing anyone. 94% travel solo. No experience needed. Most are nervous at first. Program Leaders run ice-breakers on day one, so friendships form quickly, and everyone has a place in the group.
Students stay in centrally located hotels in Shenzhen and Singapore, in gender-separated rooms of 2 to 4, supervised around the clock by Rustic Pathways staff.
Yes. Roommate requests accepted during enrollment.
Students have structured independence during free-time with staff always nearby. There is no fully unsupervised time in public areas.
Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and common dietary restrictions accommodated with advance notice. All dietary needs collected during enrollment and shared with meal providers.
$150–200 recommended. Tipping is included, no extra cash needed.
U.S. citizens do not need an advance mainland Chinese tourist visa. Because the group enters mainland China directly from the U.S. and continues onward to Singapore, a third country, students travel under China’s 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit, entering and exiting at Shenzhen Bao’an. Shenzhen Bao’an is an eligible port for both entry and exit, Guangdong is an eligible region, and the 5 nights in Shenzhen sit well inside the 240-hour limit.
Singapore is visa-free for U.S. passport holders. The Singapore Arrival Card is free and filed online within 3 days of arrival.
Eligibility is per passport. Roughly 20% of Rustic Pathways students hold non-U.S. passports across 53 nationalities, so requirements vary. Check flights and travel documents →
Homesickness can be common over the first few days; Rustic Pathways is well prepared. Read how Rustic Pathways combats homesickness →
Rustic Pathways welcomes all students and works with families to provide appropriate support. Share any relevant information during enrollment so staff can prepare. Learn about Rustic Pathways’ approach to inclusion →
Students who want to argue a real question in the places that answer it. Singapore had no natural resources. Shenzhen was a fishing village. Both became global hubs inside 40 years by opposite methods, and students spend 13 days deciding which method they would choose.
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