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School Trips to New York & Washington DC

Travel to the East Coast of America and explore the origins of the Civil Rights movement and learn more about American political history.

Washington DC is the location of many excellent museums and sites to give your pupils an insight into how the country has evolved. During a history school trip to New York, take the opportunity to tour the areas where key events of the time occurred and experience living history by meeting with a veteran of the movement and listening to their account. This exclusive opportunity will create memories for your group that will last forever.

If you’re looking for more information or free advice on planning your perfect school trip to USA, get in touch with one of our expert travel advisors today. We have extensive experience in this area and are more than happy to talk through your options.

New York & Washington DC History School Trips & Tours

Take a multi-centre visit – enhance your visit by combining a trip to Washington DC with New York. Students can compare and contrast these famous American cities and the effects the Civil Rights Movement had on them in one tour.

New York trip highlights - our groups love...

Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Museum

Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Museum

Alongside the ultimate landmark of New York and one of the most universal symbols of political freedom and democracy, the Ellis Island Museum is dedicated to the history of immigration and the important role this island claimed during the mass migration of humanity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

A 45-minute audio tour invites students to relive the immigrant experience as if they were the new arrivals and includes artifacts, photos, interactive displays and videos including the award winning ‘Island of Hope, Island of Tears’.

You will visit the island as part of a short boat cruise passing the Statue of Liberty, which was the first sight for the millions of immigrants.

9/11 Memorial Museum

9/11 Memorial Museum

Opened in 2014, the museum explores the implications of the events of 9/11, documenting the impact of those events and exploring 9/11’s continuing significance. It demonstrates the consequences of terrorism on individual lives and its impact on communities at local, national and international level. The museum is growing a permanent collection of artefacts, stories, photos, video and other materials.

Guided Walking Tours

Guided Walking Tours

Half day tour with a local guide covering all the major historical sites and monuments.

Ford’s Theatre

Ford’s Theatre

Enjoy a self-guided tour of the Ford’s Theatre Museum - explore Lincoln's presidency from his arrival in Washington to the very minute he arrived at Ford's Theatre on the fateful night of April 14, 1865. You will see rare artefacts related to the assassination.

US Capitol Building Tour 

US Capitol Building Tour 

The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress. Guided tours of the historic Capitol are available and begin at one of the Capitol Visitor Centre’s orientation theatres with a 13-minute film, "Out of Many, One," which will take you on a journey through the USA's struggle to establish the world's first truly representative democracy and introduce you to the magnificent building that houses the Congress. Once inside the historic Capitol, you will see the Crypt, the Rotunda, and National Statuary Hall. All tours begin and end at the Capitol Visitor Centre.

Planning your first school trip?

If you're planning your first school trip, our essential guide will take you through each step of the process...

  • Choosing your destination
  • Gaining approval from your Local Authority and/or your Head
  • Promoting your tour in school
  • Confirming your booking
  • Tailor-make your tour
  • Completing your risk assessments (including a sample risk assessment)
  • Quick reference timeline
  • Pre-tour checklist

Additional support, resources & information

Tour planning service

Tour planning service

With NST, you’ll get your own dedicated, knowledgeable Tour Co-ordinator who’ll work with you from start to finish. You’ll benefit from their unrivalled destination knowledge, and their experience gained from working with many other groups too. They’ll tailor-make your itinerary from scratch and take care of everything for you: 

  • Pulling together an itinerary that runs smoothly 
  • Planning the right balance of visits every day with realistic timings 
  • Pre-arranging and pre-booking your visits, entrance tickets, passes and meals 

 

You’ll receive your final itinerary a full 4-weeks before you travel too.

Free school trip promotion pack

Free school trip promotion pack

We’ll support you and provide everything you need to advertise your school trip around school and to parents. Our free school trip promotion pack consists of: 

  • Parents’ letter & permission slip template for you to complete A3 posters to promote your trip around school 
  • PowerPoint presentation templates which you can tailor to your own needs 
  • Online parents’ video which showcases the benefits of taking a school trip 

Risk assessment support including preview visits

Risk assessment support including preview visit

Risk assessment plays a vitally important part in the planning and organisation on any school tour.

Our risk assessment guide aims to help you understand more about your obligations and how you can more effectively manage group safety on your next educational visit and provide you with risk assessments for your trip.

Planning first school trip

Planning first school trip

Organising your first school trip can appear to be a daunting process. 

If you're planning your first school trip, our guide will help to take you through each step of the planning process, answering frequently asked questions and providing tips and support along the way. 

Our helpful guide covers the following: 

  • Choosing your destination 
  • Gaining approval from your Local Authority and/or your Head 
  • Promoting your tour in school 
  • Confirming your booking 
  • Tailor-make your tour 
  • Completing your risk assessments (including a sample risk assessment) 
  • Quick reference timeline 
  • Pre-tour checklist 

 

View our essential guide to a successful school trip here

Get live updates on your group's tour location

Get live updates on your group's tour location

Locate My Trip uses GPS technology and is the easy, convenient way for your school to follow your location whilst on tour. Specifically designed to provide reassurance to both parents and teachers, NST will know where your group are 24/7. If your schedule needs to change, we’ll put plans in place to keep your tour on track. 

With Locate My Trip your group can also share photos and videos with the school and parents, via a secure link, to keep them updated on your experience whilst you’re away.

Watch our short Locate My Trip video here

Your online school trip organiser - My Tour Manager

Your online school trip organiser - My Tour Manager

Save time and stay on track with your school trip admin with our online orgnaniser - designed to help busy teachers like you. 

With My Tour Manager, you'll be able to download FREE resources and access trip paperwork online and in one place. Your personalised checklist details what you need to do and by when, plus you'll receive fortnightly reminders too. 

What's more, you can take all your trip documents on the go whilst on your tour with our app, My Tour Manager-On-the-Go. 

Find out more and watch out short My Tour Manager video here

Free classroom resources

Free classroom resources

We've created a range of free geography resources and educational posters to brighten up your classroom!

Take a look at our downloadable posters here

Speak to one of our school travel experts

Our team of school travel experts have unrivalled destination knowledge and experience so they can help to bring your tour ideas to life and might even suggest options you hadn’t already thought of too!

So get in touch today and we'll help to create a bespoke, budget-friendly tour itinerary to meet your specific learning requirements.

Why choose NST...

Here's why hundreds of teachers choose NST each year...

  • Unrivalled knowledge

Your dedicated tour co-ordinator will use their unrivalled local knowledge and expertise of New York and Washington DC to create a tailor-made, curriculum-linked itinerary to meet your group’s exact needs.

  • Making it easier for you

With our online school trip organiser, travel app, free classroom posters to support in-school promotion.

  • FREE group leader inspection visits

We offer a free inspection visit to your chosen destination to support your risk assessment planning. 

  • Value for money

We’re committed to bringing you the best possible value trips to help make every penny count.

 

  • More than 20 years’ experience

With over 20 years’ experience, with NST you can rest assured that your group is in safe hands.

  • Risk assessment guidance

Our risk assessment guidance will help you to manage group safety on your next educational trip. 

  • Peace of mind

Your group’s location can be followed with our trip tracking device - Locate My Trip - plus you’ll have 24/7 support from us whilst you’re away.

  • Offsetting carbon emissions

For every trip taken, we'll plant a Maya nut tree in Peru to support reforestation, local communities & biodiversity. Plus, we'll offset an additional tonne of CO2 to guarantee carbon emission reductions. 

Looking for protection on your next school trip? 

Booking with a school travel company is the best way for you to protect parents’ money and give yourself peace of mind.

Financial protection from the moment you book

NST are fully bonded & licensed:

  • ABTA
  • ATOL
  • IATA
  • Commission for Aviation Regulation

 

Managing safety on school trips

For your protection, NST's independently audited Safety Management System covers:

  • 24-hour emergency cover
  • Audited accommodation & transport
  • Excursions & school visit assessment
  • Group leader preview visits to assist with risk assessment planning

Package Travel Regulations 2018

Don't forget - if your school arranges transport, accommodation and other services directly, you’ll be liable under the Package Travel Regulations – meaning you’ll have all the responsibilities of a travel company, both legal and financial. 

We're LOtC Council’s Quality Badge assured

For groups travelling from Northern Ireland... the Department for Education advises schools to always look for the LOtC Quality Badge when choosing a school travel provider.

Learn more here