What is a STEM school trip?
A STEM school trip is an educational trip that covers the four academic areas of science, technology, engineering and maths.
STEM school trips with well-chosen activities will blow your students’ minds.
They’ll bring to life potentially quite complicated concepts and show them some of the important (and exciting) opportunities a STEM education can open up for them.
That’s why it’s so important that our school travel specialists work so closely with you to design a STEM school trip that leaves them inspired.
Our team have picked their top 10 destinations for a STEM school trip. Let’s dive in.
Top 10 STEM school trips
1. Houston
Probably the ultimate STEM school trip? It’s definitely up there (out of this world, in fact).
Houston’s nickname is ‘Space City’ and it’s home to NASA’s Johnson Space Center, which is flight control for manned space missions. It’s also an important centre for astronaut training.
You’ll spend 5 days with NASA employees finding out what it takes to complete a mission to space.
You’ll explore a simulated lunar surface and prepare for an ‘extra vehicular activity’.
Your students will fulfil the roles of astronauts, Mission Control and backroom support and they’ll find out the importance of communication, teamwork and leadership – skills they’ll bring home with them.
They’ll enjoy a huge variety of STEM tasks, from coding challenges to designing and launching rockets.
And, if all that’s not quite enough excitement for your group, you can even have a go at indoor skydiving…lifelong memories made.
2. Geneva
Geneva’s our most popular destination for science school trips within Europe because it offers the once-in-lifetime opportunity to visit CERN, a fantastic example of nations coming together in the interest of science and discovery.
It’s right here, at the world’s largest particle physics laboratory on the Franco-Swiss border, where scientists from all over the world are working on revealing the secrets of the universe.
Famously, it’s home to the Large Hadron Collider, where physicists test predictions of different theories of particle physics.
The new Science Gateway’s now open, which is great news for visiting school groups. This is CERN’s dedicated education and outreach centre and it’s really brilliant. There are five different spaces hosting three permanent exhibitions, two hands-on labs and an auditorium (as well as a shop and restaurant). And it’s all designed to help visitors understand what CERN is all about (and maybe even inspire the physicists of the future).
A tour of CERN usually takes around 2-3 hours and starts with a video introducing the group to CERN. You’ll then be able to visit a couple of areas, such as the control rooms, research facilities or engineering facilities. It’s important to mention that it’s not possible to visit the Large Hadron Collider tunnel.
Pro tip - CERN requires school groups to book their visit directly using an official school email address, so we won’t be able to book this visit for you.
However, we can (of course) arrange all other aspects of your trip, including any other visits or activities you’d like to do during your time in Geneva.
And there are loads of science-based visits to enjoy in Geneva. For example, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum offers students the opportunity to learn more about the history of the organisation.
And at the History of Science Museum, your group can see an incredible collection of around 800 rare scientific instruments dating from the 17th to the 19th century.
3. Orlando
Another really popular destination among school science groups is Orlando in Florida. That’s because this science-packed trip offers some completely unforgettable experiences of science at the Kennedy Space Center, the Orlando Science Center and the iconic theme parks around Orlando.
At the Kennedy Space Center, your students will learn more about the history of space exploration. You can tour launch areas, meet an astronaut, see giant rockets and train in spaceflight simulators. You could even view a launch if you’re lucky!
Orlando Science Center is a fantastic science museum that is well worth a visit. It has a number of permanent exhibitions, including one with a focus on the diverse ecosystems of Central Florida – which can be complimented by a trip out into the Everglades on an airboat later in your trip. There are other exhibitions that focus on the fundamentals of forces and the peculiarities of our universe. There’s even an observatory!
And you can’t go all the way to Florida without taking time to enjoy the amazing theme parks here. Both Universal Studios and the Disney Parks offer special STEM-focused programmes for school groups.
For example, at Universal Studios, your students can explore the physics of rollercoasters to find out why they’re so thrilling. Or at Epcot, they can head to Future World, to learn more about how human needs drive the development of tech.
4. Disneyland ® Paris & Paris
Probably our most popular destination for school trips, Paris (and DisneylandÒ Paris) is also great for STEM school trips.
For one thing, the French capital is actually home to the largest science museum in Europe – the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie. Trust us when we tell you that this museum is epic – there’s a planetarium, IMAX theatre and even a submarine.
There are exhibitions on pretty much everything STEM – including maths, robots, the brain, sound, space and video games.
You can even step into the shoes of an astronaut and explore every aspect of the climate emergency, from understanding what greenhouse gases are and their impact to the political issues involved in finding a solution.
But the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie is by no means the only STEM-focused visit in Paris.
The brilliant Exploradôme is an interactive museum where you’ll find exhibits grouped into 5 themes – energy, climate and weather, illusions, structure and form, and movement.
And the Palais de la Découverte (housed in the spectacular Grand Palais) has loads of mind-blowing exhibits on subjects like maths, physics, astronomy, chemistry, biology and geology. It’s also famously home to the ‘Pi Room’, which has 707 digits of p inscribed on the walls.
And let’s not forget what will undoubtedly be the highlight for students (and probably staff too) - DisneylandÒ Paris, where you’ll have the best day ever seeing physics in action.
5. Cologne
Cologne’s another excellent choice of destination for a science school trip (and one that can be reached by coach).
The city’s home to several great science-focused visits, from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) School Lab to the Odysseum Science Adventure Park. You could even explore physics at Phantasialand, one of Europe’s top theme parks!
The German Aerospace Center (DLR) is not to be missed on a science school trip to Cologne. Here, the aircraft of the future is being developed, rocket engines are being tested, and images of distant planets are being analysed.
During your visit, your students will be taught by DLR scientists and graduate students, and they’ll look at topics such as microgravity, gravitation biology, comet simulation and solar water purification. They’ll also find out more about the day-to-day work of a researcher, so this visit could inspire future careers too!
It is worth noting that this visit must be requested directly by schools – but we can then arrange all other aspects of your trip around this visit.
6. Amsterdam
As the Dutch themselves say ‘God created the world, but the Dutch created the Netherlands’. The country itself is an incredible feat of engineering, making it an inspired choice for a STEM school trip.
Basing yourselves in Amsterdam will mean you’re within easy reach of the country’s premier STEM–related visits (and there are plenty to choose from here).
One of our absolute faves is Space Expo Noordwijk, which is actually the visitor centre for the European Space Agency (we know, right?). Here, you can explore all aspects of space travel. You can walk through a model of the International Space Station and take a peek inside André Kuipers’ (legendary Dutch astronaut) Soyuz capsule. Plus, peer at the Earth from a satellite’s point of view to see changes in land, water, ice and air.
And make sure you leave some time to visit NEMO Science Museum (it’s the largest in the country). This museum will help your students see the magic in the everyday, with 5 floors packed with interactive exhibits bringing to life the science behind electricity, light, sound and gravity.
Got any budding biologists or potential future med students in your group? Then you won’t want to miss the incredible Corpus Museum of the Body, where you’ll literally take a journey through the human body.
7. Frankfurt
Now, we’re not saying they’re right, but there are some teenagers who find maths just a little bit dry.
It can be hard for them to see how important the subject really is when they’re stuck in the classroom.
That’s why a STEM school trip to Frankfurt is a great idea.
We all know money makes the world go round…and we can guarantee you that while your teenage students might not be into maths, they’ll definitely be into money (well, spending it, at least).
So, what better way to bring maths to life than by discovering the world of finance at the heart of the Eurozone?
You can experience the excitement of the trading floor with a visit to the city’s Stock Exchange.
And make sure you plan in a stop at the Money Museum of the Deutsche Bundesbank, where you can find out how money is physically made, how monetary policy works and what a bank actually does.
Then, at the Mathematikum (a whole museum dedicated to discovering the joy in maths), your students will explore the subject through more than 100 interactive exhibits.
8. New York
As a global leader in business and finance, New York’s a really exciting choice for your next trip, especially if you’re keen to get students fired up about maths.
A walking tour of the Financial District will help students really get to grips with how important New York is to the American (and global) economy.
You mustn’t miss the chance to visit the Federal Reserve Bank, where you can explore the frankly staggering figures involved in the financial transactions taking place in New York every single day.
And the Museum of American Finance is a fantastic starting point to help students better understand the financial history of the USA (it was actually founded in response to the 1987 stock market crash to ensure future generations didn’t make the same mistakes).
And you have to include a visit to the Museum of Mathematics where students will have a ball exploring the incredible mathematical patterns all around us and the ‘real-world’ applications of your subject.
9. Iceland
A huge favourite with the geography department, Iceland’s also a great choice for a STEM trip.
It’s probably one of the best places on Earth to explore earth sciences. Your students will get to explore a land still in the process of being formed (how cool is that?).
They’ll see real volcanoes, glaciers, waterfalls, geysers, black sand beaches…and every single bit of this otherworldly landscape will leave its impression on them.
Exploring this volcanic, geologically youthful country will help your students understand how volcanic activity created the Earth’s early atmosphere. And they’ll see the drastic effects of climate change with a visit to a glacier.
They’ll learn about the many minerals contained in volcanic rock, best illustrated at the colourful Kerid Crater.
If you’re very, very lucky, you may even get to see the incredible Northern Lights – as our Iceland experts did on their last visit to the country. If not, you can still learn more about the incredible physics behind this spectacular natural phenomenon at the Northern Lights Centre.
Those canny Icelanders have invested heavily in harnessing the natural resources and power to create sustainable energy (and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to learn more about this with visits to Hellisheidi Power Plant and Geothermal Park).
Plus, you could always team up with your geographers to run this as a cross-curricular school trip.
10. Brussels
It’s not only the Americans venturing into space, of course. Your students may be surprised to learn that Europe has its own space agency. And at the Euro Space Center, they can learn more about what it takes to become an astronaut – and what it feels like to walk on the moon.
And that’s not all. The Belgian capital has loads of attractions to get students excited about STEM.
Encourage their enthusiasm for the natural sciences with visits to the House of Science in Liège, the Museum of Natural Sciences and the Pairi Daiza Zoo & Botanical Garden.
Watch them get stuck into exciting interactive exhibits at Technopolis and the Pass – Science Activity Park. And help them understand how the work of scientists today is shaping how we live in the future at Living Tomorrow.
Ready to start planning your next STEM adventure?
Get in touch today for further information or to ask us for a quote.
