A school trip to Italy is always a popular choice with teachers and students. Not only does this vibrant European country offer a fantastic range of educational experiences, but it also offers the opportunity to enjoy them under the Mediterranean sun.
Italy school trips can work well for many subjects. They are the perfect opportunity for language groups to sharpen speaking, listening and reading skills in a real-life setting, all while soaking up the unique culture on offer.
Meanwhile, there's almost too much to pack into a history trip. From famous ancient ruins to the Vatican City, Italy has more UNESCO World Heritage sites than any other country in the world.
Furthermore, art students will love the experience of witnessing some of the world’s most famous works in the museums and galleries of Florence, Rome and Venice.
But it's not just including history and art, Italy is a great choice for groups interested in classical studies, maths, food technology, religious studies, and geography, too.
Along with Greece, Italy is considered one of the cradles of Western civilisation and is widely recognised as a cultural superpower. The Roman Empire, the Roman Catholic Church and the Renaissance all began here and continue to have a major influence over much of modern society.
Italy boasts an incredible variety of spectacular landscapes, from Alpine mountains and lakes to the volcanoes of Campania and Sicily.
The opportunity to visit the Campanian volcanic arc, which includes Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, makes educational trips to the Bay of Naples an excellent choice for those interested in physical geography. Your students will see the dangers of living in the shadow of an active volcano, while also discovering some of the benefits.
Students can also visit Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean, including its two active volcanoes – Mount Etna and Stromboli - for a practical learning experience.
Italy is famous for its cuisine so, of course, it’s a fantastic destination for a food technology group, especially if you want to show your students the importance of using good produce. That’s because many Italian dishes are actually quite simple and are created from only a handful of ingredients – meaning the quality of the dish relies on the quality of those ingredients.
If food is the main focus of your trip, then Naples and Sorrento is a strong choice. The fertile land around Vesuvius means the produce here is unbelievable. Moreover, in Naples, your students will discover that a traditional Neopolitan pizza is a much simpler affair than the pizzas we’re used to in the UK, but with a superior taste.
Tell us your learning objectives, curriculum and budget and we’ll do the rest.
Contact usWe’re members of ABTA, ABTOT and the School Travel Forum. We also hold an ATOL and the LOtC Quality Badge.
Read moreMeet our education specialists and get to know more about the people committed to making your school trip the best it can be.
Find out how teachers from QMGS brought geography to life and fuelled the passion of their young geographers.
Find out why Hornsea School and Language College chose to visit Sorrento.
Hathaway Academy's Geography Trip to Italy Naples and Sorrento April 2014
Definitely. We've included examples of our most popular school trips to Italy on this page, but we've got great relationships with suppliers all over Italy, so we're sure we'll be able to help. Just get in touch and let us know what you're looking for - we'll do our best to make it happen.
We do. Travel insurance is an optional extra and you can find out more about it in our travel insurance resource (which includes the policy documents and FAQs).
If you decide against arranging this insurance through us (which is absolutely fine, by the way), please just remember you must have suitable travel and medical insurance to cover your group.
Italy's a fantastic year-round destination for a school trip.
That said, it can get very hot in the peak of summer (and most Italians who live in big cities head for the coast to escape the heat), so if you want warm (but not stifling), sunny days (and smaller crowds at tourist attractions) late spring and autumn are great times to visit.
Every single trip we arrange is tailor-made, so yes, the itinerary can be adapted.
Our Tour Advisers and Itinerary Coordinators are all experienced school travel specialists. They'll work closely with you to make sure your itinerary supports your learning objectives. They'll be able to offer suggestions and advice to make sure you make the most of your time.
So, when you're browsing through our school trips, just remember that the itineraries and activities you see are there for inspiration only - your own itinerary can look as similar or as different as you want.
Equally, we've suggested trip durations based on what groups usually request - if you want to go for a shorter or longer duration, just let us know.
As a general rule, we recommend that you start planning your trip 12-18 months before you want to travel. This gives you plenty of time to get it approved and launched to students and parents.
Planning early will mean you have a greater choice of accommodation and travel options - and it will make paying for the trip easier for families, as they'll be able to break it down into smaller, more manageable payments.
You can check out our trip-planning timeline for a better idea of the process and when you should expect to be doing things.
If you are looking to travel sooner than this, it is possible. It will depend on availability and you may find prices are a bit higher, but get in touch and we can see what's possible.
There's a great range of accommodation options in Italy, so we'll find something that suits your requirements and budget.
As an Assured Member of the School Travel Forum, we'll only offer you accommodation options that we believe are safe and suitable for school groups. You can read more about how we select the accommodation we offer in our Safety Management System.
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