History & Civics Field Trips for School Groups
A History & Civics tour takes your students from the classroom to the places the country was built, walking the ground where it happened, standing where the decisions were made, and seeing how the government they’ve studied operates today. Experience history like never before with a history field trip by ET Tours.
52 years of custom educational travel · Trusted by school groups in all 50 states · SYTA, IATAN, ARC, and NTA accredited
The challenge history teachers face:Â
A good history field trip is harder to plan than it looks. It’s easy to find a tour that buses students past the monuments, harder to find one that connects what they see to what you teach. On top of that, you’re booking tickets that sell out months ahead, coordinating sites spread across the city, and keeping thirty students engaged the whole way. We build the itinerary around the periods you’re teaching and the dates that fit your calendar, and we handle the rest, so the trip does what your classroom can’t.
Where History and Civic Groups Travel
East Coast Heritage Tour
Follow American history from the Capitol to Gettysburg, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond.
History & Civics Senior Groups Specialty & Cruises
7–10 Days
Germany & Austria Tour
Bavarian castles, Mozart's Salzburg, and imperial Vienna.
Art History & Civics Specialty & Cruises
8 Days / 6 Nights
London & Paris Tour
Royal London and classic Paris, linked by the Eurostar.
Art History & Civics Senior Groups
8 Days / 6 Nights
Malta Tour
Ancient temples, fortified harbors, and a day on Gozo, all on one Mediterranean island nation.
History & Civics Specialty & Cruises
8 Days / 6 Nights
San Francisco & Northern California Tour
Golden Gate views, Alcatraz, and the national parks of the Sierra Nevada.
Choir History & Civics Senior Groups
4–8 Days
Scotland & Ireland Golf Tour
Links golf from St Andrews to Ireland's Donegal coast, with plenty to do for non-golfers.
History & Civics Specialty & Cruises
8 Days / 6 Nights
Spain Tour
Moorish palaces, flamenco, and the art of Madrid across southern and central Spain.
History & Civics Specialty & Cruises
8 Days / 6 Nights
Washington, D.C. Tour
Monuments, museums, and the halls of American history, all in one week.
History & Civics Senior Groups
5 Days / 4 Nights
How It Works
Custom sounds like more work. With us, it’s less.
1
Discovery Call
Tell us your subject, grade level, rough dates, and group size. A short conversation, not a long form.
2
Custom proposal
We send a full proposal with itinerary, venues, and transparent pricing.
3
Revisions
Change anything. Swap a site, adjust a day, shift the budget. We revise until it fits.
4
Enrollment
We handle student signups, payments, and parent communication so you don’t have to.
5
Support on the trip
Your planner and a 24/7 emergency line are with your group the entire trip.
A few of our favorite history field trips
Washington D.C.
Stand where the nation’s laws are made, walk the National Mall, and see the monuments, memorials, and institutions your students study come to life.
Boston & the Revolution
Follow the Freedom Trail, stand on the sites where the country began, and trace the story of the American Revolution through the city where it started.
The American Heritage Tour
Trace the American story from Washington D.C. to the battlefield at Gettysburg, the birthplace of independence in Philadelphia, and the bright lights of New York City.
What Students take away
Students come home from a history trip seeing the country differently than they did from the page.Â
They’ve stood in the room where the Constitution was signed, walked the ground where the war turned at Gettysburg, and watched Congress work the way their textbook only described.
The founding, the branches of government, the names and dates they studied for a test are now things they’ve seen up close, and they come back able to talk about how the country was built and how it still runs.
Why Choose ET Tours for a History Trip?
No two of our trips look quite the same, because we start with you. Tell us what you’re hoping your group takes away from it, and we’ll shape the trip around that, right down to the dates that work for your calendar.
The planner who quotes your trip stays with you through it. The same person who designs your proposal makes your revisions and can travel with your group on the road. You get one point of contact who knows your trip because they built it with you.
For families, that means a trip run by people who have done this for decades. We’ve been planning group travel for over 50 years, we’re accredited by Student & Youth Travel Association (SYTA), International Airlines Travel Agent Network (IATAN), Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC), and National Tour Association (NTA), and every detail from transportation to accommodations is vetted before your group ever leaves. Our custom pricing is transparent, with no upsells and no surprises, and payment plans are available so cost never has to be the reason anyone stays home.
The Difference a Custom Trip Makes
With a packaged tour, you get a fixed schedule and it’s on you to make your group fit it. We’d rather do it the other way around, building the trip around what you teach and the way your students learn, so every stop feels like it belongs there.
What Trip Leaders Say
History Field Trip FAQs
Can the trip match what we're teaching this year?
Yes. That’s the starting point for everything we build. Tell us the periods and topics your class is covering, and we design the itinerary and site visits around them.
How far in advance should we start planning?
The sooner the better. Timed-entry sites like the Capitol and the National Archives book out months ahead, so we recommend reaching out about a year out when you can, though we’ll do everything possible on a shorter timeline.
How much does a custom History & Civics tour cost?
It depends on your destination, length, and group size, which is why we build a transparent quote for your specific trip rather than list a package price. You’ll see what every part of the trip costs and why, with no hidden add-ons. Payment plans are available to help spread the cost.
Is there a minimum group size?
It varies with the trip and destination rather than a fixed number. Tell us how many students you expect to travel, and we’ll build a trip that works for your group and let you know the best options for its size.
How are students supervised, especially at night?
Your student travels with named tour managers alongside your school’s own chaperones, with vetted transportation and accommodations throughout. Chaperones stay on the same floor as students, room checks happen at a set time each night, and a 24/7 emergency line reaches our team at any hour. Your student travels with named tour managers alongside your school’s own chaperones, with vetted transportation and accommodations throughout. Chaperones stay on the same floor as students, room checks happen at a set time each night, and a 24/7 emergency line reaches our team at any hour.
What's included in the price?
Your quote lays out exactly what’s covered, typically transportation, accommodations, site admissions, guided tours, and many meals. Because every trip is custom, we make the full inclusions clear before you commit, so students only need spending money for souvenirs and personal extras. Your quote lays out exactly what’s covered, typically transportation, accommodations, site admissions, guided tours, and many meals. Because every trip is custom, we make the full inclusions clear before you commit, so students only need spending money for souvenirs and personal extras.
Can I travel with my student as a chaperone?
In most cases, yes. Whether the trip includes parents is up to your group leader, so check with them first, and we’ll help arrange your registration and room once you’re confirmed. In most cases, yes. Whether the trip includes parents is up to your group leader, so check with them first, and we’ll help arrange your registration and room once you’re confirmed.
Safety & Support For Parents
Parents, this section is for you. Your student travels with named tour managers, vetted transportation, and vetted accommodations. A 24/7 emergency line reaches our team at any hour of the trip. From enrollment onward we communicate with you directly, so you always know the schedule and who to call. We are accredited by SYTA, IATAN, ARC, and NTA. Full details, insurance information, and our incident protocol are on our Safety page.
Request a custom proposal
Tell us what you teach and where you want to go, we’ll handle everything else.