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About Our Trips

Explore. Engage. Create.

Whether discovering Maya ruins in Mexico's Yucatán, biking through the karst landscapes of China, snorkeling Australia's Great Barrier Reef, or trekking the Himalaya in India, encounter incredible places close up—in the company of dynamic trip leaders and a National Geographic expert. Our expeditions go beyond just exploring great destinations. You'll get involved with local communities—jamming with drummers in Belize, for instance, or working on a community construction project in Tanzania.

Eligibility

Students completing 9th through 12th grades are eligible to participate in National Geographic Student Expeditions.

Our Long History in Exploration

With more than a century of exploration behind us, we've developed a vast network of experts and contacts across the globe. We tap into these resources when crafting our itineraries to create unique and exciting opportunities for students.

In Costa Rica, for example, you'll monitor sea turtles with scientists at a research station. Get to know a Maasai elder in Tanzania, or learn about traditional Andean weaving at the workshop of National Geographic grantee Nilda Callañaupa in Peru.

To make these innovative trips possible, we have partnered with Putney Student Travel—a highly respected student travel organization that has offered quality student expeditions for more than 50 years. Putney is a leader in its field, delivering innovative, safe, and fun expeditions all around the world.

A Blend of Education and Adventure

In addition to our National Geographic On Assignment projects, enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, snorkeling, rafting, or horseback riding. Get immersed in the local community, playing sports with children, interacting with fishermen, or visiting the homes of artisans and farmers. Our itineraries allow us the flexibility to take advantage of spontaneous events while still providing full and structured days.

National Geographic On Assignment Projects

On each of our expeditions, you'll have an opportunity to choose one of the On Assignment projects offered on the trip. Throughout the expedition, you'll break into smaller teams to pursue your On Assignment project. With the guidance of trip leaders and our National Geographic expert, you'll get involved in a series of hands-on projects to guide your exploration. Dig deeper into a country's landscape and culture to develop your own story through writing, photography, or hands-on field activities. As you explore ancient temples in the Greek Isles, snorkel with penguins in the Galápagos, or ride camels across the desert in India, you'll experience your surroundings through the personalized lens of your project.

Click here to see our On Assignment projects and the destinations in which they're offered.

Our Dynamic Travel Groups

STUDENTS. Traveling with your peers naturally breeds a sense of common purpose and teamwork. On expedition, you'll develop strong bonds through working in teams on On Assignment projects. Plus, seeing a place through the eyes of your friends brings a whole new dimension to your experience. Our groups range between 16 and 28 students, except for the On Campus program, which can accommodate up to 50 students.

TRIP LEADERS. Our trip leaders are dynamic college graduates who are pursuing careers in fields from journalism and photography to environmental science and geography. They are energetic, creative, responsible, knowledgeable, and fun. They know the destination well and seek to share their love of travel with high school students. Our student-to-trip-leader ratio is usually between six and eight to one, and never more than nine to one.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPERTS. On each trip, a National Geographic photographer, writer, researcher, or explorer will join us for a portion of the trip. Our experts are leaders in their field who will enrich the trip with their stories and their insight.

Our Accommodations

The accommodations we use are well located and comfortable. On most programs, we stay in small, family-run inns and hostels; student centers; university housing; or research stations. Sometimes our accommodations are part of the adventure. For instance, we'll settle into safari camps in Tanzania, or stay at a working hacienda in Ecuador or at a villager's farmhouse inn near the Great Wall of China.

Community Involvement

We believe that participating in community-service projects is a great way to become more engaged with the place you're exploring while making a useful contribution. On most of our expeditions, you will have an opportunity to give back to the community by participating for a few hours or as much as several days in a service project. Depending on the location and the community's needs, this could involve helping with small-scale construction, tutoring students in English, cleaning up a park, or helping out at an orphanage. At the end of the expedition, if you have participated in community service work, you will receive a certificate stating the number of hours you have logged. Below are estimated community service hours for each trip. Please note that these are estimates and cannot be guaranteed, and hours may vary depending on the options the student chooses. You will need to check with your school to determine if community service hours on our expeditions will qualify toward your school's community service requirement.

Estimated Community Service Hours on each Expedition*:

*There is not a community service component on our expeditions to Australia, Rome & Greece, Spain, Iceland, or Belize.

Our Sustainable Travel Philosophy

As an organization that seeks to inspire others to care about the planet, National Geographic is committed to sustaining the character and integrity of each place we visit—its environment, culture, heritage, and the well-being of its residents. In providing authentic travel experiences for students, we strive to protect the sites we visit, support local economies in our choice of accommodations and services, and increase students' understanding and appreciation of other peoples and customs through meaningful cultural exchange.

Our Scholarship Program

The National Geographic Student Expeditions Scholarship Program provides financial support for students seeking educational summer experiences who could otherwise not afford them. Diverse student groups enhance group dynamics and learning opportunities for all involved.

Click here for more information about our scholarship program. If you are interested in making a contribution, please contact us via or phone at 1-877-877-8759.

Our New National Geographic On Campus Program

Starting in the summer 2009 we are pleased to introduce National Geographic On Campus, innovative programs for high school students based in two spectacular locations on the East and West Coasts — Monterey Bay, California and Bar Harbor, Maine. With a comfortable campus setting as our base, we'll spend ten days exploring the region through engaging workshops, hands-on activities in the field, excursions to nearby sites, and active adventures in the company of dynamic instructors and National Geographic experts.

THE PROGRAM
National Geographic On Campus programs blend field-based activities — photo and film shoots, GPS tracking, and marine research excursions, for example — with daily workshops and discussions led by outstanding trip leaders and National Geographic experts. You'll choose an On Assignment focus, such as Photography or Marine Biology & Conservation, and work in teams to hone your skills and develop a project.

Get out and explore, using the tools you've learned, to delve deeper into your magnificent surroundings. Perhaps you'll study the techniques of Ansel Adams and then set out on a photo shoot using black-and-white film to capture the very landscapes he photographed. Or research fluctuations in whale populations off the coast of Maine, and then take a whale-watching cruise to study the creatures up close. You might embark on an outdoor adventure simply for the sake of exploring — a hike on Maine's Cadillac Mountain; a boat ride to nearby islands; or a swim at the beach in Big Sur, California.

Throughout the program, take your pick of enriching workshops on other subjects that interest you — whether it's the region's maritime history, local conservation efforts, or an introduction to photography.

ON ASSIGNMENT PROJECTS: Choose from among four On Assignment areas: Photography, Filmmaking, Journalism, or Marine Biology & Conservation. Work in a team-oriented environment alongside fellow students, instructors, and National Geographic experts who share your passion for the field. On the final day, gather to share your project and findings with your new friends.

ENRICHMENT WORKSHOPS: You'll have an opportunity to choose from an array of hands-on workshops that complement your On Assignment project or that satisfy your curiosity. Learn about giant redwood conservation in Monterey or the geology of sea caves in Maine. Each of these enrichment workshops is led by a National Geographic expert, a local specialist, or a team of dynamic leaders.

OUTDOOR EXCURSIONS: We'll set out on active excursions into the field throughout the program. Hike to the remote beaches of Monterey, or bike the beautiful carriage trails of Maine's Acadia National Park. Visit San Francisco's historic Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, or board a research boat to look for humpback whales off the coast of Maine. Walk in Steinbeck's footsteps at Cannery Row, or take a used-bookstore tour of Maine's small seaside towns. Go sea kayaking and discover tiny islands and deserted beaches.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPERTS: National Geographic experts will join you during the course of the program to lead workshops and excursions, give presentations about their work, and inspire interesting discussions. Whether you go on a photo shoot alongside a National Geographic photographer or conduct field research with a biologist whose findings have been reported in our magazines, you'll gain valuable insights from our experts.

See full descriptions of our On Campus programs: Monterey Bay, California and Bar Harbor, Maine.

Transportation To and From Expeditions

All international expeditions begin and end at a meeting point at a U.S. airport — generally New York (JFK), Newark, Miami, Houston, or Los Angeles. We have arranged for international group flights and special group airfare for each expedition. We have also arranged for an escort to accompany students on all international group flights. International airfare is not included in the cost of the tuition and should be booked through our office. All participants must join these escorted international group flights unless we receive written authorization from a parent for alternate transportation plans to the starting point or from the ending point of the expedition. For the On Campus programs, students arriving and departing by plane will be accompanied by a trip leader between the airport (Portland, Maine; or San Jose or San Francisco, California) and our campus. On all programs, parents are responsible for making arrangements for participants to arrive at and return from the U.S. departure/return meeting points.

Preparing For Your Expedition

In the months leading up to your adventure, we will send you a variety of materials to help you prepare for your trip, including books, magazines, maps, or DVDs produced by National Geographic, as well as a complimentary one-year subscription to a National Geographic magazine of your choice. Not only will these provide background information about your destination, they'll also get you thinking about the kind of On Assignment project you'd like to pursue.

Expeditions for School Groups

If you are a high school teacher or other high school staff and are interested in offering a special departure of a National Geographic Student Expedition for your school, contact us at 877-877-8759 or for more information.

OTHER NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL PROGRAMS