EF Educational Tours is the best educational tour company for most school groups, with published per student prices, flights included, and monthly payment plans that spread the cost. Rustic Pathways is the budget pick for teen programs, with 2027 tuition from $1,995 per student plus airfare, while Travel For Teens suits small group summer trips at $3,295 tuition for a 10 day Europe tour. Explorica is being wound down, and its 2027-28 departures already redirect to WorldStrides, so new groups should book with WorldStrides directly.
An educational tour company plans the flights, hotels, meals, admissions, and guides for a school group, so a teacher can teach instead of managing logistics. Prices vary widely because some operators publish a fixed per student price for each tour while others quote every group separately. Compare the total cost, not the headline price, because protection plans, adult supplements, and airfare can add hundreds of dollars per traveler.
On this page
Best educational tour companies: comparison table
Swipe the table sideways on a phone to see every column.
| # | Name | Best for | Starting price | Free plan / trial | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | EF Educational Tours | school groups touring Europe with flights included | $5,144 per student | Not applicable | Visit |
| 2 | EF Explore America | US school groups touring American history sites | $2,780 per student | Not applicable | Visit |
| 3 | WorldStrides | schools wanting academic credit and 24/7 support | quote only | Not applicable | Visit |
| 4 | Explorica | budget minded school groups touring Europe | quote only | Not applicable | Visit |
| 5 | ACIS | groups wanting small group touring with a tour manager | $5,120 per traveler | Not applicable | Visit |
| 6 | Passports Educational Travel | groups wanting city center hotels and no adult supplement | quote only | Not applicable | Visit |
| 7 | Rustic Pathways | teens wanting service, conservation, and adventure trips | $1,995 per student | Not applicable | Visit |
| 8 | Travel For Teens | teens joining small group summer trips in Europe | $3,295 tuition | Not applicable | Visit |
The 8 best best educational tour companies, in detail
EF Educational Tours
Best for: school groups touring Europe with flights included
EF Educational Tours is the student travel arm of EF Education First, a company founded in 1965 that has led student travel for over 60 years. Its tours run in more than 100 countries, with a heavy focus on Europe, North America, and Latin America, and groups are organized through teachers and group leaders rather than sold to individual families. Published tour prices include round trip airfare from designated departure cities, hotels, some meals, admission fees, and a dedicated tour director.
- The London, Paris and Rome tour lists a total student price of $5,144, the Rome, Athens and Greek Isles tour lists $5,849, and the Athens, Crete and S
- Monthly payment plans spread the cost, for example $653 a month over 8 months for the Great Britain and Ireland tour at $5,319 in total, and an early
Pros
- tour price includes round trip airfare, hotels, and a tour director
- monthly payment plans spread the cost over many months
Cons
- hotels may sit outside the city center
- travel protection plans cost extra and are sold separately
EF Explore America
Best for: US school groups touring American history sites
EF Explore America is the US focused division of EF, and it runs student tours across the United States and Canada, covering Washington, D.C., New York City, Boston, California, and the national parks of the Southwest. Published tour prices include round trip airfare, hotels, some meals, admission fees, and a dedicated tour director, just like the international EF tours. The Washington, D.C.
- and Gettysburg tour lists a total student price of $2,780 with 6 monthly payments of $448, the New York City tour lists $2,887, the Washington, D.C.
- and New York tour lists $2,979, the Boston and New York tour lists $3,120, and the California Panorama tour lists $3,651.
- An early enrollment discount of $150 is included on some tours.
- EF Explore America is accredited, and its tours are built around classroom learning, with guides who connect each stop to the curriculum.
Pros
- domestic tours include flights, hotels, and a tour director
- monthly plans run as few as 6 payments
Cons
- prices vary by departure city and group size
- optional experiences add to the total price
WorldStrides
Best for: schools wanting academic credit and 24/7 support
WorldStrides has run educational travel for more than 55 years and has taken more than 10 million students on trips across more than 100 countries on 6 continents. Its programs use an approach called LEAP, which stands for Learning through Exploration and Active Participation, and students take part in hands on activities rather than only sightseeing. Tours cover STEM, language immersion, history, culture, sports, and service learning, in the United States and abroad.
- Every tour includes an expert tour director or course leader, round trip transportation, and 24/7 emergency support, and students can earn transferabl
- WorldStrides also offers financial assistance and fundraising support, and gives every student a fundraising page where 100 percent of the money raise
- WorldStrides publishes no per student prices, so every group gets a custom quote.
Pros
- students can earn transferable high school or college credit
- 24/7 emergency support and embedded medical insurance
Cons
- no published per student prices, so budgeting needs a custom quote
- adult supplement charged for chaperones
Explorica
Best for: budget minded school groups touring Europe
Explorica is the budget arm of WorldStrides, which acquired it in 2016, and it is known for the lowest sticker prices among the five major student tour operators. Its tours are fully inclusive, covering flights, hotels, meals, transportation, entrance fees, guided sightseeing, and a tour director, and it runs trips in more than 75 countries for more than 400,000 students a year. Explorica is a fully accredited educational institution, so middle and high school students on an international itinerary can earn free high school credit, and it partners with George Mason University so students can earn college credit too.
- As a member of the United States Tour Operators Association, its tours are covered by a $1 Million Travelers Assistance Program.
- The trade off is the brand itself: Explorica is being wound down, and its site already redirects 2027-28 departures to WorldStrides.
- Its published terms also add a $125 adult supplement on international tours for travelers age 23 and older, plus a $45 per night double room surcharge
Pros
- lowest sticker prices among the five major operators
- fully inclusive tours with flights, hotels, meals, and entrance fees
Cons
- brand is being wound down, with 2027-28 departures redirecting to WorldStrides
- adult supplement of $125 on international tours plus a $45 per night double room surcharge
ACIS
Best for: groups wanting small group touring with a tour manager
ACIS Educational Tours runs small group educational tours with a 24 hour tour manager, and its program fee includes round trip flights, hotels, meals, and guided sightseeing. Published trip prices show the full breakdown: the Buongiorno Italia tour costs $5,120 per traveler from Columbus, with a program fee of $5,100 and tipping of $120 collected in advance, plus an early registration discount of $100. The Panorama Italiano tour costs $7,275 per traveler from New York, the Paris Tournament tour costs $6,389, and the Panoramas of Italy and France tour costs $6,892.
- ACIS charges an adult surcharge of $100 for travelers over 21, a single room supplement of $840 to $1,350 depending on the tour, and a double room sup
- Its Ultimate Protection Plan costs $360 to $440 and the Ultimate-Plus plan costs $495 to $605.
- Prices are based on a minimum of 20 passengers, and student travelers room in triples to avoid the double room supplement.
Pros
- 24 hour tour manager on every tour
- program fee includes round trip flights
Cons
- adult surcharge of $100 plus room supplements up to $1,350 for a single room
- protection plans cost $360 to $605 extra
Passports Educational Travel
Best for: groups wanting city center hotels and no adult supplement
Passports Educational Travel runs educational group tours across Europe, Latin America, and Japan, and it positions itself as an all in operator with city center hotels. Its key pricing difference is the adult policy: there is no adult supplement, so every traveler pays the same tour price, while travelers age 24 and older who are not leading the group pay a per night double room charge shown with each tour price. Overseas medical is included in the tour price rather than sold as an add on.
- Passports publishes no fixed per student prices on its main pages, so groups receive a quote built around their dates, group size, and route.
- Its own comparison guide places its typical all in cost in the higher tier among the five major operators, above EF and Explorica, which reflects the
Pros
- no adult supplement, every traveler pays the same tour price
- overseas medical included in the tour price
Cons
- no published per student prices on its main pages
- travelers age 24 and older who are not leading the group pay a per night double room charge
Rustic Pathways
Best for: teens wanting service, conservation, and adventure trips
Rustic Pathways is an educational travel company founded in 1983, offering open enrollment teen travel programs for ages 14 to 18 and custom group travel for schools and universities. Its 2027 teen programs start at $1,995 in program tuition plus airfare, and tuition across 29 high school programs runs from $1,995 to $13,680, with a typical program at $4,195. Example programs include the 8 day Costa Rica Pura Vida Service at $2,495, the 10 day Bali Culture and Adventure at $2,195, and the 15 day Spanish Language Immersion at $4,495.
- School trips add one free teacher place per 8 paying students.
- Flights to and from the program, travel insurance, medical insurance, and a one time enrollment fee starting at $100 are separate, and Rustic Pathways
- Rustic Pathways has awarded $3.6 million in scholarships since 2013.
Pros
- tuition is all inclusive in country, covering lodging, meals, and activities
- one free teacher place per 8 paying students on school trips
Cons
- international airfare, insurance, and a separate enrollment fee starting at $100 are extra
- programs run in set summer sessions, June through August
Travel For Teens
Best for: teens joining small group summer trips in Europe
Travel For Teens started in 2003 as a small family run business providing teens with an authentic experience in Paris, and it now runs small group summer trips across Europe for students who have finished junior or senior year of high school. Its Italy and Spain Explorer is a 10 day private journey with tuition of $3,295, which includes all breakfasts and dinners, accommodations, transportation, entrance to museums and events, taxes, and tips. Tuition does not include flights to and from the United States, lunches, trip insurance, visas, or personal expenses.
- A $750 trip deposit is due within 3 business days of registration, and the balance is due in 4 installments.
- A standard trip protection plan costs $244, and a plan with cancel for any reason coverage costs $386.
- Travel For Teens will reserve a group airfare contract for participants traveling round trip from the United States, and it will customize a payment p
Pros
- tuition includes breakfasts, dinners, hotels, transport, and museum entries
- small family run operator founded in 2003
Cons
- flights, lunches, and trip insurance are extra
- $750 deposit due within 3 business days of registration
How we chose
We picked companies that run real educational tours for school groups, with published per student prices where they exist and custom quotes where they do not. Prices and plan limits come from official vendor tour pages opened on 2026-11-12, including EF, EF Explore America, ACIS, Rustic Pathways, and Travel For Teens. Where a vendor publishes no price, we wrote quote only instead of estimating a number. We did not test any tool hands-on.
Which operator fits your group and budget
| Provider | Starting price | Flights included | Chaperone terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| EF Educational Tours | $5,144 per student | Yes, round trip airfare included | Adult supplement of $200 plus $90 per night |
| EF Explore America | $2,780 per student | Yes, round trip airfare included | Prices vary by departure city and group size |
| WorldStrides | quote only | Yes, as part of the custom quote | Adult supplement charged for chaperones |
| Explorica | quote only | Yes, fully inclusive tours | $125 adult supplement plus $45 per night double room surcharge |
| ACIS | $5,120 per traveler | Yes, round trip flights included | $100 adult surcharge, single room supplement up to $1,350 |
| Passports Educational Travel | quote only | Yes, as part of the custom quote | No adult supplement; double room charge for travelers 24 and older |
| Rustic Pathways | $1,995 per student, plus airfare | No, airfare is extra | One free teacher place per 8 paying students |
| Travel For Teens | $3,295 tuition | No, flights are extra | $750 deposit, balance in 4 installments |
Frequently asked questions
How much does an educational tour cost per student?
A European school tour typically costs $5,144 to $7,275 per student with flights included, based on published EF and ACIS tour prices. Rustic Pathways teen programs start at $1,995 per student plus airfare, and EF Explore America domestic tours start at $2,780 per student with flights included.
Which educational tour company is best for school groups?
EF Educational Tours is the best choice for most school groups because it publishes per student prices, includes flights, and offers monthly payment plans. WorldStrides suits schools that want academic credit and 24/7 support, while Rustic Pathways suits groups that want service and conservation work built into the trip.
Which educational tour company is the cheapest?
Rustic Pathways is the cheapest in this list, with 2027 teen programs from $1,995 per student plus airfare. Explorica advertises the lowest sticker prices among the five major school tour operators, but it is being wound down and its 2027-28 departures redirect to WorldStrides.
Do educational tour prices include flights?
It depends on the operator. EF, EF Explore America, WorldStrides, Explorica, ACIS, and Passports include round trip airfare in the tour price. Rustic Pathways and Travel For Teens charge airfare separately, so add $800 to $1,500 per student when you compare their tuition with an all in price.
What happened to Explorica?
Explorica was acquired by WorldStrides in 2016 and is now being wound down as a separate brand. Its site already redirects 2027-28 departures to WorldStrides, so new groups should book with WorldStrides directly instead of starting a fresh Explorica booking.
Can students earn school credit on an educational tour?
Yes, on several operators. WorldStrides lets students earn transferable high school or college credit, Explorica students can earn free high school credit and college credit through George Mason University, and EF tours are accredited like a school.
Sources
- https://www.eftours.com
- https://www.eftours.com/tour-website/2819016EM
- https://www.efexploreamerica.com
- https://www.efexploreamerica.com/tour-website/2946363YA
- https://www.worldstrides.com
- https://go.worldstrides.com/international-programs
- https://www.explorica.com
- https://www.explorica.com/teachers/select-a-tour/all-tours
- https://www.acis.com
- https://webapp.acis.com/api/v1/group/get_group_pdf?year=2026&group=88938
- https://www.passports.com
- https://www.passports.com/best-student-travel-companies
- https://rusticpathways.com
- https://rusticpathways.com/trips-for-teens
- https://www.travelforteens.com
- https://www.travelforteens.com/private-trip/is26/
Prices and features were read on each company’s own website in November 2026. They change often, so confirm the current offer on the official site before you sign up or buy.