Learning travel or educational travel abroad: things to know

This type of travel enables participants to gain knowledge, develop skills, and deepen cultural understanding at the source in a planned, real-world setting in another country.

Who is educational travel abroad for?

Since it has an educational component, programmes are mostly designed for high school or higher education students, but sometimes people of all ages and educational backgrounds can join programmes.

What are the benefits of educational travel abroad?

Academic learning: students apply knowledge (e.g. in history, geography, social studies, biology, music) in practice, through fieldwork, site visits, research, and hands-on activities.
Cultural awareness: educational travel programmes abroad are designed to help participants understand different cultures, traditions, values, languages, and points of view.
Emotional development: programmes where students are in the new setting encourage students to understand the process of: feeling anxious at the beginning, being curious while exploring, feeling of accomplishment when finishing the programme.
Long-term life orientation: students feel motivated to participate in more of such programmes, consider academic orientation, a globally oriented career

What is education tourism (edutourism)?

Educational tourism is a form of tourism in which learning is in the primary focus, blending cultural immersion with structured educational goals.

It combines travel (abroad) with educational activities, such as:

learning about a destination’s culture, history, environment, and language
learning about specialised subjects through firsthand experiences.

Here is a definition from the UN Tourism glossary:

“Education tourism covers those types of tourism which have as a primary motivation the tourist’s engagement and experience in learning, self-improvement, intellectual growth and skills development. Education Tourism represents a broad range of products and services related to academic studies, skill enhancement holidays, school trips, sports training, career development courses and language courses, among others.”

What are educational travel programmes abroad like?

The best programmes for children and teens consider:

integrating clear educational goals
engaging with the local community
reflective practice,
programme durations to maximise educational outcomes
destination and activities

What is the length of the educational travel abroad programme?

It depends on the type of programme.

3-5 days short trips for programme or topic reinforcement (tours)
2-4 week programme travels that allow students to move past initial culture shock and begin integrating new experiences.

Youth Programme

Youth Summer camp in Ireland

Youth Programme

Summer Camp for Teenagers
Youth Summer camp in Malaga

What are the types of educational travel?

School tours
Language camps
Volunteer programmes
Immersion programmes
Cultural programmes
Summer camps

What is an educational tour?

An educational tour is a short planned trip that is designed to achieve specific learning objectives through firsthand experiences.

It combines travel with structured educational activities, allowing participants to gain knowledge, develop skills, and deepen their understanding of a subject by visiting relevant locations and engaging with experts, local communities, or cultural sites.

Why Freepackers?

Freepackers provides educational travel, teen summer camps, and international volunteering across 37 global destinations.

Programmes combine language immersion, humanitarian work, and eco-conservation with local NGOs, supported by their non-profit initiative focused on accessible, sustainable mobility.

Popular learning travel abroad programmes by Freepackers

Teen Educational Summer Camps: Specifically designed for teens. Two-week structured programmes.
Autonomous youth projects: humanitarian projects accepting young people from the age of 16.

Popular learning travel abroad locations by Freepackers

Educational teen summer camps:

Malaga
Italy
Ireland
UK

Freepackers testimonial: 3-week educational youth project in Argentina

Thirty young Belgian Scouts spent three weeks in Argentina with Freepackers. The goal was to promote cultural exchange between the two countries and to have a positive impact on the environment, society, and local communities.

This nearly one-month experience in Argentina helped us all mature significantly, both the young people and the group leaders. We emerged from those 3-4 weeks having grown as people, far from our comfort zones and daily routines. We learned to live as a community, discovered different ways of life, and shared and learned new customs.

Do you have any questions?

What is Planeta First?

Planeta First is designed as an alternative to mainstream tourism; its itineraries are for those who want to explore a country consciously: with meaning, human connection, and a positive impact.

Planeta First offers four main itinerary families:

Cultural: discover traditions and the country’s history, with immersion and exchanges with locals.
Spiritual: enjoy moments of relaxation (yoga, meditation) for a full reconnection and a calmer trip that’s just as rich in discoveries.
Adventure: explore the country and its landscapes on treks, and take part in sports activities to enjoy nature and wildlife.
Road trip: travel across a country to understand its full richness through itineraries designed to reveal its depth and diversity.

Trekking day in Argentina
Big Five expedition at Kruger Park
Adventure tour in Bali

How to plan an edutourism trip?

Planning an educational trip requires more than booking flights and accommodation. You need to define learning goals, destination, length of the trip, connecting with the local community, students’ reflection, and working with culture shock.

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