5 secrets to running the best history trip

Last updated: Sep 26th, 2023


The feeling of goose-bumps on your arms as your feet land on the trench floor, knowing you are walking in the footsteps of thousands of soldiers who fought for their countries – the emotion felt in this moment is beyond words. For a history teacher, nothing compares to this living, breathing lesson in the Battlefields.

Find out how else you can enhance your history trip to make it an unforgettable experience for your students.

 


1. Choose the right destination

Although your students will be excited about the new experiences to be had on their school trip, you will also have another primary focus of delivering curriculum content along the way.

Travelling to a destination appropriate to your learning objectives will allow your students to start making associations between classroom theory and outdoor resources.

A visit to the Western Front is ideal for understanding the reality of life on the frontline, whilst a guided tour around Auschwitz Birkenau will give a factual insight into the horrors of the holocaust.

 

2. Enlist some expert help

Consider including a History Tour Guide on your trip to help you achieve your learning objectives.

Our History Tour Guides use their extensive knowledge of your destination to bring history to life through storytelling, poems and anecdotes, making lessons and excursions all the more memorable.

“The way our History Tour Guide told stories in so much detail made it interesting and engaging.”

Year 8 Student

Brighton Hill School

 

3. Excursions are everything

A school trip without excursions is like a school without students – uneventful with very little learning! Exploration needs to be factored in to your itinerary, but pre-planned activities will help your trip to run much more smoothly.

Watch your students as they bow their heads in respect when they see mass graves, and the developing awe on their faces as they realise the vastness of wartime cemeteries.

Why not also factor in some fun as a break from the harrowing history they’ll be learning? Social excursions can range from feasting on the local cuisine, to art galleries and bowling.

 

4. Get your group excited

Convincing students to wave their school goodbye for a few days is easy – they will be buzzing with the thought of having some time away with their friends.

Asking parents for money to pay for such trips can be another challenge though. Luckily, if you’re travelling with Rayburn Tours, we’ll equip you with specially made PowerPoint presentations and posters to help you with the ‘sell’. We’ll even come and present at a parent’s evening if you need us to!

 

5. Travel with a specialist

There’s an ongoing debate as to whether a DIY school trip is better than travelling with a specialist tour operator.

Booking with a reputable company brings you a multitude of benefits, including:

  • Protection – you will have the safety blanket of ABTA and ATOL should anything go wrong
  • Paperwork – save yourself the headache of searching for the best prices, dealing with transport providers and organising relevant visas
  • Stress-free – relax and let the experts organise every fine detail of your trip, so you can focus on your students’ learning

 

Ready to book an unforgettable history trip?

Choose your destination