Why travel with us

When your child travels with us, nothing is more important than safety. From our on-tour staff, to hotels and transportation, we ensure every safety measure is covered.

Using EF's Safety First Program, we carefully evaluate all on-tour staff, conduct nightly fire safety checks and personally inspect all our hotels and restaurants each year. In addition, the tour director is with the group night and day for the entire tour. We provide professional overnight security at every hotel in addition to the hotel's security staff. And, we only use major airlines and motorcoaches insured by the American Bus Association and the United Motorcoach Association.

We know that educational travel is an investment in your child, and we make that investment as affordable as possible with low prices, easy payment plans and scholarships.

At Smithsonian Student Travel, we believe every student deserves the chance to explore America. That is why we offer the same tours as our competitors for much less. Our commitment to affordability is not just about price. Our Liberty Scholarship provides $25,000 annually and our free monthly payment plan helps keep costs manageable for families.

You'll also travel worry-free knowing your investment is secure when you choose to add our exclusive All-Inclusive Travel Coverage to your account. Click here to find out more.

Exploring America firsthand will give your child incredible educational opportunities. Traveling broadens children’s perspectives and uniquely prepares them for the future.

The benefits of travel are lifelong:

• More than 88 percent of students who traveled before the age of 18 received a college degree
• Slightly more than 8 in 10 had a GPA of 3.0 or higher
• More than 40 percent had GPAs greater than 3.6
• Half of travelers surveyed reported a household income of more than $75,000 as adults*

Our tours are enhanced by resources created by the Smithsonian Institution, PBS and educational consultants. Plus, our tour guides are trained in inquiry-based learning techniques, so no educational opportunity will be missed. Travelers will also get educational tour materials like Discover Decks, activity books and travel journals. And all our tours are accredited by the same regional organizations that accredit schools and colleges. Your child could also earn credit on tour.

* Data from a Student Youth & Travel Association-endorsed survey