Student Trips to Italy Join us on student trips to Italy. Student travel to Italy is a fascinating way to learn about this magnificent country, it's amazing art and music, and fascinating culture. Have lots of fun as you experience great food, see amazing sites and meet colorful people.
Unique Educational Travel Programs
There are endless varieties of the types of international travel education possibilities in Italy. With your input and guidance we will create an educational travel program that is perfect for your school group. To give you and idea of the flow of one of our "travel for education" programs, below is one example of an educational travel experience we have organized. Call us to let us know exactly what you are looking for and we will create it for you.
Unique Educational Travel Programs
There are endless varieties of the types of international travel education possibilities in Italy. With your input and guidance we will create an educational travel program that is perfect for your school group. To give you and idea of the flow of one of our "travel for education" programs, below is one example of an educational travel experience we have organized. Call us to let us know exactly what you are looking for and we will create it for you.
We are really excited to offer this wonderful empowering journey to a beautiful country. Students and teachers stay at a magnificent villa in Tuscany, explore the charming and impressive villages of Cinque Terre, and immerse themselves in the magic and elegance of Venice. While in Tuscany you live in a charming villa with impressive surroundings and take daily excursions to Florence, San Gimignano, Volterra, Sienna and other Tuscany villages. So often student groups end up staying in medium or lower class hotels or housing. On this trip, you get to experience staying at a high quality villa that allows you to celebrate the beauty and splendor that is part of the inspirational Tuscan countryside. While in Cinque Terre and Venice, you stay at terrific hotels. (scroll down to see more about the villa)
The students will learn and experience Italy's:
History
Culture
Art
Global Influence
Architecture
Government
Economy
People
Geography
Social Structure
Climate
Geography
Contributions
Language
Our intent is to have the students experience the Italian culture in every way possible. This student adventure will begin with spending some time in and near Florence. You will stay in a villa nestled in the country side surrounded by olive groves,,tasting the delicious dishes of the region and immersing yourselves in the charming culture. From there, many exciting places are available to us to experience such as Florence, San Gimignano, Volterra, Siena and others.
After a few days, we travel to Cinque Terre....what an amazing and magical area! The beauty of the villages is astounding and there are lots of opportunities for hiking, strolling in the villages, breathing in the magnificence, and of course eating more delectable food and experiencing the village culture.
Our final destination is Venice. It's hard to describe how incredible it is to be in Venice. Yes, there may be lots of tourists there and some areas are quite commercialized...but, beneath that, is a city of splendor and uniqueness and charm.
Your Hosts
Kay and Franco, the owners of Global Journeys, are your hosts and guides for this student trip.
Franco was born in Italy, speaks Italian fluently and still considers Italy his home. Many of his summers growing up were spent in Venice with his grandmother and aunt who lived in a small palace on one of the canals near the Bridge of Sighs in Venice. He has been a classroom teacher, an administrator and is the founder of Pathways, an alternative school in Colorado. He is a firm believer that our youngsters are the keepers of the possibilities of our future and is committed to offer a variety of programs that will empower youngsters to embrace the gifts they have within themselves. On these trips to Italy, Franco does an exquisite job supporting students in experiencing themselves as future leaders, powerful ambassadors and well-respected representatives of our country. Franco loves youngsters, loves Italy and its people, and brings a wonderful opportunity for all involved to celebrate their magnificence.
Kay was born and educated in British Guyana, moved to the U.S. and has traveled and worked with people in many European countries, Russia, Egypt, South Africa, British West Indies, and Central America. Her knowledge and connections with various cultures is a wonderful asset as she works with and teaches young people. Kay lived and worked in Florence for three years and explored most of the Tuscany region during that time. She has been involved with the Italian export and fashion industry for over twenty years.
Kay loves working with youngsters. Her teachings have included: dance, cultural crafts & studies, concerts & theater and yoga. She also offers tasty workshops on how to prepare a wide variety of international cuisines. Kay is committed to enhancing the lives of the students she works with and her interactions with them are always of the highest quality. Her enthusiasm and sparkle for life are contributions that she makes with everyone she encounters.
Both Kay and Franco love Italy and the people there and they are thoroughly looking forward to accompanying you on this student trip.
There are numerous itineraries possible depending on the vision and desires of the teachers, parents and students. We will work with you to create exacly what you would like to have the students experience. The following is just one example of a possible itinerary.
Take a look at adding a Leadership Component to this journey...click here
Itinerary
Day One – Departure from your home city. This is a day of travel. From the U.S. most flights leave in late afternoon or evening and arrive in Florence the following day.
Day Two – We will meet you at the airport and transport you to the villa. Depending on arrival time, you may have a light lunch and get cozy in the place that will be your home for the next several days. If you wish you may explore a quaint nearby village after you have rested and settled in, you may walk in the surrounding countryside, you can take a dip in the pool or just relax and enjoy the sweet country air. A welcome buffet dinner will be served.
Day Three – For those that wish to be up early, you can take a walk or a run in the countryside. Breakfast will follow, and then we are off to explore the spectacular Tuscany region. Castel Gabbiano, Castel Palaggio , and Verrazano are among the castles we visit. Often there are local festivals where we can experience the local customs.
Day Four – Maybe a little yoga before breakfast?... then we are off to San Gimignano and its unique seven towers and we visit Volterra with its exciting history . Scroll down to learn more about these two walled citadels. Towards evening we go to the village of San Donato for a marvelous dinner at Ristorante Locanda and then return to the villa.
Day Five– A full day in Florence awaits you after our morning offerings and breakfast. Florence is rich, colorful and inspirational. A detailed description of this center of the arts is written below. Upon your return to the villa, you may choose to do some group activities and then have a delicious Italian dinner.
Day Six – Breakfast will be served and then a fascinating day in Siena, a medieval wonder. Surrounded by olive groves and the vineyards of Chianti, Siena is oneof the most beautiful cities of Tuscany. Scroll down for more on Siena. We have dinner in Siena and return to the villa in time for a group gathering.
Day Seven – We leave Tuscany this morning and after breakfast we travel to Pisa. You have time in Pisa to visit the Leaning Tower, the Cathedral, the museum, the shops in the piazza, and have lunch there. In the afternoon we depart and arrive in Monterosso, one of the five villages of Cinque Terre. After settling in at your hotel you can go for a walk on the beach, explore the village and get ready for a delicious dinner by the sea. A walk after dinner along the seashore is always a great way to conclude the day.
Day Eight – There are five villages in Cinque Terre and you are free to explore all five of them today. You have a choice of walking the revitalizing pathways that connect all the villages, you can catch a local train that serves all five, you may take a boat between them or do a combination of all of these. Scroll down to learn more about Cinque Terre and what this area has to offer.
Day Nine – After breakfast at the hotel, we leave these seaside gems and head towards the Queen of the Adriatic, Venice. Along the way we stop for lunch. If you have not been to Venice, it’s hard to describe the magic and intrigue that is present. After you check in to the hotel and settle in, you go on a gondola ride through the mystical canals and spend the evening after dinner listening to music and experiencing the culture in Saint Mark’s Square, walkthe busy entwining streets, or attend one of the concerts…an evening in Venice is always inspiring.
Day Ten – You get to explore Venice for a full day. You may have breakfast at the hotel and then…enjoy, explore, eat, drink, and immerse yourself in the charm and culture of this amazing city. Scroll down to learn more about this memorable city.
Day Eleven – This is the concluding day. We take a boat back to where we left our van and we take you to the airport in Venice for your departure. This last day is always filled with many emotions and memories. As you leave this exquisite country you can always take with you the magnificence and magic you experienced. "Speremo che tutti stanno bene a che cuesto era un viaggio fantastico".
If you would like to discuss setting up a student trip or if you have any questions, please call us or you can e-mail us at: info@globalj.org
We'll be glad to give you pricing as soon as we know specifically what you are looking for.
You may also fill out the form below and we will contact you within 24 hours. Global Journeys 516 343-3210
Scroll down for more details about this trip
Florence... a City of Stone
Florence is an amazing city situated in the Arno valley. It's historic importance and artistic contributions make it a city that is a must to visit.
At the heart of the city is the Fountain of Neptune, which is a masterpiece of marble sculpture at the terminus of a still functioning Roman aqueduct. The Arno river, which cuts through the old part of the city, is as much a character in Florentine history as many of the men who lived there. Historically, the locals have had a love-hate relationship with the Arno — which alternated from nourishing the city with commerce, and destroying it by flood. Many of the bridges across the Arno were built by the Romans.
One of the bridges in particular, however, stands out as being unique — The Ponte Vecchio, whose most striking feature is the multitude of shops built upon its edges, held up by stilts. First constructed by the Etruscans in ancient times, this bridge is the only one in the city to have survived World War II intact.
The most famous palace in the city is San Lorenzo, which has become a monument to the Medici family who were one of the most powerful families in Florence during the 15th century. Nearby is the Uffizi Gallery, one of the finest art galleries in the world.
San Gimignano... La Cittá delle Belle Torri
Perched on a hill with its towers thrown into sharp relief by the deep green mountains behind it, San Gimignano looks like a town plucked from a fairy tale and set into the Tuscan countryside. Of course, it's not. Nor has it always been the sleepy little town it is today: In the late middle ages it was one of Central Tuscany's most important trading centers, strategically perched astride the intersection between the main highway from Rome to the Alpine passes, and the road connecting the Tuscan heartland to the maritime republic of Pisa and the coast. We will spend a half day or so visiting this ancient village that affords wonderful opportunities for unique photography and marvel at the beauty and spirit of its structures.
Here's a little more information about this charming town. San Gimignano is a small walled medieval hill-top town in Tuscany, Italy, about a 35 minute drive north-west of Siena and about the same distance southwest of Florence. It is mainly famous for its medieval architecture, especially its towers. In Tuscan medieval walled towns, rich families competed in the erection of high towers, that served as lodgings, fortresses and prestige symbols. Because San Gimignano sits atop a hill the skyline can be seen for several miles outside the town. In medieval and Renaissance times it was a stopping point for pilgrims on their way to Rome and the Vatican.
While in other cities like Bologna or Florence, most or all of the towers have been brought down due to wars, catastrophes or urban renewal, San Gimignano managed to conserve about 15 towers of varying height. The modern town has extended some kilometres out and is no longer affected by this race.San Gimignano is also famous for its Torture museum, with a display of instruments and devices for torture in various times and places, complete with multi-lingual descriptions of their use.There are many churches in the town: the two main ones are the Collegiata and Sant'Agostino.The town is also known for the white wine grown in the area, Vernaccia di San Gimignano.A fictionalised version of San Gimignano features in E.M. Forster's 1905 novel Where Angels Fear to Tread as Monteriano.
Siena... a medieval wonder
Surrounded by olive groves and the vineyards of Chianti, Siena is one of the most beautiful cities of Tuscany. Set on three hills, the city is drawn together by winding alleyways and steep steps, whilst the Piazza del Campo stands at its heart, and the Duomo and St Maria della Scala serve as additional cultural landmarks. Famed for the "Palio", the annual historic horse-races that take place on 2 July and 16 August, it is also home to one of the oldest Universities in Europe, which ensures a vibrant Italian student atmosphere throughout the academic year.
There are so many great things you will see in Siena. It has uniquely preserved medieval architecture, and you can walk from tiny piazzas shared by you and a couple of pigeons to stately 14th and 15th century buildings. There is always something to notice and admire as you explore this unique city. Limited traffic within the city centre enhances your experience and adds to the feeling of stepping back in time into a medieval world.
Here's a bit of history about Siena and links to find out more about this enchanting place. Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the provincial capital of Siena province.The historic center of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. Siena, like many other Tuscan hill towns, was first settled in the time of the Etruscans (c. 900 BC to 400 BC) when it was inhabited by a tribe called the Saina.
The Etruscans were an advanced people who changed the face of central Italy through their use of irrigation to reclaim previously unfarmable land, and their custom of building their settlements in heavily armoured hill-forts. It has been argued that their Pagan society which practiced matrilineal inheritance, and was devoted to their goddesses was one of the reasons why Roman Goddesses such as Diana and, with the arrival of Christianity, the Virgin Mary came to be of such importance to the people of the Italian peninsula. If this is true, it suggests that the Cult of the Virgin which is omnipresent in the fabric of Siena's ancient stones has an origin which is older still.
What we can say for certain is that the Romans founded a town called Saenna Julia on the site of a pre-existing Etruscan settlement, and from this has grown modern Siena. Siena may then have been under the control of invading Gaulish forces – who are known to have sacked Rome in 390 BC. Some archaeologists assert it was controlled for a period by a Gaulish tribe called the Saenones.
The Roman origin accounts for the town’s emblem – a she-wolf suckling the infants’ Romulus and Remus. According to legend, Siena was founded by Senius, son of Remus, who was in turn the brother of Romulus, after whom Rome was named. Statues and other artwork depicting a she-wolf suckling the young twins Romulus and Remus can be seen all over the city of Siena. Other etymologies derive the name from the Etruscan family name "Saina", the Roman family name of the "Saenii", or the Latin word "senex" ("old") or the derived form "seneo", "to be old".
Cinque Terre... the gem of the Italian Riviera
The Cinque Terre (CHINK-weh TAY-reh, which means “five lands”) is a series of villages clinging to a remote stretch of the Riviera coastline. Each town is a variation on the same theme: a pastel jumble of homes crouching in a gully like crusty sea creatures in a tide pool, undisturbed by traffic or modern development.
The rugged villages of the Cinque Terre, founded by Dark Age locals hiding out from marauding pirates, were long cut off from the modern world. Today the villages, linked by a milk-run train, a ferry, and a spectacular trail, offer their charm and uniqueness as we explore this rocky coastline of northern Italy with terraced hills and vineyards sloping steeply down to the sea. You can enjoy hiking, swimming, drinking wine, eating delicious food and watching the blazing Mediterranean sunsets away from the busy tourist spots. The area is surrounded with terraced olive groves and vineyards, orchards and chestnut woods.
To find out more about each of the villages, click on their names:
The Cinque Terre are five coastal villages in the province of La Spezia in Italy. "Discovered" by foreigners in the late 20th century they have come to be among the most touristed areas of Italy. The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all encapsulated in a national park of the same name.
The five villages are, from west to east (i.e. towards LaSpezia):
Volumes have been written, miles of canvas have been painted, and scores have been sung to describe this wonder. Is it a city of canals and palaces...or a tawdry sewer alive with crowds and charlatans? Venice's nature is dualistic: water...land, long history...doubtful future, airy delicacy...dim melancholy. Franco spent several summers there living with his grandmother. His experience of this is unique city is one of awe and magic. "The light is entrancing, meandering through the maze of canals and lanes is sensual, and the hushed backstreets are filled with surprises and charm."
In Venice light and water combine to create a restless magic. All borderlines are eradicated some where between dream and reality, present and past, the ethereal nature of this town has fascinated many famous people. Here it is what some others have said about Venice...
"Between the still-slumbering walls of brick and marble, beneath the ribbon of the sky, more and more brightly gleamed the ribbon of the water." Gabriele D'Annunzio "Nothing is simpler than to lose oneself in Venice; and nothing is more fun than to be in this labirinth without a Minotaur, as a Theseus without an Ariadne's thread." Jean-Louis Vaudoyer "The Grand Canal, the most beautiful thoroughfare in the world that I know of, has the best houses along it, and runs from one end of the city to the other." Philippe de Commynes "When I went to Venice, I discovered that my dream had become-incredibly but quite simply- my address." Marcel Proust "It is charming to disembark at the polishedsteps of a little campo- a sunny, shabby square with an old well in the middle, an old church on one side and tall Venetian windows looking down." Henry James "And at night they sang in the gondolas, and in the barche with lanterns; the prows rose silver on silver,taking light in the darkness." Ezra Pound "Here it is S. Marco, the tower, the piazza, Palazzo Ducale. Probably such a jewel doesn't exist anywhere else in the world." Hippolyte Taine "A realist, in Venice would become a romantic, by mere faithfulness to what he saw before him." Arthur Symons "Venice is not only a city of fantasy and freedom. It is also a city of joy and pleasure." Peggy Guggenheim
If you would like to discuss setting up a student trip or if you have any questions, please call us. We look forward to working with you to set up a journey that meets all your dreams and expectations. Global Journeys 516 343-3210
Global Journeys Inc. 516 906-2133 www.globalj.org info@globalj.org
Florence is an amazing city situated in the Arno valley. It's historic importance and artistic contributions make it a city that is a must to visit. 
a medieval wonder
the gem of the Italian Riviera
