The 5-Best 5-day educational tours to the Historic East Coast (Reviews/Ratings/Costs)
On a five-day trip to the historic east coast, there are so many great options. Do you dream of leading a trip that students will remember forever? As a trip leader, you know that a big part of core memory is choosing an inspirational destination. Trip leaders love 5-day itineraries for the Historic East Coast. It’s the only area in the US where groups can experience multiple historic cities in a shorter amount of time.
Great trips start with teacher and student feedback. Listening with an open ear is a critical skill in creating trips that teachers and their students love. You want your voice to be heard. Our answers are based on feedback we’ve received from trip leaders, students, tour directors, and bus drivers.
School Field trips to New York, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Boston, and Historic Virginia
Points to consider when planning your trip:
On a five-day trip, you’ll only have 4 to 4.5 days of touring. If your group departs on a red-eye flight and tours all of the first day and catches a late return flight on day 5, you’ll get closer to the full 5-day experience. These 5-day itineraries include traveling to and from your destination cities. Traveling between destinations cities is another factor that compresses activity time on a trip. To maximize your activity time, we recommend your group sticks to two cities for a 5-day trip.
We’ll take you through five itinerary options you’ll love and give you a few insider tips so that you can lead a memory-maker trip with your students.
Five Day School Trips to New York + Philadelphia
Philadelphia and New York is a great educational trip to the East Coast. You’ll start in Philadelphia and hit all the major sites in the old city. Your students will love taking photos at the Iconic Liberty Bell. Feel empowered visiting Independence Hall and seeing where the framers wrote the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. Student groups love guided tours of East State Penitentiary and the National Constitution Center. Enjoy a zany evening performance at the MadCap theatre in Philadelphia.
Next, your educational tour will head off to New York. Groups have fun participating in a Broadway classroom workshop. By day your students will learn from current Broadway performers and at night they’ll watch a Broadway performance. Ride to the Statue of Liberty in style on “the beast” a 70-foot powerboat hitting speeds of up to 45 mph. Visit historic neighborhoods like Little Italy and Chinatown. Educational tour groups love having so many options traveling in Philadelphia and New York City.
Day 1: Philadelphia
Day 2: Philadelphia/New York City
Day 3: New York City
Day 4: New York City
Day 5: New York City
Insider Tip(s) - Grab a cheesesteak and watch the Amish woodworkers at Reading Terminal Market. You and your students will never forget the wind in your hair riding bikes in Central Park. Skip the chain restaurants and eat like a New Yorker!
When to go - Avoid the humidity and travel in the Spring and Fall. Avoid the crowds and travel in the fall.
Cost -
5 days/4 nights in Philadelphia and New York “air” costs $2,300–$3,300.
5 days/4 nights in Philadelphia and New York “bus” costs $2,100–$3,100.
Five Day School Tours to New York + Boston
Welcome to Boston. Explore the roots of the American Revolution. Walk the freedom trail and see where our heroic founding father fought for a new country, the USA. See Paul Revere’s home, stand on Bunker Hill and reenact the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum. Catch a Red Sox game and enjoy a fine Italian meal in Boston’s North End.
Art and Architecture focused educational tours have endless possibilities in NYC. Explore the Museum of Art (MET), the Frick Madison, and the MOMA art museums. Their educational programs are fun and give students perspective. Enjoy an architectural-focused walking tour of Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Grand Central Terminal, Chrysler Building, New York Public Library, Empire State Building, Macy's in Herald Square, Flatiron Building. https://www.gpsmycity.com/tours/manhattan-architecture-walking-tour-1281.html
Day 1: Boston
Day 2: Boston / New York City
Day 3: New York City
Day 4: New York City
Day 5: New York City
Insider Tip: In Boston, enjoy an authentic lobster meal and hear tales from the sea at a tasty and interactive meal. Climb atop the Custom House in Boston for sweeping views of the city. Grab a New York Bagel and enjoy morning breakfast on the NYC Highline.
When to go: Avoid the colder months and travel in the late Spring to early Fall. Avoid the crowds and travel in the fall.
Cost -
5 days/4 nights in Boston and New York “air” costs $2,400–$3,400.
5 days/4 nights in Boston and New York “bus” costs $2,200–$3,200.
Five Day School Trips to Washington, D.C and Historic Virginia
Reenact life in the 1700s in Historic Williamsburg. Visit the outdoor museums and learn the rich history of Jamestown. Explore American History at the Civil War Museum in Richmond.
If Museums are your thing, DC has your group covered. Educational tour favorites include the Smithsonian Museums and the National Archives. Newer museums like the National African American History and Culture Museum and the International Spy Museum are interactive and impressive.
Day 1: Washington DC
Day 2: Washington DC
Day 3: Washington DC
Day 4: Washington DC / Colonial Virginia
Day 5: Colonial Virginia
Insider Tip(s) - Play a game of ultimate frisbee or soccer on the National Mall. Create a lifelong memory laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arlington National Cemetery. Eat authentic meals at the many colonial taverns in Colonial Virginia. Add a theme park to your itinerary to make the trip even more memorable.
When to go - Avoid the humidity and travel in the Spring and Fall. Avoid the crowds and travel in the fall.
Cost (air and bus) -
5 days/4 nights in Washington, D.C and Historic Virginia “air” costs $2,000–$3,000.
5 days/4 nights in Washington, D.C and Historic Virginia “bus” costs $1,800–$2,800.
Five Day School Trips to Philadelphia and Washington DC
Run (or walk) the famed “Rocky steps” leading up to the Philadelphia Art Museum. Just beyond the art museum see the famed boathouse row where crew teams from local colleges and high schools train on the Skukyll river. In Philadelphia’s old city, walk the most historic square mile in America.
Travel to Washington, D.C, and snap a picture of the White House. Take a group photo at the U.S. Capitol. Plan an illuminated night tour of the iconic monuments and memorials. If your group travels in the warmer months, you’ll likely be dazzled by the fireflies at night.
Day 1: Philadelphia
Day 2: Gettysburg / Washington DC
Day 3: Washington DC
Day 4: Washington DC
Day 5: Washington DC
Insider Tip(s) - Touch the cannons and step inside the huts at Valley Forge National Park. Enjoy a tavern meal and meet Abraham Lincoln in Gettysburg. Walk the Gettysburg Battlefield in the morning to avoid mid-day and afternoon heat. Have lunch at one of former President Barack Obama’s favorite restaurants, Ben’s Chili Bowl.
When to go - Avoid the humidity and travel in the Spring and Fall. Avoid the crowds and travel in the fall.
Cost (air and bus) -
5 days/4 nights in Washington, D.C and Philadelphia “air” costs $2,000–$3,000.
5 days/4 nights in Washington, D.C and Philadelphia “bus” costs $1,800–$2,800.
Five Day School Trips to Washington, D.C and New York
Educational tours to Washington. D.C. and New York balance fun and learning experiences. Groups love memorials and museums in DC. The Martin Luther King Jr. memorial honors the great leader of the Civil Rights Movement. The Native American Smithsonian celebrates the unique cultures of native groups and has an excellent food cafe.
You’ll likely stay and spend most of your time amongst the skyscrapers and Broadway in Midtown Manhattan. Explore lower Manhattan. See Wall Street, take a boat to see the Statue of Liberty, and explore your family’s history at Ellis Island.
Spend part of a day and head to “uptown” Manhattan. Subway to Columbia College, walk through central park and visit the Museum of Art.
Day 1: Washington DC
Day 2: Washington DC
Day 3: Washington DC and New York City
Day 4: New York City
Day 5: New York City
Insider Tip(s) - Have your students prepare a historical debate for a memorable activity at Lincoln’s Cottage. If your group is budget conscious and wants the assurance of a bus, consider staying just across the Hudson in New Jersey. Take a group photo in Times Square.
When to go - Avoid the humidity and travel in the Spring and Fall. Avoid the crowds and travel in the fall.
Cost (air and bus) -
5 days/4 nights in Washington, D.C and New York “air” costs $2,300–$3,300.
5 days/4 nights in Washington, D.C and New York “bus” costs $2,100–$3,100.
Middle School Students - Rank ordered based on accessibility, cost, connection to curriculum, and fun. Note: There is a slim margin of difference between 1 and 5.
Washington DC + Philadelphia
Washington DC + Colonial Virginia
New York + Washington DC
New York + Philadelphia
New York + Boston
High school and College Students - Rank ordered based on accessibility, cost, connection to curriculum, and fun. Note: There is a slim margin of difference between 1 and 5.
New York + Boston
New York + Philadelphia
New York + Washington DC
Washington DC + Philadelphia
Washington DC + Colonial Virginia
Conclusion: You want a trip that you and your students will remember for a lifetime. You want an Educational travel trip that makes you proud. Pairing any of these cities with the right activities will make an amazing trip. Now that you have the starting point of 5 amazing trips, work with a company that supports premium student travel.
Did we mention that we create memory-making trips that teachers and their students love? Schedule a call. Even if we’re not a good match, we’ll give you some good information and point you in the right direction. Happy Travels!