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History Trips to New York

New York offers a diverse range of visits to bring the study of history off the page.  As the gateway to the land of opportunity mass immigration has shaped the city with its diverse and distinct neighbourhoods. A visit to the Ellis Island Immigration Museum offers students an insight into how it was to see the Statue of Liberty for the first time, and all the hope and opportunity it symbolised. At the forefront of historical events as home to the UN, and the devastating terror attacks on the World Trade Centre, New York offers a unique insight into international relations as well as a trip of a lifetime.

Explore all of our school trips to New York.

Curriculum Topics Key Stage 4

  • America 1920-1973: Opportunity and inequality

Curriculum Topics Key Stage 5 

  • The American Dream: Reality and Illusion 1945-1980
  • The Making of a Superpower: 1865-1975

Prices start from£1069pp

Popular itinerary

Our sample itinerary provides you with an idea of the visits you can cover during your trip. We can tailor-make an itinerary to support your specific learning outcomes.

Morning Afternoon Evening
1 Check in to UK airport for flight to New York Arrive and transfer to your accommodation Visit to Empire State Building
2 Visit to 9/11 Memorial Visit to United Nations Headquarters Tickets to see a Broadway Show
3 Visit to Ellis Island Immigration Museum Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise Evening meal in a local restaurant
4 Visit to The Museum of the city of New York Free time for sightseeing and shopping Transfer to Airport. Overnight flight back to UK
5 Arrive UK Airport, onward return travel to school
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Morning Check in to UK airport for flight to New York
Afternoon Arrive and transfer to your accommodation
Evening Visit to Empire State Building
Morning Visit to 9/11 Memorial
Afternoon Visit to United Nations Headquarters
Evening Tickets to see a Broadway Show
Morning Visit to Ellis Island Immigration Museum
Afternoon Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise
Evening Evening meal in a local restaurant
Morning Visit to The Museum of the city of New York
Afternoon Free time for sightseeing and shopping
Evening Transfer to Airport. Overnight flight back to UK
Morning Arrive UK Airport, onward return travel to school
Afternoon
Evening

Price Shown includes

  • Return Air Travel
  • 3 nights Room Only Accommodation on a Bedshare basis
  • Specialist Group Travel Insurance
  • Bespoke itinerary planning service
  • Free Place Ratios
  • Live Trip Tracking
  • Online trip organiser & Travel App
  • 24/7 support whilst you are away

Places to Stay


Reasons to Visit

Civil Rights & Social Justice Tour of Harlem

Discover more about social movements of African-Americans in New York City including the abolitionist movement against slavery, the civil rights movement and today’s struggles for fair housing and equal justice. See the site of the 1964 Harlem uprising, The Bloomfield Department store visited by Martin Luther King Jr. and much more.

Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island

The Statue of Liberty is New York's most symbolic structure. The Auguste Bartholdi statue was given as a gift from the people of France and stands at 111 feet 6 inches from the toe to the crown. In the base of the statue there is an interesting museum devoted to the statue's history.

Ellis Island Immigration Museum

Quite literally the gateway for more than 12 million immigrants to the United States as the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station. Now it stands as a museum dedicated to immigration where the Ellis Island Medal of Honor is awarded annually to pay homage to the immigrant experience.

United Nations Headquarters

Guided tours of the Headquarters include an explanation of its history, its structure, its composition and who designed the famous buildings located by the East River. The tour covers the newly renovated chambers and work of the Security Council, the Trusteeship Council and the Economic and Social Council Chamber.

The Museum of the City of New York

Several ongoing exhibitions showcase the vast, fascinating history of New York City. Recent installations have examined George Washington’s time in NYC, the 50th anniversary of South Pacific’s Broadway premier and the Astor Place Riots. There is also a very moving exhibition on the World Trade Centre.

Jewish Museum

The Jewish Museum in New York is housed in the 1908 Warburg Mansion, which was renovated in 1993. It contains a fascinating collection of art, artifacts and media installations. The permanent exhibition explains the Jewish cultural experience through exhibits of many objects and artifacts.

Tenement Museum

The Lower East Side Tenement Museum’s mission is to promote tolerance and historical perspectives through the presentation and interpretation of the variety of immigrant and migrant experiences on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, a gateway to America.

Lower East Side Immigration Experience

Feel history come alive as you walk among historic landmarks and hear from knowledgeable and experienced tour guides.

Harlem Walking Tour

This tour consists of a guided walking experience which takes you to the heart of the Civil Rights movement in Harlem and to the very sites where the race riots began and the people involved and what impact this had on the Civil Rights movement nationally.

NYC Slavery and Underground Railroad Tour

Follow the Freedom Trail in New York! Learn the exciting history of how a band of brave men and women formed the networks that became the Underground Railroad.

Visit an archaeological site and memorial dedicated to the memory of enslaved Africans in colonial America. View a former station of the Underground Railroad. Learn about the riots, revolts and dramatic escapes that occurred during the era of American slavery. Listen to tales of courage and triumph and discover the stories of real New Yorkers who risked their lives and properties to help people escape slavery.

Immigrant Experience Tour

Get an insider’s look at three of Manhattan’s oldest and most diverse ethnic neighbourhoods! Explore Little Italy, a vibrant enclave of Italian-American culture and cuisine famed for its many authentic Italian eateries, colourful history, and iconic churches.

Immerse yourself in NYC’s Chinatown, home to the largest concentration of Chinese immigrants in the western hemisphere and experience its famous landmarks.

Lastly, visit Manhattan’s Lower East Side, where you will view stunning historic synagogues and learn about the rich Jewish history of this immigrant neighbourhood.

Empire State Building Observatory

New York’s famous Empire State building soars more than a quarter of a mile above the heart of Manhattan. Located on the 86th floor, the observatory offers panoramic views from within a glass enclosed pavilion.

Top of the Rock Observation Deck

The newly renovated Observation Deck on the 70th floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, in the heart of midtown Manhattan at Rockefeller Center. The view itself is unique and astonishing, unobstructed for 360 degrees and stretching for miles in every direction.

Circle Line Tour (Boat Cruise)

This cruise circumnavigates Manhattan Island allowing you to see all its highlights (dependant on length of cruise chosen) 3 rivers, 7 major bridges, 5 boroughs, over 25 world renowned landmarks and, of course, a magnificent close-up of the Statue of Liberty. Beverages, food and souvenirs are available on board.

Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island

The Statue of Liberty is New York's most symbolic structure. The Auguste Bartholdi statue was given as a gift from the people of France and stands at 111 feet 6 inches from the toe to the crown. In the base of the statue there is an interesting museum devoted to the statue's history.

Basketball and Ice Hockey Matches

Tickets to the to a basketball or ice hockey game is a fantastic way to spend an evening in New York. Prices start from around $35, depending on availability.

Ice Skating at Wollman Rink

Wollman Rink provides 26,600 square feet of ice for skaters in the winter. Wollman Rink, located near the Parkside Avenue/Ocean Avenue entrance to Central Park, is open for ice skating from late November through March. The Rink features a snack bar, skate shop, skate rental and free lockers.

Ferry ride to the Statue of Liberty

The Circle Line to Staten Island offers impressive panoramas of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. The ferry departs from Battery Park every thirty minutes.

Central Park

One of the great pleasures New Yorkers and tourists enjoy is getting away from it all in Central Park. Stretching 51 blocks between 59th and 110th streets, this 843-acre area, green rectangle has served its city well since 1859. From famous statues to castles, there is so much to see within this pastoral landmark.

Day Trip to Washington

The seat of power of arguably the most powerful country in the world cannot fail to inspire students of history and politics. Washington’s grand buildings, parks and monuments present a calm and ordered façade, the antithesis of the political debates and scandals which take place within. A coach tour is available to this great city.

One World Trade Centre Observation Deck

The Freedom Tower is a 104 storey building that stands on the World Trade Center site in Manhattan - giving amazing views of the city.  Interactive exhibitions reveals the transformation of New York City from unsettled lands to today’s remarkable forest of skyscrapers.   Ascend the 102 floors to the observation deck in under 60 seconds in one of five sky pod elevators!

Watch a Broadway Show

Make the most of your stay by rounding off the day with a Broadway show. The best value tickets are available for mid-week performances and can be combined with dinner in a nearby restaurant before the performance.

Examples of current shows on offer are: Aladdin, Wicked, Chicago, Mean Girls, The Phantom of the Opera and Beetlejuice. 

There are other shows/plays on offer not featured. All are subject to availability - so book early for your favourite show!

Primary Source - Meet a Veteran of Civil Rights Movement

Learning from primary sources is a key discipline in the study of history. We are able to offer your students the chance to hear eyewitness accounts from veterans of the Civil Rights Movement.  Learn what it was like to be part of this major era of social change in America, working and campaigning alongside iconic figures like Martin Luther King Jr. Nothing brings history alive like hearing from people who were involved and lived through major events and is sure to leave a lasting impression on your students.

Yankee Stadium Tours

This classic tour of Yankee Stadium allows you to absorb the history of one of the most iconic of American sports teams.    The tour will take you to famous locations such as Monument Park, get you up close to historic baseball memorabilia as well as teach you more about how the stadium is used and the events hosted here which go beyond baseball.   Each tour is led by an expert guide and culminates in the chance to purchase some of its famous merchandise.

RiseNY

RiseNY pairs museum-style galleries with an amusement park-quality ride.

Begin your adventure with an immersive film by an award-winning documentarian that transitions to an interactive self-guided walkthrough tracing tipping points in history that helped shape Music, Fashion, TV, Theater and more in each dedicated gallery:

  • Discover the rise of Wall Street and The New York Stock Exchange in the Finance Gallery.
  • Learn the history of mass media with Telsa’s Coil in the TV/Radio Gallery.
  • Understand the law of physics through the Otis elevator brake in the Skyline Gallery.
  • Visual, language and performing arts come to life in the Fashion, Music, Broadway and Film Galleries.


Then, board an extraordinary elevator experience that transports you to a spectacular virtual soaring ride! Feel the rush of wind in your hair as you “fly” over the world’s most stunning skyline.

Summit One Vanderbilt

Explore three levels of mind-bending multi-sensory immersive experiences. With magnificent views over the Manhattan skyline, Summit takes the concept of an “observation deck” to entirely new heights.

Edge

Edge is the highest outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere, a marvel of architecture, engineering, and technology with panoramic views of New York City. Edge combines the pulse-quickening excitement of leaning out over a 100-story outdoor balcony with the warm welcome of elevated food & beverage service in a unique social space.

There are free downloadable STEM resources to take students on a virtual adventure into NYC’s newest and most forward-thinking neighbourhood. Get students thinking like community builders and changemakers by harnessing the Design Engineering Process, a simple tool you can use to elevate Reach for the Sky resources and ground student explorations in project-based learning.

9/11 Memorial and Museum

The 9/11 Memorial and Museum is the principal institution dedicated to telling the story of 9/11, the people who lost their lives and the psychological scars that remain. Multimedia displays, archives, narratives and artefacts tell intimate stories of loss, compassion, reckoning, and recovery. Two hour workshops are available based on the themes of memorialization, remembrance and repercussions.


Evening activites

  • Empire State Building
  • Top of the Rock
  • Broadway Show
  • Sports Fixture Tickets - choose from basketball, hockey or baseball

We Make School Trip Planning Easy

  • Day to day support and advice from our team of travel experts
  • Easy-to-view online tour quotation
  • Market-leading trip organiser portal, My Tour Manager
  • Free Resources and templates to help launch your trip
  • Email reminders to keep you on track
  • Free and completely personalised Travel App to access your information on the go
  • Locate My Trip designed to provide reassurance to parents and teachers
  • Risk Assessment advice so you can make an informed decision on every tour component
  • Teacher Inspection Visits

What You Say

The Harlem Civil Rights guided tour was FANTASTIC and we thoroughly enjoyed our time. Marty, our guide, was incredible. I would definitely book that tour/activity again.  Didcot Girls School

UN tour was excellent and enjoyed by all. Top of the Rock and Ellis Island tour good too. All instructions were perfect. Notre Dame High School

We loved the Tenement museum and the UN. All our activities were great.  McLaren High School

I have now used European study tours 4 times and I personally wouldn't use anyone else...excellentservice!   Darlington College

Thank you for your professionalism, flexibility, time and support which made the trip such a success!  Cathedral Academy

Really positive and helpful all the way through the booking and planning process - always on hand and really personable. Melksham Oak Community School

It (Itinerary) flowed well - We were impressed that local airport pick ups were well organised and punctual. Well organised. Good info pack and online programme manager etc. Overall a good package and would go again with you. Campion School​