Overview
A road trip through the north-east of the USA and Canada, made for younger teens: this is a middle-school program for grades 7 and 8 only. It starts with a coach ride from New York to upstate Ithaca and a high ropes course, crosses into Canada for a boat ride to the foot of Niagara Falls and a jet boat through the gorge, then spends three days in Toronto — the CN Tower, Toronto Island, a Blue Jays baseball game and the Canada's Wonderland theme park.
In Quebec it's the mountain resort of Mont-Tremblant — waterskiing, the summer luge, a via ferrata and the province's longest zipline — and French-speaking Montreal, with nights in a McGill University residence. Back in the USA, the group sea-kayaks along the coast of Maine, visits Harvard and canoes on the Charles River in Boston, then flies to Orlando for six days: Disney's Magic Kingdom, Universal Studios with express passes, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and the Volcano Bay water park.
Groups of 28 to 48 teens travel by private coach with a professional driver, and the Boston–Orlando flight is included. Teens on the 15-day version share the first two weeks and fly home from Boston.
What's included
The itinerary
- Days 1–2 Syracuse & Ithaca, New York — The group leaves New York together by coach, with icebreakers along the way. Team-building at Cornell's Hoffmann Challenge Course — a 20-metre replica of the university's clock tower with rappelling stations, a double zipline over 100 metres long and a giant swing — and a look around the Cornell campus and the college town of Ithaca.
- Day 3 Niagara Falls, Ontario — Across the border into Canada: a boat ride right up to the foot of the falls, and a jet-boat ride through the Niagara Gorge, spins included. The night is at a resort with an indoor water park.
- Days 4–6 Toronto, Ontario — The top of the CN Tower, a ferry to Toronto Island for the skyline and some beach time, a Blue Jays baseball game at the Rogers Centre, and a day at the Canada's Wonderland theme park with its Splash Works water park.
- Days 7–9 Ottawa & Mont-Tremblant, Quebec — Lunch in Ottawa, Canada's capital, then the mountain resort of Mont-Tremblant in the Laurentians: waterskiing or wakeboarding lessons on Lake Tremblant, the Skyline Luge, a via ferrata climb along steel cables on the mountain face, and Quebec's longest zipline.
- Days 10–11 Montreal, Quebec — Nights in a McGill University residence in the city centre, ice skating at the Atrium, the cobbled streets of Old Montreal along the St. Lawrence River, and a game of laser tag.
- Days 12–13 Bar Harbor & Acadia, Maine — Back into the USA for the coast of Maine: tandem sea kayaking near Acadia National Park and the harbour town of Bar Harbor.
- Days 14–15 Boston, Massachusetts — Harvard Yard, canoeing on the Charles River and lunch at Quincy Market. Teens on the 15-day version say goodbye here.
- Days 16–21 Orlando, Florida — A flight to Orlando and six days staying at a Universal resort with huge pools, a waterslide and a lazy river: the Magic Kingdom and its fireworks over Cinderella's castle, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure with an express pass, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and Universal's Volcano Bay water park. Flights home from Orlando on day 21.
Where teens stay
Hotels, resorts and a university residence, in rooms for two or three teens with a bed each: a hotel with an indoor pool in Syracuse; a resort with an indoor water park at Niagara Falls; a hotel near Toronto airport; condo-style suites with kitchens, a pool and hot tub in Tremblant Village; a McGill University residence in central Montreal; a hotel in Ellsworth near Bar Harbor; an all-suite hotel outside Boston; and a Universal resort hotel in Orlando. The exact hotel at each stop is confirmed before departure.
Meals
Breakfast and dinner are included every day, at restaurants the operator picks for teen groups — anything from hibachi grills, barbecue and Italian places to food halls and the occasional famous chain, with a dessert stop now and then. Lunch is not included: teens eat in small groups at local cafés and restaurants, so plan for it in their spending money. Vegetarian, kosher-style, gluten-free (coeliac) and lactose-free diets and most allergies can be catered for if you tell us in advance.
Frequently asked questions
Which departure is right for my child?
This trip is only for teens finishing grades 7 and 8 (roughly ages 12–14) — a middle-school program, so your child travels with children their own age. There is one departure: Jun 28–Jul 18. The grade is the one your child is in during the 2026–27 school year — we'll help you match it to your school system. Dates are the operator's official start and end dates.
How do flights and arrival work?
The trip starts in New York and ends in Orlando. On day 1 the group travels together by coach from New York to Syracuse and Ithaca — that ride is included. Teens flying in from overseas land in New York the afternoon before and spend the night with the operator's staff, with the extra night included; your child can also join the group directly in Ithaca instead. Please check the operator's arrival and departure time windows with us before buying anything non-refundable. The Boston–Orlando flight during the trip is booked by the operator and included in the price. At the end you book a flight home from Orlando (MCO). On the last day the leaders help with check-in and stay at the airport until flights in the set window have left; flights back to Europe are usually overnight, so your child lands home the next day.
What exactly is included in the price?
Accommodation, breakfast and dinner every day, all the activities in the itinerary, the coach from New York to Ithaca, the Boston→Orlando flight, airport transfers for flights within the set time windows, tips and local taxes. Not included: flights to and from the trip, lunches and snacks, spending money, laundry (a laundromat stop about once a week — the operator supplies the detergent and shows first-timers how it works), the operator's application fee, and travel insurance — optional, but we strongly recommend it.
Is there a discount for enrolling early?
Yes — at the moment the operator takes US$300 off the tuition for early enrolment, so the 21-day trip costs US$8,299 instead of US$8,599. It's a limited-time offer and the operator can end it at any point, so ask us whether it still applies before you decide. The price shown on this page is the full tuition.
What documents does my child need for the USA and Canada?
Families arrange travel documents themselves, and the passport must be valid for the whole trip. For the USA, teens from a Visa Waiver country — Czechia and most of the EU included — need an approved ESTA before they fly in; teens from other countries need a B-2 visitor visa, not a student visa. The group crosses into Canada by road at Niagara Falls and comes back into the USA by road into Maine, so the trip starts and ends in the USA. Canada's eTA is only required for arrivals by air, so for most European passports the passport itself is what counts in Canada; some nationalities need a Canadian visitor visa, so check with us. Coming back into the USA by road is covered by the same ESTA, as long as it's still valid. Border officers may ask a minor travelling without their parents for a signed letter of consent from both parents — the operator tells you exactly what to pack. If a teen living outside North America is refused a US visa before 1 June, the operator offers a move to another program, a roll-over to the following summer, or a refund minus US$450.
What's the difference between the 15- and 21-day versions?
They share the first 15 days — upstate New York, Niagara Falls, Toronto, Mont-Tremblant, Montreal, Maine and Boston. The 21-day trip then flies to Orlando for six days of Disney's Magic Kingdom, Universal Studios and the Volcano Bay water park, and ends there; the 15-day trip ends in Boston.
Does my child need to know how to waterski?
No — waterskiing and wakeboarding on Lake Tremblant are taught from scratch, and tubing is there for anyone who would rather just hold on and enjoy the ride.
Who else will be in the group?
Mostly American teens — on most programs around 85% of participants come from the US, and the operator tries to limit how many teens from any one other country join each group. For an international teen that means a genuinely English-speaking group, which is a big part of the appeal.
How good does my child's English need to be?
At least a confident beginner level — the operator recommends A2 or above, since everything on the trip happens in English. Your child can ask for an English-speaking roommate, and one-to-one English conversation time with a staff member can be arranged daily or a few times a week.
Can my child come on their own?
Yes, and many do. The first days are built around icebreakers and getting-to-know-you activities, roommates are assigned and rotated, and the staff actively help everyone settle into the group.
Are phones allowed?
Yes. Teens can bring their phone, so you can call or message them directly. The operator also runs a communication centre that's staffed every day of the summer, with someone on call around the clock for emergencies.