Overview
Twelve days along the Mediterranean, from Italy to Spain. After a day in Milan and a climb onto the roof of the Duomo, the group spends three days on the Italian Riviera: walking between the Cinque Terre villages, a beach day, and a ferry to Portofino for kayaking and paddleboarding.
A short flight to Nice opens the French Riviera — the view from Castle Hill, tubing in the Bay of Angels, a beach day in Monte Carlo and evenings in the old town. The trip ends in Barcelona with a tapas tour, a guided bike tour past Gaudí's buildings and the Sagrada Família, lunch at La Boqueria, Barceloneta beach and a hands-on paella cooking class.
Groups are small — up to 24 teens — and the trip is backpack style: the group gets around by train, metro and bus (passes included), with private coaches for some transfers and one internal flight. Departures are put together by school grade, with a middle-school departure for grades 7–8 and an "ON TOUR" departure for grades 11–12.
What's included
The itinerary
- Day 1 Flight to Milan — The official start: the group flies overnight from New York. Teens joining from Europe meet the group in Milan the next day.
- Day 2 Milan, Italy — The Duomo, with a climb onto its rooftop terraces for the view over the city.
- Days 3–5 Italian Riviera (Cinque Terre & Portofino) — Hiking between the cliffside villages of the Cinque Terre — with pesto where it was invented — a beach day, an evening of group activities by the sea, and a ferry to Portofino for kayaking and paddleboarding at Niasca beach.
- Days 6–8 French Riviera (Nice & Monte Carlo) — A short flight to Nice: the view from Castle Hill, a tubing ride in the Bay of Angels, a beach day near the harbour in Monte Carlo (Monaco), and evenings in Nice's old town and night market.
- Days 9–11 Barcelona, Spain — A tapas tour and the Gothic Quarter, a guided bike tour past Gaudí's architecture to the Sagrada Família, lunch at La Boqueria market off Las Ramblas, Barceloneta beach, and a hands-on cooking class making paella and tapas.
- Day 12 Barcelona, Spain — Goodbyes and flights home from Barcelona.
Where teens stay
Hotels the whole way, with rooms shared with other teens in the group: a hotel in central Milan close to the main sights; a hotel in the centre of La Spezia, a few minutes from the harbour and the base for the Cinque Terre; a hotel in Nice; and a hotel in Barcelona's Glòries/Poblenou area. The exact hotel at each stop is confirmed before departure.
Meals
Breakfast (a buffet at the hotel) and dinner are included every day — dinners are either with the whole group or in smaller groups at a restaurant the teens choose. Lunch is not included: teens eat in small groups at local cafés and bistros, so plan for it in their spending money. Vegetarian, kosher-style, gluten-free and lactose-free diets and most allergies can be catered for if you tell us in advance.
More photos
Frequently asked questions
Which departure is right for my child?
Groups are put together by US school grade, so each departure has teens of a similar age. Grades 7–8 (roughly ages 12–14, a middle-school departure): Jun 29–Jul 10. Grades 9–11 (roughly ages 14–17): Jun 21–Jul 2, Jul 1–12, Jul 19–30. Grades 11–12 (roughly ages 16–18, an "ON TOUR" group for older teens): Jun 27–Jul 8. 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 work if we live in Europe?
The official dates count from the group's overnight flight out of New York, so the trip itself begins in Milan on day 2. Families in Europe usually book their own flight to Milan and the staff meet their child at the airport and handle the transfer — as long as the flight lands within the operator's arrival window, so please check with us before booking anything non-refundable. At the end, teens fly home from Barcelona; the leaders help with check-in and stay at the airport until flights in the set window have left. (There's also a chaperoned group flight back to New York, mainly used by American participants.) One internal flight — Nice to Barcelona, US$325 — is booked by the operator and charged on top of the tuition.
What exactly is included in the price?
Accommodation, breakfast and dinner every day, all the activities in the itinerary, airport transfers for flights within the set time windows, train and metro passes, local buses and coach transfers, tips and local taxes. Not included: flights to and from the trip, the internal flight, lunches and snacks, spending money, laundry (done along the way at wash-and-fold services or laundromats), 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$200 off the tuition for early enrolment, so the 12-day trip costs US$5,499 instead of US$5,699 (the internal flight is charged on top either way). 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 does "backpack style" mean?
The group gets around mostly by train, metro and local bus rather than a private coach, the way students travel — the passes are included. It also means luggage is a travel backpack rather than a suitcase, and each teen carries their own: onto trains, up stairs and along cobbled streets. Pack light — a week's worth of clothes is enough, as laundry is done along the way.
My child is 12 or 13 — is this trip suitable?
Yes, for the middle-school departure: it's reserved for teens in grades 7–8, so your child travels with others of the same age rather than with 17-year-olds. It's one of the few multi-country trips in this collection open to that age group.
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.