Overview
The great American road trip, from the East Coast to the Pacific in 40 days. The group sets off from New York for the college town of Ithaca and a high ropes course, then sees Niagara Falls by boat and jet boat, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the roller coasters of Cedar Point in Ohio, spends two nights in a University of Michigan residence hall, and has three days in Chicago with the Willis Tower Skydeck, Navy Pier, Blue Man Group and the Second City comedy club.
Across the plains come the Mall of America, the Badlands and Mount Rushmore, a horseback ride and a rodeo in Cody, Wyoming, Old Faithful in Yellowstone and whitewater rafting on the Snake River. Then Park City's Olympic Park, Zion, Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, and two weeks in California: Disneyland, surf lessons and the zoo in San Diego, Universal Studios and Hollywood, sea kayaking in Santa Barbara, waterskiing on Lake Tahoe and, to finish, San Francisco.
Groups of 28 to 48 teens in grades 8–10 travel by private coach with a professional driver. The trip stays in the USA the whole way — it starts in New York and ends in San Francisco.
What's included
The itinerary
- Days 1–2 Ithaca, New York — The group travels together by coach from New York to Ithaca, with icebreakers on 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 — a visit to the Cornell campus, and mini golf in the evening.
- Days 3–4 Niagara Falls, New York — The Maid of the Mist boat into the spray of the Horseshoe Falls, then a soaking on a jet-boat ride down the Niagara River.
- Days 5–6 Cleveland, Ohio — The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and a day at Cedar Point, one of the world's top roller-coaster parks.
- Days 7–8 Ann Arbor, Michigan — Two nights in a University of Michigan residence hall, a tour of 'the Big House' football stadium, State Street in the heart of the college town, and Whirlyball — basketball and lacrosse played in bumper cars.
- Days 9–11 Chicago, Illinois — Blue Man Group, the glass Skydeck 412 metres up the Willis Tower, Navy Pier, a pedal-surrey ride along the lakefront path, the Museum of Science and Industry with the Apollo 8 spacecraft, shopping on the Magnificent Mile and an evening at the Second City improv club.
- Days 12–13 Minneapolis, Minnesota — The Mall of America and its FlyOver America ride — a flying-theatre trip over the country's landmarks — plus a lake day with swimming and beach volleyball.
- Day 14 Sioux Falls & the Badlands, South Dakota — Westward across South Dakota, with a night in Sioux Falls, a hike in Badlands National Park and a stop at Wall Drug for its famous 5-cent coffee.
- Days 15–16 Rapid City, South Dakota — Mount Rushmore, the crystal-lined passages of Jewel Cave — one of the longest caves in the world — and the Reptile Gardens.
- Days 17–18 Cody, Wyoming — The Wild West town of 'Buffalo Bill' Cody: a horseback ride in Shoshone National Forest and the Cody Rodeo — to watch, or even to join in.
- Days 19–20 Yellowstone & Jackson, Wyoming — Through Yellowstone, America's oldest national park, for Old Faithful, the Fountain Paint Pots, bison and elk; then Grand Teton National Park, the alpine slide and whitewater rafting on the Snake River in Jackson Hole.
- Days 21–22 Park City, Utah — Extreme tubing down the landing hill of an Olympic ski jump at up to 80 km/h, and a day of water slides and roller coasters at Lagoon.
- Days 23–24 Zion, Bryce Canyon & the Grand Canyon — Zion National Park, a hike among the red rock spires of Bryce Canyon, the Rim Trail at the Grand Canyon, and a run down the Coral Pink Sand Dunes.
- Days 25–26 Las Vegas, Nevada — A stay in the Luxor on the Strip, the Bellagio fountains and the Venetian, the Big Apple Coaster at New York-New York, M&M World and the Coca-Cola store.
- Days 27–28 Orange County, California — A hotel close to Disneyland, dinner in Downtown Disney and a full day in the park — Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, Space Mountain and a parade.
- Days 29–30 San Diego, California — Surf lessons with professional instructors, a SoCal beach day, an open-air bus tour of the San Diego Zoo, Seaport Village, and an evening on the seaside rides of Belmont Park.
- Days 31–33 Los Angeles, California — Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive, the UCLA campus store, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Universal Studios with the Studio Tour and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the Improv comedy club, Venice Beach, and Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade and pier.
- Days 34–35 Santa Barbara, California — Sea kayaking on the Pacific, Stearns Wharf and State Street, and a beach day.
- Days 36–37 Lake Tahoe, California — Waterskiing lessons with professional instructors, tubing or wakeboarding, beach volleyball, and a sailboat cruise around the lake.
- Days 38–40 San Francisco, California — A cable-car ride, Alcatraz, the sea lions of Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf, Ghirardelli Square, crooked Lombard Street and the Golden Gate Bridge. Flights home from San Francisco on day 40.
Where teens stay
Hotels, resorts and one college residence, in rooms for two or three teens with a bed each: hotels with indoor pools in Ithaca, at Niagara Falls and near Cleveland; a University of Michigan residence hall in Ann Arbor; a hotel steps from the Magnificent Mile in Chicago; an all-suite hotel near the Mall of America; hotels in Sioux Falls and Rapid City; Western-style cabins in Cody and Jackson Hole; a hotel in Park City; a hotel in Kanab, Utah, for the canyons; the Luxor on the Las Vegas Strip; all-suite hotels near Disneyland, in San Diego, near Los Angeles airport and near San Francisco airport; and hotels in Santa Barbara and near Lake Tahoe. 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.
More photos
Frequently asked questions
Which departure is right for my child?
Both departures — Jun 29–Aug 7 and Jul 1–Aug 9 — are for teens in grades 8–10 (roughly ages 13–16). The operator assigns the dates as families enrol, so that each group has teens of a similar age; tell us your preferred date and we'll check where your child would fit. 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 San Francisco. On day 1 the group travels together by coach from New York to 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. At the end you book a flight home from San Francisco (SFO). 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, 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$500 off the tuition for early enrolment, so the 40-day trip costs US$12,499 instead of US$12,999. 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.
Does my child need a visa or an ESTA?
Families arrange travel documents themselves. Teens with a passport from a Visa Waiver country — Czechia and most of the EU included — need an approved ESTA (the online US travel authorisation) before they board, so apply well ahead. Teens from other countries need a B-2 visitor visa, not a student visa. If a teen living outside North America is refused a 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. The whole trip stays in the USA — Niagara Falls is seen from the American side — so no Canadian documents are needed.
How is it different from American Voyageur?
Both are 40-day road trips. U.S. Explorer crosses the whole country from New York to San Francisco — Niagara Falls, Chicago, Mount Rushmore and Yellowstone on the way — stays in the USA, and is for grades 8–10. American Voyageur stays in the West: it loops from Utah through the Canadian Rockies and British Columbia to Seattle, then down through California to Arizona, and takes grades 8–11. Both spend about two weeks in California at the end.
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.