northern ireland plp header nst

School Tours & Trips to Ireland and Northern Ireland

As our nearest neighbour, Ireland offers teachers a chance to supply their students with a truly brilliant learning experience across a wide variety of subjects without going too far from home. 

The stunning coastal scenery in Northern Ireland, from the famous Giant’s Causeway to Whiterocks Beach, is a geographer’s dream. On our school trips to Belfast, students will see evidence of all key study themes, including landform processes, volcanic features, coastal erosion, glaciation, and the impact of tourism. 

In Dublin, the classroom curriculum of Irish history is brought to life. The capital of the Republic of Ireland has been at the centre of Irish nationalism since the late 18th Century. Sites such as Kilmainham Gaol, Glasnevin Cemetery, and Dáil Eireann help students to visualise and understand more about the figures who helped to shape Ireland’s history. 

Whilst in Derry, budding musicians will have the chance to take part in the city’s Choral Festival; a fun five-day festival of concerts, workshops, and activities. 

With so much to see and do, Ireland is a fantastic learning and bonding experience for your entire group. And to make sure you get true value, we’ll work with you to design a bespoke itinerary which perfectly complements your curriculum.

If you would like to talk through your options regarding an educational tour to Ireland, please get in touch with our team of school travel experts today on 0845 293 7970.

Our trips in Ireland...

Dublin

Dublin 

History

A school trip to Dublin can vividly bring history to life with visits to many of the locations associated with the growth of Irish nationalism from the late 18th century onwards, to the creation of the Irish Free State.

Learn more about our Dublin School Tours.

If you’re looking for more information or free advice, get in touch with one of our expert travel advisors today.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Geography

On a geography field trip to Northern Ireland’s North Coast, your pupils will get the chance to study coastal processes, volcanism, geology, glaciation, the impact of tourism and conservation in a fascinating area of outstanding natural beauty.

Learn more about our Geography Trips to Northern Ireland.

If you’re looking for more information or free advice, get in touch with one of our expert travel advisors today.

Derry 

Derry

Music

At one end of the famous Causeway Coastal Route lies Derry, a city of great historical significance in Northern Ireland. Students have the opportunity to learn the city's history, enjoy the stunning architecture, and even take part in the annual Choral Festival.

Learn more about our school trips to Derry.


Expert trip planners

Hundreds of groups travel with NST to the island of Ireland every year, and members of our team regularly visit the entire island to really get to know the ins-and-outs of each area, from logistics and attractions to our range of student-friendly accommodation. Your dedicated Tour Co-ordinator will use their knowledge of Ireland and Northern Ireland to create an itinerary that’s tailor-made, perfectly timed and meets your exact school travel needs. They’ll be able to share their first-hand experience, suggest options you might not have considered and give you insight into the feedback other teachers have given us too.

Our groups love...

Museum of Free Derry

Museum of Free Derry

Visit will include a guided tour of the exhibition, which outlines the people’s story of government oppression, the struggle for civil rights, the Battle of the Bogside, internment, Free Derry and Bloody Sunday.

Giant's Causeway

Giant's Causeway

Students will take a short walk down to the Causeway to marvel at the 400,000 interlocking basalt stone columns left by volcanic eruptions over 60 million years ago. Here, groups can immerse themselves in the geology of the area: investigating intrusive and extrusive volcanic features, coastal processes and landforms, and also consider the human impact of the site. Students can then explore the state of the art visitor centre where they can engage with the interactive exhibition.

Whiterocks Beach

Whiterocks Beach

Whiterocks Beach enjoys a stunning coastal location. The soft, sedimentary rocks have been carved through centuries into a labyrinth of caves and arches allowing for the investigation of landforms such as sea stacks and arches.

Titanic Museum

Titanic Museum

Visit the world’s largest Titanic visitor experience at this fascinating museum in Belfast. Students don’t just learn, they become enthralled by full scale replicas and visually stunning displays through nine interactive galleries.

Kilmainham Gaol

Kilmainham Gaol

One of the largest unoccupied gaols (jails) in Europe covering some of the most heroic and tragic events in Ireland’s emergence as a modern nation from 1780s to the 1920s. Attractions include a major exhibition detailing the political and penal history of the prison and its restoration.

Dáil Eireann

Dáil Eireann

Take a guided tour of the Houses of the Oireachtas where the guides will relay their historical and educational knowledge of both the building itself and the workings of the two houses.

Glasnevin Cemetry

Glasnevin Cemetry

The tour visits the final resting place of Daniel O’Connell, Michael Collins, Eamon DeValera, Charles Stewart Parnell, Countess Marcievicz and many of the other men and women who have shaped Ireland’s history. A new state of the art museum will complement the tour.

Planning your first trip...

If you're planning your first school trip, our essential guide will take you through each step of the process...

  • Choosing your destination
  • Gaining approval from your Local Authority and/or your Head
  • Promoting your tour in school
  • Confirming your booking
  • Tailor-make your tour
  • Completing your risk assessments (including a sample risk assessment)
  • Quick reference timeline
  • Pre-tour checklist

Additional support, resources & information:

Tour planning service

Tour planning service

With NST, you’ll get your own dedicated, knowledgeable Tour Co-ordinator who’ll work with you from start to finish. You’ll benefit from their unrivalled destination knowledge, and their experience gained from working with many other groups too. They’ll tailor-make your itinerary from scratch and take care of everything for you:

  • Pulling together an itinerary that runs smoothly
  • Planning the right balance of visits every day with realistic timings
  • Pre-arranging and pre-booking your visits, entrance tickets, passes and meals


You’ll receive your final itinerary a full 4-weeks before you travel too.

Free school trip promotion pack

Free school trip promotion pack

We’ll support you and provide everything you need to advertise your school trip around school and to parents. Our free school trip promotion pack consists of:

  • Parents’ letter & permission slip template for you to complete A3 posters to promote your trip around school
  • PowerPoint presentation templates which you can tailor to your own needs
  • Parents’ leaflets covering how NST manage safety, financial protection and details of our travel insurance
  • Online parents’ video which showcases the benefits of taking a school trip


For selected destinations, we’ll provide a trip launch web page using video footage and imagery. This web page is provided by a weblink and can be shared with pupils and parents in many ways.

Risk assessment support including preview visits

Risk assessment support including preview visits

Risk assessment plays a vitally important part in the planning and organisation on any school tour.

Our risk assessment guide aims to help you understand more about your obligations and how you can more effectively manage group safety on your next educational visit and provide you with risk assessments for your trip. 

Planning first school trip

Planning first school trip

Organising your first school trip can appear to be a daunting process.

If you're planning your first school trip, our guide will help to take you through each step of the planning process, answering frequently asked questions and providing tips and support along the way.

Our helpful guide covers the following:

  • Choosing your destination
  • Gaining approval from your Local Authority and/or your Head
  • Promoting your tour in school
  • Confirming your booking
  • Tailor-make your tour
  • Completing your risk assessments (including a sample risk assessment)
  • Quick reference timeline
  • Pre-tour checklist


View our essential guide to a successful school trip here.

Get live updates on your group's tour location

Get live updates on your group's tour location

Locate My Trip uses GPS technology and is the easy, convenient way for your school to follow your location whilst on tour. Specifically designed to provide reassurance to both parents and teachers, NST will know where your group are 24/7. If your schedule needs to change, we’ll put plans in place to keep your tour on track. 

With Locate My Trip your group can also share photos and videos with the school and parents, via a secure link, to keep them updated on your experience whilst you’re away.

Watch our short Locate My Trip video here.

Your online school trip organiser - My Tour Manager

Your online school trip organiser - My Tour Manager

Save time and stay on track with your school trip admin with our online orgnaniser - designed to help busy teachers like you.

With My Tour Manager, you'll be able to download FREE resources and access trip paperwork online and in one place. Your personalised checklist details what you need to do and by when, plus you'll receive fortnightly reminders too.

What's more, you can take all your trip documents on the go whilst on your tour with our app, My Tour Manager-On-the-Go.

Find out more and watch out short My Tour Manager video here.

Free classroom resources

Free classroom resources

We've created a range of free geography resources and educational posters to brighten up your classroom!

Take a look at our downloadable posters here.

Why choose NST...

  • Unrivalled knowledge

Your dedicated Tour Co-ordinator will use their unrivalled local knowledge and expertise of Ireland to create a tailor-made, curriculum-linked itinerary to meet your group’s exact needs.

  • Making it easier for you

With our online school trip organiser, travel app, free classroom posters and trip launch resources to support your in-school promotion.

  • Free group leader inspection visits

We offer a free inspection visit to your chosen destination to support your risk assessment planning. 

  • Value for money

We’re committed to bringing you the best possible value trips to help make every penny count.

  • More than 50 years’ experience

With over 50 years’ experience, with NST you can rest assured that your group is in safe hands.

  • Risk assessment guidance

Our risk assessment guidance will help you to manage group safety on your next educational trip.

  • Peace of mind

Your group’s location can be followed with our trip tracking device - Locate My Trip - plus you’ll have 24/7 support from us whilst you’re away.

  • Offsetting carbon emissions

For every trip taken, we'll plant a Maya nut tree in Peru to support reforestation, local communities & biodiversity. Plus, we'll offset an additional tonne of CO2 to guarantee carbon emission reductions. 

 

Looking for protection on your next school trip? 

Booking with a school travel company is the best way for you to protect parents’ money and give yourself peace of mind.  

 

Don’t forget – if your school arranges transport, accommodation and other services directly, you’ll be liable under the Package Travel Regulations – meaning you’ll have all the responsibilities of a travel company, both legal and financial. 

 

Financial protection from the moment you book

NST are fully bonded:

  • ABTA
  • ATOL
  • IATA

Managing safety on school trips

For your protection, NST's independently audited Safety Management System covers:

  • 24-hour emergency cover
  • Audited accommodation & transport
  • Excursions & school visit assessment
  • Group leader preview visits to assist with risk assessment planning

We're LOtC Council’s Quality Badge assured

The Department for Education advises schools to always look for the LOtC Quality Badge when choosing a school travel provider.