Markus Sherman, Director of Market Optimization, and Natali Tabacznik, Customer Experience Specialist
(EF Educational Tours Canada)
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Travel has always been one of the most powerful ways for students to learn. Educational travel builds on what students explore in the classroom, giving them the chance to experience new places, connect with different cultures, and come home with a wider view of the world.
At EF Educational Tours Canada, we know student travel is evolving. Rising travel costs and changing realities mean families and educators are asking an important question:
How do you ensure students have an incredible, safe experience at a cost families can feel good about?
So, here’s a behind-the-scenes look at how we design and refine our educational tours.
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How Educational Tours Come Together
When people think about a school tour abroad, they often picture the big, headline moments, like standing in front of a landmark students have only seen in photos. What they may not picture are the smaller moments in between, like ordering lunch in a new language, asking for directions, or exploring a new city with their group. Those are often the experiences that build confidence day by day.
Those moments are just one part of what makes an educational tour so powerful, and one of many details we think through as we design each experience. What isn’t always visible is how much work goes into shaping the tour before a group ever gets to the airport.
When we build or refresh an educational tour, we start by thinking through the full experience from start to finish. That includes travel days, but also how the tour flows once groups arrive, what's included each day, and how we can create the strongest educational value while keeping the journey realistic, fun, and rewarding for teachers and students. We want to ensure groups aren’t facing any unnecessarily long or exhausting connections before the trip even begins.
We also pay attention to what students spend their time doing once they arrive. Reducing long bus rides, avoiding constant one-night stays, and building days that feel manageable can make the tour more enjoyable for everyone.
Easily Approved Educational Travel
Educational travel comes with real responsibilities. Teachers aren’t just planning a trip. They're leading a group of students through it.
Our tours are built to fit the real expectations schools have, from day-to-day logistics to school board approval.
We know that different school boards have different guidelines around certain activities. Rather than requiring teachers to customize an itinerary to meet those expectations, we created dedicated water-free tours, like Roman Ruins and the Tuscan Sun and Vive la France, that keep the experience just as immersive while aligning with their unique requirements.
Schools can move forward more easily, knowing the tour is already built with their needs in mind.
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Vive la France: City Lights to Riviera Delights
From Paris to Provence, enjoy France’s sights, flavours and charm. Plus, get a taste of Monaco on this memorable journey.
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Roman Ruins & Tuscan Sun
Walk through ancient Rome, explore Tuscany’s charm, and uncover Italy’s history from the Colosseum to Pompeii.
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Majestic Morocco
Explore Morocco’s rich history, stunning deserts, and vibrant culture—from ancient cities to unforgettable hands-on experiences.
More Affordable School Trips for Families
Affordability matters. For many families, cost is one of the biggest factors in whether educational travel is possible.
That’s why every decision we make is about balancing affordability with an incredible experience on tour.
One way this comes to life is through some of our newer city-based tours, like London Arts Adventure and Paris: The City Explorer, which are designed to have groups stay in one place and use public transit instead of relying on a private motorcoach every day. This helps reduce transportation costs, supports more sustainable travel, and gives students a more in-depth experience of the city by travelling like a local.
We also think carefully about what's included on tour. We strike a balance between meaningful museum visits, iconic highlights, and deeper cultural learning experiences, like workshops or community-based visits, that help students connect with the destination in a more personal way.
These intentional choices help us strike the balance we care about most: tours that feel incredible for students and worth it for families.
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A Closer Look: How We Refined One of Our Japan Educational Tours
One clear example of this refinement work is our Journey to Japan tour.
After hearing from Canadian teachers who had led the tour and taking a closer look at the return travel day, we saw that the journey home was more complicated than it needed to be. Extra connections through Osaka added long travel hours that could leave groups drained at the end of an otherwise incredible experience.
By redesigning this Japan itinerary with a round-trip route through Tokyo, we reduced long layovers and made travel days more comfortable for student groups.
By refining this tour, we were also able to bring the overall cost down, without losing any of the cultural depth that makes this tour so special.
Students still come away with what matters most: immersive learning, unforgettable experiences, and memories they’ll carry for years.
Whether a tour is brand new or newly refreshed, our focus is always on creating an experience that feels valuable, manageable, and worth it.
Why It Matters
Educational tours are about more than visiting new places. They give students the chance to learn, grow, have fun, build confidence, and discover what they’re capable of together. And for educators, travel can be meaningful professional and personal growth too, offering fresh perspective, new inspiration, and experiences that shape how they lead and teach in lasting ways.
And behind every EF tour is a balancing act we take seriously. We want to create trips that families can feel good about while still delivering the kind of experience students will remember forever.
When the details are done right, students come home changed in the best way. More curious. More independent. More open to stepping outside their comfort zone.
They return with stories, confidence, and a new way of seeing the world, shaped by the moments on tour that help them realize just how capable they are.
That’s why we continue refining our educational tours year after year, so we can keep creating those moments that stay with students long after they return home.
Because when travel is designed with care, the impact can last a lifetime.
