School trips to Lake Garda
The picturesque setting of Lake Garda – famed for being the largest lake in Italy – is situated roughly halfway between Milan and Venice. The lake itself is surrounded by plenty of quaint villages and rustic towns, and boasts an impressive events programme all year round.
Live musical performances are encouraged by the local tourist board as a perfect accompaniment to the stunning landscape. This makes Lake Garda a top destination for schools looking to guarantee appreciative audiences for a music school trip or tour.
Lake Garda is also the perfect destination for a cultural or Transition Year trip, students can visit Verona to see Juliet's balcony, take an excursion to the medieval town of Padua, and enjoy gelato whilst soaking up the atmosphere of the largest of the Italian lakes. Let your students get carried away by a river of Fantasy, Adventure and Adrenaline at GardaLand home to 32 rides, including seven roller coasters and three water rides!
Our trips to Lake Garda are part of a wide selection of school trips to Italy that we offer. Keen to find out more? Take a look at our most popular options below or get in touch with one of our expert travel advisors today for more information and free advice.
Browse our curriculum-linked school trips to Lake Garda
Cultural & Transition Year
Cultural & Transition Year
The largest and most spectacular of the Italian lakes and home to a number of lively lakeside towns and villages. Lake Garda is an ideal base to take in Venice, Padua, Verona and Milan.
Learn more about our cultural & transition year trips to Lake Garda here
Music
Music
Dramatic mountains and crystal clear waters make the perfect backdrop for an unforgettable music tour.
Theme Park
Theme Park
The largest and most spectacular of the Italian lakes and home to a number of lively lakeside towns and villages alongside a great selection of theme parks. Take your students to GardaLand home to 32 rides, including seven roller coasters and three water rides!
Lake Garda highlights - our groups love...
St Mark’s Basilica, Venice
St Mark’s Basilica, Venice
Described as the most exotic of Europe’s cathedrals this monument is made unique by both its wealth of history and the magnificence of its façade and interior. In essence, it is a splendid workshop, where, through the centuries, worked great Italian and European artists.
Music Groups - sacred choirs may travel to Venice for the day to sing at mass in this world renowned venue.
Town Squares
Town Squares - Ideal for music groups
The ‘piazzas’ in the towns and villages surrounding Lake Garda are great performance venues. Concerts during the summer months are offered by the local town halls of the region including Sirmione, Garda, Riva del Garda and Bardolino.
The relaxed atmosphere of these towns and squares provide groups with an enjoyable platform to share music with the local community.
Chiesa Parrocchiale Di Malcesine
Chiesa Parrocchiale Di Malcesine - ideal for music groups
Groups may apply to perform in this parish church that is well-known to both locals and tourists.
Opera at Verona
Opera at Verona
Held at the Arena di Verona, a Roman amphitheatre, one of the best preserved ancient structures of its kind, which is internationally famous for its large-scale operatic performances.
Gardaland Theme Park
Gardaland Theme Park
The largest theme park in Italy, attracting over two million visitors a year, with various rides and themed entertainments suitable for all ages.
Lake Garda Boat Cruise
Lake Garda Boat Cruise
Groups can take a leisurely cruise on Lake Garda and soak up the sun in stunning surroundings.
Lake Garda school trip experts
Hundreds of students travel with NST to Lake Garda every year, and members of our team regularly visit to Lake Garda to really get to know the ins-and-outs of the area, from logistics and visits to our range of student-friendly accommodation.
Your dedicated Tour Co-ordinator will use their knowledge of Lake Garda 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.
Planning your first school 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
- Online parents’ video which showcases the benefits of taking a school trip
Risk assessment support including preview visits
Risk assessment support including preview visit
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
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.
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...
Here's why hundreds of teachers choose NST each year...
- Unrivalled knowledge
Your dedicated tour co-ordinator will use their unrivalled local knowledge and expertise of Lake Garda 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 to support 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 20 years’ experience
With over 20 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.
Financial protection from the moment you book
NST are fully bonded & licensed:
- ABTA
- ATOL
- IATA
- Commission for Aviation Regulation
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
Package Travel Regulations 2018
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.
We're LOtC Council’s Quality Badge assured
For groups travelling from Northern Ireland... the Department for Education advises schools to always look for the LOtC Quality Badge when choosing a school travel provider.
