School Trip Guides

Stuck on where to go on your next school trip?
Check out the YGW school trip guides for suggestions on days out, including overviews of the learning opportunities available for pupils, useful facts, top tips and logistical information for each attraction. These guides serve as the perfect resource to help you organise a memorable and engaging day out of the classroom.

Top tips for school trips


Featured Attractions

Emirates Spinnaker Tower
Emirates Spinnaker Tower
Portsmouth’s iconic sail-shaped harbour-side viewing tower is taller than the London Eye.

The panoramic views from the top of the Spinnaker are truly breath-taking. In just 30 seconds, the high-speed lift will take you to the view decks where, on a clear day, you’ll be able to see for 23 miles in each direction.

Because so many different disciplines were involved in the creation of the tower, you can use it as an educational tool in a host of cross-curricular ways for KS2.
Ashmolean Museum
Ashmolean Museum
The awesome Ashmolean has over a million objects – from mummies to Michelangelos and beyond!

The death mask of Oliver Cromwell and the lantern Guy Fawkes carried on the night of the gunpowder plot are just two of the many curiosities that make the Ashmolean an Oxford must-do.

The museum has a purpose-built education centre (and lunchroom) with creative, supportive staff who can help you deliver interactive and tactile learning experiences, but you’ll need to plan a trip here well in advance!
Portsmouth Museum
Portsmouth Museum
A treasure trove of exhibits from every aspect of Pompey’s past, from literature to footie.

Portsmouth Museum’s exhibits include the Arthur Conan Doyle collection and a gallery celebrating the city’s beloved football club.

The museum’s learning team leads a fun, hands-on session based on toys, games and pastimes in which children are able to play with a range of exhibits, exploring their materials and mechanisms in a learning experience that ties in with many aspects of the curriculum.

All locations

  • Bath
  • Bristol
  • Cardiff
  • Cheltenham
  • Exeter
  • London
  • Oxford
  • Penzance
  • Portsmouth
  • Reading
  • Salisbury
  • Swansea
  • Swindon
  • Taunton
  • Weymouth

Bath
Bath - image
A chic UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city of Bath packs it in when it comes to contemporary culture, food and entertainment.
Bristol
Bristol - image
Bristol is full of exciting attractions and bursting with events and festivals throughout the year, from waterfront regattas to ballooning spectaculars.
Cardiff
Cardiff - image
If you’ve never been to Cardiff, now is the time to go. The city and its waterfront have been totally transformed in recent years. People are friendly, the transport is excellent and the local cuisine absolutely top-quality.

Cheltenham
Cheltenham - image
Cheltenham came into being when its natural springs were discovered in 1716 and the elegant Regency town was specifically designed as a pleasure health resort for wealthy visitors.
Exeter
Exeter - image
Devon’s county town of Exeter is a vibrant, friendly city first established by the Romans back in AD55 and you can still walk on top of the Roman walls today if you’re feeling brave!
London
London - image
London is a capital city like no other. With excitement at every turn and the greatest concentration of attractions in Britain (238 of them free of charge), deciding just what to do is a challenge!

Oxford
Oxford - image
The ‘City of Dreaming Spires’ is sure to inspire – the halls, courtyards and towers of the 38 colleges of England’s oldest university are stunning and many are free to visit!
Penzance
Penzance - image
Penzance means ‘holy headland’ in the Cornish language, and it’s famous for being the most westerly major town in England, not to mention being the setting for Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic ‘Pirates’ opera.
Portsmouth
Portsmouth - image
The UK’s only island city is practically overflowing with reasons to visit. From HMS Victory and the Mary Rose ‘celebrity ships’ at the Historic Dockyard, to the towering Spinnaker Tower, world-class museums and outstanding arts.

Reading
Reading - image
Founded way back in 800AD by the Saxons, you’ll find over 850 listed buildings around the town, including the famous Reading Abbey, medieval churches and old coaching inns. It’s also not far from the magnificent Windsor Castle.
Salisbury
Salisbury - image
With timbered buildings and a Gothic cathedral set amidst some of England’s most beautiful landscapes, Salisbury is known as ‘the city in the countryside’. It’s a thriving market town with more than its fair share of museums and historic places.
Swansea
Swansea - image
Swansea, the second-largest city in Wales, sits in a fantastic setting on a sweeping bay with stunning coastal scenery and beautiful sandy beaches.

Swindon
Swindon - image
Swindon, once a small market town where two Roman roads crossed, was completely transformed by the arrival of the Great Western Railway. So what better way to celebrate its locomotive heritage than arriving by train?
Taunton
Taunton - image
The first wonderful thing you’ll notice about visiting Taunton is the stunning scenery as you approach by train!
Weymouth
Weymouth - image
Weymouth’s beautiful, safe, sandy beaches, rich heritage and spectacular coastline make it a firm favourite.

Bath
Bath - image
A chic UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city of Bath packs it in when it comes to contemporary culture, food and entertainment.
Bristol
Bristol - image
Bristol is full of exciting attractions and bursting with events and festivals throughout the year, from waterfront regattas to ballooning spectaculars.

Cardiff
Cardiff - image
If you’ve never been to Cardiff, now is the time to go. The city and its waterfront have been totally transformed in recent years. People are friendly, the transport is excellent and the local cuisine absolutely top-quality.
Cheltenham
Cheltenham - image
Cheltenham came into being when its natural springs were discovered in 1716 and the elegant Regency town was specifically designed as a pleasure health resort for wealthy visitors.

Exeter
Exeter - image
Devon’s county town of Exeter is a vibrant, friendly city first established by the Romans back in AD55 and you can still walk on top of the Roman walls today if you’re feeling brave!
London
London - image
London is a capital city like no other. With excitement at every turn and the greatest concentration of attractions in Britain (238 of them free of charge), deciding just what to do is a challenge!

Oxford
Oxford - image
The ‘City of Dreaming Spires’ is sure to inspire – the halls, courtyards and towers of the 38 colleges of England’s oldest university are stunning and many are free to visit!
Penzance
Penzance - image
Penzance means ‘holy headland’ in the Cornish language, and it’s famous for being the most westerly major town in England, not to mention being the setting for Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic ‘Pirates’ opera.

Portsmouth
Portsmouth - image
The UK’s only island city is practically overflowing with reasons to visit. From HMS Victory and the Mary Rose ‘celebrity ships’ at the Historic Dockyard, to the towering Spinnaker Tower, world-class museums and outstanding arts.
Reading
Reading - image
Founded way back in 800AD by the Saxons, you’ll find over 850 listed buildings around the town, including the famous Reading Abbey, medieval churches and old coaching inns. It’s also not far from the magnificent Windsor Castle.

Salisbury
Salisbury - image
With timbered buildings and a Gothic cathedral set amidst some of England’s most beautiful landscapes, Salisbury is known as ‘the city in the countryside’. It’s a thriving market town with more than its fair share of museums and historic places.
Swansea
Swansea - image
Swansea, the second-largest city in Wales, sits in a fantastic setting on a sweeping bay with stunning coastal scenery and beautiful sandy beaches.

Swindon
Swindon - image
Swindon, once a small market town where two Roman roads crossed, was completely transformed by the arrival of the Great Western Railway. So what better way to celebrate its locomotive heritage than arriving by train?
Taunton
Taunton - image
The first wonderful thing you’ll notice about visiting Taunton is the stunning scenery as you approach by train!

Weymouth
Weymouth - image
Weymouth’s beautiful, safe, sandy beaches, rich heritage and spectacular coastline make it a firm favourite.