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School trips to Portugal are growing in popularity, thanks to the country’s fascinating culture and spectacular landscapes.

Most school groups who travel to Portugal actually choose to visit the Azores, a remarkable and spectacular Portuguese archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. These nine volcanic islands are the ideal choice for a geography school trip with a difference.

Read more  about our school trips to Portugal

Why visit Portugal?

Epic Macaraonesian geography

The Azores is part of Macaronesia, a collection of four volcanic archipelagos in the Atlantic Ocean. Because of the geological activity here, the Azores is often regarded as a fantastic alternative to Iceland for a geography school trip.

While Iceland allows students to see a country in the making, the Azores will give them a good idea of what Iceland may look like in around 2 million years’ time. They’ll learn all about the incredible geology here, as well as how the landscape and land use has changed.

A real highlight of your geography school trip to the Azores will be when you sample one of the local delicacies, cozido. This is a stew prepared in volcanic calderas and an unforgettable example of how the landscape around us can influence our culture and traditions.

Most groups who choose a geography school trip to Portugal stay in Ponta Delgada, the economic capital of the Azores. Ponta Delgada is on São Miguel Island, the largest in the archipelago. Not only is this an excellent base from which to explore the geography of the islands, but it’s also the perfect place in which to get a flavour of the unique Azorean lifestyle and culture.

Incredible food

One thing you don’t need to worry about on a school trip to Portugal is your students going hungry. Portuguese cuisine is diverse and delicious. With influences from both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, Portuguese cuisine is also known for the variety of spices used. This is due to Portugal’s spice trade in the East Indies.

If you do visit the Azores on your school trip to Portugal, you’ll notice there are a lot of cows. So you may not be surprised to find out that the archipelago produces around 50% of Portugal’s cheese!

And make sure you take some time to enjoy some of Portugal’s pastries and desserts, which have influenced many others across the West – did you know marmalade and caramel both have Portuguese roots?

Book with Halsbury

Take a look at our range of Portugal school trips below, and then get in touch with one of our tour advisers to discuss your requirements.

Prices from £779 pp

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Ponta Delgada

School Trips to the Azores

A school trip to the Azores offers your students the exciting opportunity to discover this spectacular volcanic archipelago!

Azores school trips are most popular with geography school groups who want to explore all the incredible geography in action on this Portuguese archipelago. One of the highlights for your students will be trying the local delicacy – a stew cooked in fumaroles!

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, absolutely. The destinations listed on our website are only a sample of the different types of school trips we can offer. If you have another destination in mind, simply fill out our enquiry form with all your requirements and one of our Tour Advisers will be in touch with a tailor-made quote.

Yes, all of our trips include comprehensive travel insurance, which now includes Covid cover. This group travel insurance covers individuals needing to drop out of the trip in the following circumstances:

  • Because a Qualified Medical Practitioner has diagnosed them as positive for Covid-19 within up to 14 days of departure.
  • Because they have been hospitalised due to Covid-19 within up to 28 days of departure.
  • Because they have been told to self-isolate by NHS Test & Trace for a period of time that prevents them from taking part in the trip.

The insurance also covers reasonable additional costs of accommodation and flights should an individual contract Covid-19 and have to self-isolate while abroad.

And the policy also covers reasonable additional costs to account for a family member to come across or a group leader/teacher to stay with the individual.

Please contact us for details.

You can see examples of the types of accommodation we have available in different destinations on the sample trip pages linked above.

All of our accommodation partners have been chosen based on their suitability for school groups. As a member of the School Travel Forum (STF), you can be certain that all accommodation contracted by us complies with local legislation with respect to fire and general safety, is contracted by trained Halsbury Travel staff or reputable agents, receives a standard audit and risk assessment prior to use by Halsbury Travel and receives a supplementary audit if it is used on five or more occasions in a year.

Your Tour Adviser will discuss your accommodation preferences with you when putting together your tailor-made quote and will assist you in choosing the best accommodation for your budget and requirements.

Every trip we organise is unique and your itinerary manager will work with you to understand your curriculum and adapt the itinerary to suit your learning objectives. The itineraries featured on our website are just a sample of the what's achievable within a given timeframe. The trip duration and the activities and excursions can be tailored to your needs and budget.

As a general rule we recommend that you start planning your trip 12-18 months prior to your travel date. This gives you plenty of time to get sign off from senior leadership and to launch your trip in school to students and parents. Planning early will also mean you have a greater choice of accommodation and travel options.

If you start planning your trip later than this, don't worry, it is definitely possible to plan a trip in a shorter amount of time. We're here to support you and we have a selection of templates and useful guides to help guide you and save you time throughout the process.

Learn more about our Portugal school trips

Activities and excursions in Portugal that your school group will love

Caldeira Velha

This waterfall of warm, ionised water is on the northern slope of the Fogo Volcano. There is also an environmental… Read More

Furnas and Lagoa do Fogo

Explore the Furnas area and sample a local delicacy, the “Cozido”, a type of stew. Prepared in volcanic calderas, this… Read More

Furnas Monitoring and Research Centre

The Furnas Monitoring and Research Centre offers a wonderful insight into the lagoon ecosystem and its native flora and fauna… Read More

Gorreana Tea Factory

The Gorreana tea plantation is the only remaining tea plantation in Europe and has been owned by same family since… Read More

Gruta do Carvão

The Gruta do Carvão is the largest volcanic cave on the island of São Miguel. Here you'll see lava stalactites… Read More

Sete Cidades

Visit the spectacular Sete Cidades, a volcanic area in the west of the island of Sao Miguel. Home to diverse… Read More

Terra Nostra Park

This botanical garden sits in the Furnas Valley, which is actually a volcanic crater. It became popular among tourists at… Read More

Walking Trail of Salto do Cabrito

The walking trail of Salto do Cabrito is a small circular route beginning/ending in the area of Caldeiras of Ribeira… Read More

Why choose Halsbury?

Here are just a few reasons why teachers choose Halsbury for educational school trips that inspire.

  • School trips designed by teachers for teachers

    Originally founded by teachers in 1986, we understand the pressures on you as Group Leader and are here to make the process of running your school trip as easy as possible.

    Learn more about Halsbury Travel

  • School trips tailored to your curriculum

    We'll design your trip around your specific learning objectives and curriculum, to ensure your school trip is a truly educational experience.

    Discover how we’ll tailor your school trip

  • Health & safety prioritised

    As a proud Assured Member of the School Travel Forum, the health and safety of your group is always our priority.

    Find out how we ensure your health and safety

  • Support every step of the way

    We'll be with you every step of the way, from your very first enquiry until the moment you return home, including 24-hour support while you’re on your school trip.

    Find out about the support we offer

  • Financially secure school trips

    We're ABTA bonded and all our air tours are ATOL protected, so you can be sure that your school trip is financially secure.

    Find out more about our accreditations

  • Rewarding loyalty scheme

    You'll earn loyalty points from your very first school trip with Halsbury. These can be used towards a discount on your school trip or a free gift for your school.

    Explore our loyalty scheme

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The Halsbury Difference

School trips designed by teachers for teachers

Originally founded by teachers in 1986 and with several former teachers in our team, we understand the pressures on you as Group Leader and work hard to relieve them.

Trips tailored to your curriculum and learning objectives

We’ll design your trip around your specific learning objectives and curriculum, to ensure it meets your particular requirements.

Rewarding loyalty scheme

Work together with other teachers in your school to save thousands of pounds on future school trips with our multi-trip loyalty scheme!