School Religious Studies Trip to New York

Suggested Itinerary

Day 1

Morning

Flight from the UK to New York

Afternoon

Transfer to accommodation on arrival

Evening

Optional evening meal at a local restaurant

Day 2

Morning

Visit the Tenement Museum Explore Little Italy

Afternoon

Explore China Town Visit St. Patrick's Cathedral

Evening

Visit the Empire State Building for evening views across the city Optional evening meal at a local restaurant

Day 3

Morning

Travel down to Battery Park and take the ferry for views of the city and the Statue of Liberty Visit the Immigration Museum on Ellis Island

Afternoon

Visit the Museum of Jewish Heritage

Evening

Optional evening meal at a Times Square restaurant Chance to enjoy a Broadway show

Day 4

Morning

Morning free for shopping and last-minute sightseeing

Afternoon

Transfer to the airport

Evening

Overnight flight back to the UK

Day 5

Morning

Arrive back in the UK

3 nights' bed and breakfast accommodation
Airport transfers in resort
All flights including tax
Detailed information pack
Free staff place ratio 1:10
Itinerary planning service
VAT

Curriculum

A Level

Influences of religion on society
Similarities and differences between religions
Multicultural societies
Ethics and religion
Religious discrimination
Marginalisation of religious communities
Persecution of religious communities
Religious heritage within art and architecture
Religious pluralism in modern society

GCSE

Influences of religion on society
Key beliefs and practices of various religions
Religion, peace and conflict
Social justice and human rights
Freedom of religious expression

Accommodation

Hostelling International NY

HI New York is Manhattan’s premier hostel, and is located in a landmark building on the Upper West Side. The building was built in 1883 to help widows of both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 and re-opened as HI New York in 1990.The hostel offers clean, modern, mixed and separate male/female dormitory-style accommodation (4 - 12 bedded rooms) with shared bathrooms in the hallways. Linen, towels and a housekeeping service are provided.Private rooms with and without baths are also available (subject to availability). The hostel is situated just one block from Broadway Avenue and a main subway line, and only minutes from Central Park.

Freehand New York

Situated on Lexington Avenue, the Freehand New York hotel has plenty of green spaces nearby, with Stuvesant Square Park and Madison Square Park on the doorstep. For the Epicureans, there are many local restaurants to tempt the taste buds, while in terms of sites, there is the famous Flatiron building and the National Museum of Mathematics. Rooms available to book: solo, suite, king, triple (three king-size bunk beds), queen, 'Three's Company' (queen bed with an overhead twin bunk attached) and quad (four twin-size bunk beds).

Holiday Inn Express Manhattan Midtown West

Based at 538 West 48th Street in Hell's Kitchen, Holiday Inn Express Manhattan Midtown West is on the doorstep of so much to do and see. Vistors can venture to many attractions nearby, including Central Park, Times Square, Broadway and Lincoln Center, as well as the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. 'Standard' rooms allow the option of king, double beds or deluxe king beds, plus extra floor space, city views and sofa beds. Free Wi-Fi in all guest rooms.

Tour highlights

Visit Ellis Island

With around 40% of Americans able to trace their history back to at least one ancestor who passed through the immigration centre at Ellis Island, where better to learn about America’s history of immigration? The federal government took over the regulation of immigration to New York and opened the centre at Ellis Island on 1 st January 1892. Over the following 6 decades, 12 million immigrants would pass through the centre to a new life in the New World. If you were in relatively good health and your papers were in good order, you could expect to spend around 3-5 hours at the centre being processed. And, although the island was known as the ‘Island of Tears’, only 2% of immigrants were turned away, usually because it was thought they had a contagious disease or there was reason to believe that the person was likely to become a burden on the state or an illegal contract labourer.

Did you know?

First and second class passengers who arrived into New York by ship did not have to go through processing at the immigration centre on Ellis Island (unless they were already sick or undergoing legal issues), instead being subject to a short, cursory inspection on board, as it was considered that those who were able to afford those tickets were unlikely to become a financial burden for the state.

Visit St. Patrick's Cathedral

The focal point for Catholicism in New York, St. Patrick’s Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York. The cathedral has stood overlooking Fifth Avenue since 1879 and its construction was funded by donations from both the rich and poor, as well as through a fundraising fair. The cathedral is now the largest Gothic Roman Catholic cathedral in the United States and takes up an entire city block.

Did you know?

Each year, more than five million people visit the cathedral and more than one million prayer candles are lit.

Visit the Jewish Museum

The leading Jewish Museum in the United States, this is the perfect place in which to learn more about the Jewish community in America. The museum’s collection consists of artefacts of Jewish history, as well as modern and contemporary art. There are more than 30,000 objects in the collection. Located on New York’s famous Museum Mile, the Jewish Museum is a must-visit on a religious studies school trip to New York, as your students will learn more about Jewish culture and history, as well as see some diverse works of art.

Did you know?

Founded in 1904, New York’s Jewish Museum was the first in the country and is one of the oldest existing Jewish Museum in the world!

Educational Activities

Ellis Island

Between 1892 and 1954, twelve million immigrants first set foot on American soil at the reception centre at Ellis Island.

Jewish Hassidic Walking Tours

Students come with stereotypes and leave with a new and vital perspective as they walk and talk in the neighborhood.

Jewish Museum

The Jewish Museum of New York is an art and cultural artifact museum.

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral

Whilst Saint Patrick’s Cathedralopened in 1879, it was over 150 years ago that Archbishop John Hughes announced his inspired ambition

Tenement Museum

The Tenement Museum demonstrates the experiences of a variety of immigrants and migrants who lived in the Lower East Side

The Museum of Chinese in the Americas

The Museum of Chinese in the Americas (MoCA) is the first museum of its kind dedicated to reclaiming, preserving, and

Cultural Activities

Empire State Building

Reaching more than a quarter of a mile into the Manhattan sky, the Empire State Building was the world's tallest

Statue of Liberty

No trip to New York would be complete without a visit to the Statue of Liberty; the city’s iconic symbol.

Supporting you every step of the way

Creating your perfect trip

Your quote will be put together by an experienced Tour Adviser who’ll be an expert in the subject area and will know the destination really well too. They’ll work with you to create a trip to suit your group’s needs and meet your learning objectives.

Launching your trip to parents and students

The next step is to get your trip approved and then get students signed up to it. Our ‘Trip Launch Pack’ will help you with this step. This is full of resources (all free to download) designed to make your life easier at this crucial point in the trip planning process.

After you’ve booked

Once you’ve booked, your dedicated Itinerary Coordinator will start work on the finer details. They’ll make sure your itinerary makes the most of your time and they’ll take on most of the admin tasks for your trip (freeing you up to do what you do best – teach).

Support while you’re away

From lost property to properly lost, we’ll always be on the end of the phone while you’re out on the trip. You’ll get a final info pack before you go, as well as access to all your trip documents via the Vamoos app.

After your trip

We’ll ask you for feedback, so we can improve our service. Let’s start planning your next trip too, so parents have plenty of time to pay (and so it’s less stressful for you). And don’t forget to head to our resources hub to continue the learning back in the classroom.