School Music Trips and Tours
There’s no substitute for being there and that’s why we’ve been helping to create school music trips which enhance students’ performance skills, build confidence and develop a sense of independence for more than 50 years.
Your group will be immersed in music and have the opportunity to perform at some of the most inspiring venues in the world. We provide music trips for students and school bands to a wide range of destinations in the UK, Europe and worldwide.
We’ll match wonderful concert venues around the world to your pupils’ abilities and expectations. Whether you want your performances to be formal, informal, or a mixture of both.
Why choose NST for school music trips?
Choosing NST for your school music tours means giving students the chance to perform in some of the world’s most iconic and prestigious venues. Imagine your pupils playing at St Mark’s Basilica in Venice, St Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, or St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City—each offering a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will inspire and elevate their musical journey.
Beyond these historic settings, NST also offers performance opportunities in breathtaking locations like the serene Lake Titisee in the Black Forest, the charming coastal towns of Catalonia, or even on stage at Disneyland® Paris, where students can get a taste of Disney’s world of entertainment.
Learn more about our music tour destinations
London
London
The wide number and variety of performance venues available in London make it an ideal destination for music groups of all ages and abilities.
Liverpool
Liverpool
Exciting things have been happening in Liverpool over recent years, and this vibrant city offers lots to see and do.
Amsterdam & the Dutch Coast
Amsterdam & the Dutch Coast
Ideally positioned for the many coastal venues as well as a visit to Amsterdam.
Learn more about our music tours to Amsterdam & the Dutch Coast here
Athens
Athens
Many consider Greece to be the birthplace of music and performance. a great destination for groups looking to trace the origins of music.
Barcelona & Catalonia Coast
Barcelona & Catalonia Coast
Barcelona has a multitude of fantastic museums and galleries, while its historic past provides a wealth of cathedrals and memorable performance venues.
Learn more about our music tours to Barcelona & Catalonia here
Belgium
Belgium
Perfect for groups on their first tour or those with a tight budget.
Black Forest
Black Forest
With its beautiful lakes and stunning panoramic views, the Black Forest offers many opportunities for music groups.
Cantabria
Cantabria
Cantabria provides a number of unique performance venues for your pupils to enjoy.
Krakow
Krakow
With a wonderful cultural heritage Krakow has a fabulous range of formal venues.
Lake Garda
Lake Garda
The beautiful backdrop to Lake Garda presents the perfect place to enjoy a performance tour.
Malta
Malta
A tiny island steeped in culture, Malta is a very special destination for a school music tour.
Madrid
Madrid
This historic, exciting city and its surrounding communities have an ideal combination of venues that attract enthusiastic audiences and cultural attractions for groups to explore.
New York
New York
Manhattan is a fast-paced, exciting metropolis offering music groups a wide range of performance venues and eclectic musical tastes, making it the ideal destination for groups of all abilities and genres.
Opal Coast, Northern France
Opal Coast, Northern France
Combined with an array of memorable visits, a music tour to Northern France offers groups the opportunity to bond and fully concentrate on their rehearsals and performance.
Paris
Paris
This world-famous city has an abundance of performance venues, ranging from the mighty Église Madeleine church to the Disney Performing Arts Programme at Disneyland® Paris, making Paris the perfect choice for established, intermediate or newly-formed groups.
Rhine & Moselle
Rhine & Moselle
NST offers an excellent choice of accommodation serving the needs of music groups and our tailor-made itineraries will add real value to your concert tour experience.
Learn more about our music tours to the Rhine & Moselle here
Rome
Rome
A music concert tour to Rome offers groups the opportunity to perform at unique world-class venues.
Salzburg
Salzburg
A perfect destination for groups of all abilities.
Tuscany
Tuscany
Florence, Pisa, Siena and Lucca all within easy reach and offering excellent and varied concert venues and performance opportunities.
Valencia
Valencia
On a music tour to Valencia students can soak up the Spanish culture of this colourful city, whilst enjoying a range of cultural and performance experiences.
Valkenburg
Valkenburg
Situated close to the borders of Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg, this popular Dutch resort has been a favourite of music groups for years.
Venice & Lido di Jesolo
Venice & Lido di Jesolo
Audiences are warm and enthusiastic and there are a variety of sightseeing opportunities.
Vienna
Vienna
Vienna hosts some of the most prestigious venues in Europe, and is ideal for more formal groups.
London West End
London West End
Why not take your pupils to the capital for a few days filled with West End musicals and vocal workshops.
Yorkshire
Traditionally a favourite destination for school trips, York is a beautiful, historic and unique city offering an array of wonderful performance opportunities and visits.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is a great destination for music groups, particularly choirs, with wonderful opportunities to perform in various historical sites.
Our most popular school music tour destinations...
Our most popular school music tour destinations...
Salzburg
Salzburg has an historic musical tradition and always provides our groups of all abilities with an enthusiastic
reception. Groups can follow the ‘Sound of Music’ in Salzburg and its surrounding towns, performing in spa
venues and bandstands against beautiful backdrops. Surrounding areas also provide a number of attractions and
outstanding scenery that can be included in your itinerary.
Paris
The renowned ‘city of light’ is guaranteed to add sparkle to any school band tour. Paris has an abundance of performance venues, ranging from the mighty Église Madeline to the Disney Performing Arts Programme at Disneyland®Paris, making Paris the perfect choice for a variety of groups. It’s also ideal for a combined music, art and French language tour, with plenty to see and do.
Rhine & Moselle
The towns and villages alongside these two rivers have an excellent range of both indoor and outdoor venues and a varied choice of excursions. Groups can perform in beautiful spa resorts, bandstands and town squares where they will receive a warm welcome and can perform in a safe, relaxed environment. This region is a firm group favourite.
Local music festivals
We can even arrange for your group to perform at one of the local festivals that take place across Europe, which present a great opportunity for pupils to showcase their skills alongside other performers in front of a variety of audiences.
Take a look at a music tour on the Rhine & Moselle...
On-tour support from music specialists
From teacher feedback we know that on-tour support is important to you.
In many destinations we offer Concert Assistants and Tour Assistants to give you all the support you need on the ground whilst you’re away.
In addition, we can offer support from a Tour Manager who will assist you throughout the duration of your tour, including at your concerts where they will be on-hand to provide extra support.
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
Concert organisation & tour planning service
Concert organisation & tour planning service
With NST, you’ll get your own dedicated music team who’ll work with you from start to finish. You’ll benefit from their unrivalled destination knowledge, and their experience gained from spending every day organising concerts for school groups.
They’ll tailor-make your itinerary from scratch and take care of everything for you:
- Matching the most appropriate concert venus to suit your group's ability
- Pulling together a performance schedule and itinerary that runs smoothly
- Planning the right balance of concerts and 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.
Promoting your concerts
Promoting your concerts
We’ll go the extra mile in promoting your concerts for you too. We’ll:
- Select venues that regularly attract good audiences, and we’ll schedule your concerts at the best times to maximise audience potential.
- Locate A-board posters outside your venue, distribute promotional posters and leaflets ahead of your performances, plus promote your concerts in the local press, ‘what’s on’ guides, social media, and on radio where possible.
- Invite local youth and cultural groups to your concert (where appropriate) and, where possible, we’ll organise joint concerts and festival participations to attract the largest possible audiences.
FREE music tour promotion pack
FREE music tour promotion pack
We’ll support you and provide everything you need to advertise your music tour around school and to parents. Our free 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
- Parents’ leaflets covering how NST manage safety, financial protection and details of our travel insurance
- Online parents’ video which showcases the benefits of taking a music trip
For selected destinations, we’ll provide a trip launch web page using video footage and imagery. This web page is provided by a weblink and can be shared with pupils and parents in many ways.
Risk assessment support including preview visits
Risk assessment support including preview visits
Risk assessment plays a vitally important part in the planning and organisation on any music 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 music tour and provide you with risk assessments for your trip.
Planning first music trip
Planning first music trip
Organising your first tour 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 organiser - 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 music resources
Free music resources
We've created a range of free music resources and educational posters to brighten up your classroom!
Your dedicated music team
You’ll have the support of your own Music Tour Specialist. Our team; Sheena, Samantha, Ria, Laura, Andrea & Jen all have a fantastic knowledge of our destinations, having visited many first-hand. They'll piece together a travel package of accommodation, transport, visits and leisure activities around your performance schedule to ensure that you get the right balance of concerts and visits.
Your concert organiser, John, will match the most appropriate options to suit your group's ability and requirements. John is a classically trained instrumentalist and gigging musician.
Why choose NST...
Here's why thousands of teachers choose NST each year...
- Dedicated music tour team
With fantastic first-hand knowledge of our destinations and concert venues, our music team will match the most appropriate options to suit your group's ability and requirements.
- On-tour support
We offer Concert Assistants, Tour Assistants and Tour Managers to give you all the support you need on the ground whilst you’re away.
- Promoting your concerts
We’ll go the extra mile in promoting your concerts for you, selecting venues that regularly attract good audiences and advertising your concerts in the local area.
- Making it easier for you
With our online school trip organiser, travel app, FREE classroom posters and trip launch resources to support your in-school promotion.
- Risk assessment guidance
Our risk assessment guidance will help you to manage group safety on your next educational trip.
- 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.
- 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.
- More than 50 years’ experience
With over 50 years’ experience, with NST you can rest assured that your group is in safe hands.
- 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.
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.
Financial protection from the moment you book
NST are fully bonded:
- ABTA
- ATOL
- IATA
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
We're LOtC Council’s Quality Badge assured
The Department for Education advises schools to always look for the LOtC Quality Badge when choosing a school travel provider.
