The best attractions, providers, destinations and experiences for school trips, chosen by EVCs, teachers and school staff involved in educational visits.

Voting for those shortlisted has now closed and we would like to thank everyone who took the time to help shape this year’s results.

The winners will be announced during the School Travel Awards ceremony which will be held on Friday 20th November at the five-star Royal Lancaster Hotel, London. 

For ceremony ticket information and bookings click here.

 

Your 2026 finalists are…

Best Historic Attraction or Venue

This category is presented in partnership with Voyager School Travel.

  • Bletchley Park
  • Burghley House
  • Canterbury Cathedral
  • Hever Castle
  • HMS Belfast
  • St Paul’s Cathedral
  • The Roman Baths

Best Sports Venue or Active Experience

This category is presented in partnership with The Coach Travel Group.

  • AirHop Adventure Parks
  • Gravity Active
  • Manchester City Educational Tour Experiences
  • Snozone
  • Wembley Stadium
  • Wimbledon
  • Zip World

Best Theatre Production for Schools

This category is presented in partnership with Gravity.

  • Hadestown
  • Les Misérables
  • The Lion King
  • Mamma Mia!
  • Matilda The Musical
  • Wicked
  • Witness for the Prosecution 

Theatre workshop

Theatre is massive for school groups and lots of shows also offer a range of workshops to complement the performance.

Best UK Attraction

This category is presented in partnership with Camps International.

  • LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort
  • National Memorial Arboretum
  • Shakespeare’s Globe
  • Stonehenge
  • Tower of London
  • UK Parliament
  • Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter 

Best International Destination or Attraction

This category is presented in partnership with Equity.

  • Berlin, Germany
  • Futuroscope, France
  • Normandy, France
  • Kraków, Poland
  • Puy du Fou, France
  • Rome, Italy 

Keep scrolling for more finalists and more categories… ↓

 

A special thank you to our 2026 Awards Partners…

 

Best Provision for SEND

This category is presented in partnership with YHA.

  • British Museum
  • The Historic Dockyard, Chatham
  • London Transport Museum
  • London Zoo
  • Royal Air Force Museum London
  • Tower Bridge
  • Winchester Science Centre

Best Museum Visit

This category is presented in partnership with TCBC School Tours.

  • Bank of England Museum
  • Imperial War Museum, London
  • King Richard III Visitor Centre
  • Magna Science Adventure Centre
  • Natural History Museum, London
  • Oxford University Museum of Natural History
  • Young V&A

Best Education Workshops

This category is presented in partnership with Halsbury Travel. 

  • Aerospace Bristol
  • Bekonscot Model Village & Railway
  • Delfont Mackintosh Theatres
  • Life Science Centre
  • Paultons Park
  • Powell-Cotton Museum
  • Young V&A

Children at a robotics workshop

Source: Pexels / Vanessa Loring

Workshops can really help enhance a school visit.

Education / Learning Team of the Year

This category is presented in partnership with Experience Education.

You can read more about this category here.

 

Best Venue for STEM Learning

This category is presented in partnership with Visions in Education.

  • Beaulieu / National Motor Museum
  • Jodrell Bank
  • LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort
  • Science Museum, London
  • Silverstone Museum
  • Techniquest
  • Wakehurst

Best Geography Learning Experience

This category is presented in partnership with Imperial War Museums.

  • Cheddar Gorge & Caves
  • Field Studies Council
  • The Living Rainforest
  • Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
  • SEA LIFE Centres
  • Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust
  • Zip World 

Best Venue for English Learning

This category is presented in partnership with Irish Ferries.

  • Brontë Parsonage Museum
  • Jane Austen’s House
  • Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre
  • Royal Shakespeare Company
  • Shakespeare’s Globe
  • Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter

Teenager visiting an Aquarium

Source: iStock

For getting up close to wildlife, animals and the natural world, there are some great attractions for schools.

Best Wildlife Attraction

This category is presented in partnership with Conway Centres.

  • Bristol Zoo Project
  • Chester Zoo
  • Longleat
  • Monkey World
  • National Marine Aquarium
  • Stratford-upon-Avon Butterfly Farm
  • West Midlands Safari Park 

Best School Tour Operator (Small / Medium)

This category is presented in partnership with Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter.

  • Diverse School Travel
  • GB Travel
  • Kipling Tours
  • Operation Wallacea
  • The School Travel Company
  • TCBC School Tours
  • Visions in Education

Best School Tour Operator (Large)

This category is presented in partnership with LeShuttle.

  • Camps International
  • Equity
  • Esto (European Study Tours)
  • Halsbury Travel
  • Next Generation Travel Group
  • NST
  • Rayburn Tours
  • Travelbound

A teenage girl looks through a telescope at the sights in Paris

Source: ING

School visits can often be the first time learners go abroad to experience a new country and different cultures. Who you book with is important.

Best Residential Experience

This category is presented in partnership with EVOLVE Advice.

  • Active Learning Centres
  • Conway Centres
  • JCA
  • The Outward Bound Trust
  • PGL
  • Robinwood Activity Centres
  • YHA

‘My Best School Trip’ Award

This category is presented in partnership with PGL Beyond.

Read more about the ‘My Best School Trip’ Award here

School Trip Champion Award

This category is presented in partnership with Next Generation Travel Group.

You can read more about this award by clicking here.

Keep up to date with the School Travel Awards at schooltravelorganiser.com/awards.

Interested in becoming an Awards Partner? 

Go ahead and click here for more information. You can also speak to us to talk through the options available and how it all works. Contact Sharon Yandell on 01908 613323 or email sales@schooltravelorganiser.com.

Topics