Traveling is your dream. You want to stand before the Great Wall of China in awe. You want to be serenaded while sailing a gondola down a canal in Venice. You want to see the floating markets of Thailand and help with elephant conservation while you’re there. You want to see the world! We get it.
You’ll love the canals of Venice.
The thing is, wanderlust doesn’t have an age limit, and it can start young! Having big travel dreams as a teenager can be frustrating because you face some unique obstacles. You can’t just quit your job (school) to travel the world. Don’t be bummed out just yet though! There are tons of awesome teen travel programs out there, and we’ve put together a list just for awesome, adventure-hungry, wanderlust travelers like you.
Why should you travel abroad to build leadership skills?
Leadership is important in many aspects of your life: personal, professional, and educational. You can list it as a skill on resumes, you can use it in personal relationships, and you can even put it on your tinder bio (jk, please don’t do that). But how can you build this skill?
There are many different skills that make a good leader. Experiencing new places and cultures will help you build these leadership skills. For example, while you’re traveling, you might miss the train you were planning to catch. What do you do? A good leader would think on his/her feet and maybe check future train schedules. A good leader is flexible and resourceful, as seen in this situation.
Leadership skills are uber important in the workplace.
Being a great communicator is another sign of a great leader, and is a skill you’ll pick up in no time by making friends with strangers while you’re traveling. Some of the best travel stories come from the people you meet along the way! And bartering in the town market will help you master negotiating and compromising, both leadership skills as well. You get the point.
With that in mind, there are some great opportunities out there to for teen travel. Here are just a few of our favorite leadership trips for high school students.
7 best leadership building teen adventure programs abroad
1. Land of Dreams - Summercamp Iceland by Worldwide Friends Iceland
Start your teen adventure travel out in the gorgeous country of Iceland! Photography is awesome, and Iceland has plenty of scenic locations to photograph. If you’re a budding photographer, this program is an excellent fit for you. You’ll gain photography experience while embarking on awesome adventures like hiking, swimming, whale watching, horseback riding, kayaking, and ice walking. This twelve day program takes you all over Iceland, giving you the complete Iceland experience.
- Where: Iceland
- Cost: ~$250 per day
- Read more Worldwide Friends Iceland reviews
2. ActionQuest BVI Summer Yachting Adventures for Teens by ActionQuest Summer Adventure Programs
Who else was inspired to take a sailing trip after seeing Moana for the first time?! (*Raises hand). With this incredible British Virgin Island Summer Yachting Adventure, that dream can become reality! While sailing around and exploring the islands, you’ll also earn certifications in sailing and scuba diving. You’ll spend your days learning about marine biology by water skiing, wakeboarding, and windsurfing. You’ll be the master wayfinder by the end of this three week trip. You’re welcome ;)
- Where: British Virgin Islands
- Cost: ~$6,000 for 21 days
- Read more ActionQuest reviews
3. Travel For Teens: Berlin, Paris and London
Can’t choose between Germany, France, and the UK? Why not go to all three?! Travel for Teens’ summer program ventures into all three countries. You’ll bike through Berlin, visiting WWII bunker systems. You’ll visit the top of the Eiffel Tower, shopping the streets of Paris on your way. And you’ll perfect your British accent while you ride the London Eye to get a wonderful view of London. This program whisks you through adventures in three of Europe’s most beautiful and historic cities, ensuring fun and adventure for all!
- Where: Germany, France, and UK
- Cost: ~$4,700 for 13 days
- Read more Travel for Teens reviews
4. Teen Spanish Immersion Summer Camp by Tico Lingo
What better way to build leadership skills than to improve your communication skills? This Spanish Immersion program will have you bartering with Costa Rican vendors in no time. During the three weeks of the program, you’ll also get up close and personal with a volcano, brave the churning rapids on a rafting trip, and trek through the jungle for sloth-spotting. And, out of all the leadership trips for high school students, this program is very affordable, coming in at just over $100 per day.
- Where: Costa Rica
- Cost: ~$2,750 for 21 days
- Read more Tico Lingo reviews
5. Sports Leadership at International Summer School For Teens
If sports is more your speed, take a look at this teen adventure program at the International Summer School for Teens in Scotland. This program has a special sports elective that teaches leadership through the hard work and team effort involved in playing sports. You’ll get a full body workout while also improving your brain! Plus, the school campus is gorgeous and Scotland is wonderful. It’s hard to go wrong with this program.
- Where: Scotland
- Cost: ~$5,000 for 21 days
- Read more International Summer School for Teens reviews
6. Older Teens: Florence, Cinque Terre, Switzerland & Paris
Travel for Teens comes in again for the win with another great country-hopping program. This program is geared more towards older teens, grades 11 and 12. This means the travel is more in-depth and comes with more challenges, but also more independence. Plus, a few extra challenges will just help your leadership skills develop even further! With this program, you’ll be hiking the Alps, swimming in the mediterranean, and checking off tourists spots like Notre Dame Cathedral and Ponte Vecchio!
- Where: Italy, Switzerland, France
- Cost: ~$4,500 for 13 days
- Read more Travel for Teens reviews
7. Adventure Leadership Program by Travel Hokkaido
Japanese adventures abound in this program with Travel Hokkaido. For two weeks, you’ll stay in a great guest house with ten to twenty other participants around your age. You’ll practice the language, learn to cook great Japanese dishes, and embark on daily adventures such as walking the ropeway in Hell Valley, hunting for treasure in the local town, trying on kimonos, and even playing bubble soccer. Travel Hokkaido’s great classroom-free approach to teaching the language will help you learn it with ease. Being out of the classroom will also earn you real life experience to enhance your leadership skills.
- Where: Hokkaido, Japan
- Cost: ~$1,800 for 14 days
- Read more Travel Hokkaido reviews
[View ALL Teen Adventure Travel Programs]
A leadership building teen program abroad will be your greatest adventure yet!
You’re ready to kick butt out there!
Traveling is an amazing adventure for people of any age. Whether you’re twelve or forty-two, you can benefit from traveling the world. As a traveling teen, you’ll have adventures and struggles that will help you to develop great leadership skills. More importantly, you’ll learn to trust yourself and your abilities, a crucial attribute for a great leader. Most importantly, you’ll have fun while doing it all!
It’s okay to be nervous though. This is probably your first time traveling by yourself and traveling somewhere far away from home can seem daunting. It helps to do your research and make sure you know everything there is to know about visiting a country or attending a certain program. You can also try talking to friends and family that have traveled abroad and ask their advice. When it comes down to it though, you just have to take the leap.
Now is your chance to travel. You got this!
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