Travel
At Ursuline, we believe that learning extends beyond classroom walls. Travel provides our students with the opportunity to explore new cultures and broaden their perspectives as they become engaged global citizens.
St. Angela Merici formed the Company of St. Ursula with 28 other women in Brescia, Italy, in the year 1535. What started as a small band of trailblazers determined to better the world through the education of women has transformed into an impressive global network. There are now over 100 Ursuline schools worldwide, spanning 30 countries and 6 continents.
Venturing Out
In keeping with St. Angela Merici’s vision to better the world through service, we encourage our students to get out there and make a difference. This starts with an understanding of our world and the people who inhabit it.Travel opportunities allow our students to challenge their perceptions and grow in their cultural knowledge while being both academically rewarding and fun.
We offer at least one trip abroad every year, most often reserved for upper-class women. We also offer local field trips, including visits to the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Boston College’s School of Engineering, Hale Education in Westwood, and more.
Upcoming Trips
Washington, D.C. - Annual 8th Grade Trip
Every year, Ursuline’s eighth-grade class travels to Washington, D.C., in the spring. The itinerary includes:
- Exploring museums: Smithsonian Museums, Holocaust Memorial Museum, National Museum of African American History and Culture, and Planet Word Museum
- Visiting monuments: the Lincoln Monument, the Vietnam and Korean War Memorials, and the Jefferson Memorial
- Taking a ghost tour in Old Town Alexandria
- Touring the U.S. Capitol Building and taking a walking tour of Capitol Hill
- Visiting the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
- Visiting the National Zoo
- A White House photo op
London 2026
Some of the many highlights of this trip include:
- A drama workshop at the Globe Theatre
- A backstage tour of a West End theater
- Evensong at Westminster Abbey
- Attending three dramatic performances
- Day trips to Stratford-upon-Avon and Oxford
Italy 2026
Students will travel to Rome, Pompeii, Sorrento, Assisi, Florence, Siena, Verona, and Venice.
France 2026—French Immersion in Antibes
During this immersion trip, students will take French language classes in the morning and embark on excursions in the afternoon. Excursions include trips to Cannes, Grasse, Provence, and other locations. Activities include museum visits (with a Picasso scavenger hunt), a fencing class, a cruise, petanque lessons, and much more!
Recent Trips
Costa Rica, 2025
Highlights of this trip included:
- Arenal Volcano National Park and Manuel Antonio National Park
- Hot springs
- La Paz Waterfall Gardens
- Canopy zipline tour
- A night walk at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
- Yoga class by the beach
- Whitewater rafting guided excursion
- El Trapiche farm visit and chocolate tour
- Horseback riding
- An evening of folklore and culture
- Free time at the beach
Athens and the Aegean 2025
Highlights of this trip include:
- Athens guided sightseeing tour: Parthenon, Acropolis, Temple of Athena Nike, Omonoia Square, Syntagma Square
- Athens city walk: Plaka district, Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian’s Arch
- Delphi guided excursion
- Cape Sounion guided excursion
- Visit Mykonos, Kusadasi, Rhodes, Crete, Santorini
France 2024
Highlights of this trip included:
- Museum visits: The Louvre, Musee d’Orsay, Rodin Museum, Matisse Museum, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Renoir Museum
- Eiffel Tower ascent
- Guided tour of Versailles: State Apartments, Hall of Mirrors, Gardens
- Tours of Montmartre, Reims, Opera Garnier, Champagne Pommery, Nice
- Visits to Sainte Chapelle, Chartres Cathedral, Reims Cathedral, Cathedral of Nicolas II, the Pantheon
- Les Invalides and Napoleon’s tomb visit
Galapagos Islands 2023
Ursuline students and faculty embarked on an incredible adventure in June 2023 from Ecuador’s Andes to the Galapagos Islands. They immersed themselves in Ecuador’s rich history, experiencing its diverse ecosystems and capital, Quito, which is the capital city with the highest elevation in the world. Their breathtaking encounters with sea lions, iguanas, and other animals left a lasting impression.
Snorkeling revealed a world of turtles, sea lions, rays, and vibrant fish, and a trip to a penguin island added to the excitement. They visited several exciting places, including a turtle breeding center, the Darwin Museum, and even a volcano. Blue-footed boobies were also a popular attraction, keeping everyone entertained as they dove towards them in search of food!
Downtime provided relaxation and interaction with locals, accentuating the unique Galapagos culture. Their culinary experiences included fresh fish catches and innovative wood-fired cooking. The adventure to the Galapagos left the crew with an abundance of memories, newly acquired knowledge, and a deeper understanding of the world’s ecological fascinations.
Japan 2023
In April of 2023, Ursuline students landed in Tokyo for a two-week trip through Japan at the conclusion of cherry blossom season. Described by their chaperones as “intrepid adventurers,” these UA students dove headfirst into learning about Japanese culture. Students visited the famous Meiji Shrine, explored Zen gardens, dined at a cat cafe, and observed Shibuya Crossing, the busiest intersection in the world.
In the Alps, they stayed at a traditional Japanese inn, known as a ryokan. In Kyoto, students explored famous temples, pet free-roaming deer in Nara Park, attended a geisha dance performance, and engaged in a traditional tea ceremony. They visited the site of the atomic bomb drop in Hiroshima and traveled to the Shinto island of Miyajima.
Traveling students and faculty spontaneously stumbled upon three Japanese weddings, ate lots of sushi, and learned more about themselves as travelers, individuals, and a community while experiencing a culture they had not engaged with before.
In previous years, Ursuline students have traveled to other countries, including
- Belgium
- China
- Ecuador
- Germany
- Greece
- Ireland
- Netherlands
- Spain
- United Kingdom
Ursuline Sisters Tournaments
Sister Tournaments Unite Ursuline Schools across the U.S.
Our athletes have the opportunity to travel to other Ursuline schools around the United States through the Ursuline Sisters Tournaments. In addition to competing against each other in different sports games, the Sisters Tournaments allow Ursuline students from different campuses to form the friendships and relationships that so perfectly represent the Ursuline Sisterhood.
For an in-depth look at the Sisters Tournament tradition, read this article.