NOTE
IMPORTANT RESOURCES:
Trip costs are added to student accounts and are billed by January.
For questions about
trip itineraries, please email Trip Leaders (see trip descriptions below)
trip financial aid eligibility, please email Ms. Flanagan at flanagan@belmonthill.org
SEE BELOW for 2026 TRIPS
Sign-Ups for 2026 trips are now closed.
March 2026 Trips
March trips take place the first week of break; with rare exceptions, all March trips return in time for spring tryouts & training.
click HERE to sign up for a March DOMESTIC TRIP
Ramadan notice: Please note that in 2026 Ramadan extends through the dates of our March trips (2/17-3/19). If you have questions about travel accommodations for your son during a March trip, please contact individual trip leaders directly.
Service & Song
(Nashville, TN)
Forms I-VI
March 14-20
$2,000-2,200
Known as Music City, Nashville, TN is home to Vanderbilt and Fisk universities, as well as the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame. The 2026 Service and Song Trip will take in all these destinations, while participating in service activities around the city, ranging from parks and clean-ups, light maintenance, food and clothing sorting, and serving and sharing meals with families and folks in need. The people of Nashville have a strong heritage of caring for their own, and several of the programs we’ll visit, including Room in the Inn, have become national models. We hope you’ll join us for this springtime adventure in Music City!
Limited to 20 (minimum 10)
Trip Application Deadline: Tuesday, November 4
Contact Ms. Juliette Zener (zener@belmonthill.org)
Ecology & Geology
in Hawai'i
Forms III-V
March 14-22
$3,400-3,700
Come and explore the geology and ecology of the Big Island of Hawai’i. The Big Island is the only location in the United States in which all six major biomes are represented. Visits are planned to the snow-capped top of Mauna Kea and to the rainforests of Waipi’o Valley. Hawai’i is home to the longest continuous volcanic eruption; we’ll hike alongside lava flows that, since 1986, have created 570 acres of new land, covering over 40 square miles of habitat. Destinations include Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, as well as green and black sand beaches. Join us in the land of aloha!
For a taste of the adventure ahead, scroll through this SLIDE DECK.
Limited to 15 (minimum 10)
Trip Application Deadline: Tuesday, November 4
Contact Mr. Jake DeCaprio (decaprio@belmonthill.org)
click HERE to sign up for March INTERNATIONAL TRIPS
NOTE: please check your passports.
Expiration date must be at least 6 months after dates of travel, so if your passport expires before October 2026, it will need to be renewed before December 2025.
Classic Culture & High Tech
China Today
Forms II-VI
March 14-23
$4,800-5,400
Join us on an exciting high-tech learning adventure across Shanghai, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong! This program blends culture, language, and history with hands-on experiences in robotics, AI, and cutting-edge innovation. Students will explore ancient traditions alongside modern technology, participate in interactive workshops, and gain a unique perspective on how China’s past and future shape the world today.
NOTE: this trip is reserved for Chinese-language students up to October 24. If after that date, spots remain open, Form II-VI students who do not study Chinese are welcome to sign up.
Limited to 24 (minimum 12)
Trip Application Deadline: Tuesday, November 4
Contact Shen Laoshi (shen@belmonthill.org)
Francophone Trip
Paris & Lyon
Forms II-VI
March 13-21
$4,350-4,625
This March vacation, come with us to Paris and Lyon! Discover art from the Louvre to street art in Montmartre, play pétanque in the Luxembourg Gardens, and view the sights from a bateau mouche on the Seine. In Lyon, explore Roman ruins, the history of the Resistance, meet French students your age, and take a cooking class in France’s culinary capital. Don’t miss this opportunity to deepen your connection to France while creating memories that will last a lifetime!
Limited to 21 (minimum 14)
Trip Application Deadline: Tuesday, November 4
Contact Madame Nancy Montanaro (montann@belmonthill.org)
TRIP NOT RUNNING
Spain Trip
Andalusia
Forms III-V
March 13-20
$4,100-4,600
Experience the cross-cultural wonders of Andalusian Spain! This itinerary includes stays in the historic cities of Sevilla, Granada, and Cordoba with visits to outlying villages. More than any other part of Spain, Andalusia is testament to the convivencia -- the historical period of cultural and religious coexistence among Christians, Muslims, and Jews in medieval Iberia that ended with Ferdinand and Isabella’s militant Christian reconquista. Students will explore centuries-old castles and religious buildings, wander through traditional food markets, hike to villages, try a little flamenco dancing, and delight in Spanish tapas and paella. Join us for what promises to be a grand adventure!
Limited to 19 (minimum 10)
Trip Application Deadline: Tuesday, November 4
Contact Señor Jorge Montoya (montoyaj@belmonthill.org)
June 2026 Trips
click HERE to sign up for the June DOMESTIC TRIP
click HERE to sign up for the June INTERNATIONAL TRIP
NOTE: please check your passports.
Expiration date must be at least 6 months after dates of travel, so if your passport expires before October 2026, it will need to be renewed before February 2026.
LINK: US Postal Service passport renewal information
Outdoor Adventure | Sustainability
Hetch Hetchy & Yosemite
Rising Forms III-VI
June 4-11
$3,625-4,000
Join us in June as we journey west to Yosemite National Park, rafting the American River to explore the opportunities and challenges of dam removal. This trip is not for the faint of heart! We'll sleep in tents and spend the days rafting, hiking, and climbing through the Hetch Hetchy valley as we learn about the history of dams in the region, the impact of damming on the ecology of river systems, and modern movements to remove these dams. Along the way, we'll discuss water infrastructure and river ecology, forest and fire management, the rights of Native Americans affected by these dams, and more. Get ready for an incredible learning adventure in one of the most beautiful settings in the United States.
Limited to 24 (minimum: 8)
Trip Application Deadline: Tuesday, November 4
Contact Mr. Jake DeCaprio (decaprio@belmonthill.org) & Mr. George Sullivan (gsullivan@belmonthill.org)
Japan: Sacred Spaces
& City Streets
Rising Forms III-VI
June 9-17
$6,100-7,000
Designed for students who thrive on discovery and adventure, this trip features ancient, medieval, and ultra-modern Japanese culture. Do you like mochi, sushi, or want to experience high-tech 7-11 food fare? We will visit Buddhist temples and Shogun-era castles as well as Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial, which commemorates the destruction and suffering from the August 1945 nuclear attack. Traveling on Japan’s famous high-speed trains and local subways, we’ll journey from Tokyo, to Kyoto’s vermilion torii, to Hiroshima, and to Miyajama Island before our return. From Zen and Shinto gardens to samurai culture and medieval fortresses to the neon lights and cos play shops in Tokyo’s Takeshita Street, this trip has something for everyone.
Limited to 25 (minimum: 12)
Trip Application Deadline: Tuesday, November 4
Contact Mr. Chris Zellner (zellner@belmonthill.org)
Selective Trips
African-American History & Culture Trip and the Kenney Legacy Trip
Participation on these trips is through a competitive application process. The African-American History & Culture Trip is open to students in Forms II-VI. The Kenney Legacy Trip is open to students in Forms IV and V. At the opening of the application process, students and parents from the eligible Forms will receive emails with more information and relevant deadlines.
There is no cost to families for students to participate in these trips, as the expenses have been funded entirely by donors. The African-American History & Culture Trip is funded by the Diversity Initiative Fund. The Kenney Legacy Trip is supported by a fund established in 2017 by Anne Detmer, Charles Kenney, and Elizabeth Kenney to honor the memory of Charles F. Kenney ’06.
Open to Form II Students
There is no cost to students for this trip.
Belmont Hill School offers students in Form II the opportunity to study African-American history and culture firsthand on a week-long tour of the American South.
This opportunity is free to families and will run from Saturday, March 8 through Saturday March 15, 2025. Funded through the Diversity Initiative Fund, this trip provides selected students the chance to visit sites of cultural and historical importance in and around Atlanta, GA, Birmingham, AL, Montgomery, AL and New Orleans, LA.
Students visit museums, eat incredible food, explore the campuses of the University of Alabama and Moorehouse College, and learn about history firsthand from tour guides in each destination. It is a fantastic trip.
Interested students should write a three-paragraph application essay explaining their reasoning for wanting to go on the trip. The application deadline is Monday, November 4, 2024.
The selection committee will choose the four students in early November. If you have any questions, please email Mr. Zellner (zellner@belmonthill.org).
Open to Form IV & V Students
There is no cost to students for this trip.
The Kenney Legacy Trip, named and funded by the family of Charlie Kenney '06, honors their son's memory and strives to impart his love of country and reverence for Americans' military service and sacrifice.
According to the Kenneys, "The notion that students can learn profound lessons about history by visiting sites such as the Normandy beaches" serves as the program's 'foundational idea'".
Three to four participants will be selected early winter through a nomination and application process; these young men will comprise the fourth "generation" of Kenney Trip travelers who are privileged to take part in this all-expenses-paid trip to Paris, London, and battle sites and cemeteries in Belgium and France.
Form IV and Form V boys interested in being considered for this trip should speak with a current history teacher and ask to be considered for nomination. If a boy is currently not enrolled in a history course, then he may speak with a previous history teacher.
Prior to speaking with his teacher, each prospective applicant should consider the following:
Describe your interest and any research you’ve done into American military history (and World War II history in particular).
Do you have a family background in military service or potential interest in future military service?
In what ways have you demonstrated commitment to service... to Belmont Hill, to home and/or outside communities?
What excites you most about the prospect of going on this trip?
Monday, November 12 is the deadline to submit application essays for the 2025 Kenney Legacy Trip
Click here to watch the Kenney Legacy Project video.
Trip Sign-Ups now take place through Veracross.
Links are posted above.
Forms posted below for your information.
To sign up for trips, please complete forms via the Veracross links above.
IMPORTANT: Parents and guardians, please take time to review the Student Acknowledgement Form together with your student.
DOMESTIC TRIP FORMS Trip Permission & Release Forms | Student Acknowledgement Form
INTERNATIONAL TRIP FORMS Trip Permission & Release Forms | Student Acknowledgement Form NOTE: if current passport expiration date is within 6 months of the travel dates, please renew the passport (renewal process can take up to 10 weeks).
A student's participation on any trip is subject to the approval of the Directors of the Middle and Upper Schools respectively.
Families may cancel at any point until the sign-up deadline. Submission of a signed Permission form represents a family's agreement to pay the full cost of the trip. The final cost of the trip will be billed to the student's account in December.
In the event of cancellation after the sign-up deadline, a family is responsible for any trip costs the School has incurred on their son's behalf, up to the full cost of the trip. If the cancellation occurs between 91 and 62 days before trip departure, families will be charged no less than 50% of the trip cost. If cancellation occurs within 61 days of departure, families will be charged 100% of the trip cost.
Students who withdraw from a trip after the sign-up deadline may also forfeit the opportunity to travel on future School trips.
Medical & Trip Insurance
The cost of all international trips includes emergency medical evacuation and repatriation coverage, beginning on the first day of the trip and ending on the last day of the trip. Travelers' families are personally liable for the cost of any other medical care or health-related expenses a traveler incurs during the course of a trip. Families should consult their medical and dental insurance providers about whether their policies cover travel to the location and under the circumstances of any particular trip. Families may also want to explore purchasing supplemental travel medical insurance; many vendors offer these policies.
Certain immunizations and preventive medications may be recommended, particularly for travel to a foreign country. For guidance, please consult the Centers for Disease Control (http://www.cdc.gov/travel) as well as your family doctor and/or a travel clinic. Additional information on health and safety is available from the State Department (http://www.travel.state.gov) and the State Department Consular Information Sheets (https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country.html).
Before students depart on any trip, we ask that parents/guardians update all medical information (including new medications) on Magnus. Please contact Mrs. Emi White, Director of Health Services, with any questions (ewhite@belmonthill.org).
Financial Assistance
Students who are on financial aid are eligible for trip funding for up to one of each trip type per division at Belmont Hill, with support limited to one trip per year. In other words, financial aid students can receive funding for up to one A trip (global), one B trip (domestic), and one C trip (service) in Middle School, and up to one of each type in Upper School, as well.
NOTE: Exceptions may be made to permit students to receive funding for multiple lower-cost trips.
The Civil Rights Movement & Leadership (Form II) and Kenney Legacy Trips (Form IV and V only) are fully funded for all selected students, regardless of financial aid status.
No separate aid application is necessary. The School will automatically grant trip aid at the same percentage of tuition assistance a family currently receives as long as the student is eligible and funds are sufficient.
In the event that funds are insufficient and trip aid falls below the percentage of tuition assistance received, the Director of Financial Aid will contact affected families who have signed up for trips as quickly as possible, and communicate the amount of aid that is available. Families on financial aid will then have one week to opt out of that trip.
To secure a place on a trip, a student receiving financial aid must apply for the trip by the specified deadline.
The School reserves the right to alter trip assistance policies as circumstances require at any time, but will strive to adhere to the guidelines indicated above.
Please consult the Director of Financial Aid, Mrs. Aylin Flanagan, with any questions: flanagan@belmonthill.org.
In the case of an unexpected event, such as a family crisis, families sometimes choose to cancel the traveler's participation in a trip before departure or choose to have the traveler return home during a trip. There are many types of trip cancellation insurance available and many companies that offer coverage. It is recommended that families consider purchasing trip cancellation or interruption insurance to aid them in the event of any unforeseen circumstances.
TRIP REGISTRATION PROCESS
Interest/ Sign-Ups
The online sign-ups indicate student interest in different trips and provide a working trip roster. The trip sign-up portal closes on Tuesday, November 4.
Registration Commitment
Trip registration is finalized only after a student’s completed and signed Trips Permission Form has been received by the Global Experiences Office by the November 14 deadline.
Parents/ guardians must complete, e-sign, & submit the Adobe trip permission forms by the indicated deadline. If a boy's forms are not submitted by the deadline, he will be removed from the trip roster. If the trip has a waitlist, that boy's spot will be filled by a student on the waitlist. Submission of these forms constitutes a legally-binding commitment.
Final Trip Roster Selection
If on November 14, trip registration falls under trip capacity, then all registered students will be on the final trip roster.
If on November 14, the number of students registered for a trip exceeds the published trip capacity, then the entire roster of registered students will be assigned numbers by lottery. The final trip roster will be composed of students whose lottery numbers are at or below the stated capacity. The remaining students will be placed on a ranked waitlist and will be offered a spot if one becomes available.