SOAS, University of London Partnership

Activities and excursions are an important piece of your IFSA experience, designed to pull you into the fabric of the communities you visit and encourage cultural connections of every kind. That said, at times, circumstances beyond our control—including local government regulations and health protocols—could impact our ability to hold these events as planned.

Know that we’ll make every effort to run the activities, trips, and excursions slated for your program. You’ll see detailed examples of previous outings offered during this program below. Keep in mind that the options could look different for your program, and that we cannot guarantee these activities, trips, and excursions.

Activities are optional, but they are included in your total program fee. They vary each term based on availability, but activities may include:

• London Pandemics–Past and Present: This event will engage you with both an historic overview and a contemporary look at concepts of community health and global health, with a particular focus on London and the pandemic. You will attend a guest lecture at the IFSA London Flagship, followed by the John Snow Cholera Tour. This tour will take you to the nearby streets of Soho to visit important sites in the story of Dr. Snow and the cholera outbreak in 1854.
• London Statue Walk: This walking tour includes stops at some of London’s most iconic statues as well as some of its most obscure, weaving in historical, cultural, literary, and political threads as it seeks to put the past into dialogue with the present.
• Homelessness in London–A Dialogue: This event will explore the realities of homelessness in London from three perspectives. First, you will participate in a dialogue with guest speakers followed by a tour of Central London developed, curated, and delivered by vulnerably housed individuals through Unseen Tours.

IFSA excursions are included in your total program fee and though these are optional, most students choose to participate. They vary each term based on availability, but excursions may include:

• The Square Mile Tour: The City of London, also known as the Square Mile, is just over one mile of the capital city. But what a mile it is. The Square Mile is the oldest part of London, dating back to 43 A.D. when the Romans christened it Londinium. From St. Paul’s Cathedral to Borough Market, the Bank of England to Tower Bridge, this walking tour will give you an exclusive glimpse into the London of old and new.
• London Graffiti and Street Art Tour: Get ready to experience the very best London has to offer in street art and graffiti during our urban street art adventure through the amazing painted streets of Shoreditch, East London and the surrounding areas. See work by some of the world’s most famous street artists including Banksy, Ben Eine, Obey, Roa, C215 and 100s more. We introduce you to all the various types of street art from street sculpture to stencils, wheat pastes and stickers. In addition to schooling you in graffiti art and explaining the different styles of lettering and techniques used in street art, the tour will really open your eyes to the graffiti/street art around you, as well as the meaning behind the graffiti.
• Stonehenge and Bath Visit: Stonehenge has stood on Salisbury Plain for around 5,000 years and it’s still unknown how the prehistoric monument came to rest there! Make up your own mind during this visit and discover the fascinating theories behind these rocks. You’ll learn about Stonehenge from the fascinating exhibits and be able to enjoy a virtual sunrise as it rises over the prehistoric stones! Afterward, travel to the Roman city of Bath for a walking tour of this World Heritage city once home to Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Gainsborough, Lord Nelson, and Beau Nash. Then prepare to travel back 2,000 years to the Roman era with a visit to the Roman Baths.
• Piers and Queers Brighton Trip: Since the 18th century Brighton has become a cosmopolitan place of recreation, escape, and freedom. A destination for people who didn't conform. With an LGBTQ+ population now estimated at 15%, Brighton celebrated England's first civil partnerships, and hosts the UK’s largest Pride event as well as Europe's first Trans Pride, rightly earning its title as the LGBTQ+ Capital of Britain. Peers and Queers is a tour of Brighton from a lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer perspective, in a colorful 90-minute walk along the beach and historic city center taking in more than 200 years of history including Regency Dandies, 1950s lesbian and gay life, and political activism. Afterward, there’s time for a walk on the pier and fish and chips, just watch out for seagulls!
• Windsor Castle and Eton College Tours: Take a full-day tour to the beautiful Berkshire towns of Windsor and Eton. Visit the queen's home at Windsor Castle which has more than 900 years of royal history and is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. After lunch it will be on to Eton, home of the world-famous Eton College founded in 1440. Eton has educated generations of British and foreign aristocracy and members of the Royal family including Princes William and Harry, and British Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and David Cameron.