It’s not a coincidence that “vacation” rhymes with “excavation” — archeology-focused travels makes for some of the best trips you can take. Not a simple guided visit of Italy’s Pompeii or a quick tour of Hegra in Saudi Arabia, however, but a trip during which you can get down and dirty by actually partaking in an active archeological or paleontological dig. Because even if you don’t have a PhD in the field, you can join a dig to uncover ancient human remains, structures, artifacts, or even the skeletons of dinosaurs, as long as you’ve got the patience, physical health, schedule, and budget to do it.
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7 Archaeological Digs You Can Join in 2025
The Archeological Institute of America
The Archeological Institute of America organizes dozens of expert-led trips to active digs around the world every year, but it also offers those who are keen to partake in digs the chance to do so by advertising a multitude of worldwide fieldwork opportunities on its website, including volunteer and fee-based ones. Of the numerous no-skills-required digs available, the three listed below are bound to deliver unforgettable experiences.
Human Ancestors Dig in South Africa
Where: Sterkfontein and Kromdraai Caves in The Cradle of Humankind in South Africa
Dates: Two 13-day sessions are available in 2025, May 3-16 and September 6-19
Price: Starting at $8,199
This trip, organized by Ancient Odysseys in partnership with GENUS Paleosciences, will take place in The Cradle of Humankind, a paleoanthropological site located near Johannesburg, South Africa. It’s a fieldwork opportunity for those interested in the very origins of humankind and human evolution, as the site is rich with human ancestor fossils, as well as the remains of ancient habitations, flora, and fauna.
Week one on site will be spent at Kromdraai Cave, excavating, sampling, and cleaning finds alongside renowned archeologist José Braga. You will work for six days in a row from 8 AM to 4 PM, and all the tools will be provided. During week two, you will prepare fossils and sort microfauna under the supervision of Matt Caruana at Sterkfontein Cave.
When not working on site, you will visit the Fossil Vault at the Evolutionary Studies Institute at Wits University, and go on a two-day safari to see Africa’s Big Five.
Artifacts dig in French Polynesia
Tahuata island, part of the Marquesas in French Polynesia. Photo: username/Shutterstock
Where: Tahuata, the Marquesas, French Polynesia
Dates: June 21 – July 27, 2025
Price: $8,700
This five-week fieldwork program, run by the Andover Foundation for Archaeological Research (AFAR), combines paradisiacal landscapes and the opportunity to learn more about the fascinating Marquesan culture through archeology. The dig, located on the remote island of Tahuata in the Marquesas, hopes to unearth Marquesan art and artifacts that will help archeologists understand the daily life of the Marquesan people centuries ago. The findings will be displayed in the Te Ana Peua, the first community-based archaeology museum in French Polynesia. Under the direction of University of Hawai‘i archaeologist Professor Barry Rolett, you will partake in site surveys and design and create new exhibits for the museum.
Megafauna Dig in Australia
Photo: Chris Ison/Shutterstock
Where: Eulo, Queensland, Australia
Dates: August 3-11, 2025
Price: Starting at $2,720.
This fieldwork opportunity, run by Ancient Odysseys in partnership with Australian Geographic Travel, will take place in Eulo, a paleontological dig in Australia’s Outback. During the five days on site, starting at 7:30 AM each morning, you will excavate and collect fossils of extinct megafauna that lived 150,000-50,000 years ago, as well as do some lab work at the Eromanga Natural History Museum. You will receive all the instructions and tools necessary to make the most of your time on site.
New Scientist Discovery Tours
The travel branch of the science and technology magazine New Scientist, runs science-inspired tours, cruises, and expeditions all over the world, including trips to archeological and paleontological sites where you can join in on the excavating fun.
Dinosaur hunting in the Gobi desert, Mongolia
The Flaming Cliffs in the Gobi Desert. Photo: Evgeniyqw/Shutterstock
Where: Mongolia
Dates: August 16-31, 2025
Price: $9,630
During this 15-day trip around Mongolia, you will prospect for dinosaur fossils at various remote sites around the Gobi Desert under the guidance of paleontologist David Home and specialists from the Mongolian Institute of Paleontology. The sites you’ll visit are rich in fossilized remains, therefore, your chances of unearthing the fossils of ancient creatures of all sizes are extremely high. You will even get to visit and prospect at Flaming Cliffs, where the first ever dinosaur eggs were found in 1922. For the majority of the trip, you will stay in comfortable tents in the middle of nature, like a real explorer would.
Mycenae and Peloponnese archaeology, Greece
Photo: Irina Rogova/Shutterstock
Where: Peloponnese Region, Greece
Dates: September 29 – October 7, 2025
Price: $4,320
This is the ideal trip for an amateur archeologist to get the hang of working on a dig. On day three of this in-depth, behind-the-ropes tour of the most impressive Mycenaean sites of the Peloponnese, you will partake in a day-long, on-site archeologist training under the supervision of Professor Christofilis Maggidis, President of the Mycenaean Foundation, and his team of archaeologists. At a simulated one-acre dig in Mycenae, and in the lab, you will learn the steps, techniques, and technologies used by professionals to dig a site, as well as date, interpret and record findings. At the end of the day, you will receive the Mycenaean Foundation’s ATREUS Fieldwork Certificate.
Earthwatch Institute
Earthwatch Institute is an environmental non-profit that connects travelers with scientists via citizen citizen science trips, including archeological fieldwork, wildlife survey work, and more.
Discovering Ancient Societies in Portugal
Where: Muge, Portugal
Date: Multiple seven-day trips available starting on July 29 and ending on September 13, 2025
Price: Starting at $3,950
This seven-day fieldwork opportunity, which will take place in the small town of Muge in Portugal’s Tagus Valley, will allow amateur archeologists to excavate and sift for evidence of human activity, including human remains, bone tools, ornaments, shells, and more. You will also partake in lab work to process and analyze unearthed artifacts. The mission of the dig is to help archeologists better understand the population transition from hunter-gatherers to farmers and herders that happened in Central Portugal 8,000 years ago.
Unearthing Ancient History in Tuscany
Where: Populonia Archaeological Park, Italy
Date: Multiple seven-day and 13-day trips starting on May 4 and ending on October 17, 2025
Price: Starting at $3,100
The goal of this expedition is to help archeologists unearth artifacts that will help them understand better what life was like in the industrial Populonia area under Roman rule. During your time on site, you will dig for artifacts, clean them, record them, study them, and learn how to preserve them. You will also learn how to map digging sites, an important skill in archeology and paleontology. 