Gap Year Programs
Experience a year of growth! Spend your days exploring new places, pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, and meeting lifelong friends.
Looking for the perfect balance between globetrotting and enlightenment? Take a gap year! Whether it’s a year off between high school and college (a healthy break from monotonous school life!), a gap year after college (which can give you time to figure out your next steps), or a gap year at literally any other time, it’ll be time well spent. Gap year programs are riddled with opportunities for personal growth, attainment of new skills, reevaluation of personal and career goals, and (of course) once-in-a-lifetime adventures.
Top Gap Year Providers


Customized GAP Year Programs in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Peru


Hawaii / NZ / Australia Semesters + Internships in 22 Countries


Get TEFL Certified & Explore the World as a Paid English Teacher


Join our impactful gap year programs in Africa, Costa Rica and more!


Take a gap year in South Africa. Reserve your place now!


Experience New Cultures, Discover Yourself, Become a Change-maker!
![International Volunteer HQ [IVHQ] Logo](https://image-transform.prod1.gaplabs.ph/image/https://images2.goabroad.com/image/upload/c_pad,f_auto,h_80,w_80/v1/images2/clients/logos/MAIN/92JaroEFh251XZht1GnAIDx50MqoFfOPvWSlSbAc.jpg?width=128)

World’s #1 Volunteer Programs. 40+ Countries from $20/day!


Seamester Study Abroad and Gap Year Voyages


#1 Gap Year in 2024 - Over 100 Animal Welfare Programs Worldwide!

Featured Gap Year Opportunities


Customized GAP Year Programs in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Peru


Do your Gap Year volunteering in Ghana! Travel Responsibly with Kaya


Transformative Gap Programs across Europe, Asia, and Latin America


Find adventure in South Africa during a GAP year internship with VACorps!


Set your own course and explore the world with Sea|mester


Plan your Conservation Gap Year in the wild: Get our Premium Support


Award-Winning Global Health Internships for High-School Students
This Month’s Recommended Gap Year Programs
Video of the Month
A Guide to Taking a Gap Year
How to take a gap year
Not sure what a gap year even is? We don’t blame you—”gap year” has come to be somewhat of a blanket term for any extended period of time taken off away from home or “normal” life. The unstructured pursuit of personal growth abroad tends to be what defines a gap year. If you want to know how to do a gap year, here’s a general overview:
- Figure out why you want to take a gap year. Don’t set off on your life-changing journey without knowing what you want out of the experience. Do you want to learn a new language? Gain career skills? Just plain old immerse in a brand new place and culture? There’s no wrong way to take a gap year, but mapping out your gap year goals is a helpful first step.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Caoimhe Flood
EF Gap Year
I have always loved to travel and this opportunity gave me the chance to explore places I have never been before. I also wanted to travel while I was ...

Drew Beasley
ARCC Programs
When I was in high school, I never seriously considered taking time off from school. I started college at Chapman University in the fall of 2018. Unfo...