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.
Top Gap Year Providers
Featured Gap Year Opportunities
This Month’s Recommended Gap Year Programs
Seamester Study Abroad at Sea
Seamester is the educational adventure of a lifetime! For more than 40 years, we have offered unparalleled educational voyages where students spend a semester at sea sailing between islands, countries, and even continents. We design our programs to pro...
International Volunteer HQ [IVHQ]
![International Volunteer HQ [IVHQ] logo](webp/92jaroefh251xzht1gnaidx50mqoffopvwslsbacb953.webp){kind=small}
At International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ), we unite people from over 96 countries who want to make a meaningful difference while exploring the world. With 300+ projects in 40+ destinations, IVHQ offers the widest selection of volunteer programs globally—fro...
The Intern Group
The Intern Group is the leading provider of internship programs in the emerging market of Colombia! We provide international students with internships in top private companies, NGOs, and state ministries. Our programs are regularly featured on CNN Inte...
Tidelines Institute
The Glacier Bay Semester offers an unparalleled opportunity for young people aged 18-24 to develop as leaders, community members, and global citizens. Based at our twin campuses, students will explore a mossy old-growth forest, paddle through icy fjord...
Gapforce
Visit two of South America’s most iconic countries—Peru and Ecuador—and discover the lost lands of the Incas! Start your adventure in South America with intensive Spanish lessons, then step up the adventure with an epic trek across the Andes to Machu P...
MAXIMO NIVEL
In three of the world's most beautiful countries—Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Peru—Maximo Nivel offers its unique Native Spanish Program.Join our "Country Jumper" program and begin your GAP Year in one of our countries and then jump to another and anothe...
How to Take a Gap Year
Popular Providers
Frequently Asked Questions
A gap year is an intentional break from school or work for travel. They traditionally last for a year or longer, but can be as short as one semester. Gap years are characterized by immense personal growth and education through travel.
It's a great idea to take a gap year, as they're highly beneficial to travelers of all ages. The best reasons why you should take a gap year include educational opportunities, work experience, global perspectives, and personal growth.
To take a gap year, you should set goals for what you want to accomplish during your time off and what parts of the world you want to see. Decide if you want to go after high school, during college, or after college, all of which are possibilities.
You can do so much on a gap year! Some ideas are to study a new language, backpack through a country, work in a hostel, or volunteer on an organic farm. Be intentional and set goals, and think about how your plans factor into life after your gap year.
You can take a gap year after high school, during college, after college, or mid-career. The best time to take your gap year will depend on your personal and professional goals, as well as your budget and responsibilities.
The best places to take a gap year include New Zealand, Australia, and Ireland, as they offer working holiday opportunities for gappers. Other popular places are Southeast Asia and Western Europe.
It depends. If you make the most of your gap year and can add what you learned or experienced to a resume/CV, colleges will be more appreciative of your gap year. However, this varies from institution to institution.
You can take a year off during college for a gap year, or even a semester. The process for this will depend on your home university, and whether or not your gap year can earn you college credit.
To plan a gap year, you'll need to know when you want to go, what you want to do, and which countries you want to see. These are all important steps in planning a gap year. MyGoAbroad can help get you started.
Latest Program Reviews
Latest Interviews
Vivianne Kaiwei Zhang Wei
Wanderlust Exchange
I was looking to take a gap year between my undergraduate and Master’s studies, and going to China just made sense to me.
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 ...
Travel Tools
Popular Searches
Recent Gap Year Articles
September 5, 2025
September 5, 2025