Gap Year Programs in South America
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159 Gap Year Programs in South America
CIEE High School Grads Abroad
Your First Year Abroad program in Buenos Aires lasts 12 weeks and...
See All 2 ProgramsThe Intern Group
The Intern Group is the leading provider of internship programs i...
See All 2 ProgramsInternational Volunteer HQ [IVHQ]
At International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ), we unite people from over 9...
See All 36 ProgramsImpact Gap Year
Visit three different continents in a single program, traversing ...
See All 3 ProgramsInstitute for Global Studies
Get the chance to work with injured animals from the Amazon rainf...
See All 17 ProgramsGoEco - Top Volunteer Organization
GoEco is one of the world’s top volunteer organizations, with awa...
See All 17 ProgramsMAXIMO NIVEL
In three of the world's most beautiful countries—Costa Rica, Guat...
See All 3 ProgramsSeamester Study Abroad at Sea
Seamester is the educational adventure of a lifetime! For more th...
See All 3 ProgramsSemester at Sea
Unlike traditional study abroad or tourism experiences, Semester ...
See All 2 ProgramsGapforce
Visit two of South America’s most iconic countries—Peru and Ecuad...
Mente Argentina
The Mente Argentina Ultra Intensive Spanish Program is designed f...
See All 3 ProgramsIntercultural Outreach Initiative (IOI)
Volunteer at the Galápagos National Park and get the chance to as...
See All 4 ProgramsGapGuru
Immerse yourself in the heart of Peru’s Sacred Valley, surrounded...
El Terreno
Join this hands-on, personalized internship and help low-income i...
See All 14 ProgramsRustic Pathways
Stand in the shadows of the majestic Andes mountains, connect wit...
Projects Abroad
At Projects Abroad, we’re passionate about travel with a purpose....
See All 3 ProgramsIntern Abroad HQ
Are you a student or young professional looking to enhance your c...
See All 5 ProgramsWhere There Be Dragons
The Central Andes is a region full of superlatives, existing at e...
Avalon Farm
Explore. Learn. Lead. Join Avalon Farm’s Young Leaders in Pursui...
Love Volunteers
Whether you want to support vulnerable communities in developing ...
AFS-USA
Andean peaks surround Machu Picchu; lush tropical rainforests, Am...
Volunteer World
Looking to apply your talent and expertise to a good cause? Find ...
See All 10 ProgramsArcos Learning Abroad
Study abroad in the cosmopolitan city of Buenos Aires, Argentina,...
Greenheart Travel
Greenheart Travel's high school abroad program in Argentina offer...
International Medical Aid (IMA)
Global dental healthcare with International Medical Aid's (IMA) D...
Academic Programs International
Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina and is located on the sh...
See All 4 ProgramsPure Exploration
Based in El Chaltén for 12 weeks, participants will embrace the e...
Pacific Discovery
Discover the soul of South America on a 10-week journey through P...
Cultural Homestay International
Visit colorful Argentina! CHI helps realize your dream travel, a...
Oyster Worldwide
Interested in taking a gap year? Do it with an organization well ...
Alzar School & Gap
Alzar Gap’s signature program, Patagonia Exchange, runs from Sept...
Baret Scholars
Before and beyond college, Baret Scholars explores 7 regions of t...
CET Academic Programs
Whether you’re focused on gaining fluency in Japanese, studying s...
Mercy Volunteer Corps
Join Mercy Volunteers in Guyana, where you help promote social ch...
ELEP Volunteer & Internship Programs
If you are thinking about taking a gap year and volunteering abro...
Volunteering Journeys
Medical work experience abroad is suitable for medical students a...
See All 3 ProgramsOLSA International
Official Language School of the Americas (OLSA) Certified Spanish...
Valley Spanish School
Immerse yourself in the Colombian Culture through learning Spanis...
United Planet
Argentina is made up of 24 provinces in South America. Buenos Air...
See All 4 ProgramsYouth For Understanding (YFU)
YFU volunteers in Ecuador have the opportunity to give back to th...
See All 3 ProgramsNOLS The National Outdoor Leadership School
Combine it all by joining a NOLs gap semester or gap year program...
A Guide to Gap Year in South America
Best Countries
The most ambitious gapper may hit all twelve South American countries! But if you don’t have time, we’ve picked two that should top your list.
Peru. South America gap years in Peru are filled with nature. Take a hike in the green and lush Amazon jungle or scramble around the rocky landscape that surrounds Lake Titicaca. But the height of the gap year in South America (11,000 feet!!) is the city of Cusco. Once a great Inca empire, Cusco is known today for its handicraft markets and hilly colonial cobblestone streets—and, of course, the nearby Machu Picchu. This lost city of the Incas is truly an icon of pre-Columbian civilization and not to be missed on gap year programs in South America!
Argentina. In Argentina, some gappers work on conservation projects in the rugged Patagonia desert. Others settle in Buenos Aires to live in the “Paris of South America,” a city known for art and fashion. The Portenos, as Buenos Aires residents are called, consider nightlife a true lifestyle. If you get thirsty from all that dancing, visit the must-see landmark, Iguazu Falls—the earth’s largest waterfall system.
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September 5, 2025
September 5, 2025