Wilderness Gap Year Programs
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142 Wilderness Gap Year Programs
Kaya Responsible Travel
Unsure about your academic or professional future? Take a breathe...
See All 2 ProgramsInternational Volunteer HQ [IVHQ]
Are you passionate about supporting wildlife conservation efforts...
See All 2 ProgramsImpact Gap Year
Take on an 8-month trip of adventure, community service, and comm...
See All 3 ProgramsInstitute for Global Studies
Situated in a lush tropical rainforest overlooking Honolulu is a ...
GoEco - Top Volunteer Organization
GoEco offers more than 60 wildlife and animal conservation volunt...
See All 17 ProgramsMAXIMO NIVEL
In three of the world's most beautiful countries—Costa Rica, Guat...
See All 5 ProgramsSeamester Study Abroad at Sea
Seamester is the educational adventure of a lifetime! For more th...
Raleigh International
Take urgent action and immerse yourself in one of the world's mos...
Gapforce
Visit two of South America’s most iconic countries—Peru and Ecuad...
See All 4 ProgramsAfrican Horse Safaris
Experience the excitement of life in the African Bush at Moolmans...
See All 7 ProgramsCarpe Diem Education
Venture through Guatemala and Costa Rica, exploring lush tropical...
See All 5 ProgramsGo Abroad China Ltd.
Discover China Through Language & Culture. Founded in 2003, Go Ab...
Pacific Discovery
Experience an unforgettable 10-week Gap Year Semester through New...
See All 12 ProgramsAfrican Conservation Experience
Are you looking for an epic adventure that will change your life ...
EA Ski and Snowboard Training
Do you have a passion for travel, adventure, and skiing? Do you ...
INTERNeX Pacific
Work, live, and play in Canada's tourism playgrounds. We work wit...
See All 3 ProgramsTidelines Institute
The Glacier Bay Semester offers an unparalleled opportunity for y...
Quest
This is not a pause. It is a complete reset. The Quest Men's Cor...
See All 3 ProgramsPure Exploration
Based in Queenstown, this program combines skills acquisition wit...
See All 8 ProgramsARCC Programs
ARCC’s Western U.S. Gap Semester provides access to some of Ameri...
See All 3 ProgramsIntern Abroad HQ
Are you an aspiring Environmental Conservationist or Marine Biolo...
Where There Be Dragons
Experience the westernmost outpost of the Arab world. Travel from...
Love Volunteers
Whether you want to support vulnerable communities in developing ...
Volunteer World
Looking to apply your talent and expertise to a good cause? Find ...
See All 24 ProgramsProjects Abroad
Embark on an epic six-week exploration of Peru and discover where...
See All 3 ProgramsGlobal Work & Travel
Make a difference to the wild animals of Africa on our Monkey Reh...
See All 2 ProgramsOutward Bound Costa Rica
Go on a life-changing journey abroad through the gap year and sem...
See All 3 ProgramsThe High Desert Center
Join this gap year program designed for your adventurous soul and...
See All 2 ProgramsAdventure Treks
Adventure Treks offers this gap semester program that lets you go...
Art History Abroad
Discover the wonders of India on an enriching 6-week journey thro...
KUKAMA WILDLIFE COLLEGE
The NQF2 Nature Site Guide Course at Kukama consists of two key c...
Wilderness Adventures
The Wilderness Adventures Institute (WALI) Gap Semester programs ...
Gap at Glen Brook
Gap at Glen Brook is a place-based semester program for 18-21 yea...
Alzar School & Gap
Alzar Gap’s signature program, Patagonia Exchange, runs from Sept...
Legend Diving
Legend Diving Marine Environmental Internship is a thrilling, car...
Crawford & Corry
Crawford & Corry offers immersive professional placements in Viet...
Ocean Tribe
Turn your love for the ocean into a professional career with Ocea...
See All 3 ProgramsAnimal Experience International
Be a helping hand for the wildlife conservation in Western Austra...
See All 2 ProgramsTCM (EVOLVE Gap Experience)
Make memories that last a lifetime in this unique 10-week gap pro...
Natucate
Are you ready to embark on your ranger adventure and complete you...
See All 4 ProgramsThe Dragon Trip
Go all out with our 19-day Nepal adventure tour – the ultimate, b...
NOLS The National Outdoor Leadership School
Find new challenges on rivers, rocks, and snow! Explore the outdo...
See All 4 ProgramsOutward Bound USA
If you aspire to work in the outdoors, our Outdoor Educator progr...
See All 2 ProgramsA Guide to Taking Wilderness Gap Year
Popular Locations
The type of activity you’re interested in will also determine and narrow down the locations to choose from. Get your nose out of your compass! Here are some of the most popular locations for wilderness gappers.
Alaska, USA. America’s northernmost state is the epitome of the term “wilderness.” Its mighty mountains, forging waters, and abundant wildlife help it easily live up to its nickname, the Last Frontier. Having such a mixed geography, Alaska has tons on offer for outdoor gap years. Skiing or snowboarding, mountaineering, ice climbing (on glaciers!), sea kayaking, backpacking in boreal forests, crossing rocky alpine terrain, rafting down rivers, the list goes on! Doing a wilderness semester or year here will be an utterly life changing experience.
Patagonia, Argentina. This southernmost tip of the American continent is home to some of the most pristine mountains, rivers, and remarkable wilderness landscapes in the world. Go on expeditions to volcanoes, waterfalls, hotsprings, jungles, or and deserts. In such diversity, you’ll not only develop your trekking, kayaking, mountaineering, and whitewater rafting skills, but also the knowledge about environmental and civic surroundings, leadership and teamwork, communication and survival. What more could you want from programs like Outward Bound?
Pro tip: The Andes are the perfect location for a wilderness medicine and rescue semester, where you can learn the art of rock and river rescue, winter travel and avalanche rescue, as well as medicine and survival skills for this kind of extreme environment.
Nepal, South Asia. Earth’s highest peaks can be found in this landlocked country, with endless opportunities for gappers that are in love with the heights. Nepal is a perfect outdoor classroom where you can study while backpacking the Everest, learn from the best teachers and improve your mountaineering and rafting skills, or become the new Dr. House of outdoor activities with mountain medicine programs. A wilderness gap year in Nepal is the perfect chance to reconnect with nature.
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September 5, 2025
September 5, 2025