Location
  • Ireland
Length
4 - 12 weeks
Program Tags
Adventure Travel Cultural Immersion Hands-On Learning Volunteer Abroad
Merit-based funding, Payment plans, 529 Plan eligibility
Health & Safety

Program Details

Activities
Kayaking Trekking
Timeframe
Fall Spring
Housing
Guesthouse
Primary Language
English
Age Min.
17
Age Max
22

Pricing

Starting Price
17000
Price Details
Program fees include all meals, housing, activities and transport within Ireland and the full 24/7 support of the Irish Gap Year team.
For more information on whats included in our program fees please visit our website www.Irishgapyear.com/info/frequently-asked-questions
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Equipment Meals Park Fees Tour Guide Transportation Wifi
What's Included (Extra)

All food, accomodation, activities, travel within Ireland and full, 24/7 support from the Irish Gap Year team are included.
Please see our website www.irishgapyear.com/info/frequently-asked-questions for more details on what's included in the Adventure and Leadership Gap Year Program

What's Not Included
Airfare Travel Insurance
What's Not Included (Extra)

Flights and medical insurance

Jan 05, 2024
May 10, 2024
72 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Irish Gap Year’s Adventure & Leadership Gap Year Program will take you far off the beaten track, deep into Irish culture and nature where you will learn much about yourself.

You will become immersed in our community and Irish culture, be challenged physically through outdoor adventure and mentally through our leadership workshops and volunteering in our community.

The rugged natural beauty of Ireland and warm heartedness of the people offer a unique setting for your journey of self-discovery. Throughout this program you will develop a deeper level of self-awareness, independence, group dynamics and self-governance. We hope that you will take with you a way of thinking and self-awareness that will last a life time.

You don’t need to be outdoorsy to enjoy and benefit from the Adventure and Leadership Program, it’s all about a willingness to participate and pushing your perceived boundaries.

Video and Photos

Diversity & Inclusion

BIPOC Support

We welcome students from all walks of life and backrounds and have hosted many BIPOC students on our programs.

LGBTQIA+ Support

We welcome students from all walks of life and backrounds and have hosted many LGBTQIA+ students over the years. Ireland and Europe in general are quite progressive with regards to LGBTQIA+ policy, lifestyle and support. Irish Gap Year provides support to our LGBTQIA+ students to help them feel secure and safe during their time with us.

Impact

Sustainability

Irish Gap Year is a Carbon Negative Company, meaning we remove more C02 from the amosphere through our ecological volunteering than we create as an organization (including student flights to Europe).

Irish Gap Year Director, Ryan Allen is the Chair of the Gap Year Association's Sustainability Commitee and created the Association's Climate Action Plan in 2023.

Program Highlights

  • Expeditions around Ireland: Each expedition on the Adventure and Leadership Program is unique with its own area of focus and theme. The expeditions are 3 to 5 days each and will and bring you far off the beaten track and face to face with Ireland’s hidden
  • Community Immersion: Live in your own magnificent Victorian home on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean on Ireland's rugged Northwest coast. Your home is cozy, quirky and quaint. Here you'll learn invaluable independence building skills with your peers!
  • Volunteer in the Community: Make a meaningful and positive impact on our community as you volunteer on farms, animal shelters, with local youth groups, Clean Coasts Ireland and other local organisations.
  • Develop your Leadership and Communication Skills: Our leadership workshops are fun, interactive and experiential. You'll learn much about yourself and others as you are challenged to work within a team on a wide range of projects.
  • The People: Irish people are amongst the freindliest and funniest people you'll come across anywhere and our gappers always love getting to know the locals. They're quirky sense of humor and unique outlooks on life won't disapoint!

Program Reviews

4.84 Rating
based on 171 reviews
  • 5 rating 84.21%
  • 4 rating 15.2%
  • 3 rating 0.58%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Housing 4.7
  • Support 4.8
  • Fun 4.85
  • Value 4.75
  • Safety 4.9
Showing 9 - 16 of 171 reviews
Default avatar
Mattias
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Craic 90

It's an amazing program that provides not only fun experiences, but deep self-discovery for young adults. The housing situation is very nice, the portbeg houses are clean and comfortable. The program is quite accommodating, no one will make you do something you are uncomfortable with, but the staff will encourage you to push yourself. The trips are definitely some of the most fun I've had traveling solo (technically being in a group but responsible for yourself), and will show you the highlights of the Irish country side. Some things to note is that the program is quite intense. Regular early mornings (at least from the notes of a night owl), and high levels of physical activity on a daily basis, which while fun, can burn you out if you don't watch your energy. Other than that, I heavily recommend it for people interested in adventure.

Pros
  • Nice staff
  • Great trips
  • Clean and comfortable residence
Cons
  • Very intense (can be a pro, but something to note)
56 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Noah
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Irish Gap Year

This Gap year program is a great opportunity to take a break from sitting down in a classroom and exploring new places as-well as making new friends. One of my favorite experiences was the surf, and hiking you will get to see the side of Ireland most tourist don’t see but also the landmarks like cliffs of Moore and big cities like Dublin and Galway which are a must if you haven’t visited. One thing I loved from Dublin was visiting the Guinness factory and getting to drink Guinness at the top of Dublin.

Pros
  • Surfing
  • Pubs
  • Exploring
Cons
  • Cold
  • Rain
  • Mediocre food
51 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Jake
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Irish gap year

I had a really good time and met some life long friends. I highly recommend this program if you’re looking for an adventure and to meet some good people. The surfing was some of the best I have had in my life.

Pros
  • People
  • Location
  • Surfing
Cons
  • Rains a lot
  • Some times cold
  • Weather dependent
57 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Cooper
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great Craic

This program was a great program for me personally. It helped me grow as a person and in many ways that will help me throughout my life. The surfing here is really fun. There’s tons of different beaches that we go to and the waves are always great. We also go to all different cities in Ireland and explore those different places. Some of the cool trips that we take are we go to Dublin and galway. We also go to smaller cities around Ireland and we get to explore those cities as well. Overall this was a great experience for me and I recommend it for everyone!

60 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Danny
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Irish Gap Year

This program was a really good choice for me. I came out of high school not really knowing what I want to do in life. I did some researching and found this program. I noticed that there was hiking and surfing and was instantly gravitated towards this program. The staff are super nice and will support you with whatever you need. Definitely recommend looking at this program, it has a lot to offer. The program is held in a small town called Bundoran there is good pubs and tons to do in town. This experience has helped me grow a lot as a person

Pros
  • Beautiful scenery
  • Good surf conditions
  • Lots of good food
Cons
  • Weather dependent
  • Can get cold
  • Housing has some problems
20 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Ainslie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Leslie Bash

I absolutely loved my time with the Irish Gap Year. I have learned so much and have a new spark lit under me. The leaders are amazing, I’ve made life long best friends. I’m so excited to see where my new sense of adventure takes me in the next chapter of my life which would not have been possible without this program. The surfs and hikes were my favorite part both of which I hadn’t done much of until coming to Ireland and will definitely continue them with my return back to the states. Highly highly recommended doing this program!!!!

Pros
  • Surfing
  • Amazing people
  • Seeing Ireland
Cons
  • Rain
  • Cold days
  • Weather dependent
16 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Lance
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A wee lad

I had an amazing time in the Irish gap year program. Consistent support and activities was exactly what I signed up for. People always around you and learning to live within a group. Consistent adventure including hiking, surfing, and climbing. Amazing leaders with you the entire time who are amazing people and extremely easy to talk to. Diverse people from mostly America with completely different backgrounds and experiences that you will learn about and become friends with everybody. Cold and rainy weather but if you pack correctly will not matter that much. Cool town that you are allowed to explore and embrace on the weekends when you have free time.

Pros
  • Support
  • Travel
  • Group living
Cons
  • Group living
15 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Lilian
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great Craic

I had a blast here. I learned from all the traveling around Ireland that we did. We went to Dublin, Galway, Derry, the Aran islands, and basically everywhere else. On top of that, we really got a chance to settle into the town we were staying in, Bundoran. The town is cute and safe and a relatively easy walking distance from where we stay, so we went in all the time.
As for the program, we did a ton of hiking and surfing, and we explored every mountain and waterfall we could find. And, we did a lot of volunteering like beach cleanup day and liquid therapy, which were both pretty unique and special experiences.

Pros
  • Lots to do
  • Gorgeous location
  • Fun culture
Cons
  • The weather is insane: hope you like rain
15 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers