Location
  • Ireland
Length
4 - 12 weeks
Program Tags
Adventure Travel Cultural Immersion Hands-On Learning Volunteer Abroad

Program Details

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

Pricing

Starting Price
16500
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 19, 2022
Nov 21, 2022
61 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 course and volunteer 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. Our goal is create an environment that nurtures this process.

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.

Video and Photos

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

4.90 Rating
based on 143 reviews
  • 5 rating 90.91%
  • 4 rating 8.39%
  • 3 rating 0.7%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Housing 4.75
  • Support 4.85
  • Fun 4.9
  • Value 4.8
  • Safety 4.95
Showing 1 - 8 of 143 reviews
Default avatar
Ben
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Adventure and Leadership IGY

Deciding to go on this trip was one of the best decisions of my life. I got everything I wanted and more out of this program. I didn’t think that it would be as much fun as it was. You get to see such beautiful spots in Ireland some that you wouldn’t even think would exist. While I was here on our student led trip we visited the Muckross house and saw some 10,000 year old great Irish elk antlers. I also found some friends that I’ll never forget. If you’re on the edge of going on a gap year jdoit

Pros
  • People
  • Food
  • Activities
Cons
  • Dishes
  • Getting in trouble
  • No weed
18 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Jack
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Irish gap year 2022

I loved the program. I love the fact that we were left alone like adults, but at the same time having tons of fun doing all the activities we were given, I loved the surfing, hiking and even the leadership workshops were fun. I think that the leaders did an amazing job and that was one of my favorite parts of the program. There was a nice mix of free time and activities and I really enjoyed that. It is interesting spending a whole 3 months with people you have never met before. I had a ton of fun and I highly recommend this program for people who love the outdoors.

Pros
  • Great leaders
  • Lots of free time
  • Location
Cons
  • Shower in house 2
  • None
  • None
18 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Ava
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Adventure and Leadership review

The activities were all loads of fun and there was never a time when I felt bored. My favorite activity was surfing which we got to do plenty of throughout the program. The program leaders were all really fun to hang out with and seemed to really enjoy what they do. This program was a great way to learn and put to use interpersonal skills especially after COVID. I feel much more prepared for college and beyond and I’ve made friends that I plan to keep in touch with long after the program has ended.

Pros
  • Great for adrenaline seeking people/ outdoorsy people
  • Almost everyone we have met in Ireland have been incredibly nice
  • Met some of my best friends
Cons
  • I wish the program was longer/ started earlier in the year
18 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Georgia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

#irishgapyear

Irish Gap Year has been an extremely rewarding experience for me. While the program has pushed me out of my comfort zones (as I’m sure it’s designed to), I have never felt like I was being thrown off the deep end. The program created a safe space where I could push myself more.
For potential gappers in the future, this program will provide you with unique and fulfilling experiences. You will see and do things you probably never thought you’d do.

What was your funniest moment?
Breaking the salt at our social night… there’s probably a better one but I can’t think of it as of right now…
Pros
  • Unique and strong friendships
  • Discovering Ireland and its history
  • Learning about yourself and your capabilities
Cons
  • Constant activity- can be exhausting for less experienced people
  • Constant social interaction- it can be hard to get alone time
  • Don’t always get a lot of free time in cities/trips
17 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Weston
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Irish Gap Year

I just had a great time. The staff was supportive but also gave us space to figure things out for ourselves. I learned a lot about living with other people during this trip. I learned how to take initiative and communicate with my housemates. And I lived most of the activities. The surfing was amazing. I really felt like I have grown as a person on this trip and have found myself. I feel like I am much more prepared to go out into the world and carve my future. The staff were so great and I had a blast with my fellow gapers

Pros
  • Surfing
  • Great staff
  • Exploring cool places
Cons
  • Dishwasher was broken
  • Sometime it was hard with other kids on the program
  • Not being allowed to ask for ice cream on the shopping list
19 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Lukas
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

We love Niall

I absolutely loved this program, I feel like I’ve gained a lot from it, I’ve made incredible lifelong connections with the people I’ve lived with and I’ve learned a lot about the country and culture. We’ve had many adventures throughout the country and I’ve enjoyed every single one of them. The leadership and staff here have also been great, they listen and provide help whenever needed. I’ve loved my time here and would recommend this program to anyone whose interested in Ireland or someone who wants to experience the outdoors in a different country.

Pros
  • Lots of traveling and a lot of fun
  • Good food
  • Get to meet amazing people
Cons
  • Long days
  • Lots of physical activities so you’ll usually be tired
  • The houses will usually end up dirty by the end of the week
17 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Eoghan
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Adventure and leadership gap year

I had an amazing time interacting with the locals while helping and learning more about the Irish culture. Our group of gapers created bonds that we will never forget. We had an amazing group of leaders that helped us when we were sick and always watched out for us. Even when going on long walks or hikes our leaders made sure we were good to go and enjoying the time. Another one of my favorite parts about traveling Ireland is getting to experience cafes and shops that I don’t don’t get to see back where I live.

Pros
  • Meeting people
  • Exploring new places
  • Letting lose
Cons
  • Cold Weather
  • Being sick
17 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Kate
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Irish gap year

I had an amazing time on the program. I tried lots of new things and was able to grow a lot as a person. I made lots of new friends and got to participate in lots of fun and challenging activities. The leaders were all very kind and helpful as well as experienced in the activities we were doing. The housing situation was very good because we all lived close to each other and were able to hang out whenever we wanted. The houses were also in a very scenic place where we could go for walks along the beautiful cliffs around bundoran

Pros
  • We got to try all sorts of activities, such as volunteering, surfing, and hiking.
  • Leadership workshops were educational and fun at the same time
  • The program leaders were always there to help if you needed anything and really cared about all the students
16 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers