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.
18
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.
Please visit our website for more information on what is included in our program fees.
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Equipment Meals Park Fees Tour Guide Transportation Wifi
What's Included (Extra)

All food, accommodation, activities, travel within Ireland, and full, 24/7 support from the Irish Gap Year team are included.
Please see our website 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 29, 2025
Nov 21, 2024
84 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 and the world.

This structured, group program will immerse you in our community and Irish culture. There will be plenty of outdoor adventures, leadership workshops and team challenges and volunteering projects in our community. You will also get to travel all over Ireland!

The rugged natural beauty of Ireland and warm heartedness of the people offer a unique setting for your journey. 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 💙

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

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
  • Amazing Race Challenge: Mystery locations, wacky and fun tasks, build your travel IQ
  • Volunteering with Liquid Therapy in our afterschool surf therapy program.
  • Team Challenges: Developing leadership and communication skills in real-world, experiential settings
  • Live with Your Peers: Share a household with your fellow gappers in the beautiful coastal town of Bundoran, County Donegal

Program Reviews

4.83 Rating
based on 182 reviews
  • 5 rating 83.52%
  • 4 rating 15.93%
  • 3 rating 0.55%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Housing 4.65
  • Support 4.8
  • Fun 4.85
  • Value 4.75
  • Safety 4.9
Showing 17 - 24 of 182 reviews
Default avatar
Laurence
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Happy days

The group is fun, we participate in amazing activities and well Ireland being Ireland, it's always beautiful. We got the chance to do a lot of surfing, hikes, challenges and trips all over Ireland. I loved my time here and it changed me A LOT. I went to Ireland with no intention of going to college after and I still don't want to. Everybody here comes from different situations but everyone will become your friend.The only bad thing about IGY is the food but then again I'm French. I recommend this program to people who are a bit lost in life or just to have a good craic.

Pros
  • The leaders
  • The group
  • The shenanigans
Cons
  • Food
  • not a lot of volunteering
  • Food
118 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Patrick
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Craic 90 Review

A great opportunity to get outside with great leaders, amazing itinerary, and with a tight knit group. The best program for low stakes and high reward; surfing, hiking, city hopping, volunteering, and pubbing is only the half of what you can do here. Coming right out of high school or after one year or college is the perfect time to come here, without being completely overwhelmed. Everyone’s journey leading up to coming here makes this all the more interesting and meaningful. Say yes to IGY!!!!

119 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Hannah
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Rad Craic !

I really enjoyed my time in Ireland. I’d never really been away from home this long or this far but the IGY team was and is very supportive and understanding and helpful .
I learned a lot about myself and was able to push myself on the hikes, surfs, and overall.

I gained more confidence because of the hikes and time outside .

Bundoran is a wonderful town with kind locals and walking into town was one of my favorite things .

I would recommend this program to anyone and everyone . I’ve grown so much as a person .

Pros
  • nature
  • staff
  • surfing
86 people found this review helpful.
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)
88 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
83 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
89 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!

94 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
52 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers