Location
  • Italy
    • Florence
    • Bologna
    • Venice
    • Pompeii
    • Rome
    • Siena
    • Naples
Length
4 - 12 weeks
Merit-based funding, General grants/scholarships, Payment plans
Health & Safety

Program Details

Activities
City Exploring Sightseeing Wine Tasting
Timeframe
Academic Year Fall Spring Summer Winter Year Round
Housing
Apartment Host Family Hotel
Primary Language
English
Age Min.
17
Age Max
24

Pricing

Starting Price
17500
Price Details
Included in the fees: all accommodation, breakfast, tuition in small groups, all transport in Italy when concerned with teaching, all museum entrance fees, notes and reading lists.

Not included in the fees: flights, lunch and dinner, spending money, travel insurance, repatriation insurance and cancellation insurance.
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Some Meals Tour Guide Transportation Wifi
What's Not Included
Airfare Some Meals Travel Insurance
Dec 13, 2024
Mar 01, 2025
237 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

This gap year course runs two times a year, an inspiring and ambitious course from North to South of Italy. You’ll explore Venice, Castelfranco, Bologna, Rome, Florence, Siena, as well as countless gems in between, including Pompeii, Naples, and Ravenna.

The range of art, architecture, and sculpture spans from the ancient world to the present day. While studying some of the greatest masterpieces, young and passionate tutors will guide you off the beaten path to uncover Italy’s hidden wonders.
We delve into philosophy, literature, political history, economics, and much more, enriching your experience with wine tasting, opera, cooking, drawing, Italian, marble making, concerts, football..

We use our time completely to utterly imbibe Italy and all it has to offer for a full cultural experience. Teaching is onsite, in intimate seminar groups of no more than 9, with opportunities for individual tutorials and creative projects.
Discover Italy like never before!

Video and Photos

Diversity & Inclusion 💙

AHA courses are open to all. We pride ourselves with creating a safe and inclusive environment where people from all backgrounds are able to enjoy a life changing travelling experience.

At AHA we know that culture leads to confidence, so every course has two aims: to discover and explore European culture and, in equal measure, the development of young people in a space where they feel secure and integrated.

Any form of discrimation is not accepted on AHA.
AHA courses are open to all. We pride ourselves with creating a safe and inclusive environment where people from all backgrounds are able to enjoy a life changing travelling experience.

At AHA we know that culture leads to confidence, so every course has two aims: to discover and explore European culture and, in equal measure, the development of young people in a space where they feel secure and integrated.

Further Italy and Europe in general are quite progressive with regards to LGBTQIA+ policy, lifestyle and any form of discrimation is not accepted on AHA.
AHA has a track record for taking students with varying kinds and levels of disabilities on courses, and we warmly encourage applications from all people.

Since our tutor to student ratio is very small (never more than 1 tutor to 9 students), AHA provides individual support shaped to the needs of each and every student, ensuring excellent care of young people. We therefore make provisions and organise an environment where people with disabilities can safely enjoy their travelling and make the most of their experience.

Impact 🌎

Our programs are geared toward environmental education understood in relation to wider themes of history, society and culture.

During our courses we always encourage critical thinking and we take the time to explore the impact that travelling has both at an individual and organisational level. We are also committed to maximising the net positive impact while minimising the carbon footprint of every program- Nick Ross, director of AHA, plants a tree for each flight that is being purchased to attend any of our programs to offset the carbon footprint of our courses.

Program Highlights

  • Enthusiastic and friendly experts for instructors
  • Private viewings to some of Italy's most extraordinary sites like the Sistine Chapel!
  • Incredible off the beaten track visits to explore authentic Italy
  • Demonstrations and workshops in traditional crafts
  • A focus on the joy of creativity (it's in all of us!)

Program Reviews

5.00 Rating
based on 73 reviews
  • 5 rating 100%
  • 4 rating 0%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Housing 4.6
  • Support 4.95
  • Fun 5
  • Value 5
  • Safety 4.95
  • Benefits 5
  • Support 5
  • Fun 5
  • Facilities 5
  • Safety 5
Showing 25 - 32 of 73 reviews
Default avatar
Tess
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

AHA - The Best of Times

Before having found AHA, I had never been away from home without the company of friends or family. The idea of being on my own was a terrifying concept. But AHA changed that for me. I came into the program thinking I would fail. Instead, I succeeded in the best of ways. There was so much that made the trip extremely memorable. From the art, the tutors, and the other students, AHA made it their goal to help us have the best time possible. The tutors not only were supportive, but they were fun, happy and altogether fantastic. They were amazing teachers too, providing us with the necessary tools to be passionate about the art we saw while not pushing us in the way of exams or tests. They taught us simply for the love of learning. Also, the food was amazing. Every dinner was a new experience, and I never grew tired of eating pasta. AHA provided me, and I believe so many others, with the chance to experience art in a new and thought-provoking way. We had discussion-based sessions where students were encouraged to ask questions and speak out, while also having sessions where we would be able to draw and write about the art we saw.

There was so much to explore on this trip, so much to do and so much to learn. I would really recommend it for anyone looking to learn (for the sake of learning!) and to have fun. I’m so glad that I found AHA’s summer course, and if I could, I’d do it all over again.

What would you improve about this program?
Nothing at all. It was really one of the best experiences!
94 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Freddie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Art History Abroad| 6 Week Autumn Gap Course

I cannot speak highly enough of AHA. Its an opportunity that provides the perfect learning and social combination which excatly what I had hoped for. The access to the treasures and places of historical importance in Italy must be completely unique. Finding myself on a private tour around Saint Marks Basilica one evening in Venice an example of the lengths AHA go to, to provide a first hand taste of what Italy offers. This is all backed up by tutors who are incredibly knowledgable. They also teach in such a style that is inclusive, fun and socially interactive making it a perfectly balanced learning environment. Your able to connect with people from all over the world on the trip, some of whom I still see today. The course encourages you to socialise with everyone including the tutors in the evening which is a brilliant way to get to know everyone more and explore the cities further. The tutors are experts on the restaurants and bars to go to which is a huge help, that allows you to delve into the local cuisine. The exposure to the quality and different periods of Art, Architecture and even Literature in the finest Churches, Musuems in the world is just extraordinary. Asides from the renowned calling points, a highlight included discovering one of Carravagios last paintings in an old bank off the high street in Naples. Pleasant surprises like this happen regularly mainly due to the courses fantastic organisation.

94 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Sara
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

If you're considering this trip, do it.

Going on the six-week gap year trip with Art History Abroad was one of the best experiences of my life thus far. I went in with no prior knowledge of art or art history and left feeling like I was able to hold meaningful conversations about nearly any piece of art placed in front of me. The tutors are incredibly knowledgeable and all wonderful, engaging teachers. Besides being great teachers, they are also amazing people and will feel like friends by the end of the trip.
This trip will present you with some of the most incredible opportunities you can imagine. You see all of the artistic highlights like the David, The Birth of Venus, and more, which are just as remarkable as they are hyped up to be. Beyond that, AHA takes you to places that you would likely never think of on your own. One of my favorite days was a day trip from Naples to the island of Ischia, where we explored a stunning botanical garden and got to spend the afternoon relaxing on the beach and swimming in the Mediterranean. Yes, this trip is about art, but it will teach you about so much more. You will learn about people, food, Italian culture, and life. This trip absolutely changed me for the better as a person and made me feel so much more confident in my abilities as a student and as a young adult. I could try to encapsulate all of my favorite experiences in this review, but it would honestly end up reading like a novel. And besides, seeing these things in real life and learning from these amazing tutors firsthand is even better than hearing about it. The fun memories and friendships I've made from this trip will last me a lifetime.
If you are even remotely considering doing this trip, I recommend you do it. You will not regret it!!

77 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Julia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Art History Abroad

This trip still feels like a hazy dream. I am still trying to comprehend everything that happened. This trip was truly amazing. Our schedule was always jam packed with unique things to do. They took us to places I would never find by myself like Fiesole and the Brion Tomb, which quickly became my two favorite spots on the trip.

Fiesole is now one of my favorite memories. The crowded and long bus ride made it difficult to get up there, but once we were there it was all worth it. The view overlooked Florence, a sunset, and a rainbow. I brought my guitar, so I got to play a few songs for the group while looking at that view.

I feel like a new person after this trip. I'd say my confidence and inspiration have increased. I've made some incredible friends and memories on this trip.

73 people found this review helpful.
Elisabeth
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best trip of my life! Would recommend to anyone.

I went on the Northern Italy summer trip with AHA this past summer, and it was without a doubt one of the best experiences I have had. I have always been interested in art, but was never able to take an Art History course at my school, but that did not at all limit my ability to participate in the program. The tutors are wonderful teachers and bring excitement to every piece of art, as well as each new city you explore. After going on this trip, I have a whole new view on art and the time periods we studied. Would absolutely go on this trip again!

92 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Jade
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

2017 Gap Year Course

I had planned to do something like this for over two years and can safely say that my expectations were exceeded. I found that an unexpectedly large part of this was due to the tutors: what I found most admirable (aside from their extensive knowledge and engaging teaching methods) was their flexibility in giving students freedom to spend more time on pieces they particularly loved, while still maintaining a sense of structure and organisation. Their patience and encouragement of going outside the schedule was commendable, especially given that in comparison to other courses, AHA packs the most into the six week period. We covered a huge range of artists and topics, while also going into a considerable amount of depth.
Thank you all!!! :*****

90 people found this review helpful.
Izzy
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

10/10 would recommend!

The six weeks I spent in Italy with AHA were definitely some of the best of my gap year!

The tutors were all exceptional, so knowledgeable and enthousiastic making the course accessible but also fun when you got to relax with them in the evenings over a spritz.

It was amazing how much more you got to see by travelling Italy with aha, a personal highlight was the private tour of San Marco in Venice, a once in a lifetime opportunity which I never would have been able to do without the course.

If you're looking for a trip which is the perfect introduction to an incredibly rich and interesting subject but at the same time offers a fun and relaxed approach to exploring all aspects of Italian culture (food included of course) then I would really recommend AHA. The people I met on my course were some of the most lovely people and we will definitely be staying in touch.

All in all the perfect combination of learning and fun

67 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Louis
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Extraordinary

It is without question that this trip has taught me extraordinary things: I have learnt about the history of Italy, of Ancient Rome and Pompeii, of medieval Tuscany, the Renaissance, Byzantium, the Napoleonic wars and even the fascist government of Mussolini before and during the Second World War. I have learnt about Classical, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Mannerist, Baroque, Modern, Postmodern, Supermodern art forms and ideologies. Of course we had our days off and would sometimes have a change from history of art; a Sienese cookery lesson one afternoon, a fascinating visit to a famous Venetian 18th century velvet factory, a deeply moving tour of the Jewish ghetto in Venice. However, all of these added to an incredible understanding of Italian culture and history.

It still seems unreal, too perfect to recollect. I went to Rome, Orvieto, Naples, Pompeii, Siena, Arezzo, Florence, Fiesole, Pisa, Verona, Vicenza, Castelfranco, Padua, and Venice. I know it sounds clichéd, but I saw Michelangelo’s David, I climbed Mount Vesuvius, I listened to an orchestra play Mozart in the Cattedrale di Siena, I heard monks sing evensong in the 11th century crypt of San Miniato, I watched the sunset over Verona, I saw rain fall through the oculus of the Pantheon, I ate some of the best pizzas on the planet, I made some incredible friends, and I saw the golden mosaics of Basilica di San Marco light up one by one like so many stars.

Jiddu Krishnamurti once said that there “is no end to education. It is not that you read a book, pass an examination, and finish with education. The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die, is a process of learning.” And in my opinion, the greatest form of education is that which makes you feel alive, teaches you things you never knew, and inspires you to change the world: it is the movement from darkness to light. This trip is that movement, and so so much more.

91 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers

Hi, thanks for stopping by! To get a feel for the experience you will have on this trip we recommend reading reviews! You can find a ton of helpful reviews and pictures at the bottom of this page to help you out: https://www.gooverseas.com/gap-year/italy/art-history-abroa….