THE HONEST GUIDE TO GAP YEAR PROGRAMMES: RALEIGH VS GAPFORCE, CONTIKI, GAP360 AND BEYOND
2026 | Raleigh International | 5 min read
Step 1: Get Clear on What You Want
- Adrenaline highs
- Exploring new cultures
- Building connection and community
- Visiting places off the beaten track
- Ticking off tourist hotspots
Whatever excites you, remember it – this will be your compass for everything that follows.
Step 2: Make a Plan
CONTIKI
Who can go? 18-35s
Destinations: All around the world. 200+ trips across six continents
Vibe: Social adventure travel. Group tours through iconic destinations with everything organised.
✔️ Variety ✔️ Meet like-minded people ❌ Off the beaten track ❌ Volunteering ❌ Skills building
ADVENTURE 360 (WAS GAP360)
Who can go? 18-30s
Destinations: 50+ countries including Thailand, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Vibe:Independent adventure travel, combining working holiday and tours. Trips and programmes sourced from third-party operators.
✔️ Variety 🤔 Skills building 🤔 Meet like-minded people ❌ Off the beaten track ❌ Volunteering
Gapforce
Who can go? 18-24 (most programmes)
Destinations: South Africa, Thailand, Australia, Nepal and more
Vibe: Structured volunteering that is largely single-focus. Some professional training courses.
✔️ Meet like-minded people ✔️ Volunteering✔️ Skills building🤔 Off the beaten track❌ Variety
Raleigh International
Who can go? 18-24
Destinations: Borneo (Sabah, Malaysian Borneo), Costa Rica (Fieldbase in Turrialba), South Africa (Greater Kruger area, near Hoedspruit)
Vibe: Remote expeditions by a company with 40 years of adventure experience. Wild terrain, demanding project work and real challenges designed to transform you.
✔️ Variety ✔️ Meet like-minded people ✔️ Skills building ✔️ Off the beaten track ✔️ Volunteering
Much Better Adventures
Who can go? Open to all ages.
Destinations: Wild places globally.
Vibe: High level of adventure, small groups. A responsible travel company where most participants travel solo, and are between 30-50.
✔️ Variety ✔️ Off the beaten track 🤔 Meet like-minded people❌ Skills building ❌ Volunteering
GVI (Global Vision International)
Who can go? 18+
Destinations: South Africa, Mexico, Costa Rica, Thailand and more.
Vibe: Travel-centric volunteer and internship programmes tackling global issues from conservation to gender equality.
✔️ Variety ✔️ Skills building ✔️ Volunteering 🤔 Meet like-minded people 🤔 Off the beaten track
⚠️ As of July 2026, GVI has ceased trading. If you had plans with GVI, explore Raleigh’s Expeditions to the same destinations
Step 3: The Adventure Begins
DOWNLOAD A GUIDE
The travel kind (not the Girl Scouts). Yours to keep, these gorgeous PDFs are packed with inspirational adventure and nitty-gritty details about our Borneo, Costa Rica and South Africa Expeditions.
COME TO AN INFO EVENT
Our Expedition Experience team’s carefully curated talks are your chance to ask questions, meet someone who’s done Raleigh and hear all about what makes our Expeditions the perfect heart of your gap year.
SUBMIT AN APPLICATION
If you’re the type whose all down for a leap of faith, who loves the sound of what Raleigh does and cannot wait another minute then skip all previous steps and hit this button. We love your energy!
About the author
RACHEL SILCOCK | Digital Marketing Assistant | Raleigh International
Rachel is the Digital Marketing Assistant for Raleigh International. She’s a huge advocate for the transformational nature of adventure, and when she’s not working you’ll likely find her in the great outdoors, either running, thru-hiking or crewing for hot air balloons.
