Take your Gap Year in USA & Canada

English speaking USA and Canada are among the top destinations forngap year travelers seeking adventure and meaningful experiences. This vast continent offers a diverse range of gap year projects, including environmental volunteer work, paid care jobs, and work and travel opportunities. Many students opt to participate in short-term courses that allow them to explore multiple cities and regions across the US and Canada, making the most of their gap year through travel and cultural exchange. Alternatively, you might choose a more permanent role that includes a wage, enabling you to fund your travels before your working holiday visa expires.

Both the United States and Canada are renowned as lands of opportunity, welcoming international travelers and making it easy to settle in without much culture shock. The close ties to the UK, combined with the widespread use of English language programmes and work abroad opportunities, mean that gap year students can find a variety of volunteering, internships, and work programs across North America.

Whether you want to stay and work in one city or travel around to experience the diverse landscapes and vibrant communities, North America offers unforgettable gap year experiences. Explore the possibilities of volunteering abroad, working in Canada or the United States, or learning new skills, your adventure begins here.

Popular North American Destinations:
USA, Canada

Quick America Facts:
Population - 500 million
Languages - English, and French in Canada

Visa Information:
You will need a working holiday visa. Check with the Foreign Office for more information!

Gap travel in America

The USA and Canada cover such a vast area (Canada is the second largest country in the world by area, and USA the third), which means there really is something for everyone. The USA has some of the major cities of the world like New York and San Francisco where you'll find famous landmarks and diverse cultures. Canada is considered the must visit country for wilderness lovers because you'll find amazing ski resorts high up in the mountains, the most rugged and spectacular landscapes and some of the most famous natural wonders of the world like Niagara Falls.

A popular choice by thousands of British travellers each year is to teach a range of activities to children at one of the many Summer Camps throughout North America. This is a fantastic option if you want to spend time working in a foreign country and building your experience, perhaps before or during university, and it allows you to earn money to fund further travel after the job finishes meaning you can make the most of your time overseas and see as much of the country as possible.

For those who want some action and adventure on their North American gap year, why not try a mountain biking course or train as a ski instructor and work a season at one of the top resorts in Canada. Work on a ranch in the USA, or help out as a community volunteer in a school, or wildlife centre. The choices are endless.

Working holidays Canada

The ten provinces and three territories of Canada form a country larger than the United States. Canada is a land of contrasts; the vast, flat wheat producing prairies, sit alongside the towering, jagged peaks of the Canadian Rockie Mountains. In such a landscape, gap years come in all shapes and sizes. Make sure you check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for travel advice, and visa information. And research the climate for the part of Canada you are heading to as the temperature extremes of hot and cold are far greater than we are used to in the UK.

Sports Courses Canada

Improve your skiing and snowboarding technique and qualify to teach the basics to tourists at some of Canada's premier winter resorts, including Whistler and Lake Louise. Some of the courses offered by our advertisers below also guarantee a paid job at the end of your gap year course. Alternatively enjoy a month long mountain biking course designed to improve your skills and allow you to experience some single track we can only dream of here in the UK.

Canadian Working Holiday Visas

Get help with finding employment in Canada with support, advice and tips from some of the best gap year companies. There is a wide range of work available if you are persistent and are flexible about the type of work you are willing to do. There are season opportunities in the winter sports resorts, and when the snow melts you will find plenty of work in bars and cafes, harvest work, and jobs on farms.

Wilderness Experience

Whilst cities like Vancouver and Toronto with their incredible standards of living are popular places to visit and live, one of the main attractions for many people visiting Canada is the wilderness. An almost incomprehesible amount of land is still completely untamed and is a big pull for people looking for a true outdoor adventure. Perhaps you could fill your Canadian gap year with a few weeks under canvas on a guided tour of the great outdoors.