Semester, Summer & Gap Year Travel Study

Pacific Discovery ‘student programs’ combine sustainable educational adventure travel, cultural immersion, experiential education, volunteer and community service, alongside relevant optional study-abroad college classes

If you have a thirst for adventure, to explore places you've only dreamt of, learning through hands-on experience and making friends for life, then join us...we offer unique experiential travel programs to some of the most amazing places on earth, carefully blending adventure education, cultural immersion, eco-tourism ideals, personal and leadership development, study abroad opportunities and tons of fun!

The option to combine one of our programs with academic credit gives you an unbeatable travel study abroad or gap year experience.

Since 2001, Pacific Discovery has taken students and graduates on our unique experiential travel study abroad programs, utilising a staff of experienced and qualified program leaders and faculty.

Being with this group of people in these amazing countries has opened my eyes to the world. My perspective has broadened, my heart has opened, and my limits have been tested. I will never forget this experience! Laura Gipson

I can never thank you enough for the New Zealand Australia and Southeast Asia programs. They are two experiences that have profoundly affected me in so many ways and I will never forget them. So many moments of laughter, beauty, amazement and intense emotion that run straight to the core of one's being. Travis Allen

Semester, Summer and Gap Year Travel Programs

Pacific Discovery offers the following 'student programs'. Alternatively, if you are interested in a custom educational tour for your high school group or university group then please contact us, as we are happy to develop an itinerary that incorporates experiences to suit your group and focus.

Registering for a program is simple

You are welcome to give us a call before registering, with any questions you may have about a program - we can also put you in touch with recent program alumni...or you can read what they have to say.

We believe in making our programs accessible to anyone, therefore we have no minimum academic requirements, and we allocate places on our programs on a first-to-register basis.

To register for a program, simply check availability, then submit your online registration form and pay your program deposit USD$400 by credit card.

We will confirm your place on the program and send you comprehensive pre-travel information on flights, visas, travel insurance, climate, health, responsible travel, and a gear/packing list.

Up until departure we liaise closely with you to ensure you are on-track with your preparation. Your final program payment is due 90-days before program start (unless late registration), and we send you an invoice for this, prior to the due date. Read our booking conditions and liability release.

Our 'student programs' are ideal for anyone aged 18-25 years old from anywhere in the world, students and non-students. The majority of participants on our educational travel programs are high school graduates, university students or recent graduates, from the US and Canada. We also regularly have English-speaking participants from the UK and Europe.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you have about our student programs but please check out our FAQ section first.

What is a Pacific Discovery program?

Our programs are more than simply a travel or study abroad experience. We deliberately use an overseas adventure-travel environment to maximise the educational and life-skills potential for our participants.

Each of our programs is designed to combine the following six interdependent components.

1. Educational component

Our programs are experiential education programs, meaning that learning is hands-on and tangible. For example, students will learn about a country’s history and culture by immersing themselves in it - meeting local people and hearing life stories, first hand.

Experience on its own does not translate into learning. But learning from your experiences is important. To encourage ‘learning from experience’ our program leaders facilitate opportunities for participants to regularly reflect upon their experiences, and provide historical, cultural, geographical and environmental background so that personal experience can be connected with a broader understanding of place.

The educational component of our programs is multi-disciplinary and covers:
Host country: history, politics, culture, geography, environment, relevant environmental and social issues
Broader themes: globalization, development issues, environmentalism, religion, ethics and sustainability
How to travel: what to take, how to plan, how to keep safe, the realities of life on the road, ethical and sustainable travel
Outdoor education: where relevant, learning the soft and hard skills of a number of outdoor activities, such as backpacking, climbing, mountain biking, kayaking (varies by program).
Group skills: how to work with a group, communication and trust.
Development of personal leadership skills

2. Volunteer component

Volunteer and community service elements built into our program itineraries allow participants to really immerse themselves in a place and share an experience with local people - bridging the gap that often exists between visitor and host. The rewards are tangible and often unexpected. Volunteer work helps build self confidence and self belief through participants having to learn new skills and take on new roles. Volunteer components vary by program. Examples of volunteer work undertaken by participants are building simple homes for marginalized poor, being a big brother/sister to an orphan, habitat restoration, species monitoring.

3. Cultural immersion component

Small groups mean that our participants are not travelling in a ‘bubble’ separated from local people. Instead we immerse participants in the local culture, through home-stays, volunteer projects, language study etc. Participants learn empathy for other cultures and build bridges of cultural understanding.

4. Travel component

Travel and the realities of ‘life on the road’ teaches a lot of valuable lessons - how to communicate and relate to people from different cultures, how to be happy with few possessions and a simple life, how to overcome temporary discomfort. Travel ultimately exposes participants to the myriad possibilities in the world and their lives and allows for personal growth free from the expectations of family, peers and co-workers.

Our goal is that participants will learn the ‘art of travel’ - what to take, how to plan, how to keep safe, how to find what you need in an unfamiliar place, the realities of life on the road. By the end of a program, we expect most participants will have learned the skills necessary to travel safely anywhere on earth.

5. Adventure education / Outdoor education component

Our programs are one long adventure. Aside from the fact that adventure can be a whole lot of fun, our programs are adventurous because personal growth occurs through challenge. We challenge participants at their own level, so that they can gain confidence through overcoming obstacles and challenges during the program.

A variety of outdoor or adventure activities are included in our programs, such as back packing, whitewater rafting, kayaking, rock climbing, mountain biking etc. These activities require physical effort, mastery of technique, teamwork and trust between members of the group, and immersion in the outdoor environment.

Pacific Discovery takes a 'challenge by choice' approach to the adventure components of our programs. We have had people from all levels of fitness and experience on our programs. Adventure activities and instruction are aimed at the novice/beginner level, however we are able to facilitate more challenge for people who are experienced in a particular discipline. Generally participants do need to have fitness at a level that they are able to comfortably walk for 2-3 hours with a small back pack.

6. Personal and leadership development component

By taking participants out of their comfort zone and challenging them physically, culturally and mentally, we encourage students to gain confidence in their abilities and provide a supportive group environment where they can grow.


All of the components provide an enormous opportunity for participants to learn about themselves, to push their boundaries, question their assumptions, to stimulate problem solving and inquiry skills.

By giving participants responsibilities and freedom within the framework and safety of a well designed and carefully managed program, participants are empowered, helping them become more capable and self-reliant.