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TRIBAL GAP YEAR OVERVIEW

This is not your average gap year. As a Tribal Ambassador with GOGI Abroad, you’ll dive into the heart of community life across up to five extraordinary regions.

Whether you join us for just one country or journey through them all, we’ll help shape an experience that fits your timing, your interests, and your growth.

In Peru, live and work with the Q’ewar Project and Q’ero elders, immersing in the rich spiritual and ancestral traditions of the Andes.

In Tanzania, share daily life with the Maasai—learning beading, teaching in local schools, and experiencing the power of interconnection.

In Bali, explore traditional homestays, sustainable farming, spiritual philosophy, and join a hands-on internship shaping future GOGI programs.

In Nepal, trek through the Himalayas and stay with mountain communities where you’ll learn from spiritual teachers and explore the rhythm of rural life.

And in Spain, you choose: walk the sacred path of El Camino de Santiago or dive into the soulful world of Gitano culture in Cádiz, with its flamenco, storytelling, and resilience.

Group of five people working in a muddy field, planting or harvesting crops, with mountains in the background under cloudy skies.
Three people outdoors in a lush green landscape, smiling at the camera. One person wears a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, another has a traditional hat and scarf, and the third wears a baseball cap and jacket.

Wherever you go, you’ll build cross-cultural friendships, expand your worldview, and return home changed—from the inside out.

Elements of Study in Each Culture.

Ritual and Ceremony

The coming of age and the transition into adulthood in the community, weddings, funerals, births, and birthdays. Over the course of a two month stay in each location, Gap Year students have the opportunity to participate and observe significant moments in tribal culture.

Sustainability & Farming

Gap Year students study the types of food grown and farming methods, resource management, and the influence of western methods and traditional wisdom.

Husbandry

The role and care of domesticated animals is a significant cultural element, closely related to agriculture yet a distinct set of practices often intertwined with religion and belief.

Art & Music

Connecting to the culture through art and music, Gap Year students explore the sounds, colors, forms, and expressions unique to each of the four communities around the globe.

  • Group of six people standing on rocks at the base of a waterfall in a lush, green forest, celebrating with arms raised.
  • Two women in outdoor clothing holding a large tie-dye blanket in a dry, wooded area with trees and a blue sky
  • Three diverse women sitting outdoors in a rural area, smiling at the camera, with two of them holding a thin stick or arrow.
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“I think I will always be someone who likes to have my plans figured out for the future, but I’ve become a little more relaxed knowing that if I’m confident I’ll figure it out. I’m so incredibly happy I chose to take a gap year before going to college, and I know for sure I would have regretted it if I didn’t. I’ve also been able to adjust to change much better since I started my gap year and since Peru especially.

I feel that it’s essential for personal growth and development, to see the world first-hand instead of through books or the internet, and to meet new people with all sorts of different backgrounds. I know Peru was a wonderful experience for me because I’m extremely sad to be leaving. I’m a different person on the inside as well. I would recommend Gogi Abroad’s Tribal Gap Year in a heartbeat.”
— Arianna, Tribal Gap Year student

FAQs

  • In each location, the student has both a host family and an local Gogi Coordinator to rely on for support, ideas, transportation, and cultural outings. We believe that exploring the land and culture independently is a great learning experience, and the student has many opportunities to follow interests, develop projects, and pursue new experiences. Students stay in close communication with both the local coordinator and the home GOGI office, and together, a unique cultural experience is crafted based on the interests of each student.

  • There will be a language instructor in each location to facilitate your DYNAMIC CULTURAL COMMUNICATIONS in Spanish, Swahili and Nepalese.

    Language is a large part of the curriculum during this Gap Year. Students will describe themselves at the beginning of their stay with a tribe; writing about their feelings, observations and identity at the beginning of their stay, and again at the end of the stay, noting how they may have changed. You will write about how you may (or may not!) identify with each particular tribe. The writing is initially done in English and by the end of the stay is done in the native language as well. Self-awareness is a big component of Gogi Abroad and incorporating the native language of each place greatly enhances this.

    Our program emphasis is focused not solely upon the academic language, but the spoken language, the dialect components, and the language of a place and culture. Students will have daily language classes with a teacher from each of the four locations. This tutelage will help students connect and engage more fully with the people, culture and history during each of their stays.

  • Communication is an essential element of GOGI program success. Through messaging apps and phone conversations, Liz is in frequent communication with host families, students, and parents. Especially during transitions and travel days, Liz is an active communicator with all parties to ensure that all details are covered and the student is packed and prepared for smooth travels.

  • With a single backpack, this trip around the world is an exercise in minimalism. An unlocked cell phone is the most important piece of equipment, and each student builds a comprehensive first-aid kit with the assistance of their personal doctor. Beyond that, the packing list is simple and basic, ensuring that the Gap year student moves easily and comfortably on their journey around the world.

  • It is required that Gap Year students are fully immunized with the recommended American immunizations, plus some additional immunizations as recommended or required for the different countries. Planning for the process needs to begin at least six months before the trip, and consultation with qualified Travel Clinic is required. A clinic specializing in travel will also prescribe several types of antibiotics to be carried in the first-aid kit.

  • No, GOGI Abroad’s Tribal Gap Year is for all young adults age 18-22, looking to immerse themselves in ancient cultures through independent world travel.

  • The eight month program typically begins in October and runs through May, but the schedule can be adapted in either direction as needed.

  • The 2018-19 tuition for the eight month program, including all room and board, language instruction, and local transportation and cultural activities is $17,000. Airfare, medical/travel insurance, visas, SIM cards, and entrance fees to national parks are additional costs.

    We offer a payment plan, and encourage students to apply for a scholarship.