Canada

Travel Canada on your gap year. Ideas for gap year travel to Canada.

Canada gap year - Gap year programmes in Canada

Canada is the second largest country in the world. There is more than enough to see and do in Canada to justify spending an entire gap year there. Many visitors expect Canada to be a slightly less brash version of the neighbouring USA but, in actual fact, Canada possesses a unique character extremely different from the one to be found south of the border. While Canada has its fair share of lively cosmopolitan cities, Canada's biggest draw is undoubtedly its stunning scenery and wildlife. Canada is blessed with vast areas of unspoilt wildernesses which are home to animals such as wolves, bears and bald eagles. This is greatly helped by the fact that ninety percent of the Canada's 28.5 million population lives within 100 miles of the USA border. Canada is also a particularly beautiful place to ski and many of Canada's ski resorts are hailed as being amongst the finest in the world. Added to all of this is Canada's renowned friendly reputation - making Canada a fantastic country in which to spend your gap year.

One of the great things about visiting Canada on your gap year is that it's possible to get paid work there. If you fancy working in Canada, and are aged between 18 and 30, then Real Gap's ‘Canadian Working Holiday Programme' is an excellent option. With this programme you're guaranteed at least one job offer in Canada before you leave the UK. The programme also takes the hassle out of sorting out all of the necessary paperwork for working in Canada, including opening a bank account in Canada and fast-tracking the all-important Social Insurance Number. There are all kinds of jobs available in Canada under this programme - ranging from farm work to office administration. A particularly popular option with gap year travellers seeking employment in Canada is to work in one of Canada's numerous ski resorts. The starting point for Real Gap's Work and Travel Canada programme is the city of Vancouver, from where several of Canada's best ski resorts are easily accessible - including the famous resort of Whistler. If you fancy working at a ski resort, Canada's winter ski season peaks in January and February - but resorts such as Whistler are open year-round.

Canada is a huge place and there is such an abundance of national parks and incredible scenery. One of the more accessible areas in Canada for stunning scenery is the Canadian Rockies - a beautiful landscape of lakes, rivers, forests and snow-capped mountains. Even this one area of Canada is immense, being almost 1500 kilometres in length. Most visitors have to restrict themselves to visiting just a handful of the parks - with Banff, Kootenay, Yoho and Jasper being the most popular. There are approximately 3000 kilometres of Canadian walking trails in the Rocky Mountains, with walks of different lengths to suit a wide range of abilities and fitness levels. It should always be remembered, however, that - in spite of the well maintained roads and paths and the number of other visitors you see - Canada's Rocky Mountains are still wilderness. Let someone know where you're planning to walk before you set off and take all of the correct clothing and equipment.

Whatever you want from your gap year - be it spending time in a lively city to exploring some of the world's most unspoilt wilderness - Canada is a fantastic place in which to spend all or part of your gap year. Particularly if you're in to skiing, Canada is also a great place in which to experience living and working abroad - with the guarantee of a job before you get there.


Canada gap year - Gap year programmes in Canada


Back to Where to travel on a gap year

Back to Gap Year Advice Main Menu