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Gap Year Programme
India Itinerary
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT + Hiking + Backwaters + GOLDEN TRIANGLE
Your 4-week adventure begins in southern India's Fort Kochi, where you'll help children grow in confidence through spoken English lessons and classroom renovation. Weekends are for adventure - cruising Kerala's backwaters and trekking the Western Ghats, before heading north on a Golden Triangle road trip from Delhi to the Taj Mahal, uncovering India's colour, contrast, and heart along the way.
Fort Kochi
Arrive + Settle in
Your adventure begins in Fort Kochi, a coastal gem where India’s spice-trade past meets a creative, cosmopolitan present. You’ll settle into our volunteer house tucked within the fort’s old walls - palm trees swaying, rickshaws buzzing past - and meet the team you’ll share the next four weeks with.
That first evening, tuck into a spicy welcome feast and start to feel India’s rhythm: warm air, laughter, and the scent of cardamom everywhere.Mornings begin the local way — yoga under the palms before a guided wander through Kochi’s kaleidoscope of life: colourful colonial streets, painted doorways, spice markets, and those famous Chinese fishing nets silhouetted against a fiery sunset.
Fort Kochi
Community Project + Exploration
This is where purpose kicks in. During your time in Kochi, you’ll work with two local schools — each offering a different glimpse into daily life and education here.
Your first week will be spent at a school where we’ve been asked to help the students refine their spoken English. Through games, stories, and simple conversation, you’ll help them gain confidence with their accent and pronunciation — something they rarely get the chance to practice.
It’s not about perfect grammar, but about connection, encouragement, and giving these young students the confidence to use their voices.
By mid-afternoon, you’ll be free to explore Fort Kochi — weaving through Broadway Market’s spice-scented lanes, joining a local football game, or sipping chai by the waterfront.
Kerala Backwaters
Houseboat Trip + Star-lit Dinner + Beach Swim
After a full-on first week, we’ve planned for you to experience the spectacular Kerala backwaters, a maze of serene lagoons and canals lined with coconut palms and vibrant village life.
Here you’ll board a traditional houseboat and gently cruise through this peaceful world, watching fishermen cast their nets and kingfishers flash across the water. Meals will be freshly prepared on board, fragrant, home-cooked, and best enjoyed as the sun sets over the rice paddies.
The next morning, you’ll trade river views for ocean breeze at Marari Beach. Here you’ll have time for a lazy morning of sea air, beach cafés, before heading back to Kochi.
Raksha School
Teaching + Exploration
Your second week takes you to Raksha School - a remarkable school and rehabilitation centre dedicated to supporting children and young adults with diverse learning and developmental needs. Founded in 1985 by the inspirational Raksha Menon, the school’s mission is simple but profound — to help every student develop their potential, gain independence, and face life with courage and dignity.
Here, we’ll have the privilege of stepping into their world — joining teachers and therapists in a blend of creative, sensory, and skill-based activities designed to nurture confidence and communication. Think music, painting, storytelling, and gentle physical play, all tailored to help students express themselves in ways that words alone never could.
The aim is to offer presence, patience, and joy - to encourage ability over limitation and celebrate every breakthrough, no matter how small. It’s heart-led volunteering at its best: hands-on, humbling, and full of human connection. By the end of the week, you’ll understand just how powerful small moments can be in sparking real, lasting change.
Western Ghats
Trek
Next up, you’ll head up into the misty Western Ghats for a three-day long-weekend trek around Anaerangal Lake, one of India’s most beautiful and biodiverse regions.
You’ll spend your days walking 4–5 hours along winding trails through tea plantations and spice gardens bursting with cardamom and pepper, with glimpses of tribal village life along the way.
You’ll stay in stylish Indian cottage style tents, share home-cooked curries, and wake to mist drifting over the hills — a perfect pause between projects.
Kochi
Creative Projects + Celebration
Back in Kochi, it’s time to roll up your sleeves for your final project, bringing colour and creativity to the classrooms at Raksha.
The plan is for you to help freshen up the walls with paint and murals, leaving behind a space that’s brighter and warmer.
As your southern chapter draws to a close, it’s time to celebrate - maybe a Bollywood movie night, an evening of dancing, or a farewell dinner by the sea. By now, the South will feel like home… but one last adventure still awaits as you head north.
Golden Triangle
Delhi + Agra + Jaipur
Welcome to the North.
After the calm, coastal rhythm of the South, you’ll fly to Delhi and dive headfirst into India’s cultural heartbeat — where history, hustle, and heady spices collide. First stop is Delhi — where ancient monuments rise beside buzzing markets and the air hums with life. Practice yoga at dawn, wander Mughal ruins, and taste street food so good it’ll ruin all future snacks forever.
Then Agra — waking early to watch the sun spill over the Taj Mahal, glowing pink in the morning light. Then step into the pages of history as you explore the mighty Agra Fort.
Finally - stunning Jaipur — the Pink City, alive with charm and colour. Ride up to Amber Fort, weave through vibrant bazaars, and try your hand at traditional block printing with local artisans keeping centuries-old craft alive.It’s a whirlwind of colour, chaos, and culture — the perfect counterpoint to your southern serenity, and the ultimate finale to your Indian adventure.
It’s a whirlwind of colour, chaos, and culture - the perfect finale to your southern serenity.
Delhi
Departure
Your final morning in Delhi is slow and reflective - one last coffee, a few deep breaths, and that “can’t believe it’s over” feeling.
You’ll fly home with sand in your bag, colour on your clothes, and a whole new perspective on what it means to travel, connect, and make a difference.
Kickstart your Gap Year
Life’s too short to stay on the side lines. In just 4 weeks, The Leap offers you the chance to make an impact, challenge yourself, and grow in ways you never imagined. Found your perfect Leap? Then book yourself on.
