Gap Years for Retirees

It’s perfect for retirees or semi-retirees (anyone 50+) looking for a low-stress way to travel the world, volunteer, and form new friendships. This is about enjoying travel at a slower pace with more meaningful experiences.

Activities are typically moderate. You choose which volunteer projects suit your comfort level. No foreign languages required—our guide and local co-ordinators will help navigate any language barriers.

Everything is flexible. We organise community-driven projects in each region. You can participate as much or as little as you like, typically once a week there’ll be something that we set up for you. Find out what you’ll get up to here.

We choose villa-style accommodation and have a stringent checklist of: beautiful design, air conditioning, swimming pool, lovely shared space to hang out in and a well-tooled kitchen so you can cook for yourselves if you choose to. It also has to be within reach of a town or city that means you have loads to explore during your month there - from all the things you’d expect like museums, cafés and restaurants, beautiful gardens, as much as a gym for those inclined.

Couples and friends can share rooms, solo travellers get their own, and our guide also has a private room (sometimes that’ll be with you, sometimes somewhere nearby depending on the accommodation we choose for you).

No. You’ll sort your international flights to our destination - that means you can travel how you like, with the airline you prefer and from an airport that works for you.

Once you’re with us though, we’ll organise all of the internal transport within each region.

Side trips beyond the set itinerary are at your own cost to give you the freedom to create the trip you want! You can find out more details here.

They’re there for you! It’ll be nice and flexible, but they definitely co-ordinate logistics, handle emergencies, and take you on your weekly organised activities. They’re “part-time” in schedule but fully available when you need them, and really just someone on the ground to be there for you every step of the way.

I’m sure they’d love an invite to your dinner parties!

We select places with stable infrastructures, strong tourism track records, and trusted local partners for volunteering. We stay in safer neighbourhoods or towns for extra peace of mind.

Since insurance and healthcare are unique to each of us, it’s important that you organise this yourself. We’ll let you know the kind of comprehensive travel insurance you need, but broadly it will need to cover medical emergencies, disruptions, and belongings. We’ll also let you know the common vaccinations for each region.

Read up on what’s included here.

Plenty!

Generally, we schedule one outing per week. The rest of the time is yours—explore independently, rest, or socialise at your own pace.

We heard that group tours were leaving you rushed and by half way through, too tired to enjoy it properly… but you’ve got all the time in the world! We designed DECADES to deliberately slow things down, let you immerse and explore at your very own pace.

Depending on your nationality, you may need tourist or temporary residence visas. We’ll guide you on what you need, but specifics, including fees, vary by passport.

No. We find most travellers prefer the freedom to dine out or cook for themselves. We’ll share the best spots and local markets, but meal costs are your responsibility.

Easy, just apply here. You’ll get an email with a link to the application form. Fill it out, be as detailed as you can so we can learn all about you. That helps us create the right group of amazing individuals which has a good balance. Once approved (usually within a few weeks), a first payment guarantees your place, with the remainder paid in instalments before departure.