What Pacific Discovery does

Pacific Discovery is a privately-held experiential education company founded in 2004 and likely domiciled in New Zealand that designs and operates structured gap year and study abroad programs for young adults aged 17-22. The company offers three product tiers—10-week Semester Programs, 5-6 week Mini Semesters, and 14-day to 4-week Summer Programs—across more than 20 destinations spanning Southeast Asia (Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia), Oceania (Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii, Bali), the Americas (Peru, Ecuador, Galapagos, Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala), Japan, Nepal/Tibet, and more recently Europe (Greece, Croatia). Its core product is an experiential education platform built around a proprietary nine-session Core Curriculum Framework (Values, Humanitarianism, Identity, Culture, Environment, Empathy, Communication, Leadership, Global Citizenship), delivered through a three-part educational structure (Outer Journey, Inner Journey, Group Learning) and supported by four wellness workshops including the Te Whare Tapa Wha model. Programs carry optional college credit and, in select cases, professional certifications (PADI Open Water Diver, Conservation Diver Ecological Monitoring Program).

The business operates a direct-to-consumer model with a self-serve online application portal at pacificdiscovery.org, complemented by admissions advisor consultations (phone: 1 877 636 2603), email support, an interactive Gap Year Quiz for program matching, and a structured alumni testimonial channel ("Ask Our Alumni"). Programs are priced between $6,500 and $16,500 per participant (excluding estimated $1,000-$3,100 in flights/visas), with scholarships, financial aid, and optional college credit available. Group sizes are deliberately constrained to 12-14 students per cohort, and the company maintains a roster of destination-specific community, conservation, and certification partnerships including PADI, Conservation Diver, Tasman Environmental Trust, elephant sanctuaries in Thailand, and indigenous community organizations in Ecuador, Peru, and Fiji. The company holds accreditations with the Gap Year Association (US), Year Out Group (UK), and OutdoorsMark (NZ), and has earned consecutive-year recognition from GoOverseas and GoAbroad as a Top Rated Program (2025), with a 2021 designation as a top gap year provider for safety.

Name

Pacific Discovery

Legal name

Pacific Discovery

Website

https://pacificdiscovery.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pacific Discovery is a New Zealand-based experiential education company founded in 2004 that operates small-group (12-14 students) gap year and study abroad programs across 20+ global destinations, serving young adults aged 17-22 with structured curricula combining adventure travel, cultural immersion, conservation service, and personal development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Experiential Education Travel

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Tour Operators (56152)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Gap Year + Study Abroad Hybrid Programs (EDAIAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hybrid, Multi-Location & Multi-Country Study Abroad Programs (EDAIAAAE), Experiential & Field-Based Study Abroad (Research, Field Schools, Practicums) (EDAIAAAD)

Keywords

• Experiential education
• Gap year programs
• Study abroad programs
• Adventure travel programs
• Cultural immersion programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Queenstown

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Program Tuition Fees: One-time program fees for gap year and study abroad experiences. Pricing varies by program duration and destination: Semester programs $15,000-$16,500 (10 weeks), Mini Semesters $10,500-$11,500 (5-6 weeks), Summer programs $6,500-$8,950 (14 days to 4 weeks). Additional estimated flight costs of $1,000-$3,100 depending on destination.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Pacific Discovery designs and operates small-group experiential education travel programs for individuals aged 17-22, including 10-week Semester Programs, 5-6 week Mini Semester Programs, and 14-day to 4-week Summer Programs across 20+ global destinations. Each program delivers a structured curriculum combining cultural immersion, service learning, wilderness adventure, and leadership development, with college credit, scholarships, and financial aid offered as optional add-ons.

Product overview

Pacific Discovery is an experiential education travel organization offering structured gap year and study abroad programs. The portfolio consists of three program categories: Semester Programs (10-week immersive adventures across global destinations with full expedition, volunteer, cultural immersion, and leadership curriculum components); Mini Semester Programs (5-6 week focused cultural immersions in single countries); and Summer Programs (14-day to 4-week condensed adventure options). All programs integrate six core components: education, service-learning, cultural immersion, ethical travel & sustainability, wilderness exploration & outdoor adventure, and leadership development. Programs are accredited by Gap Year Association, Year Out Group, and OutdoorsMark NZ, and award college credit through partnerships. The company has over 20 years of experience operating small-group experiential education programs across Southeast Asia, Pacific, Americas, and global destinations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Southeast Asia Gap Semester A 10-week experiential education program traveling through Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia, combining adventure activities, elephant conservation volunteering, hill tribe cultural immersion, and community service projects with weekly leadership workshops for individual students aged 17-22.
• New Zealand & Australia Gap Semester A 10-week gap semester exploring Australia's East Coast and New Zealand, featuring canyoning, Maori cultural experiences, conservation volunteer projects, surfing, and wilderness exploration with leadership development for gap year students.
• Polynesian Journey Gap Semester A 10-week adventure following Polynesian voyaging paths through Hawaii, Fiji, and New Zealand, combining surf lessons, marine conservation work, indigenous cultural experiences, and homestays with local communities for individual students.
• South America Gap Semester A 10-week program journeying through Peru, Ecuador, and the Galapagos Islands, featuring Inca Jungle Trail trekking to Machu Picchu, Spanish immersion, indigenous community volunteering with llama projects, Galapagos wildlife encounters, and Amazon rainforest exploration.
• Australia & Bali Gap Semester A 10-week program combining Australia's coastal adventures with Bali's cultural immersion, including Great Barrier Reef marine conservation, surfing instruction, Australia Zoo visits, rice terrace exploration, and volcano sunrise treks for gap year students.
• Mexico, Costa Rica & Guatemala Semester A 10-week semester exploring Mexico, Guatemala, and Costa Rica's cultural and environmental diversity, including Mayan ruins exploration, coastal ecosystems, and community service projects for individual students.
• Nepal & Tibet Gap Semester A 10-week immersive program focusing on the rich cultural heritage and dramatically diverse environments of Nepal and Tibet with wilderness exploration and community engagement for gap year students.
• Rewilding Residential Semester A 10-week wilderness immersion program in New Zealand focused on sustainable living practices, conservation education, and homesteading skills in remote wilderness settings for individual students.
• Japan Mini Semester A 5-week cultural immersion program in Japan featuring Tokyo urban exploration, Kyoto ryokan stays, temple visits, tea ceremonies, Japanese Alps hiking, Hiroshima Peace Memorial visits, and homestay experiences.
• Hawaii Mini Semester A 6-week program exploring Hawaii's volcanic landscapes with manta ray snorkeling, permaculture farm volunteering, surf instruction, Volcanoes National Park hiking, and wilderness diversity restoration projects.
• Thailand Mini Semester A 6-week Thai adventure program featuring elephant sanctuary volunteering, Ayutthaya/Sukhothai UNESCO temple cycling, Khao Sok National Park hiking and tubing, rock climbing in Krabi, Muay Thai training, and scuba diving certification.
• Costa Rica Mini Semester A 6-week program featuring Monteverde cloud forest exploration, wildlife rescue center volunteering, Manuel Antonio National Park, Golfo Dulce kayaking expedition, surf lessons in Uvita, and Pacuare River white-water rafting.
• Australia Mini Semester

Quantifiable outcome

• Certificate of Program Completion awarded upon finishing
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Elephant Sanctuary PartnerscoreOthersDirect partnerships with ethical elephant sanctuaries in Thailand where students volunteer and engage in conservation work. Programs include elephant welfare, feeding, and habitat support at rescued elephant facilities.
• Local Community OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with local communities across Southeast Asia including hill tribe communities, Buddhist meditation centers, and village organizations. Students participate in community-based projects and cultural exchanges.
• Tasman Environmental TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with conservation trust in New Zealand's Nelson Tasman Region for volunteer projects focused on protecting native wildlife and ecosystems.
• Conservation Diver OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Ecological Monitoring Program certification on Hawaii marine conservation programs. Students receive professional-level conservation diver training and participate in reef monitoring fieldwork.
• PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors)coreOthersAuthorized PADI dive center providing Open Water Diver certification on marine conservation programs in Hawaii.
• Llama Pack ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Andean community project founders Alejandra and Jorge focusing on traditional llama breeding, environmental education, and sustainable rural development in Peru's Sacred Valley.
• Sinchi Warmi CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndigenous women's ecotourism initiative in Ecuador's Amazon Basin. Students learn about sustainability and participate in traditional chocolate production while supporting community livelihood.
• Scholars of SustenanceminorOthersInternational food rescue foundation in Bali. Students volunteer at food rescue operations helping reduce food waste and support communities in need.
• Mauna Lani Beach ActivitiesminorOthersLocal activity provider for Hawaii programs offering surf lessons and ocean activities with certified instructors.
• Nasautoka Village CommunityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFijian village community partnership for cultural exchange and sand dune conservation projects. Students engage in service learning and cultural immersion activities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• WorldStrides: WorldStrides is a large US-based educational travel company offering student trips, study abroad, and experiential programs for K-12 and college audiences. While much larger and broader in scope, it overlaps with Pacific Discovery in international student travel and experiential programming for college-age students.
• EF Education First: EF is a global education and study abroad giant offering gap year, study abroad, language learning, and cultural exchange programs across dozens of countries. While EF's offerings overlap with Pacific Discovery in international experiential education for young adults, EF operates at vastly greater scale with broader product breadth including language schools.
• National Geographic Expeditions: National Geographic Expeditions offers premium small-group travel experiences including student-focused programs emphasizing conservation, cultural immersion, and expert-led expeditions. Adjacent in experiential/premium positioning and conservation themes, though oriented to a broader (and older) demographic.

Direct peers

• Where There Be Dragons: Where There Be Dragons runs small-group experiential gap semester and summer programs in Asia, Africa, and the Americas focused on cultural immersion, homestays, and ethical engagement. Highly comparable to Pacific Discovery on curriculum design, group size philosophy, target demographic (high school/college gap year students), and experiential pedagogy.
• Global Routes: Global Routes offers experiential gap year, summer, and service-learning programs for high school and college students across multiple continents. Comparable on target demographic, community-service emphasis, small-group format, and multi-destination portfolio approach.
• Broadreach: Broadreach runs teen and college-age adventure-based summer and gap programs including marine conservation, scuba, and cultural immersion components across the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Highly comparable on adventure-plus-education product mix, certification offerings (e.g., PADI), and target demographic.
• The Experiment in International Living: The Experiment (part of World Learning) is a longstanding US-based provider of immersive summer and gap programs for high school students focused on cultural exchange, homestays, and language immersion across 25+ countries. Directly comparable on heritage, target demographic, experiential curriculum, and multi-destination portfolio.
• Carpe Diem Education: Carpe Diem Education is a smaller US-based gap year and experiential education provider offering multi-country semester programs with cultural immersion, service learning, and adventure components. Closely matches Pacific Discovery's small-group, multi-country semester model and college-age target audience.
• Rustic Pathways: Rustic Pathways is one of the largest US-based experiential gap year and community service travel providers for high school and college students, operating across 20+ countries with similar program lengths (1-5 weeks), small-group formats, and service-learning focus. Directly comparable on product structure, customer segment (17-22 year olds), and value proposition.

Emerging players

• GoEco: GoEco is a volunteer-abroad and eco-tourism operator offering programs for students and young adults focused on conservation, community service, and wildlife work across 40+ countries. Comparable on conservation focus and youth student demographic, though more volunteer-oriented than Pacific Discovery's broader gap year curriculum.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pacificdiscovry
• Facebookfacebook.com/PacificDiscovery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pacific-discovery

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pacific Discovery