Beyond The Book: The Best Cultural Study Programmes Abroad

Why leaf through a textbook when you could learn in the very places history unfolded? From the frescoed chapels of Florence to the ruins of Rome, from Venetian palazzi to Peruvian highlands, cultural study abroad programmes offer UK students and lifelong learners the chance to immerse themselves in art, history, and the humanities on location. If you’re taking a gap year, making the most of a summer break, or seeking a fresh intellectual adventure many years after leaving school for the last time, these courses combine travel with learning in ways that no classroom can match. These inspiring options span Europe and beyond, designed to bring culture vividly to life.

Art History Abroad (AHA)

Renowned for its immersive teaching, AHA is the gold standard for UK students. Its gap year and summer programmes take you across Italy – think Florence, Venice, Rome, Siena – with expert tutors (usually those young enough to remember their own gap years and cultural awakenings well) who bring Renaissance art to life in situ. Students learn in galleries, churches, and piazzas, not classrooms, making it perfect for those keen to live and breathe art history. Want to go further afield? There are courses in India too. While the majority of the courses are aimed at teens, there are some for adults too, as well as private tours that can be arranged. An unforgettable experience for the aesthetically, historically and culturally curious. Explore more.

John Hall Venice Course

A prestigious, highbrow six-week cultural immersion established in 1965, this independent gap-year tour brings participants from London to Venice and beyond. (You can also opt to extend the trip to Florence and Rome, which you absolutely should if you can.) It offers exclusive museum access, expert lectures on art, philosophy, history, science, and hands-on cultural classes – as well as optional extras in Italian as well as Italian cookery (the joy!). Those snaking queues you’ve heard about for all the major galleries and museums? Not an issue for students of John Hall. Explore more.

Berridge Creative Semester (at Château)

Designer, actor, and founder of the Berridge Program Andrea Mardon knew that she held a deep affinity with Normandy the moment she first visited in 2007. ‘I didn’t know what I was going to do, but I knew it had to involve this amazing place,’ she says. Having been invited as guest to the Berridge family’s 18th-century Chateau le Mont Epinguet, she was equally sure that she had found the perfect retreat. Eighteen years on, she holds a variety of courses within its beautiful walls – from Cooking & Culture to Creative Pathways, a nine-week residential course centring around film, studio art, theatre or music. Perfect for gap year students craving a free and creative learning environment. Explore more.

Santa Reparata International School of Art (SRISA)

‘To the risk-takers, the explorers, and the creative thinkers, welcome to your new home. Through academic study and cultural engagement, you will redefine your creative possibilities to build a brighter future.’ So SRISA sets out its stall. Based in the heart of Florence, SRISA offers semester, year, and summer programmes in fine arts, design, and humanities. Taught in English by practising artists and scholars, courses blend studio work with art history and cultural studies. Students benefit from Florence itself as a living classroom, with regular museum visits, field trips across Tuscany, and immersion in Italian culture. Days will be spent painting in the studio, studying Renaissance masterpieces, or exploring contemporary design – what’s not to fall hard for? Lucy Honeychurch, eat your heart out. Explore more.

Andante Travels – Art & Archaeology Tours

Aimed at adult learners and lifelong enthusiasts, Andante’s expert-led tours explore art and archaeology across Europe. From frescoes in Pompeii to the Dutch Masters in Amsterdam to the glories of Machu Picchu, these trips are designed for curious travellers who want cultural depth and camaraderie, all guided by engaging specialists. Yes please. Explore more.

Experiment in International Living

Founded in 1932, this globally focused non-profit offers thematic summer programmes (art, culture, community, culinary, language) across 15-plus countries, some of which are fully funded. Expect creative and cultural exploration through homestays and immersive learning – perfect for school leavers interested in arts, sciences and humanities abroad, whether that’s studying biodiversity and climate change in Costa Rica, international relations in Germany, contemporary art and culture in Ghana, or animé and Manga in Japan (among many others). The mission? ‘To work globally to enhance the capacity and commitment of individuals, institutions, and communities to create a more sustainable, peaceful, and just world.’ Amen to that. Explore more.