Note: This itinerary is subject to change due to availability and local conditions at the time of departure.
Day 1: Wednesday, July 5
Departures
Fly out of your home city and head to London! Because of the time change, you will most likely depart on July 5 and arrive on July 6. Make sure to pack your passport, snacks, any medications you might need, and a change of clothes in your carry-on bag.
Meals included: Some meals may be included on your flight; check directly with your airline for more information
Day 2: Thursday, July 6
Arrive in London
Touch down in London! An EF team member will be waiting to pick you up at the airport and take you to your accommodation. Take a walking tour of the city to get you acquainted with the sights and the public transportation system. Have a welcome dinner with your group.
Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner
Day 3: Friday, July 7
Hult International Business School Orientation & First Class
Spend your first day at the Hult London campus! Meet your faculty and get an introduction to the program. Have your first classes! You’ll start your day at 9am and be finished at 3:30pm.
Meals included: Breakfast
Days 4-5: Saturday, July 8 – Sunday, July 9
Explore London
On Saturday, embark on a scavenger hunt to get to know the city and each other! On Sunday, you’ll have the option to explore London with your Tour Director. We suggest you spend some time during this weekend also settling into your new home and making sure you’re set up for success for your first full week of class!
Meals included: Breakfast
Each week you will have classes from Monday to Thursday, with Fridays off. Each day your classes will begin at 9am and end at 3:30pm. You will typically have 3.5 hours of class per day, with 1.5 hours of group work and skill development.
Day 6: Monday, July 10
Program Introduction
Jump right in to your courses at Hult International Business School with a program introduction. You will meet your professors, who will be your guides throughout your program. You’ll meet your Hult Student Mentors, who will be assisting you throughout the duration of your program. And you’ll also get introduced to your client brief and the business challenge that you’ll be working on throughout the program!
Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner
Day 7: Tuesday, July 11
Design Thinking
Today’s focus is on design thinking. Learn about what design thinking is and how it applies in social impact. Do an empathy mapping activity, learn about target audience & customer personas, and dive into the customer journey.
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 8: Wednesday, July 12
Retail Safari
Learn about primary research methods, interviewing, collecting data, and visualizing data.
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 9: Thursday, July 13
Core Skills Development
Dive deep into some of the skills that you need to solve business challenges, including creativity, creative thinking, and critical thinking. Develop your communication skills.
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 10: Friday, July 14
Welcome to Paris
Take advantage of Europe’s interconnected transit system by taking the Eurostar train between London and Paris. Once you arrive, you’ll hit the ground running as your Tour Director shows you around the city. Enjoy dinner with your group in the evening.
Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner
Day 11: Saturday, July 15
Walking Paris, the Louvre, and a River Cruise
Take a guided tour of the city seeing sights like the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. Visit the Louvre, where you’ll have time to take in their vast collections — and spot the Mona Lisa. In the evening, take a boat down the Seine and take in the lights of Paris at night. on your own.
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 12: Sunday, July 16
Free Day in Paris
Enjoy a free morning to explore Paris on your own. In the afternoon, take the train back to London.
Meals included: Breakfast
Each week you will have classes from Monday to Thursday, with Fridays off. Each day your classes will begin at 9am and end at 3:30pm. You will typically have 3.5 hours of class per day, with 1.5 hours of group work and skill development.
Day 13: Monday, July 17
Marketing
Get a crash course in marketing as you explore the topics of entrepreneurial marketing, brand positioning, market segmentation, and brand innovation.
Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner
Day 14: Tuesday, July 18
Entrepreneurship
Explore the concept of entrepreneurship through an ideation workshop as you learn about design thinking for prototyping. Learn what a value proposition is.
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 15: Wednesday, July 19
Client Check-In
After learning some business basics and diving into your client challenge, check in with the client. Have a Q&A with the client to further refine and hone your ideas.
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 16: Thursday, July 20
Core Skills Development
Dive deeper into some of the core skills you need to be successful with your business challenge.
Meals included: Breakfast
Days 17-19: Friday, July 21 – Sunday, July 23
Free Weekend
During your free weekend, you have lots of options. You can stay in London and get to explore more of the city. You can take advantage of the UK’s rail system and head to another part of the UK for the weekend. You could even plan a trip to another part of Europe! Use this time to make the most of your experience, and make sure you’re rested and ready for your classes again on Monday.
Meals included: Breakfast
Each week you will have classes from Monday to Thursday, with Fridays off. Each day your classes will begin at 9am and end at 3:30pm. You will typically have 3.5 hours of class per day, with 1.5 hours of group work and skill development.
Day 20: Monday, July 24
Storytelling & Persuasion
Learn how to tell a compelling story in a business setting through development of presentation skills, narrative and flow, and storytelling through data.
Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner
Day 21: Tuesday, July 25
Marketing
Learn about the route to market, customer engagement, pricing strategies, and marketing plan development.
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 22: Wednesday, July 26
Presentation Workshops
Get ready for your final client presentation by doing mock client presentations.
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 23: Thursday, July 27
Presentation Workshops
Get ready for your final client presentation by doing mock client presentations.
Meals included: Breakfast
Days 24-26: Friday, July 28 – Sunday, July 30
Free Weekend
During your free weekend, you have lots of options. You can stay in London and get to explore more of the city. You can take advantage of the UK’s rail system and head to another part of the UK for the weekend. You could even plan a trip to another part of Europe! Use this time to make the most of your experience, and make sure you’re rested and ready for your classes again on Monday.
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 27: Monday, July 31
Final Client Presentations
After three weeks of intensive courses and work on your group project, this day will be the culmination of all your hard work. You’ll make your final presentations to your client and showcase your new business acumen.
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 28: Sunday, August 1
Free Day & Farewell Dinner
Take a free day to celebrate your success and check of any last-minute London bucket list items. In the evening, enjoy a farewell dinner with your group.
Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner
Day 29: Wednesday, August 2
Departures
Bid farewell to London and board your flight home.
Meals included: Breakfast
Accommodations
You have an apartment in London that will be your home base for your program. Read below for more information.
Packing
Pack a week’s worth of what you need. You’ll have the opportunity to do laundry, and you want to leave room for souvenirs. Neutral colors and accessories make mixing and matching easy.
Budgeting
Whatever your personal spending habits are, it’s important to anticipate your expenses and budget accordingly so that you can travel care-free with more time to enjoy participating in your program. We want to help you build a realistic budget for additional expenses so that you can fully enjoy trying the local cuisine, participating in activities in your free time, and, of course, shopping for souvenirs to bring back home.
Your home base for the program will be the Aparthotel Adagio London Stratford. Located in a lovely residential area just 5 minutes from the Stratford Tube Stop, you have easy access to the entire London area.
You will be sharing a room with one other EF Gap student. You will each have your own twin bed, and your room will include a small kitchenette, private bathroom, TV, and Wi-Fi.
Your residence includes:
On-site breakfast included daily
Fully equipped kitchenette in each room
On-site gym
On-site convenience store
Shared living space to socialize called “The Circle”
– Shirts (short and long sleeve, about 7-8 total)
– Shorts/pants/jeans/skirts/dresses (in total, you should have about 4-5 pairs of pants)
– Socks and underwear (pack for about 2 weeks)
– One warmer layer in case of chilly nights
– Pajamas
– Comfortable walking shoes (2 pairs)
– 1 raincoat/windbreaker
– Laptop
– Notebook & pen
– Travel umbrella
– Reusable water bottle
– Sunglasses
– Packing cubes, optional
– Headphones
– Camera / memory card / charging cables
– Portable charger
– Travel lock for luggage and belongings
– Laundry bag
– Cross-body bag or purse
– Toothbrush / toothpaste
– Deodorant
– Body wash/soap
– Shampoo / conditioner
– Hairbrush
– Reef-safe sunscreen
– Calendula / aloe vera for sunburn
– Stomach soothing medication
– Wet wipes
– Stain Remover stick / detergent packs
– Contact lenses / solution / eye glasses
– Menstrual products
– Passport
Pro tip: bring a photo copy as well
– Copy of your flight itinerary
Found in your EF Gap Year portal
– Copy of your itinerary and accommodations
Found in your EF Gap Year portal
– COVID-19 documents:
CDC vaccination card and Negative COVID-19 test result
– Copy of any prescriptions
– Primary Health Insurance card from the U.S.
– Backpack
This is your carry-on! It can also double as your daily bag while abroad.
– Wallet
Bring your debit or ATM card so you can withdraw cash, as well as your credit card, ID, and student ID if you have one (discounts!)
– Medications
For prescriptions, make sure it is in original container and bring enough of a supply to last your program.
– COVID-19 CDC vaccination card
Or, a negative COVID test result if applicable.
– Entertainment!
Books, downloaded Netflix streams and Spotify playlists, magazines, travel journal, deck of cards, etc.
– Passport
– Airline ticket
– Reusable water bottle
– Neck pillow / eye mask / ear plugs
– Toothbrush / toothpaste
– Contact lenses / solution / eyeglasses
We don’t recommend traveling with large sums of cash. You may want to convert a small amount money to the currency of your first destination. From there, you’ll be able to access local currency by using your debit card to withdraw cash from an ATM.
Be sure to check with your bank ahead of time and, if necessary, provide a travel notice so they don’t block the card for suspected fraud. Also ask them about any foreign transaction fees that might apply, as these can add up quickly. Apple Pay is another great option that past students have used during their time on-program.
The UK’s currency is the Great British Pound (GBP). The exchange rate between the USD and the GBP can fluctuate, so make sure to check on the exchange rate before you depart and throughout your program.
Meals will be the largest component of your expenses while abroad, and how much to budget depends on how much you want to cook vs. eat out. Breakfast will be included every day, and you’ll have an included weekly dinner with your cohort. Outside of that, meals will be on your own. If you plan on buying groceries and cooking, you can budget $10-$20 per day for food. If you know you’ll want take-out for your meals, or will eat out in restaurants, budgeting $30-$50 per day should allow you to do that, depending on what you get.
Beyond meals, your other major expenses will be discretionary things like souvenirs, theater shows, or other excursions while in London. How much to budget for this depends on what you decide to do! Many museums in London are free, and you can often get cheap last-minute tickets to theater shows for around $20, but prices can also go up to $100 or more depending on what you want to see. Two of your weekends will be free, and during those times you are able to travel outside of London on weekend trips if you should choose. If you decide to do this, you’ll be booking transportation and accommodations on your own, and be sure to talk with your Student Life Coordinator about plans.
We recommend budgeting up to $50 a week for extra costs. This could mean putting money aside for things like:
– Checked bag airline fee (usually around $30-50 per bag for every flight)
– Additional items of clothing
– Emergencies
– Extra toiletries
– Souvenirs
– Laundry
This can vary in cost based on where you are. To save money, we suggest bringing a small bottle of condensed soap, such as Dr. Bronner’s, that you can use to wash your clothes in the sink.
– Optional activities or excursions
Throughout your trip, your Student Life Coordinator may find opportunities for additional excursions and activities; typically, these experiences can cost anywhere from $10-$50, and there may be one or two opportunities like this each week.
To make the most of your time during your program, this section gives some helpful context and resources.
As you go through this program, you’ll learn a lot about yourself and what you are capable of. You will face challenges you’ve never faced before, and you’ll learn how to overcome these challenges in your own unique ways. Here are some questions to consider before, during, and after you go through the program. They are great ones to ponder on your own, to journal about, or to discuss with a friend
What goals do I have for my own personal development? What tangible steps do I want to take to achieve them?
Who is my support group — on program or at home — who I know will always cheer me on to succeed?
What things am I doing get outside my comfort zone? And how is my comfort zone expanding as I try new things?
What parts of the program are particularly challenging for me? Why are they challenging for me?
What is one thing I’ve done so far on this program that I never imagined I could do?
How do I communicate with others around me about my needs and boundaries?
What strategies do I use to cope with stress?
Travel provides incredible opportunities to learn about yourself, the world, and yourself in the world. But travel is also a deeply emotional experience that can bring different challenges to every individual based on the identities they hold and experiences they’ve had.
This resource is intended to help you think about how your intersecting identities can, and will, shape your experience as an EF student. Take some time to review our Social Identity Resources to hear different perspectives, learn about identity-specific resources, and prepare with helpful tips before you go abroad.
The Basics
England is part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, along with Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. They are united under the same monarch and government, though each has their own parliaments.
Formed by the union of small Celtic and Anglo-Saxon kingdoms during the medieval period, England is comprised of several distinct regions. Many English people identify with the region where they’re from—for example, Yorkshire, the West Country, or the Midlands. After World War II, England became highly urbanized.
Cultural Norms & What to Expect
Learn a few common words and phrases. Even though they speak English, you’ll notice new vocabulary, such as:
Quid = a one-pound coin
Knackered: exhausted
Don’t expect to see the Royal Family at Buckingham Palace!
Don’t mix up Tower Bridge and London Bridge. London Bridge refers to several bridges built over the Thames, while Tower Bridge is the current bridge between the City of London and Southwark in Central London.
Don’t call the whole of the UK, “England,” especially not when meeting Scots, Welsh, or Northern Irish, as they’ll likely be offended. Study up a bit on the geography before arriving!
London is a melting pot of people from across the globe. You’ll hear lots of languages being spoken and lots of different cuisines available.
You Don’t Want to Miss
There are tons of must-sees in London. Some highlights include Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, and Big Ben.
If you’re a history buff, check out museums, like the Imperial War Museum, the Natural History Museum, the British Museum, the London Transport Museum, and so many more.
You can also venture outside the city to Stonehenge or Windsor Castle.
Go to Camden Market, both to shop some for vintage goods and to take in the more counter-culture environment there. There are lots of great food stands there with cuisines from across the globe.
Hult International Business School is looking forward to welcoming you along with aspiring business leaders from around the world. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the Global Business in London (GBL-100) Course Overview, which includes information about faculty, assignments, and credits.