After taking a career break in my mid 20s to roam around South America without a plan, I reluctantly returned to a banking job in London. At first I was glad to be home, not having to live out of a backpack, sleeping in my own bed, and being able to catch up with friends and family in person. However, after a few months, and once the cold, dark wintery days started to takeover, I got itchy feet, and knew I needed to find a way to satisfy my wanderlust closer to home. That’s when I started to look into microgap’s.
What is a Microgap?
Essentially a microgap is the best bits of a gap year in just a few days. It’s the opportunity to go beyond your comfort zone, develop new skills, and learn how to deal with unique situations.
All these experiences are possible in England, in a short amount of time, without the need to take a year off or hop on a plane.

What kind of Microgap can you experience?
England and it’s National Parks are a treasure trove of experiences, there are plenty of ways to ramp up the adrenaline and be inspired on a Microgap.
I suggest being creative and combining ideas from below to produce an itinerary that’s perfect for you.
Go Wild on a Microgap
Get outside, push yourself, and have an adventure right in your backyard.
Examples of wild microgaps that I’ve done in the past are, exploring Castleton, walking in Peak District National Park, surfing in Bournemouth, mountain biking in Box Hill and paddle boarding on the River Great Ouse.
Learn More on a Microgap
Get creative, and learn something new.
This could be anything from cocktail making in Bristol, to glass blowing in the Lake District, flower arranging in Battersea or learning survival skills in Kent.
You might surprise yourself and find a new passion, much like I did with mosaic making five years ago.
Switch off on a Microgap
Everyone needs to press pause on their daily lives at some point.
England has plenty of opportunities to switch off and go on a hike, try glamping in the New Forest, or glamping in the Cotswolds, enjoy a picnic, join a yoga class, road trip through the villages in the Cotswolds or even stargaze, just one of the things to do in Alnwick.
Make sure to take a moment for yourself and turn off your phone.
As someone who’s always been too attached to their phone, I thought a digital detox would be impossible.
However, after an overnight digital detox in Bedford last year, I’ve thankfully learnt to put away my devices more often.
Give Back on a Microgap
Do something positive and improve the world around you.
Find experiences that are all about giving back to the community and the environment.
Be creative, think beach clean ups, learning how to upcycle clothes or even being a beekeeper for the day.

Despite my past Microgaps always being based around going wild, I jumped at the chance to join VisitEngland and a group of bloggers on another wild Microgap to Sheffield.
Going Wild on #MyMicrogap in Sheffield
You don’t need to go to the ends of the earth to explore your wild side.
Earlier this month, I travelled two hours by train to the northern city of Sheffield.
Dubbed “The Outdoor City”, it is one of the greenest in England, with a third of its territory within the Peak District.
As a result, the city is great for an action packed weekend, where you can take to the water or the hills.
What we got upto on our Microgap
Having arrived in the city centre, it only took fifteen minutes to walk to Victoria Quays.
A quaint area on the water’s edge, filled with apartments and independent businesses, including The Dorothy Pax.
The canal front bar acted as our base for the day. The plan was to spend three or four hours on the water exploring the area by paddle board and canoe with DC Outdoors.
Stopping in the middle to swap activities and enjoy lunch at the Dorothy Pax.
We began by kitting up and after a selfie or two, we split into groups to start our wild adventure.

As an experienced paddle boarder I went first and enjoyed a morning drifting along the canal.
We tried a few yoga moves and even lay down on the boards so we could pass under a pedestrian footbridge.
The morning flew by, and thankfully everyone stayed dry.
Even the beginners who weren’t as confident starting off, felt much more stable by the end of the session.
Lunch at The Dorothy Pax
We packed away our boards and hungrily headed over to the Dorothy Pax for a homemade vegan lunch.
Unsurprisingly, I devoured the entire thali way too quickly, and had to relax before heading back onto the canal.
Kayaking in Sheffield
Luckily, the afternoon was all about sitting still and taking in the surroundings.
After pairing up we took our canoes to a section of the canal that we hadn’t explored on the paddle boards.
The area was surprisingly green, and much less urban than I expected, considering we were just around the corner from Sheffield’s city centre.

After a few hours we headed back to the Dorothy Pax for some drinks and a spot of carrot cake.
Exhausted but smiling, we ended the day with another group photo, before returning to London, having made new friends in a new environment.
This experience has pushed me to plan my next microgaps in England. Have you ever taken a Microadventure, or are you thinking of taking one? Please leave your suggestions below, I’d love to be inspired!

Planning a trip to the UK?
If you are planning to visit more of the UK check out the below most popular posts.
- Best Peak District Walks
- Best Places to Stay in the Peak District
- Day trip from London to Castleton in the Peak District
- 10 Amazing Treehouse Holidays in the UK
- Best Holiday Cottages in Whitby England
- Best Airbnbs in Cornwall England
- 13 Unique and Amazing Dorset Airbnbs
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- 15 Gorgeous Places to Stay in Devon England
- Beautiful Villages in the Cotswolds
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- Unique Airbnbs in the Lake District
- Top Places to go Glamping in New Forest
- All 15 UK National Parks: Things to see and do
- Mini adventure Paddle boarding in UK
This article is sponsored by VisitEngland but as always opinions are mine. Special thanks to Visit Sheffield, DC Outdoors, East Midlands Railway and The Dorothy Pax for making the day possible.
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I’ve never heard of a microgap, but I like the idea of it. Sounds like you had a great time (I love paddleboarding!).
It was a really fun day out and would definitely make it slightly longer next time so I can fit in more
I love the term micro gap. It gives your travel a purpose. I think I would really enjoy doing some cooking classes to learn a new cuisine in a destination.
Learning new cuisines is a great way to microgap
This is the first time I’ve heard of the phrase Microgap. But I can easily relate to it in my life as I often enjoy microgaps with my family by going hiking and camping in the wilderness. We love to be outdoors in the mountains. Glad to know England has so many adventures, I have never canoed but it is on my list
Canoeing is really fun once you learn how to move in a straight line hehe
I never heard of microgap but it sounds like a fun packed long weekend. Adding this place to my dream travel list :). Never heard of Sheffield before
Sheffield is a really fun city lots of hiking, climbing and watersports nearby
I never knew what a microgap was before reading your post. Thanks for introducing the concept to us, I am all about going beyond my comfort zone and developing new skills. I would go for local cooking classes and crafting during my travels
I’ve done some fun crafts on my trips and would definitely recommend it
So glad that you didn’t fall in!
I remember I used to take quite a few micro gaps back in 2015-2016 when I was working a corporate job in Singapore. I used to go on hiking trails, explore the food markets, do some canoeing in the sea and a lot more. Taking a microgap is a great way to keep the passion for travel and adventure alive while working a regular job.
It’s exactly that, and makes work go by quicker too by having something to look forward to
I took one of those few years ago when I still was in high school! Thanks for reminding me how amazing an experience it was would love to try it again. Maybe paddle boarding this time!
You’ll have a blast if you try it again now
I have never heard of a microgap before. But it sounds like fun to and it looks like England has a lot activities to do. Thanks for listing up some great spots and useful information about it.