How Long Should a Sabbatical Be?

You want to quit your job and travel, but after exploring different types of long term travel, you’ve realized that being a digital nomad forever isn’t right for you. Instead, you’re going to take a sabbatical! Whether you have big career goals or relationships at home you want to return for, you know your travels are just one chapter in a great life. But how do you decide when to return home? How long should a sabbatical be?

The easy-for-me, frustrating-for-you answer is as long as you want it to be! But let’s break this down a little bit more and look at some examples.

How Long Should a Sabbatical Be at the Minimum?

Suppose you don’t have a lot of money to travel with. What’s the bare minimum amount of time you can spend away from home but still call it a sabbatical?

Two to three months is the lowest amount of time I recommend for sabbatical travels.

The shorter your trip is, the firmer your after-travel plans have to be. And the firmer your after-travel plans, the closer you are to “vacation mode.” There’s nothing wrong with taking a nice, long vacation! A little rest and escape might be exactly what you need. It’s just not quite the same transformative experience as a sabbatical.

I think two months is the threshold for breaking past that “vacation mode” and giving yourself room for meaningful experiences.

Read more: Do you need a vacation or a sabbatical?

How Long Should a Sabbatical Be at the Maximum?

Is there a point when you’ve been traveling for so long, it’s no longer a sabbatical? I think the line between taking a sabbatical and being a digital nomad is less about duration and more about pace, balance, and planning. How quickly are you moving from place to place? How much are you working versus sightseeing? How much do you have planned in advance? And of course, do you have an intended endpoint where you’ll return to a non-traveling lifestyle?

On a sabbatical, you’re probably moving to at least one new destination each month. You might work some to offset your costs, but you’re spending at least as much time off the clock and focused on your travels and personal growth. You have a significant amount of your trip planned in advance, or maybe even the whole thing. (That’s why it’s so good for us Type A gals!)

Traveling as a digital nomad is much slower because you have to plan around your work. Even though you might have more control over when and where you work, you are working full-time. You are probably settling down in one destination for at least a few months at a time and you don’t have a set plan for where you’re going next. It’s a much more permanent lifestyle change.

All that said, I do think there is a limit to how much travel you can plan in advance. I think planning a two-year sabbatical would be very ambitious and I wouldn’t dare try to plan an itinerary any longer than that. Too much can change, even on a trip of just a few months.

What’s the Most Popular Sabbatical Trip Length?

A very common plan for sabbaticals is to travel for a year. This is my personal favorite approach and the itinerary I made for myself.

One year was the right sabbatical trip length for me because it was long enough to feel like a commitment and give me some freedom in figuring out what might come after my trip, without feeling like I had abandoned my life at home forever.

How Do You Find the Best Sabbatical Trip Length for You?

Just because one year is the most common time for a sabbatical doesn’t mean it’s best for you. So how do you figure out the right sabbatical trip length for yourself?

Circumstances at home are naturally a big factor. You’re pursuing a sabbatical rather than a more permanent shift to full-time travel because like me and my clients, you probably don’t want to abandon everything at home forever. Are there any major occasions you need to be home for? Is there a certain time of year it’s easier to get a new lease in your hometown? Are you negotiating a leave of absence at your full-time job and need to return by a certain date?

Your budget matters too! How much money will you have in savings? Are you willing to travel cheaply to make that money stretch? Or are you willing to have a shorter, but more comfortable trip?

And finally, your bucket list can be a great guide to the best sabbatical trip length. What are the main things motivating you to take a sabbatical? What are the biggest must-see places and experiences you need to have for this risk to feel worthwhile? Plan to do one or two of those things each month for your perfect sabbatical itinerary.

Quitting your job to travel doesn’t have to be forever to be worth it. It doesn’t even have to fit the typical “gap year” mold. My client Erin spent three months in Europe while making a career pivot. Molly took four months between contracts to travel all over Southeast Asia and Japan.

Do you need more hands-on guidance with your sabbatical timeline? Click here to book an Explore Call with me. It’s totally free and we can also talk about whether any of my products or services can help.

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