Peru Volunteer Programs from $23/day | Most Affordable & Trusted

I am starting college in the fall, so I decided to do a program over the summer before I left for school. I was in Cusco for five weeks, working on a medical project. I had the opportunity to work at two different clinics, one in the city and one in a rural area. My time is Peru was so wonderful! I learned everything from basic medical procedures to how to get along with people who are difficult to get along with. I learned how to keep children calm and how to deliver bad news in the softest way possible. I learned that I really do enjoy working in medicine, and still want to pursue it as a career. I was nervous going into this program, but I loved it!

Our group worked at an orphanage in Peru for two weeks. We received all of the support we needed (and more!) from the moment we arrived in Cusco until we were dropped back off at the airport two weeks later. The experience with the girls at the orphanage was truly transformative. Our group was so moved by their openness and joy. Our accommodations at a homestay were outstanding; our host, Eddy, was very friendly and went to great lengths to accommodate our groups many dietary needs. Chelsea, the volunteer coordinator, provided a very thorough orientation to Cusco and to the site, and answered every question that anyone in our group had throughout our trip. We were lucky enough to fit in a weekend trip to Macchu Picchu and a four hour horseback riding excursion in the mountains outside the city of Peru. Both excursions are HIGHLY recommended. IVHQ and the local team took care of all of the details so we could thoroughly enjoy our experience.

I loved my experience with IVHQ. Throughout the whole process, they were extremely helpful and accomodating. They answered my emails quickly and even managed to sign up my friend less than a week before our departure. One we arrived to Cusco, we were welcomed by their local partner, Maximo-Nivel, who took care of us throughout our stay.
I went to Cusco with two of my friends for two weeks. I wish we could have stayed longer! We lived in a host family with about ten other volunteers. The family was extremely nice and the meals were good, although they sometimes forgot about my dietary restrictions. We lived ten minutes away from the Plaza de Armas, the most touristy place in the area and 15-20 minutes away from the Maximo-Nivel office. Cusco felt really safe and we were never afraid to walk alone at night, even if we were only three girls. However, we prefered to be with guys when we came home after midnight.
We were in the Childcare Work program, so we volunteered in a christian school for children from difficult backgrounds. We were two volunteers in each class and we helped the teachers with whatever they had to do that day. Most of the time, we prepared the supply needed for the artwork the children would do that day, but we also helped with homework and discipline. Our shift was from 8:00 AM to noon and the bus we took to get there cost us less than a dollar per day.
Overall, I loved my stay in Cusco. Since we worked in the morning, we had the rest of the day to visit the city and we took the weekend to visit Pisaac and Machu Picchu. One afternoon, we also booked a horseback riding tour to the ruins around the city with Loki Travel.

I found IVHQ online a few years ago when I quit my job in 2009 and wanted to volunteer in Peru. The application process was pretty straight-forward, and the value for the money was pretty good.

The biggest con was that IVHQ didn't inform me that they weren't the volunteer program. They were just the intermediary between me and the volunteer program. Once I arrived in Peru, IVHQ was no longer involved. The Peruvian program affiliated with IVHQ (Maximo Nivel) was who I volunteered with. It's possible they cleared up the confusion between IVHQ and Maximo Nivel since I've been there.

The volunteer work was really fun and rewarding. I helped paint a battered women's shelter for 3-4 weeks. It got a little repetitive over time, so I changed projects to help take care of kids at a daycare in a rural community for 3-4 weeks after that.

I stayed in a volunteer house for accommodation and really liked it. The food was great, and staying in the house was a good way to connect with fellow volunteers. For three meals a day and good accommodation, the price was decent.

Overall, my experience was positive, and I'd recommend IVHQ.

I volunteered in Cusco for 2 weeks in 2010. I have done 3 volunteer abroad trips and this was by far my favorite work placement. And my homestay was absolutely gorgeous with the comfiest beds and the coziest comforters ever (you needed them for the cold Cusco winter nights!). I signed up for orphanage work and I got placed at a clinic with disabled orphans. There was also a school onsite where the kids would attend along with disabled kids from town. These kids were - ARE incredible. So brave and so strong and so happy! There were about 40 of them living there at the time. Most of them were between a year old to maybe about 12, but there were some older teens there too.

I would typically start my work day at about 8:00 and the first half of my day would be spent as a teacher's aide at the school. I would help all the kids whenever I could, but there was one boy who needed a lot of special attention so I was his buddy most of the time. I would also be on bathroom duty when one of the kids in my class had to go to the bathroom. You really get to test your upper body strength and your gag reflex as you're holding a wheelchair bound tween over the toilet and then putting them back together when they're done! I'm not going to lie, I was not excited about that part of the job, but seriously after doing it once it's so not a big deal. Anyway! Around 11:00 we would start taking the resident kids back to the living area and get them all washed up for lunch. We would help feed the ones who couldn't feed themselves and when everyone was done we would wash them up again, brush their teeth, and then put them all down for nap time. Sometimes there would be time for a story, sometimes they would get to watch cartoons for a few minutes. After all the kids were asleep it was time for me to go across town to the volunteer office for my Spanish lessons. The office was great. There was a little cafeteria there, which was nice because some days I didn't have time to pick up lunch between work and class (breakfast and dinner were included in the program fee, but lunch was on your own). There was also free wifi in the building and a computer room with about 20, maybe 30 computers that were free for volunteers to use. My Spanish lessons were 2 hours every day and there were 6 of us in my class. Definitely the best language instruction I've ever had. The classes were an additional cost, but very reasonably priced. Something like $5 or $10/hour and worth every penny. After class I would wander around town a little bit. Cusco is full of life and beautiful sights everywhere you look. If I wasn't completely wiped out by then I would slowly zig-zag my way home. It would usually only take about 30 minutes to walk home from town and I always felt safe as long as it wasn't too late. If I didn't feel like walking I would just hop in a cab and it would be a set rate pretty much from or to anywhere within town. Dinner at home was always a surprise. Anything from pasta to chinese to veal parmesan. Sometimes we would get local dishes like arroz con pollo (rice and chicken) or potatoes and something. I think that might actually be the only slightly negative thing that I would have to say about my placement - I wish we got more traditional food for dinner. But whatever. It was always good, whatever it happened to be that night.

There were a few really fun clubs in town that would have a good mix of travelers and locals. One night we found a Brazilian club that was so much fun! I went there with one other volunteer and a couple local girls. The other volunteer and I were the only non-local people there. So cool!

Cusco itself is absolutely magical. There is always something new to discover in town or in the hills just outside of town. Not to mention the Amazon jungle is at your fingertips and then there's that little Inkan gem, Machu Picchu.

One last little tip - go to the Alliance Francaise for the best coffee in town and if you can't make it there, there's a burger chain in the main square (diagonally across from the McDonalds) that has surprisingly good coffee as well. The coca tea was great, but sometimes I just needed coffee!

From the moment I signed up for the IVHQ volunteer program in Cuzco, Peru, I was impressed with the communication and level of detail from the head office. Jamie answered all of my questions and sent me more than enough information for me to feel comfortable arriving in-country.

When my TACA AIrlines flight was overbooked and I couldn't make it to Cuzco on the correct day, the local partner (Maximo Nivel) made me feel instantly at ease and promised to arrange an alternate orientation time for me.

The Manager of PATAS, the affiliated travel agent, was on time to greet me at the Cuzco airport and helped me get acclimatized to the altitude and a new city. From there, the Maximo Nivel staff (the local partner) did everything in their power to ensure I had a wonderful experience.

This included a comprehensive in-country orientation, an introduction to my project, and getting me settled into my cramped, but cozy shared accommodation. Although my project working with street kids at the local police station was emotionally draining, the staff at Maximo did their very best to support me by providing ideas for activities and checking in with me regularly.

The team at Maximo and Patas helped me sign up for Spanish lessons, find cafes to access wi-fi and work, and plan for my trip to Machu Picchu. The IVHQ/Maximo partnership provides excellent value to volunteers and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend IVHQ Cusco to anyone looking for a meaningful and reasonably priced volunteer experience.

I had support since the day I got in Cusco, there were people waiting for me in the airport, that left me at my familyhouse, etc.
I loved the country more than any other I've already been. I did childwork, and the kids were so receptive, they gave me reasons to believe we volunteers could really change their lives, even if we stay there for only a few days-weeks.

The region of Peru I stayed in is very poor and kids had basic necessities, such as baths, different foods (one of them asked me to bring him cheese!), etc. I live in Brazil, but in a region that does not have a lot of poor people, so it was very touching to be able to change these kids lives, even if just for a month!

I recomment the program to everyone, and IVHQ for the support I had during my stay!

Volunteering in Peru is one of the best decisions I´ve ever made. It very rewarding and IVHQ has several volunteer opportunities to choose from in Peru depending on your strengths and interests...you can even do more than one to try different experiences! They also offer Spanish lessons at a reasonable price which was fun and useful. I was able to make lifelong friendships with other volunteers and had the chance to live with a Peruvian family while there, which I would definitely recommend to really immerse yourself in the culture. I would definitely recommend using IVHQ, they are a great organization.