Location
  • Guatemala
    • Antigua
Length
1 to 24 weeks

Program Details

Language
Spanish
Timeframe
Spring Break Summer Winter Year Round
Housing
Guesthouse Host Family
Groups
Small Group (1-15) Medium Group (16-30) Large Group (31+)
Travel Type
Budget Family Older Travelers Solo Women

Pricing

Starting Price
385
Price Details
Fully hosted experience from only $385 for 1 week - this includes airport pick-up, orientation, accommodation, meals and 24/7 in-country support.
What's Included
Accommodation Some Activities Airport Transfers Some Meals
What's Not Included
Airfare Travel Insurance Visa
May 01, 2024
Apr 27, 2025
32 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Trusted by 136,000+ volunteers, IVHQ offers the world's #1 rated volunteer programs in Guatemala and 50+ destinations worldwide.

For the past 6 years, we've won the "Top Volunteer Abroad Provider Award" from GoOverseas, so you can trust that you're in the safest hands with IVHQ in Guatemala.

Our affordable projects start from $28/day for your accommodation, meals, airport pick-up, project placement and local support. Projects run year-round, with durations from 1-24 weeks. Choose from 12 projects, ranging from Childcare, Medical, Teaching and Construction in the colorful city of Antigua and surrounding rural and coastal locations. Plus, you’ll stay with other like-minded, impact-focused travelers from around the world (private room options available).

With IVHQ’s superior pre-departure support services, you’ll gain exclusive access to your own Volunteer Travel Specialist, comprehensive preparation tools and volunteer training before you leave home.

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • Cheapest volunteer programs from $28/day for your accommodation, meals, airport pick-up, project placement & local support.
  • Volunteer for 1-24 weeks, year round start dates most Mondays
  • 15+ years experience & only B Corp certified volunteer travel organization
  • Get free changes up to 14 days before you start with our flexible booking policy
  • Affordable way to earn college credit - gain 5 credits for only US$500!

Popular Programs

Childcare volunteering in Guatemala with IVHQ

As a Childcare Volunteer in Guatemala, you'll provide assistance and care to children from disadvantaged communities. These children often lack support and guidance from their family and schooling, so your support will be fundamental to their development. Work varies according to your specific placement, but generally consists of playing with children, organizing games and activities, helping with lessons and assisting with homework.

Volunteer in Guatemala with IVHQ

Looking for a hands-on volunteer experience? As a Construction & Renovation Volunteer in Guatemala, you'll work alongside locals to improve the infrastructure around Antigua and uplift local economies and communities. Projects focus on home building and school renovation, as well as building playground and bathroom facilities. Your tasks can include laying bricks, carpentry, painting, laying tiles and landscaping.

Volunteer in Guatemala with IVHQ

If you're an aspiring Medical professional, this is the program for you. Volunteers are placed in elderly homes, clinics in under-resourced communities and special needs facilities where you'll be able to make a tangible difference to those in need. Tasks vary based on medical skills & experience (more experienced volunteers are able to act independently with hands-on tasks). For less experienced volunteers, your duties will be mostly observational, assisting local staff with routine jobs.

Volunteer in Guatemala with IVHQ

As an English Teacher Volunteer, you'll help Guatemalans improve their English skills which gives them a better opportunity to find work across a range of careers. Volunteer work varies but generally consists of teaching small groups of children, tutoring local students, setting up workshops, assisting local teachers and organizing educational games and activities.

Volunteer in Guatemala with IVHQ

As an Animal Care Volunteer, you'll work across dog and cat shelters, veterinary clinics and an exotic animal refuge, catering to crocodiles, snakes, lizards and turtles. This one-of-a-kind volunteering experience will allow you to interact with animals of all kinds, helping to improve their quality of life. This project is open to all volunteers and a veterinary background is not required, although is highly advantageous.

Program Reviews

4.91 Rating
based on 67 reviews
  • 5 rating 91.04%
  • 4 rating 8.96%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Impact 4.75
  • Support 4.9
  • Fun 4.95
  • Value 4.8
  • Safety 4.8
Showing 65 - 67 of 67 reviews
Default avatar
Hilma
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

After school progm.

This is my first time volunteering away from home and moreso in a Spanish speaking country......2 weeks before leaving home for Guatemala I became apprehensive; a little afraid of the unknown ; I speak little or no English ,"I must be a fool" I thought. I soon learn that people are people everywhere you go in this world........You maybe a little different in physical appearance, the color of your skin and or hair color, yet if you have a true heart and a giving spirit, this will shine through. Thanks to the staff at Maximo Nivel I was able to improve my Spanish. The children in the after school programme were a delight to be with. "Buenos dias......ect" echoing from every class room welcoming the teachers. It was a great opportunity for me to share in an ongoing process of building a school that will change many lives for the betterment.

What would you improve about this program?
NOTHING...........
77 people found this review helpful.
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Default avatar
Coelfi
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

IVHQ/Maximo Nivel in Antigua

I lived in Antigua for 8 weeks and taught English at an orphanage about 30 minutes outside of Antigua. I arranged my program through OVHQ, but worked directly through Maximo upon arriving in Guatemala.
Maximo was wonderful in terms of the support services they offered. I got to know the staff very quickly, and was always in regular communication with them throughout the duration of my stay. The orientation system was thorough, the coordination between the volunteer work and the Spanish school was excellent, and Maximo was always concerned about the quality of my homestay and volunteer experience. They taught me how to use the public transportation system and came out to check up on me at least once a week at my placement, all of which was very useful. They were also wonderful when helping us plan trips, and were very flexible in accommodating our needs.
Two things that I wish I had known about this IVHQ program before arriving were the natures of the homestay and social situations. While my host mom was wonderful and my homestay very comfortable (with excellent food), it should be noted that most homestays have multiple students living in them at any given time and are more like boarding houses than actual homes. During the first half of my trip, my home had up to 15 foreigners staying in it at once (not all through Maximo) which, while fun, hurt my ability to form relationships with my host family and improve my Spanish. During the second half of my stay, however, there were far less people, and I became much closer with my host mom.
Maximo Nivel did very little to stimulate social interaction among volunteers and students. Most of the friends I made were through my homestay, but once they all left I felt very alone and bored in Antigua. It was also very difficult for me as a female living in the outskirts of the city, as it was unsafe for me to walk after dark and taking a cab every night was very expensive. There is a vibrant social life among those staying in the volunteer house, but that tends to consist of kids just out of high school and is notorious for a lot of drama, so I never felt I had much in common with them.
In short, I had a wonderful experience with Maximo, but probably would not recommend staying there for more than 6 weeks, as it became exceedingly dull after a while. Antigua is a wonderful city, but there are only so many times you can clime Cerro de la Cruz, go to the markets, and eat at Monolocos until it begins to lose its appeal.

What would you improve about this program?
Improve efforts to connect volunteers socially (besides having one party a month).
77 people found this review helpful.
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Default avatar
jjs
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

More than expected!

From start to finish, my experience went very smoothly. The staff accomodated my request to arrive a couple days early. They picked me up from the airport and drove me to my home stay the first night. They even helped me arrange for a trip to El Salvador for some surfing before my volunteer work started. There was someone available 24/7 for problems or concerns, and opportunities for travel each weekend. The town of Antigua is full of cultural opportunities, night-life, great restaurants, and many other students, tourists, and volunteers.

My volunteer experience in the medical care of rural Guatemala provided exposure to the medical practices and care system of the country as well as opportunity to interact with local health care providers as well as rural Guatemalans. Having more than basic Spanish, would have been helpful however.

Speaking of Spanish, the language courses at Maximo Nivel were excellent. The teachers are very capable, understanding, and provide personalized Spanish education. I learned more in two weeks than in three years of previous language study.

Thank you!

82 people found this review helpful.
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Questions & Answers

Hi Henry, The program fee for two weeks is $515, add to that either $50 - $55 a week (depending on if you want a 2 hour small group language class or a 1 hour private one) which bring the total to around $625. Hope this helps!