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

What an experience! Not only were we able to help children with disabilities but we were also able to really travel around Lima and experience Peru's local culture. I would never had imagined myself on a Peruvian local bus headed to an orphanage with 10 people I had met only two days ago yet felt like we have been friends for a long time. The experience you get with IVHQ is unique and the people you meet in the program will inspire you for a lifetime.

I knew when I signed up to volunteer in Lima that I would be helping people but what I didn't know was how wonderful it would be for me! I loved volunteering and making a contribution to a community. However the people I met in Lima changed me completely. The environment that we lived in, everyone being in the house together was so rewarding. I can't not believe how close I got with the other volunteers over the course of only 2 weeks. We did absolutely everything together and enjoyed it, I never wanted to be alone in that house. I also never felt alone. The people I was with were so incredible that whenever someone was leaving the house we played a game. Everyone had to think of one word to describe that person and the person leaving had a word for everyone else as well. Well when it was my turn I don't think I was mentally prepared for how incredible these other volunteers were. The things they had to say about me touched my heart so much I don't think I could ever forget them. I have never been in a room full of that many people crying out of happiness. I will never forget my experience with IVHQ in Lima but I will especially never forget how wonderful the other volunteers made me feel. Lima and that household will always have my heart. I would recommend any Ivhq program to anybody and I would go on another program in a heart beat. Thank you Ivhq for the best memories of my life.

I volunteered with Maximo Nivel, IVHQ's local partner in Peru.

Accommodation: I stayed in one of the volunteer houses. It had a good location, it was very comfortable and the house staff was lovely. Wifi was a bit slow.

Food: breakfast and dinner were provided. Delicious food!

Transportation to/from placement: I was lucky my placement was close to the volunteer house (20 min walk), but other volunteers had to take public buses to their placements.

Safety: I generally felt safe during the day in Cusco.

Volunteering: I taught English for a total of 10 weeks, for youngsters and adults. It was not what I had expected, since the students paid a fee to have classes, many of them were university students, had decent jobs, etc. The experience was good for me, whatsoever. Some volunteers were not happy with their placements as well (for example, teaching English at a private school).

My first volunteering experience abroad was this August. I booked a month with a special needs program through IVHQ and their partner in Cusco, Máximo Nivel. IVHQ did a wonderful job of getting me ready for the trip. My program coordinator, Dallas, was in almost constant email contact; answering all of my questions and making sure I had everything ready to go. When I got there, the Máximo Nivel staff were just as helpful and gave me constant support. I was never on my own, I was never lost (except maybe once when I got off at the wrong bus stop), and I never felt in danger (except when I experienced a freak whitewater rafting accident). Every moment I spent in Cusco was an experience I will take with me for the rest of my life. Through IVHQ and Máximo Nivel, I made wonderful friends from all over the world and really made a difference at my volunteer placement. Volunteers should remember that they will not change the world at their placement, but they may change the world of a few people. This is what it is all about: helping as many people as you can and being a positive influence. IVHQ helps you do this. My only bad experiences were not IVHQ or Máximo Nivel's fault but merely happenstance. Dangerous, dirty, or surprising things can happen but that is all a part of the experience and I would not trade any of it for the world. I must say I left my heart in Perú with the people I helped and befriended. I highly recommend both IVHQ and their partner Máximo Nivel.

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.