Projects Abroad Volunteer Programs in Peru

I did the Nursing Internship in Cusco to decide whether I wanted to peruse a career in nursing or public health. Though it didn’t make my decision any easier it was still one of the most incredible experiences of my life! I felt like I gained more exposure here than I would at a health care facility in the States while feeling totally immersed in the culture. I had a wonderful host family (though I heard some complaints from others about their families. Some, however, were for cultural differences and other complaints were similar to ones you might hear from a son or daughter about their parent lol). I also felt that I had plenty of time to travel and good people to travel with. The people who work with Projects Abroad have plenty of gathering opportunities. They also host workshops based on your field, so I was able to do a suture workshop at the office! No regrets and no hesitations of doing it again!

My first experience with Projects Abroad was in 2016, when I did a high school project in Cambodia. I absolutely loved it - what a wonderful way to travel and see a country, by giving back to the local community. Travel with purpose has always been important to me, and it brings the opportunity to see more of a country than most tourists.
In June of 2018, I went to the Peru project for a month and absolutely loved every minute of it. I was dirty, sweaty, covered in monkey poo, mosquito bites and bamboo splinters, the showers were cold and tarantulas crawled up the outside of my bathroom fly screen - and yet there was no where else I'd have rather been. It definitely pushed my comfort zone and yet there was just something so magical about the forest. I learnt so much and saw so many beautiful things - I want to go back!

I joined the High School Special project in Peru for 2 weeks on the archaeology project and I loved it. It was only two weeks and I definitely should have stayed longer! It's such an amazing location and as a history geek, it was an amazing experience. Projects Abroad organised a trip to Machu Picchu as well, which I can recommend to anyone (it's a must see in Peru). My coordinator was so friendly and he really looked after us, and Dan on the Archaeology project is a brilliant teacher.
I then flew for one week to the Conservation project... again, I should have stayed longer and I would go back in a heartbeat if I could. That project was one of the best things I have ever done; living in the Amazon rainforest, surrounded by nature and helping protect one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet is an unforgettable experience. The staff here are great (special mention to Elvira who is so kind) and so passionate about what they do. You get a perfect mix of looking after rescued wildlife and conservation activities, so anyone who is passionate about animals should definitely join this project.
I can't recommend Projects Abroad enough!

Before I left to Peru I was quite nervous as I had never been so far away alone and really didn’t know what to expect from the project. I can now say it was one of the best things I have ever done and I’m happy that I took the plunge and really thankful for the way it worked out and the impact it had on me. I was teaching in a small school in a very poor area of Cusco. It was really hard work as the kids are quite behind in their learning and classroom discipline was scarce. However I really put my mind to trying to help them and help the teachers with their tough job. The reward was immense. The kindness and love from the children really struck me and they were so appreciative of my help. The staff in the Projects Abroad office in Cusco are so kind and helpful and genuinely nice people so that made being so far away from home a lot easier. Also it was great to get to know other volunteers and socialize with them as you are all sharing a unique experience. For me the experience was a perfect mix of voluntary work, traveling and socializing and I would really recommend it to someone looking for a unique gap year experience also in such a lovely, interesting country.

I was in Peru for four weeks and they were some of the best, most unforgettable weeks of my life.

I was welcomed by the staff as soon as I got there who made me feel welcome, drove me to my host family, and helped translate my minimal Spanish into something they could understand. With the help of my family, volunteers, and staff I was able to improve my Spanish and immerse myself into the history and culture.

The sites were incredible, and I got to clean and handle Incan quipus textiles, and other artefacts. I also got to weed and clean walls uncovered at various sites around Cusco. In our spare time the volunteers and I would travel to Machu Picchu, Rainbow Mountain and just about everywhere else we had the opportunity to.

I had an incredible trip that I would redo in a heartbeat. If you get the opportunity to spend some time overseas seriously consider volunteering with Projects Abroad.

Peru!! What an incredible place. From beautiful buildings to incredible views. The people, the food and the markets are great!! The schools and the children are so warm hearted!! Great experience!!

I have never meet a company that is so informative and helpful. They always answer all their emails, and even take phone calls. Very easy to communicate and organise things with. This was the same when I was in Peru. Always there and ready to help.

My experience during my placement has amazing. It was fun, heartwarming, and enjoyable time. I was lucky to work with a great group of students, and all different ages. I had time to work with them 1 on 1, as well as in a group.

I found the altitude a little difficult, but got use to it very quickly. My family actually gave me a special tea to help. My family did many beautiful things to help make my stay enjoyable. They took me on a tour around the city, cooked amazing food, spent time with me learning spanish, as well as taking me to the market.

During my time in Peru I got to meet with many of the other volunteers. We spent nights at restaurants having dinner, seeing in karaoke bars as well as doing some small tours. It was nice to feel safe and like I had a whole new family here.

It was a once in the lifetime experience, and I hope too and can not wait to go again!!! Thank your Projects Abroad.

Over the spring break, I went to the Taricaya Ecological reserve in Peru, and I loved it! This was technically meant for university students, however Projects Abroad was super accommodating and still let me go even though I am in high school. I received lots of information and my contact was incredibly helpful, and answered all of my questions quickly and thoroughly. They offered to book flights for me and sent me an option, but I ended up finding a cheaper option and booking them myself. Once I arrived in Peru, there were always staff around who were very helpful and kind. I loved working Taricaya, doing research and conservation work, and I felt like I was genuinely being helpful, rather than just volunteering to make myself feel good. The only thing that I wish could be improved is the overall cost, as it was a little expensive. All in all, I had a fantastic time, and Projects Abroad was very helpful during my travels.

I was part of a group of volunteers from the company I work for, and we had the great opportunity to be in Cusco, Peru doing some volunteer activities.
Before the trip, Projects Abroad assistant was very helpfull, we got to know the weather, traditions, type of food, money system, among others, ahead of time; that gave us the chance to be prepared and bring the right clothes for the trip.
In our volunteer activities, we helped in basic level schools, doing some projects with the kids and helping teachers with their classes, it was a very satisfying experience. Kids were very happy and they always participated. As a part of our volunteer duties, we helped painting part of the wall schools and desks.
From day one, Projects Abroad staff was there to assist us, since we got off the plane, they were waiting for us with transportation ready, they took us to our host family homes with a quick tour of the city. They'd be ready everyday with our daily plan and activities, on the afternoons, we'd have a meeting and feedback of our journey. It's essential to know the places we'd go, and situation we'd experience, with their help we were definitevly be more safe and calm, knowing that they're proffesionals and are there for us.
I'd reccomend to know the wheather depending the time of year you're going, so you could be prepared with right clothing. June and July are the coldest months.
It's definitevly a one-life time experience, Peru's landscapes of rainforest, mountains and of course Machu Picchu, are the extra ingredient to have a great volunteer experience. Go for it!

My 4-week volunteer placement in Peru was the most enjoyable experience I have had abroad. Not only did I stay with an amazing family who welcomed me into their home with open arms, and make relationships with the greatest support staff in Urubamba/Cusco - but I spent my weekdays in a Kindergarten classroom with wonderful children. I spent time working alongside the teacher and she encouraged me to get involved by teaching games and basic lessons, in both English and Spanish. It was great to be involved and help out where I could. It is a placement I would do again and again, and an experience I will never forget!

Volunteering at Taricaya with Projects Abroad was one of the best months of my life. From the hands on activities to the supportive staff, I could not have asked for a better experience! It was amazing to be able to meet so many people from all over the world and to work with them to further the conservation of the rainforest.

All of the staff was so knowledgeable and ready to teach the volunteers everything they could. I learned so much not only about the Peruvian rainforest and animals that live there, but also about cultures and languages from all over the world. When we weren’t doing activities, the staff was more than happy to talk about their experience and what they have learned over the years and even sometimes gave lectures about their specialties.

The accommodations and food were great as well. Granted, they may have taken some getting used to, but the bungalows come to feel like home before long. I would recommend picking up some food in town if you are used to having snacks- but there is always a bowl of fruit and bread and jam to eat if you get hungry.

The weekends were a great time to go into town to get wifi and a change of pace. The staff is very helpful in getting you checked into a hotel and giving recommendations of things to do and places to eat. A few friends and I even took a weekend trip to Cusco and Machu Picchu and the staff was very helpful in the planning process and in giving recommendations for where to go and stay and the best ways to go about getting to Machu Picchu.

All in all, I would not trade my month at Taricaya with Projects Abroad for anything! It was absolutely an amazing month and I learned so much! If you’re interesting in the rainforest and are okay with not living in 5-star conditions and doing some manual labor this trip is definitely for you. I would recommend volunteering at Taricaya in a heartbeat! Oh, but don’t forget DEET because you can’t buy any good stuff there.

What an amazing experience it was travelling and volunteering in Peru through Projects Abroad! The staff members of the organization were truly wonderful and supportive before applying and during the placement, always ready to give advice and answer any questions. This past June, I travelled to Peru for four weeks on the teaching placement. I was both nervous and excited during my travels and once I arrived at my destination; however, the Projects Abroad staff, my host family and the volunteers all made the transition into this new and beautiful culture much easier! It was truly amazing to live with a host family during my stay in the town of Urubamba. They were so welcoming from the day I arrived. I loved learning and speaking a little bit of Spanish with them, while also learning more about the Peruvian culture.
My teaching placement took place in a secondary school in the town of Ollantaytambo. I will always remember the bus ride to the school, seeing the beautiful mountains surrounding the towns we passed through! It was a challenging, but rewarding experience having the opportunity to teach the students conversational English. The moments I will always cherish was seeing the growth in the students’ learning after a lesson and how grateful they were for my help. On my last day, the students in my classes sang songs in their native tongue as a thank you for the time I spent working with them. No matter the duration of your stay, you will always make a difference in the lives of the students you have the opportunity to teach! Having had the opportunity to live in Peru was very different from home, but is an opportunity I am so grateful to have experienced. I loved the feeling of learning about and adapting to a new culture and environment and meeting so many wonderful people from all over the world. During my weekends, I always enjoyed meeting with the other volunteers and travelling to Cusco, and the other towns seeing the many different ruins. The four weeks I was there definitely didn’t feel long enough to see and experience the beauty this country has to offer, so next time I would definitely go for a longer duration. Having had the opportunity to travel to a new country and be a part of a culture so unlike my own was a true blessing and continues to remind me of how lucky we are. I am truly grateful to have had this opportunity and am so happy I chose to experience it through Projects Abroad. Thank you Projects Abroad for the amazing memories!

As parents, we were SHOCKED at how little adult supervision there was on the programs. Our child went on what we'd thought was a generally supervised program for 16-19 year olds. Instead, we discovered that the Projects Abroad teens were on their own almost every night, ending up drunk at the local bars and discos 3-4 nights per week! LOTS of drugs being offered to the tourists, and no Projects abroad adults anywhere around.

We paid for the Projects Abroad meal plan, and learned that the first three dinners served were: (1) cake and hot chocolate, (2) plain bread, and (3) a slice of bread and spam. After the kids finally complained that they weren't getting enough food to live on, the meals improved a bit, but our child spent a significant amount of additional money just buying FOOD.

We liked that Projects Abroad promised that our child would stay with a local host family, to learn about the Peruvian culture and get a local experience, but most of the kids on the program were simply put up in a hotel. The Medical program was supposed to be shadowing doctors for two weeks, but there was only four total days of that - the rest was mostly busy work. Not quite the hands-on experience we were promised.

One P.A. student spent 1.5 of her two weeks sick in the hospital with a nasty stomach bug she picked up, possibly from the unfiltered brown tap water. Another kid ended up going to the hospital after getting into a bar fight with another Projects Abroad student.

We spent a LOT of money on two separate two-week Peru programs and felt that the P.A. overall supervision was seriously inadequate. I could go on and on about the two Peru programs, but, in summary, as a parent, I wouldn't recommend sending my teens on a Projects Abroad program. We're not especially nervous parents, but we don't feel that the program was NEARLY safe enough to send kids that far away.

I first heard about Projects Abroad through my university. I was looking to complete a Poverty Studies internship internationally and Projects Abroad was one of the recommended organizations. Peru was without a doubt one of the best experiences of my life, and I have Projects Abroad to thank for organizing it and being with me every step of the way before I even boarded the plane. All the host families I met were so warm and loving and I was also very lucky because I immediately fell in love with my placements. I taught English to students in a secondary school and served as a volleyball coach and mentor to 10-11 year old girls. Both of these programs were fun and incredibly rewarding and Projects Abroad was always there if I needed help with anything. They even offered teaching workshops to help the teachers come up with activities for their lessons. Overall Peru was a great area to be located and I was lucky to meet great volunteers during my stay. My one complaint would be the price but I definitely think every penny was worth the experience.

This past summer, I was in Peru for two weeks working with the Inca Project. The project was based in a small town called Huyro. I absolutely loved my time on the Inca Project. Living in a simple concrete house near the mountain where excavations and most of the work takes place, the community of volunteers and local archaeologists welcomed me into the fascinating project. Though only in Peru for two weeks, a lot of new experiences and friendships were made. The support of the staff was perfect. From the very first moment I was picked up at the airport to the last sad goodbyes at both the project and the airport, the right amount of independence and guidance was given to me. Excavations on the mountain were the most interesting part of the trip. Clearing around the structures and discovering bits and pieces of ceramics and pottery, the archaeologists lead the group in uncovering hidden parts of the past. Some days on the mountain had to be delayed because of raining or too much moisture on the excavation site. Even with a couple set-backs on the mountain, we always had other work to pursue. Exploring and maintaining the structures on the mountain as well as clearing the grounds with machetes also filled our day-time activities throughout those two weeks. Little bits of house work around 'El Establo' were spread throughout the days. On my weekend, we traveled to Aguas Calientes to hike around the majestic Machu Picchu which was beautiful and a nice break from some of the manual work back at El Establo. Our meals were prepared with typical Peruvian foods such as rice, soups, beans, and potatoes with the occasional western foods tossed in once in awhile. My experience was wonderful - I learned a surprisingly large amount of Spanish and had a memorable adventure learning more about archaeology and even myself. I would encourage anyone to go!

This past april i went to Peru for 2 week to work on my Spanish skills abroad. This was a last minute decision and while signing up i was really nervous of how the trip would go but the staff was so helpful over the phone for the month prior to the trip. I spoke to destination staff who helped me by providing me with all the important information including emergency numbers, contacts and host family information. My travels went smoothly and i was picked up at the Cuzco airport by a Projects-Abroad staff who spoke English so i wouldnt have any problems communicating. Carlos was very helpful and showed me all the interesting places in Cuzco to visit on the weekends. The drive to the town i was staying in (Pisac) was beautiful and informational I found out lots of interesting information on the history and the future of the country. When i got to my host family's house, Carlos introduced me to everyone and left me with more information including when my classes start how to contact him , my teacher and the head of staff in Peru and gave me some ideas for activities to do on my first day. I felt very welcome and although I was alone in a new place i felt i had a lot of support from the Projects- Abroad staff which helped my trip run smoothly. Every day i would meet my spanish teacher at the chosen place and we would have our classes in the market or at a cafe so that i could use my spanish skills to interact better and have full on conversations. My teacher; professor Herman catered to my learning needs to the fullest and I greatly appreciated his teaching style. Overall, I would definetly recommend for others to travel abroad with Projects-Abroad they are my number one choice and i will travel with them again for sure!