Location
  • Spain
    • Barcelona
Length
1 to 12 weeks

Program Details

Age Min.
18
Timeframe
Short Term Spring Break Summer Winter Year Round
Housing
Apartment
Groups
Small Group (1-15) Medium Group (16-30) Large Group (31+)
Travel Type
Budget Family Older Travelers Solo Women

Pricing

Starting Price
650
Price Details
Fully hosted experience from only $650 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 Meals
What's Not Included
Airfare Travel Insurance Visa
May 09, 2023
Jan 07, 2024
70 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Trusted by 125,000+ volunteers, IVHQ offers the world's #1 rated volunteer programs in Spain and 50+ destinations worldwide.

For the past 5 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 Spain.

Our affordable projects start from $61/day for your accommodation, meals, airport pick-up, project placement and local support. Projects run year-round, with durations from 1-12 weeks. Choose from 8 projects, ranging from Youth Support to Marine Conservation, based in the iconic and captivating beachside city, Barcelona. Plus, you’ll stay in a dormitory-style hostel 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 $61/day for your accommodation, meals, airport pick-up, project placement & local support.
  • Volunteer for 1-12 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

Animal Care Volunteer in Spain

Help care for cats and improve their lives in overcrowded animal shelters in Barcelona as an Animal Care volunteer! Spend time playing with them, giving them exercise outside their enclosures, feeding them, and raising awareness about animal abandonment. Your goal is to keep the cats active, healthy, and ready to be adopted by local families who visit the shelter.

Marine Conservation Volunteer in Spain

Dive into the deep blue sea and become a Marine Conservation volunteer in Spain! With environmental forecasts painting a bleak picture of ocean pollution, you can help protect marine life and reduce plastic waste. Use your scuba diving skills to collect trash, log information on marine debris, and observe and identify fish and wildlife. No diving certification? No problem! The program offers a minimum 2-week certification course before you can start diving.

Migrant & Refugee Support Volunteer in Spain

Experience a unique cultural immersion while making a difference in the lives of refugees and immigrants in Barcelona. Join a project aimed at integrating newcomers into Catalan society by offering language classes, leisure activities, and socialization opportunities. You'll assist with daily tasks at a local host center, such as cooking, distributing meals, and conversing in Spanish while teaching English language skills. Help empower and support those seeking refuge and a better life.

Youth Support Volunteer in Spain

Barcelona's socioeconomic divide leaves underprivileged youth without access to support services. As a Youth Support volunteer, you can make a difference in their lives. Help create a safe and inclusive after-school environment that fosters personal development and life skills. Assist with homework, arrange activities, teach English, and mentor children. Build meaningful connections and give young people the tools to build a better future for themselves.

Program Reviews

4.90 Rating
based on 21 reviews
  • 5 rating 90.48%
  • 4 rating 9.52%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Impact 4.85
  • Support 4.95
  • Fun 4.95
  • Value 4.8
  • Safety 5
  • Program Selection 5
  • Pre-departure Help 5
  • In-program Support 5
  • Impact on Student 5
  • Value 5
Showing 1 - 8 of 21 reviews
Default avatar
Melissa
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Fantastic experience

IVHQ were terrific during every aspect of my volunteering program. It made for a safe-hassle-free trip abroad.

I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of my volunteering experience, leaving me with cherished memories for years to come.

I got immersed in the culture, and the programs offered in Barcelona are diverse, so there's something that appeals to everyone.

If you want to make an impact, I highly recommend IVHQ to anyone looking for a life-changing trip abroad. It will change your life - for the better!

What was your funniest moment?
I enjoyed moments with the kids during their trip to the museum and the painting and music classes, where I witnessed the sheer joy of others.
Pros
  • Provides you with purpose
  • Gain cultural knowledge
  • Feel filled by helping others.
Cons
  • None
7 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Erika
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Food Rescue — Barcelona

This was an incredibly wonderful program. Everything was smooth sailing from the application process, up until my last day at my program. I stayed for five weeks in Barcelona to volunteer at a soup kitchen. This kitchen was incredibly clean, organized, and well maintained. Each local volunteer was incredibly friendly and welcoming. The program coordinators also provided me with all of the help, support, and resources I needed to feel comfortable. I initially decided to travel in order to explore my future endeavors as a humanitarian worker of sorts and could not be happier with my decision. I can only suggest you partake in this program, if not this location. Barcelona is an incredibly beautiful place to not only experience but give back to.

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
I speak three languages that have relevance to Spanish. I don’t speak Spanish…in the slightest, so the language barrier was definitely there. However the kitchen staff and I learned to understand eachother and created great relationships through hand gestures and google translate. I think my background with languages helped me pick up on their requests easier. But at the end of the program we had a very unique understanding of the way we communicate with eachother. It was quite a precious thing I deeply admire about the people I worked with.
Pros
  • Controlled Environment (clean, conditioned, etc).
  • Only 30min from accommodation
  • Very walkable city
Cons
  • Hostel
  • Hostel food
  • Hostel
11 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Fernando
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Unforgettable experience

First time travelling out of country and my team recieved me very kindly and got me started quickly. They were my to go people and they were all so nice as well as the other volunteers. The on site work was different in a good way and K learned a lot. My time with the kids taught me new things and being able to be with people who also spoke the same language as me but different culture was incredible to live. I will never forget these experiences and the people who i met along the way. Thank you IVHQ.

Pros
  • Fun
  • Chill
  • Safe
14 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Chiara
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing experience in Barcelona !

Hola! I recently returned to Milan from my first experience of volunteering abroad! I went to Barcelona and took part in the immigrant support project. It was a unique and wonderful experience that made me grow and enrich me a lot. Firstly, the international nature of the program means that you can share the experience with young people from all over the world. But the wonderful thing for me was the volunteer projects: every day I went to the center for the immigrants, we talked, I taught them English and Italian and we prepared lunch together. I had some wonderful moments, simple acts like lunch or a simple chat that opened my eyes and deeply enriched me!
It's a beautiful, highly educational experience that I recommend to any boy. Do not be afraid! moreover, the local team is always available to guide and help you and there is never a shortage of fun moments among volunteers! good luck and see you next trip!
Chiara

Pros
  • International environment
  • New cultures
  • Helping other
Cons
  • It lasts only 1 week
22 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Tanmay
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Remarkable journey

I recently had the incredible opportunity to participate in a one-week marine conservation project organized by IVHQ, and I can confidently say that it was a truly remarkable experience. IVHQ’s commitment to environmental preservation and their well-structured volunteer program exceeded my expectations in every way.
From the very beginning, the communication with IVHQ was seamless and professional. The staff members were always prompt in answering my inquiries and provided me with all the necessary information to prepare for the project. Their attention to detail and willingness to assist ensured that I felt well-prepared and confident before embarking on my volunteering journey. I left the project with a profound sense of fulfillment.
I would highly recommend IVHQ to anyone seeking a meaningful volunteering experience. Whether you are passionate about environmental preservation, cultural immersion, or personal growth, IVHQ offers a well-organized program that caters to a variety of interests. Participating in their projects has been an eye-opening and rewarding experience that I will cherish for a lifetime.

Pros
  • Culture exploration
  • Spending time with local communities and fellow volunteers
  • Adventure and Fun
38 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Mohammad
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

IVHQ Was With Me Start To Finish

IVHQ was with me from start to finish. I was one of the people who applied to start a program just 3 weeks before its start date and this company was easy to contact through phone or email. They wasted no time and made me feel prioritized, when I landed at my project location I would receive emails asking how my experience was going and if there was anything that they could help me with. Their project affects real people and will leave a lasting impact on you, the sites of a land far away mixed together with instilling an essential sense of purpose for yourself and others.

Pros
  • Impact
  • Discovering a different land and culture
  • People
Cons
  • Hostel Rooms ( Up to 8 people in one room)
  • Credit cards such as american express are not reliable
49 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Simone
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

IVHQ Spain - Barcelona

My volunteering trip to Barcelona with IVHQ has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life thus far. From the application process to the completion of my project, I received so much support from IVHQ and the local organisation ImpacTrip in Barcelona. The ImpacTrip team in Barcelona are so friendly and will go that extra step to ensure you’re having an enjoyable experience at your project. As my project was Youth Support, I had the opportunity to volunteer in a summer school. The staff at the school made me feel welcomed and part of the school. I was also able to go on excursions with them around Barcelona. My favourite part was meeting locals at my project and the other incredible volunteers. I honestly had the best time and would 100% recommend IVHQ’s Barcelona program. You won’t regret it!

What would you improve about this program?
The hostel is located quite far from the city. It takes at least an hour to get into the city from the hostel by metro. It would have been nicer to have stayed at a hostel closer to the city.
84 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Geneva
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Voluntourism first timer

I recently volunteered through IVHQ for the Special Needs Support project in Barcelona, Spain. I am from California, this was my first time volunteering abroad and I am so happy that I went through IVHQ! Planning the trip, the staff made it so simple to organize as a first timer. The staff was very responsive and answered my many questions. They also helped booked my flight with the third party (and with humanitarian rates). Once I arrived in Barcelona, the local contracted staff met me at the airport and in following days ensured that myself and the other volunteers were familiar with navigating the area, staying safe and overall traveled smart and in a way that was condusive for having a successful, fun trip. The project itself was so rewarding and fun! Getting to meet and work with the beneficiaries and their staff was an educational and memorable experience where we were able to make an impact. I was only there for a week but would have loved to stay longer if my schedule allowed. I would recommend going with IVHQ, there are so many locations and projects to choose from. Can't wait for my next one!

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
I would look into doing two separate projects over the course of multiple weeks to gain different experiences.
90 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers

Hi Gladys, all IVHQ programs are fully-hosted experiences which include airport pick-up, orientation, accommodation, meals and 24/7 in-country support. You can learn more about our affordable program fees here: www.volunteerhq.org/affordable-volunteer-fees/. You can always reach out to our team for guidance in selecting a project that aligns with your budget and interests: www.volunteerhq.org...

Hi Maria, Spanish is not a prerequisite for volunteering on the IVHQ Spain program and our local team who will be supporting you throughout your time in Spain can always assist with translations. You can also take advantage of the highly affordable Spanish lessons offered exclusively to IVHQ volunteers by our local team in Spain - this is super helpful for developing your language skills to...

Hi Grace, IVHQ has volunteer programs for all ages - we have families with school-aged children joining us and many retirees who are seeking meaningful travel opportunities where they can be immersed in a new culture while giving back to their host community. For personalized program recommendations based on your age, you can submit an enquiry here: https://my.volunteerhq.org/enquiries