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2 Weeks Special Volunteer Program in Peru

Cusco, Peru

2 Weeks Special Volunteer Program in Peru

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Trip Highlights

A perfect 2-weeks Volunteer Program in Peru encompassing volunteer work and exploring UNESCO heritage sites of the “Land of Incas”
Responsibilities at the project include teaching the kids, taking care of them and partaking in fundraising activities for the smooth functioning of the project
The project also includes excursions to Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain, Humantay Lagoon, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu

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Overview Program Requirements Itinerary Living Costs Dates Reviews

Overview

Be a part of the 2 Weeks Special Volunteer Program in Peru with Volunteering Solutions and experience the best that the country has in store for you! You'll get to volunteer for the underprivileged societies living in Cusco and contribute meaningfully towards improving their lives. During the weekends, you'll get to explore Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain, Humantay lagoon, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu as well as some of the historic and cultural sites in Cusco.

This program is particularly convenient for volunteers who do not have time to commit to a month or more for volunteering abroad. It'll be an incredible opportunity to gain first-hand work experience as well as travel with some like-minded people from different parts of the world.

Program Requirements

Volunteers must be 17 years or older at the time of joining the project. Participants should have an open mind and flexible attitude for working in a new and different environment. Volunteers need to be flexible, open-minded and have a passion for working with children. You should also be proactive and have the ability to take initiative All volunteers must provide a clean criminal background check report prior to joining the program. A parental consent form shall be required for Under 18 participants joining the program. A beginner-intermediate level of Spanish would be an added advantage for the participants in the program.

Schedule

Day 1 Sunday: Arrival to Cusco, Orientation, and Walking tour

Participants are picked up from Cusco airport and transferred to volunteer residence or host families to unpack, rest and receive orientation and walking tour from 03:00 p.m to 06:00 p.m.

Day 2 Monday: First day at project
Our local coordinator will pick up you from your home stay or volunteer residence around 08:00 a.m. She will show you the way to arrive to your project and will introduce you to the care giver or teacher at the project.

Days 3 – 13: Intercultural projects
Our Social projects seek to contribute to the development of the poorest families in our population, principally in poor rural areas and marginalized urban areas helping them to attain integral human development, which translates into better living conditions in harmony with nature. Volunteers will be working in rural nursery schools where there is just 1 teacher for 20 little kids aged between 3 and 5 years old.
Volunteers will be working the last two weeks of December, January, and February in rural day care centers where there are babies from 06 months until kids from 4 years old.

During those two weeks, you will be helping four hours daily from Monday to Friday. You will provide care, love, help to feed the kids, wash their hands, lull the baby to sleep, and attention for these children as well as assisting the Peruvian staff at the projects.

Day 14 Saturday: Goodbye Cusco
You can spend your last day saying goodbye to Cusco and shopping or continues traveling around Peru. This is your last morning at your homestay.

Weekend Tours

Day 6 Friday: Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain Hiking Tour
The marvel to discover the Andean life happens today. Today, you’ll hike through the fields full of alpacas and llamas, red mountains, snowy peaks or lakes, and amazing Andean views.

We pick you up around 4:30 a.m.from the Plaza de Armas de Cusco. Then, we’ll travel 02 and ½ hours on a bus to Pitumarca where you’ll have a delicious breakfast, then, we continue to K’ayrawiri (4326 mts. /14192 fts.) this is the trailhead where we start the hiking. We walk 3 to 4 hours uphill where you will find a beautiful landscape, big mountain and local people with the typical clothes of their daily life, you will find big groups of Alpacas, Llamas and sometimes wild Vicuñas, also small lagoons created by the thaws of the glaciers, once you arrive at the summit (5020 mts. / 16469 Fts.) you will have free time to rest and to take your pictures. If you are good and want to continues discovering the marvel of the Andes, we start to go back by a different way, the “Red Valley”, a red mountain soil, they look pretty nice, this will be other three to four hours walk downhill to arrive again in Japura where you will have a comforting lunch, then we will bring you back to Cusco (arrival around 6:30 or 7:30 p.m.)

Day 7 Saturday: Free day to rest or explore Cusco by yourself

Day 8 Sunday: Sacred Valley tour connection to Aguas Calientes
At 06:00 a.m you will pick up from Plaza de armas to discover the Sacred Valley of the Incas - go on a guided tour to visit the beauty of Moray, Maras, Chinchero, Ollantaytambo ruins, and small towns around followed a lunch in a traditional Inca restaurant. Then take the Train at Ollantaytambo to overnight in Aguas Calientes town to visit Machu Picchu Sanctuary the next day.

Day 9 Monday: Machu Picchu Tour
Machu Picchu is a trip to the serenity of the soul, to the eternal fusion with the cosmos, where we feel our fragility. It is one of the greatest marvels of South America, a resting place of butterflies in the epicentre of the great circle of life.
Early in the morning, you will depart from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu sanctuary by 15 minutes bus up; the guided tour will guide you for 2 hours at the Sanctuary. Then you will be free to explore Machu Picchu with you. You will back in Cusco around midnight.
Note: The visit to Machu Pichu sanctuary can vary according to the entrance availability and train tickets.

Day 13 Friday: Hike to Humantay Lake
A Day full of beautiful landscapes very close to the snowy Salkantay, the second highest mountain in Cusco (6271 m.s.) and Nevado Humantay (5473 m.s.n.); the ascent towards Laguna Humantay will make us understand why we should take care of Nature.
You will be picked up early in the morning from plaza de armas de Cusco to travel 02 hours by bus to arrive at the beautiful town of Mollepata located at 2900 meters above sea level. weekdays arrival we will have between 40 minutes to an hour to enjoy the tranquillity and peace of this place. Then, we will walk back to Soraypampa (an hour of descent approx.) to take the bus to have lunch in Mollepata. After lunch, you will be back to Cusco.

Important note
1. - Cusco is a Catholic city, so there will be local festivals during the months of May till July.
2. - All participants for the 2 weeks special program must send us by e-mail their passport copies to peru@volunteeringsolutions.com as soon as the booking confirmation is received.
3 - The visitors' entrance tickets for the Sacred Valley tour is not included in the program fee. This visitor entrance ticket you will need to buy at the Local Government office to visit museums, cultural centers, and archaeological sites.

Living

When you choose to volunteer in Peru, just pack your bags and arrive at the destination with a relaxed mind. Our dedicated coordinator at the location arranges airport transfers, stay, meals and also weekend tours for you. All you have to do is arrive.

Airport Transfer

Volunteers are picked up from the Cusco Airport by the local coordinator or representative. Those volunteers who are arriving overland or are already in Peru will be picked up at a meeting point decided beforehand or at the bus station.

Accommodation

Volunteers are provided with accommodation with local host families. By staying with a host family you will experience the local culture, customs and Peruvian way of living. Volunteers are hosted in shared bedrooms with other volunteers. Usually, there are 2 bathrooms in every host family with hot showers. Accommodations are clean and comfortable. Some houses have the WiFi connection and cable TV as well.

Orientation

A half day orientation will be provided by the local staff. Areas like culture, greetings, locations, transportation, safety, and volunteer placements are given during the orientation. The orientation will be given by the local staff in Peru.

Meals

Volunteers are provided with three cooked meals a day (Monday- Saturday) at the host family house. Meals vary from day to day and generally include soups, vegetable salad, rice, potatoes, juice, dessert etc.

During your Free Time

Volunteers are free to visit and see places or do shopping during their free time. On the weekends most of the volunteers plan a trip to Sacred Valley or the world famous 'Macchu Picchu' - the lost city of Incas. In Cusco, you can walk around Plaza de Armas and explore the different restaurants and shopping areas.

Dates

2023

2024

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Past Date

Available

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Costs

2 Weeks $999

Extra Week $175

Please Note: -An application fee of $229 is charged over and above the program fee as an application payment. (A 4% international banking fee is charged at the time of payment)

What are you Paying for?

Pre departure guide
Assistance from support staff and in-country program coordinator
Airport pick up from Cusco airport
Program orientation
Accommodation in a host family or volunteer residence
Project placement
Breakfast & Lunch the 1st Sunday on arrival
3 meals a day from Monday to Friday
Hiking Vinicunca Rainbown mountain
Transportation from Cusco until vinicunca town round & trip
Breakfast and lunch at vinicunca and Humantay
Hiking to Humantay Lagoon
Trip to Sacred Valley and Connection to Machu Pichu.
Tour in Machu Pichu Sanctuary
Entrance ticket to visit Machu Pichu Sanctuary
2 hours tour guided in Machu Pichu
Train tickets from Ollantaytambo to Aguas calientes (round trip)
Round trip bus ticket to Aguas Calientes to Machu Pichu Sanctuary.
Double room (shared room) in a hotel in Machu Pichu pueblo
Lunch in Sacred Valley

Certificate Of Completion (Upon Request)

What's NOT included?

International/Domestic Airfare
Vaccinations
Visa fees
Meals on Saturday & Sundays
Meals at Aguas Calientes
Visitors entrance tickets for the Sacred Valley tour (130 PEN)
Visitors entrance tickets for Vinicunca mountain (25 PEN)
Visitors entrance tickets for Humantay lagoon (20 PEN)
Maras (salt mine) entrance ticket (10 PEN)
Rental of horse (100 PEN)
Personal items (rain jacket, gloves, canes, candies, or snacks)
Taxi from home stay to Plaza de armas to go the tours (to Vinicunca, to Humantay lagoon, to Sacred Valley tour)
Drop off to Cusco airport
Local transportation to and from program location
Entrance to Huayna Pichu Mountain
Taxi from Cusco downtown to home stay when returning from tours
Dinner the 1st Sunday
Personal toiletries
Private bedroom in Aguas calientes town

Reviews

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Frequently asked questions

: We encourage volunteers to get in touch with former Volunteering Solutions participants and also other program participants joining our projects. You are recommended to join the Volunteering Solutions Facebook Page or Facebook Group to connect with other participants and our team.

To read alumni interviews from past participants, visit the Meet a Volunteer section on our website.
: Your country coordinator will take you to your placement location and introduce you to everyone after giving you a basic orientation about the program, city, culture etc. You will also be narrated about the directions to the project location from your accommodation and the modes of transport which you can use.
: Volunteering Solutions arranges accommodation for volunteers in homestays or with host families in Peru. The accommodations are simple and have basic amenities.

Three meals are provided in a day of which the lunch is the specialty of Peruvian families. The food is tasty, hygienic and nutritious, suited to all volunteers. The volunteers should note that the food is provided from Monday to Saturday of each week. On Sundays, volunteers can eat at nearby eateries or find out good restaurants as per choice.
: Yes – please do ensure that you inform the local team about your food preference and they can make sure to provide you with the best food! Also, please do mention your specific food preference in the application form as well.
: You can change your money at any bank or at the airport by showing your passport. There are ATMs located all around the city. The market areas around the project location also have ample ATMs and money exchange counters.
: Depending on your project placement, you may get free evenings and weekends. You can utilize this time to visit local markets and other places around your project location.

Places like Barrio de San Blas, Hatton Rumiyuq, Convent and Church of La Merced and Cathedral of Peru have been declared as a World Heritage Sites by UNESCO and must be visited by volunteers during free time and weekends. Of course, we also arrange for tours to Macchu Picchu.

Volunteers are also free to plan quick getaways and explore Peru. We also arrange programs for groups in Tambopata Rainforest areas and the country coordinator can be contacted for the same.
: Your program fee covers mostly all the major expenses when you arrive in Peru except your personal expenses. You will need to cover your personal expenses, such as bottled water, local transport, telephone, the internet, shopping, sightseeing etc. However, you should carry around $70-80 per week for your basic personal expenses. However, this amount can vary and you would need a higher amount if you go on different weekend trips out of town.
: All participants joining the volunteer projects in Peru need to apply for Visa at the nearest Peruvian High Commission in their city. Along with the Visa application, you need to attach the required supporting documents. We provide volunteers with the necessary supporting documents for their Peruvian Visa application. More information shall be provided after you become a Volunteering Solutions enrolled participant.
: The Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport (CUZ) in Cusco is well connected with all major airports across the globe and flights are easily available. American Airlines, US Airways, Delta Air Lines, Japan Airlines, Emirates Flights are some of the popular airlines.
: Peru attracts travelers from different parts of the world and is generally safe. However, we recommend all volunteers to take necessary precautions against thefts and robberies. Also, seek permission from your coordinator before venturing out alone in the evenings.

Volunteers can also look up resourceful sites like Lonely Planet to gather more information about Peru and its general atmosphere. You are also recommended to follow the safety guidelines provided by the in-country coordinator during Orientation Session.
: We recommend you to consult your physician or travel doctor before traveling to Peru. However, we recommend you take general vaccinations like
Hepatitis A and B
Typhoid
Yellow Fever
Diarrhoea
: Yes, for all volunteers it is mandatory to have a travel medical insurance. To provide the best option to our participants, we offer comprehensive insurance coverage in collaboration with a leading insurance provider.
: After you complete your application, your personalized ‘My Account’ will be activated.You will need to upload your CV/Resume along with your photo in the same. Our backend team and the placement site takes around 10-12 working days to review your application. After we review your CV and documents, your booking will be confirmed and booking confirmation will be updated in your ‘My Account’. Some projects need a mandatory criminal background check and the same is mentioned in the project info of your program. Approval of your application depends on your qualification and eligibility criteria for each project.
: We encourage our participants to volunteer in a group. We take special care for providing you a placement and also customize your itinerary to make sure you get exactly what you are looking for. Also, we can design special group programs for groups of 5 or more. Our programs are designed to be safe, affordable and offer a great group volunteering experience to the volunteers.

In our experience of more than 12+ years we have enabled and facilitated volunteer program placements for college groups, university groups, high school groups, group of families, group of couples as well as groups of colleagues.
: Yes, we will provide you with the Certificate after successful completion of your program. The certificate is provided on request.
: If you are planning to come for multiple programs during your trip, you will have to pay the application fees just once. Your application fee is valid for a year's time (from the date of applying). You will not have to pay the application fees again if you come within the mentioned time frame.

For our returning volunteers, $50 discount is provided for the application fee for their next Vol Sol program.
: Volunteers usually work for 5 to 6 hours a day, for 5 days a week, depending on their program. You will have the weekends to explore Peru. However, volunteers need to be flexible, open minded and understand that work requirements can alter any time.
: The minimum age requirement for the programs in Peru is 17 years. For the Medical program, volunteers must be 18 years and above.
He/she should have the flexibility to adjust to a new environment and culture.
Volunteers should have a basic/ intermediate knowledge of Spanish Language.
For Medical Program – Pre-Medical , Medical and Nursing students as well as Medical Professionals are welcome to join. Participants with other qualifications in the medical field such as CAN, EMT can also join the program.
The participant should be in good health.
: All volunteers need to arrive in Cusco, Peru, for the Peru programs on the starting date of their project.
Volunteers are picked from the Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport in Cusco by the in-country coordinator or representative. Accommodation is provided in a homestay or with the host family.

A short orientation is given after arrival about the city, placement, safety precautions. The volunteers are also taken for a short tour of the city before the commencement of the program. However, the tour is dependent upon the arrival time of your flight.