Volunteer in Peru – Cusco

Programs start from $744 for one week, deposit included — one price covering your host-family accommodation, three weekday meals, airport pickup, orientation, placement and 24-hour support. Longer stays cost less per week (up to 24 weeks) and each program page shows the full week-by-week total. The specials cost more because they include Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley and (on the 2-week version) Rainbow Mountain. Flights, insurance, local transport, weekend meals and personal spending are extra.

Citizens of the USA, Canada, Mexico, the UK and Schengen countries — and many others — do not need a visa for tourist stays of up to 180 days in a year, which covers standard volunteer placements. Your passport needs six months' validity. Other nationalities should check with the nearest Peruvian consulate; our program advisors confirm the requirements for your passport.

Yes. Cusco is a well-organized city that hosts millions of visitors, our programs have run here for well over a decade, and you live with host families the coordinators know personally, with 24-hour support. Take the usual care with valuables in markets and on buses, use registered taxis at night, and respect the altitude — 3,400m — by taking your first days slowly.

17 on the kindergarten, day-care, English-teaching and special programs, with a parental consent form for under-18s, and 18 on the medical and disabled-care programs. Families with children are welcome on the kindergarten program and the specials — tell us your children's ages when you enquire.

From one week to 24 weeks on most programs (English teaching from two weeks, disabled care up to 20); the specials are fixed at one or two weeks. All programs start on Sundays twice a month throughout the year and the next available start is 20 Sep 2026.

With a Cusco host family, sharing a room with other volunteers. Most homes have two bathrooms with hot showers, and many have Wi-Fi and cable TV. The 2-week special may use a volunteer residence instead. Pack warm layers — Cusco nights are cold and homes are rarely heated.

Three home-cooked meals a day are included Monday to Friday with your host family — soups, salads, rice and potato dishes, fresh juices and desserts, with vegetarian options on request. Saturday and Sunday meals are your own, which fits the weekend trips most volunteers take.

Yes. Our coordinator or representative meets you at Cusco Airport (CUZ) with the VolSol logo and your name on your Sunday arrival, or at the bus station if you travel overland. The return airport transfer is not included but is easy to arrange.

None are compulsory for Cusco; routine vaccinations should be current and hepatitis A and typhoid are commonly recommended. Yellow fever vaccination is advised only if you visit the Amazon lowlands. Drink bottled or boiled water, and check NHS Fit for Travel or the CDC before you travel.

April to September, the dry season, is best for Cusco and for Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley and trekking; June to August is peak season and coldest at night. October to March is wetter but warmer and quieter, with the Inca Trail closed in February. Programs run all year round.

Yes — the 1- and 2-week specials include the Sacred Valley tour, the train from Ollantaytambo and the Machu Picchu entrance. On every other program most volunteers go on a weekend, taking the train to Aguas Calientes; book entrance tickets ahead in high season and ask the coordinator for the current options.

Warm layers, a fleece and a good jacket for cold nights, a rain jacket for the wet season, comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen and sunglasses for the high-altitude sun, a hat, a refillable bottle, altitude sickness advice or medication from your doctor, a small zipped bag for valuables, a first-aid kit and any regular medication. Teaching and day-care volunteers can bring games, crayons and picture books.