Jungle Conservation Volunteer Program in Peru - Cusco

Be sure to see all the sites in Peru while you are in-country - the Mini Adventure combines the major hot spots of Peru into a 1-week excursion that can be added at the beginning or end of your volunteer program. You will be accompanied by a certified, bilingual tour guide for each trip, using Cusco as your home base between tours. The 6-day program compliments your volunteer experience, without the stress of trip planning. It will begin on Sunday and finish the following Saturday morning, and accommodation is included from the Saturday before your adventure begins. Please note that your meals are not included on this trip.

The Mini Adventure includes:

SACRED VALLEY You visit the beautiful ‘Valle Sagrado’ and the town of Pisac with its famous artisanal market and Inca ruins. You continue on to Urubamba for a buffet lunch and then hike up and down the Inca fortress of Ollantaytambo. Lunch is included.

MACHU PICCHU You take an early morning train from Ollantaytambo to the village of Aguas Calientes at the foot of Machu Picchu. Enjoy the evening in Aguas Calientes with nice shops, good restaurants, and natural hot springs. Very early the next morning you head up to Machu Picchu for a guided tour of the Lost City of the Incas.

CUSCO CITY TOUR See the highlights of Cusco—“the navel of the world” and the center of the ancient Inca Empire. You visit Q’oricancha, the Inca Temple of the Sun, and tour Cusco’s 15th-century Cathedral as well as other amazing ruins around the historic city.

LAKE TITICACA You take an overnight bus from Cusco to the city of Puno. You have a couple of hours to freshen up and then head out on the lake to visit the floating, man-made, Uros Islands. Next, you visit Amantani Island and two Inca temples. Finally, you visit Taquile Island and head back to Puno.

MORAY & MARAS You visit the Moray archaeological site, which is an ancient experimental station for growing different crops. Next, you visit the Maras salt mines, where salt has been mined for hundreds of years through a unique method of evaporation. If you would like to add a Mini Adventure to your trip, you can arrange this directly with your Program Manager once you are registered for the program.

Visit the illustrious Machu Picchu in just one day! This tour includes a round-trip basic “backpacker” train from Ollantaytambo station, bus tickets up/down from Aguas Calientes to Machupicchu, and guided tour of Machu Picchu. Meals are not included.

The 2 days/1 night Machu Picchu tour includes round-trip via upgraded “vistadome” train from either Poroy or Ollantaytambo station, a private room in a 2-star hotel, bus tickets up/down from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu, and guided tour of the incredible Machu Picchu site. Meals are not included.

Enjoy a challenging, high altitude trek to the top of Rainbow Mountain, part of Ausangate Mountain in the Peruvian Andes. Also known as “Vinicunca,” “Winikunka,” “Painted Mountain,” and “Mountain of Seven Colors” due to its multi-colored mineral deposits, participants may elect a horse-riding option, instead of hiking. Breakfast and lunch is included.

Enjoy a leisurely half-day horseback riding tour with an expert guide. No previous horseback riding experience is required, and you will spend 2-3 hours riding through the Cusco region in the Andes mountains and visit several lesser-known Inca sites.

Zipline adventure tour is led by professional guides in the pueblo of Chinchero overlooking the beautiful Sacred Valley. Participants zip along 4 lines across mountain rivers and between ridges with amazing views! This tour takes 4 hours approx.

An amazing river adventure on the Chuquicahuana River led by professional rafting guides. The total rafting experience is approximately 2.5 hours with rapids ranging from Class II and III (dry season) and class IV and V (rainy season). At the end of the river, a hot sauna and showers are available. There is also an optional zipline activity across the river. Expert river guide, all rafting equipment, and lunch included. This is a Full-Day / Moderate tour.

A tour of the unique archaeological site of Moray and the adjacent Maras Salt Mines. Moray was used by the Incas as an agricultural experimental station; and Moras is an ancient salt mine still in production today. Bilingual guide and all entrance tickets included. This tour is only available on the weekend as it begins in the morning and runs from approximately 8:00 AM until 3:00 PM.

Enjoy a day of sightseeing by visiting the San Pedro Market where you can sample local food, San Francisco Church, Catacombs, and the Incan Museum or other local museums (based on availability). Bilingual guide and entrance tickets included. This is a walking tour that can be enjoyed during the week or on the weekend. It begins at the local team’s office and takes 2 - 3 hours.

This tour takes place in the mountains outside of Cusco. The tour includes amazing views of snow-capped mountain peaks, a scenic lagoon, and visits to rural villages. There is also a stop at the Moras salt mines. Helmet and ATV-driving instructions are provided. Bilingual, expert guide and entrance tickets included. There are two sessions to choose from: 7:00AM to 1:00PM or 1:00PM to 7:00PM. 6 Hours / Moderate difficulty.

A tour of the main cultural and archaeological sites in and around the city of Cusco: Plaza de Armas, Cathedral, Q’oricancha, Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Pucapucara, and Tambomachay. This tour includes a mix of walking and transport by van. Bilingual guide and entrance tickets included. This tour typically runs from 12:30PM to 6:45PM.

The Alpaca Farm tour includes transportation and an explanation about the different animals from farm staff. Volunteers will be able to see different types of Alpacas, Llamas, and Vicunas and how their fur is used for textiles/clothing. For the most part, this is a self guided tour that lasts for approximately 2 hours, including transport there and back.

This combo tour takes place in the mountains overlooking the Sacred Valley. The tour includes amazing views of snow-capped mountain peaks, a scenic lagoon, and visits to rural villages. There is also a stop at the Maras salt mines. Helmet and ATV-driving instructions are provided. The zipline activity takes place in the pueblo of Chinchero, where participants zip along 4 lines across mountain ridges. Bilingual guide and entrance tickets included. Pick up is at the local team’s office at 7:00AM and the tour finishes at the same location around 5:00PM. 8 Hours / Moderate difficulty.

An amazing cultural tour of Peru’s Sacred Valley, approximately 1 hour from the city of Cusco. The tour includes the well-known Pisac archelogical ruins. Participants continue on to Urubamba and enjoy lunch. After lunch, there is a walking tour of the Ollantaytambo archaeological site. On the return to Cusco, time allowing, the tour stops at the traditional village of Chinchero which includes small archaeological sites, a traditional market, and textile shops. Bilingual guide, entrance tickets, and buffet lunch included. Pick up at our local team’s office takes place at 7:30AM and you will return by approximately 7:00PM. This tour is approximately 8 hours and the level of difficulty is considered easy.

On the way, you will pass through the beautiful landscape. You will have the chance to stop at beautiful scenic lakes and other lookout points and have the opportunity to take pictures and enjoy the sceneries.You will continue past Yanaoca until arriving at the Qeswachaka rope bridge (3,700 masl / 12,139 feet and approx. 33 meters long and 1.20 meters wide). This bridge every year is renewed by hand, using straw by the inhabitants of the area. You will have a chance to walk over the bridge and take photos (unless instructed otherwise). Lunch is provided and then you will have free time to enjoy the unique atmosphere. Mid-afternoon, you will begin your return trip back to Cusco. You will be picked up between 4:30 - 5:00 AM, and will return to Cusco around 5:30 PM.

This unique tour begins with a 6-hour overnight bus ride to the city of Puno located in the high plains of the Andes. In Puno, participants are transferred to a hostel where they have 1-2 hours to relax in the lobby area and eat breakfast before heading to the Lake. At 7:00AM participants are transferred from the hostel to the motorboat excursion on the pristine waters of Lake Titicaca. The Lake tour begins with a visit to the The Uros Islands - a small community that has lived on these man made floating islands for decades. The tour continues on to Taquile Island where there is a short 30 minute walk to town to explore the local sites and have lunch. The boat then returns to Puno where participants can explore the city and have dinner before the bus ride back to Cusco, which is at 10:00PM. The tour ends in Cusco the following morning at 5:00AM and participants are transferred back to accommodations. Bilingual guide and all entrance tickets included. 1 Day + 2 Overnight Sleeper Buses. Level of difficulty: Easy.

This overnight trip to the amazing Machu Picchu is a must-see for those volunteering in Peru! IVHQ’s 2-day & 1-night standard tour is an affordable and safe way to explore this unique Wonder of the World.

Transportation is on a backpacker train which leaves from either the Poroy station outside of Cusco or from the Ollantaytambo station in the Sacred Valley depending on availability. The train ride from Poroy is approximately 3 hours, while the train ride from Ollantaytambo is 75 minutes. Participants spend the night in the pueblo of Aguas Calientes at the foot of Machu Picchu Mountain. Early on Day 2, participants take the bus up to Machu Picchu for a 2.5-hour guided tour of the Inca citadel. After the tour, there is free time to explore Machu Picchu and to make the optional climbs up Waynapicchu or Machu Picchu Mountain. Note, these extra hikes must be pre-booked. Later in the afternoon, participants take the train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo or Poroy, where they are met and transferred back to Cusco by van.

Please note, this is not a private tour. On this trip you will be accommodated in a shared dorm-style hostel and will experience this tour with a group of volunteers and tourists.

If you’re seeking a more private tour option, please check out the Machu Picchu - 2D/1N Upgrade option where you can experience the tour as part of a smaller group, in a standard private hotel room, with private transportation to and from the train station, and an upgraded train.