Andean Immersion Volunteer Project in Peru - Cusco
Excited to live with an ancient community as an Andean Immersion volunteer in Peru - Cusco? International Volunteer HQ’s Andean Immersion project is an exciting opportunity for volunteers to live with a Peruvian family in a Quechua-speaking community and help them with a wide range of tasks. Volunteers will eat traditional food and live day-to-day life the way the locals do while learning about their unique culture and lifestyle.
Highlights:
- Programs start every Monday
- Affordable fees from $470 for 1 week
- Includes accommodation, meals, airport pick up, orientation and 24/7 support
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Experience and learn about traditional indigenous life
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Discover the remote and stunning countryside of Peru
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Live and work with a local family in a rural Andean community
Key information
This program is ideal for:
What to expect and how you'll make an impact
High in the Peruvian Andes people live in small rural villages where the pace of life is slower and the standard of living is basic. These people often speak the local indigenous Quechua language and some Spanish, but little English.
As an Andean Immersion volunteer you’ll live with a local family and help them as they go about their daily tasks. Your help will make the family more efficient, both economically and around the house, while at the same time providing you with an immersive cultural experience. Volunteer duties can vary greatly but often include:
- Farming and agricultural work, including animal husbandry
- Construction
- Domestic chores
- Learning about traditional weaving and natural dyes
- Helping make textiles for sale at a local market
- Teaching English classes
- Helping with educational activities
- Taking part in local festivals and gatherings
Why do Andean Immersion volunteering in Cusco with IVHQ?
When you volunteer with an Andean community in Peru - Cusco you’ll be adding value to the local community, while also developing personally and professionally by:
- Getting an authentic experience of life in the rural Andes
- Helping a local family with a wide range of tasks
- Developing your communication skills
- Learning about the Quechuan language
- Practicing your Spanish
- Immersing yourself in Peruvian culture
- Exploring the stunning mountains of Peru
Volunteer requirements
- Volunteers under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to participate in this program
- Volunteers aged 16-18 are required to provide IVHQ with parental consent in order to participate on the program, and may be asked to provide additional documentation to the local team
- All volunteers aged 18+ are required to provide a criminal background check to IVHQ prior to departure. Those aged 16 and 17 will need to provide 2 character reference letters to participate
- All volunteers are required to have adequate volunteer travel insurance
- All volunteers must speak fluent English.
Are you eligible to volunteer?
Submit a free application so we can confirm your eligibility and check availability for your preferred dates.
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Academic course credit
Gain course credit from your college or university and meet your academic requirements when completing a volunteer abroad program with International Volunteer HQ!
Learn about course creditRead reviews from Andean Immersion volunteers in Cusco
”My favourite part of the program was spending time with such a wonderful family and experiencing their way of life, culture and tradition. Our children enjoyed playing with their little boy and helping him with homework, as well playing soccer together.”
Novica-Jozo, American, 49
Read reviews from Andean Immersion volunteers in Cusco
Location
As an Andean Immersion volunteer you’ll live with a local family in a remote village nestled in the valleys of the Andes mountains in Peru. You’ll be about a 90-minute drive away from the city of Cusco and even closer to the ancient Incan site of Machu Picchu.
Arrival and orientation
The program orientation begins every Monday and volunteers need to arrive in Cusco on the Sunday before orientation. Orientation will be held within 24 hours of your arrival.
After you have registered for the program, please book your flights to arrive at the Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport (CUZ) in Cusco. Your airport pick-up is included in your Program Fee. We recommend that volunteers under the age of 18 travel internationally with a notarized letter from their parents to support their documentation.
When you arrive, you will be greeted at the airport by a member of the local team and transported to the local team’s main office and then to a homestay in Cusco where you will stay until you have completed orientation and are then taken to your placement homestay. Your accommodation is covered by your Program Fee and includes the night before your program orientation. If you are traveling in Peru prior to your volunteer program, we can arrange for you to be picked up in Cusco on the day before your program orientation.
Orientation is hosted by our local team at their offices in Cusco. Orientation begins on Monday morning and covers everything you need to know for your volunteer program in Cusco – introduction to Peru, Peruvian customs, language lesson details, rules and expectations, safety, travel opportunities in Cusco, introduction to your project and placement. The orientation will also give you a chance to meet other volunteers and swap contact details for weekend travel and socializing.
Volunteer schedule example
Weekdays
Due to the varied nature of this project, volunteer days may not follow a reliable schedule. Work times and daily routines will depend on the individual placement and host family. A typical schedule might be as follows:
| 7:00 AM | Breakfast at your accommodation. This might be served earlier depending on the activities planned for the day. |
| 8:00 AM | Volunteer work begins. Depending on the season you may be helping with the potato harvest, cutting alfalfa, sorting harvested plants, helping with planting, preparing food or tending the sheep. |
| 12:00 PM | Lunch and break time. |
| 2:00 PM | Volunteer work continues. This may include: learning how to weave and dye traditional textiles, teaching English or feeding farm animals. |
| 6:00 PM | Dinner at your accommodation with other volunteers. |
Weekends
Volunteers have spare time to relax in the village or venture back into Cusco at their own cost via bus to explore other parts of Cusco and Peru.
Sunday is a religious day of rest. But if you wish, you can accompany your host family to their local church, as a Latin American church service is a unique and special experience for many volunteers.
Accommodation and WiFi
Volunteers stay onsite at the Andean Immersion farm with a local host family. Volunteers can expect to share a room with others of the same gender. Living is rustic but comfortable. There is cold running water, limited electricity and no internet.
Please note, homes in Peru are not typically heated but your hosts can provide you with additional blankets upon request. We also advise wearing layered clothing as the temperature tends to drop at night, due to the altitude.
Meals
Volunteers are provided breakfast, lunch and dinner at their homestay. You’ll eat traditional food and live day to day life the way locals do.
A typical Peruvian breakfast consists of bread, spreads, fruit and eggs accompanied by tea or coffee. Dinner commonly consists of meat (often chicken), soups, pastas, starches and vegetables.
Please note any dietary requirements you have so we can make special arrangements for you. However, you’ll need to be somewhat flexible due to the limited resources in this location.
Pricing
Duration |
Program FeeDue 30 days before you start, or within 48 hours if you register inside of 30 days. Covers the cost of hosting you.
|
|---|---|
| 1 week | $470 Equivalent to $67/day |
| 2 weeks | $805 Equivalent to $58/day |
| 3 weeks | $1,080 Equivalent to $51/day |
| 4 weeks | $1,350 Equivalent to $48/day |
| 5 weeks | $1,620 Equivalent to $46/day |
| 6 weeks | $1,890 Equivalent to $45/day |
| 8 weeks | $2,430 Equivalent to $43/day |
| 10 weeks | $2,970 Equivalent to $42/day |
| 12 weeks | $3,510 Equivalent to $42/day |
| 16 weeks | $4,590 Equivalent to $41/day |
| 20 weeks | $5,670 Equivalent to $41/day |
| 24 weeks | $6,750 Equivalent to $40/day |
- Accommodation
- Meals
- 24/7 in-country support
- In-country program orientation
- Pre-departure support from your Program Manager
- Airport pick-up
- Personalized preparation tools, guides and check lists
- Access to IVHQ’s preferred insurance and flights partners
- Discounts on language lessons
- Discounts on travel and tour add-ons
- Certificate of International Volunteer Service
Learn more about what's included in your IVHQ Registration Fee and Program Fee.
- All programs attract a Registration Fee of US$329 (approximately $329) in addition to the Program Fee. This covers all pre-departure support services.
- A 5% international banking fee is added at point of payment.
- Additional things to budget for include: Visa, flights, travel insurance (mandatory), vaccinations, criminal background check, public transportation to and from your placement each day and return to the airport when your program finishes.
- Recommended spending money: Volunteers in Cusco generally find US$100 per week to be sufficient for expenses, such as lunches (except for Amazon Jungle Conservation, Andean Immersion, and Eco-Agriculture Conservation volunteers), in-country tours, and Spanish language lessons.
Free-time experiences & tours in Peru
Take your volunteer experience to the next level with IVHQ's affordable activity and tour add-ons in Peru! Explore your options below and learn how to book them once you've been accepted onto the IVHQ Peru program.
Explore Machu Picchu on an exhilarating 2-day & 1-night tour.
Enjoy a full day of outdoor adventure with the ATV & Zipline Combo!
Adrenaline fueled ATV/Quadbiking experience in the Salt Mines & Lagoon!
Explore Machu Picchu on an exhilarating 2-day & 1-night tour.
Enjoy a full day of outdoor adventure with the ATV & Zipline Combo!
Adrenaline fueled ATV/Quadbiking experience in the Salt Mines & Lagoon!
No experiences or tours for Lima, yet...
Affordable Spanish language lessons
Fluency in Spanish is not a prerequisite for the IVHQ Peru - Cusco program, however on certain projects volunteer work will be restricted with limited language ability. We recommend that volunteers take advantage of the very affordable language lessons offered exclusively to IVHQ volunteers by our partner staff in Cusco. Past volunteers feel that taking these lessons help immensely with day-to-day volunteer work and communicating with local people. Volunteers interested in taking Spanish lessons can arrange these directly with the IVHQ Program Manager prior to departure. The language lessons are tailored to each volunteer’s current level of Spanish and classes run from Monday through to Friday. The cost is very affordable and offered exclusively to IVHQ volunteers.
- Group Class: 2 hour a day - starting at $65 per week
- Private Class: 1 hour a day - starting at $75 per week
- Private Class: 2 hours a day - starting at $150 per week
How to book IVHQ’s language lessons: When you apply for your IVHQ volunteer program, make a note in your application of the language classes you’re interested in.
Once you’ve paid your registration fee, your IVHQ Program Manager will be able to book your place on the classes you have chosen.
Spanish language lessons are not available on the Andean Immersion, Eco-Agriculture or Amazon Jungle Conservation projects due to their remote nature, however volunteers will have plenty of opportunity to practice with locals.
Check what's required to visit Peru
Safety and support
IVHQ follows best practice and industry-leading health and safety procedures, which are regularly reviewed and optimized as part of the B Corporation recertification.
- All volunteers encouraged to complete our interactive pre-departure training.
- All local teams trained on best practice volunteer management & First Aid.
- All IVHQ programs are required to adhere to IVHQ's Risk Management Policy.
- All volunteers have access to 24/7 in-country support from our local team.
Essential country information
| Capital | Lima |
| Population | 32 million |
| Languages | Spanish |
| Currency | Peruvian Nuevo Sol (PEN) |
| Time zone | UTC-05:00 |
Weather and climate: Peru, unlike other equatorial countries, does not have an exclusively tropical climate; the influence of the Andes and the Humboldt Current causes great climatic diversity within the country. In the mountains, rain is frequent during summer and temperatures and humidity diminish with altitude up to the frozen peaks of the Andes. The jungle has heavy rainfall and high temperatures, with the exception of its southernmost part, which has cold winters and seasonal rainfall.
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