Peru Service Trip Overview
Peru Service is one of our most spectacular trips, offering the opportunity to perform meaningful service helping the local communities of Misminay and Urubamba while exploring the most iconic sites of this South American gem!
Your rewarding days of service will be spent on projects ranging from aiding in construction projects and farming, to teaching English as a second language. The rest of your time will be nothing short of transformative as you experience the unique atmosphere of the Sacred Valley. Drink in the mountain culture of Cusco as you see the mix of Inca and Colonial architecture around the Plaza de Armas and the temple of Coricancha. You will also peruse vibrant handicraft markets and marvel at the mesmerizing Inca city of Machu Picchu. Service, culture, incredible sights and adventure: What more could you ask for in a Peruvian summer?
During this program, you will…
- Earn up to 20 hours of community service credits volunteering with local communities in Misminay and Urubamba
- Make lifelong bonds with the local schoolchildren as you interact with them, helping them learn English
- Relax in soothing volcanic hot springs surrounded by mountains
- Be mesmerized by Machu Picchu, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World
- Live like a local and be welcomed into a Peruvian community
- Experience the Sacred Valley and its Incan past, exploring Coricancha, Ollantaytambo and Moray
- Hone your bargaining skills as you peruse the vibrant local markets for authentic handmade souvenirs
- Learn how the locals make, dye, and weave natural alpaca wool into stunning patterns
Looking for a longer version of this trip? Check out our Peru, Ecuador & the Galapagos Service program!
Trip Itinerary
DAY 1: DEPART FROM MIAMI (MIA)
DAYS 1-4: OLLANTAYTAMBO > URUBAMBA
We’ll kick off this incredible program in the Sacred Valley! Visit the amazing sites of the area, including the ruins in Ollantaytambo and Moray, where archaeologists theorize that the Inca conducted agricultural experiments. We’ll also begin our community service in Urubamba, helping an elementary school with and projects they may need and spending time with the children, instilling English as a second language and playing games.
DAY 5: MACHU PICCHU
Explore legendary Machu Picchu, one of the new Seven Wonders of the World! This imposing Incan city perched in the clouds will take your breath away, it’s nothing short of incredible! Hike to the legendary Sun Gate for sweeping views of the ruins, and reward yourself with a relaxing soak in the natural hot springs to finish off a perfect day!
DAYS 6-8: MISMINAY
Balance your sightseeing experiences by immersing yourself in the small communities that define the diverse cultural identity of Peru! We will be welcomed in the warmest way you can imagine, with open arms and big smiles, into the village of Misminay. Our first project in the small community will include providing hands-on help in various projects like building houses, kitchen improvements (construction work) and farming. One of the nights we will help the community prepare the “pachamanca,” a traditional Peruvian meal cooked in the earth. During our stay in Misminay, we will be sleeping in our own private rooms attached to some of the local family homes, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in the local community.
DAYS 9-10: CUSCO
Cusco is one of the most important cities in the Sacred Valley, so wake up and get ready to explore the historic Incan empire! Wander through a beautiful mix of Incan and Colonial architecture, before checking out Coricancha, the most important temple in the Incan Empire, which is dedicated to the Sun God, Inti.
Enjoy a hands-on chocolate making class and make your own tasty creations. At the handicraft markets in Cusco, sharpen your bargaining skills to get unique souvenirs for your family and friends! You’ll even spend a day channeling your inner Indiana Jones as you roam through incredible Incan Ruins, getting off the beaten path to explore some of these ancient cities.
DAYS 10-11: RETURN FLIGHT HOME
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is unique about the Peru Service trip?
Peru Service provides an amazing opportunity to live like a local in the Sacred Valley. The homestay portion of our program gives our students unrivaled access to the genuine lesser-known parts of Peru very few people get so see. Our local guides are extremely experienced and knowledgeable, providing us the chance to truly experience Peruvian culture.
Peru Service provides an amazing opportunity to live like a local in the Sacred Valley. The homestay portion of our program gives our students unrivaled access to the genuine lesser-known parts of Peru very few people get so see. Our local guides are extremely experienced and knowledgeable, providing us the chance to truly experience Peruvian culture.
Where do we stay on the Peru Service trip?
Students stay in centrally located, safe, and well-supervised accommodations in each city.
They are well suited to facilitating group supervision and usually within walking distance of the main attractions. We do not use large, impersonal chain hotels on the outskirts of cities; we prefer to select smaller, family-run hotels where we establish personal relationships with the owners.
On this trip we stay in well-appointed 3 star hotels and a homestay. Our homestay is in the Misminay community, where you will be in a private room of the villager’s home, with shared restrooms and communal meals held in the main center of the village.
For safety reasons, we do not publish the names of the accommodations we use. We do not feel it is safe to publish the name of a hotel where a group of teenagers is staying abroad. After registering, participants and parents are given access to our secure parent website where you will be able to see the names of all of the accommodations for a program.
Students stay in centrally located, safe, and well-supervised accommodations in each city.
They are well suited to facilitating group supervision and usually within walking distance of the main attractions. We do not use large, impersonal chain hotels on the outskirts of cities; we prefer to select smaller, family-run hotels where we establish personal relationships with the owners.
On this trip we stay in well-appointed 3 star hotels and a homestay. Our homestay is in the Misminay community, where you will be in a private room of the villager’s home, with shared restrooms and communal meals held in the main center of the village.
For safety reasons, we do not publish the names of the accommodations we use. We do not feel it is safe to publish the name of a hotel where a group of teenagers is staying abroad. After registering, participants and parents are given access to our secure parent website where you will be able to see the names of all of the accommodations for a program.
What is included on the Peru Service trip?
Tuition cost includes: ground transportation; accommodation; chaperones and guides; program-related activities and admissions; taxes and tips; all breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.
Not included in cost (this is not intended to be an exhaustive list): airfare; visas and visa application fees; personal and medical expenses; activities and admissions that are not program-related or referenced in the itinerary; beverages other than filtered water at meals; participant expenses that are outside of the program description, such as excess baggage fees and damage to hotels; expenses related to unforeseen circumstances, such as transportation strikes and natural disasters.
Tuition cost includes: ground transportation; accommodation; chaperones and guides; program-related activities and admissions; taxes and tips; all breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.
Not included in cost (this is not intended to be an exhaustive list): airfare; visas and visa application fees; personal and medical expenses; activities and admissions that are not program-related or referenced in the itinerary; beverages other than filtered water at meals; participant expenses that are outside of the program description, such as excess baggage fees and damage to hotels; expenses related to unforeseen circumstances, such as transportation strikes and natural disasters.
What is the food like on this program?
The food on this program is authentic, delicious, and a central part of the cultural travel experience.
We prioritize eating at local, authentic establishments rather than Americanized chains, encouraging students to sample the local specialties wherever we go. We fully accommodate all dietary needs, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten allergies, and other restrictions.
The food in Peru is delicious! Expect to eat corn, potatoes (all different varieties!), quinoa, rice, meats (beef, pork, chicken, and even Alpaca), veggies and many other foods flavored with unique Peruvian seasonings!
The food on this program is authentic, delicious, and a central part of the cultural travel experience.
We prioritize eating at local, authentic establishments rather than Americanized chains, encouraging students to sample the local specialties wherever we go. We fully accommodate all dietary needs, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten allergies, and other restrictions.
The food in Peru is delicious! Expect to eat corn, potatoes (all different varieties!), quinoa, rice, meats (beef, pork, chicken, and even Alpaca), veggies and many other foods flavored with unique Peruvian seasonings!