Outlined below are the costs and inclusions for our Join a Group Program.

You will see that the inclusions for the tour and volunteer components are separated to provide you will a clear picture of what you are paying for. To join the Program, you must cover the costs of both components.

We request that:

• Funds for the tour component be provided directly to the travel agency organising the tour component.
• Funds for the volunteer component be provided directly to the local charity to give you piece of mind that 100% of the funds are going where they should be.

DETAILS OF WHAT IS INCLUDED

In Lima:

• We will organise an airport pick-up from Lima airport to your accommodation in Miraflores, Lima, where you will stay for two nights.
• The following day you can relax after a late breakfast and then enjoy an afternoon tour of the city of Lima. The four-hour tour of 'The City of Kings' showcases both the colonial and present day modernity of the city. You will visit the "Plaza Mayor" and the beautiful Plaza San Martín, the church and cloister of San Francisco and the Lima Cathedral where lies Francisco Pizarro, the Conqueror of Peru. The tour will continue through the traditional areas of Lima - San Isidro and Miraflores, stopping at the Olives Park, Parque Central (Central Park), and Parque del Amor (Park of Love). The tour ends with a magnificient view of Pacific Ocean from the Miraflores cliffs at sunset.
• The next morning, you will be transferred from your accommodation to Lima airport for your flight to Cuzco. Your ticket is a pre-purchased e-ticket so all you have to do is show your passport at the check-in counter and pay airport tax.

In Cusco:

• A Peru's Challenge representative will meet you at the Cuzco airport and transfer you to the volunteer house.
• Accommodation in our private volunteer house is two or three people per room. If you would like a single room, there will be an additional cost. Please send a request to volunteer@peruschallenge.com.
• The house consists of three aparments all with fully-equipped kitchens, hot water showers, courtyard and 24-hour security guards. It is close to food markets, an internet shop and laundry service. 

Tours:

• The domestic flights included are from Lima to Cusco and then Cusco to Lima. The Lima to Cusco flight will be automatically booked two days after the start date as per the table of program dates. The Cusco to Lima flight will be automatically booked  on teh program finish date as per the table of program dates. If you request changes to these flights and fees or associated costs are at your expense.
• You can choose from the four-day trek along the ancient Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, or the two-day train trip to the Machu Picchu ruins. The trek includes tents, camping equipment and food. All tours include an English-speaking guide. If you cancel the four-day trek and change to the two-day train tour within 90 days of your placement start date, you will have to pay for the new tour as we lose 100% of the fee for the Inca Trail.
• The two-day trip to the Sacred Valley of the Incas includes private transportation for our group with an English speaking guide for the duration of the trip. Visits to the main weaving village of Chincero, the Inca fortress of Ollantaytambo and the agricultural and religious Inca ruins of Pisaq, including time to shop at the famous Pisaq textile markets.
• The orientation tour of Cuzco will be organised in your first week to show you where the banks, post office, good supermarkets and local markets are.
• The Cuzco tourist ticket valid for ten days which allows entry into museums and other tourist sites around Cuzco.
• The Inca sites tour includes an English-speaking guide and visits to the Temple of the Moon, Sacsayhuaman and other Inca ruins above Cuzco.
• We can also organise optional one- and two-day hikes through the Andes Mountains visiting villages whose communities still live as the Incas did, and other great tours: mountain biking, white-water rafting, bungee jumping and paragliding, to name a few.
• We can also organise other tours around Peru and South America including trips to the Nazca Lines, Amazon Jungle, Galapagos Islands and Iguazu Falls.

Spanish:

• Each month, volunteers participate in a Spanish course at beginner, intermediate or advanced level with two to four students per group. All learning materials are supplied.
• Individual lessons can be arranged at an additional cost.

Other inclusions:

• Peru's Challenge volunteer t-shirt.
• Welcome or leaving dinner at a typical Peruvian restaurant.
• In-country orientation of the Peru's Challenge projects that you will be working on with skills matching.
• Access to a volunteer representatives at all times during your placement who speaks Spanish and English.

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

International airfares to and from Peru:

Volunteers must organise their own travel to and from Lima, Peru.

Other travel costs before and after the program:

Volunteers must organise and pay for all their travel arrangements before and after the volunteer program.

Travel insurance:
It is a requirement of volunteers to organise their own travel/medical insurance. Often your travel agent can organise a 10%-15% discount on travel insurance when booking your flights.

Tourist Visa:

On arrival at Lima International Airport residents from most countries will automatically be given a free tourist Visa valid for 90 days. Please check with the Peruvian Embassy to ensure residents from your country are automatically given a Visa on arrival.

Food:

Volunteers are asked to pay for their own food due to the variety of specific meal requirements for some volunteers.

• Cuzco has a great supply of top quality fresh produce and a range of restaurants.
• The volunteer house has good cooking facilities and is close to shops and markets making the preparation of good food very easy.
• Cost of buying food and preparing three meals a day (eggs and toast for breakfast, soup and a sandwich for lunch and meat, vegetables and rice for dinner): US$20 - $30 per week.

WHY PAY TO VOLUNTEER?

Most organisations that run international volunteer programs rely on contributions. You may ask why we charge a fee for you to work for free.

The answer is simple: We have limited resources and cannot subsidise your costs for accommodation, tours, the domestic flight, transport  to and from the project etc.

Our cost include: the process of recruiting and interviewing volunteers, developing marketing materials, answering phones, emails, sending information, developing and maintaining this website, maintaining our office and staff in Peru, buying materials (for buildings, schools, health clinics, water systems, etc.); teacher's salaries and hiring building contractors; legal and accounting services and bank fees.

The Peru's Challenge Program works hard to keep costs to an absolute minimum through strong relationships with leading operators offering great discounts on services. We encourage you to 'shop around' before you commit to our placement to ensure you are completely satisfied with what you will receive.

Normally, when travelling in South America you need to budget for approximately US$100 - $140 per day to pay for tours, Spanish lessons and accommodation. Join the Peru's Challenge Program and you will do all of this while also directly helping local communities for approximately US$40 per day (depending on which program you join).

We believe that you will not find a better option. By joining the Peru’s Challenge Program you will travel and experience the best that Peru offers, while also directly living and helping the communities in which you visit.

If you have any questions, please email volunteer@peruschallenge.com.