Peru
About
About Peru
Peru is arguably one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, ranging from arid sand deserts in the south-west to the headwaters of the immense Amazon river and rainforest in the northeast. Peru is also home to the oldest civilisations in the Americas, with the crown jewel being the ancient Incan citadel of Machu Picchu, hidden for years in the Andes Mountains and now acknowledged as one of the Seven Modern Wonders of the World – alongside famous human monuments such as the Taj Mahal and Great Wall of China.
The Amazon rainforest contains covers 60% of Peru, yet is home to only 5% of Peru’s population. There are more than 400 species of mammals, with 32 different kinds of monkeys alone! Many rainforest communities are extremely isolated, with access only by boat. Villagers suffer from poor access to education and medical health care. They rely on the rainforest for their food, building materials, medicines, canoes, and trade or barter items, however, their traditional lifestyles are constantly threatened by destructive and non-sustainable illegal industries including timber logging, gold mining, oil drilling and cattle ranching.
In contrast with the isolation of Peru’s jungle, the high altitude city of Cusco in the Andean mountains in southern Peru receives more than 1.5 million tourists per year. Despite the huge number of tourists, almost 30% of Cusco’s population lives in poverty, particularly the Quechuan people, many of whom lived in extreme poverty in rural villages in the mountains and moved into the city in search of work and income. Village children are often required to walk for several hours to the nearest elementary school, and high schools are too far from home for most rural village children to attend.
Highlights
Join us on an unforgettable adventure, volunteering on humanitarian and wildlife conservation projects in the Amazon Rainforest, and exploring one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Machu Picchu.
- Volunteer on a monkey conservation project deep in the Amazon rainforest
- Visit the wild and exotic Belen floating jungle market in Iquitos, Peru
- Discover how the Yagua tribespeople protect the Amazon from exploitation
- Learn the art of chocolate making and coffee processing from Peruvian villagers
- Experience colourful Peruvian culture in the high altitude city of Cusco
- Explore the ancient citadel of Machu Picchu on the world famous Inca Trail
Dates
Departure Dates
Departure dates available June-September
Send us a request for a date that suits you
Every school group tour is created bespoke, according to the time of year, available duration, proposed budget and number of group members. Better World Adventures has done the due diligence for you in partnering with extremely high quality and sustainable volunteering projects, and selecting memorable activities and cultural experiences that perfectly showcase each country’s uniqueness.
Use this website to gain an introduction to a selection of the most popular volunteering projects and cultural activities that Better World Adventures are able to combine into your perfect itinerary. Then contact us to discuss your objectives and requirements related to current study themes, group capability, and your travel objectives. We are absolutely confident that you will end up with an itinerary that delivers above and beyond your expectations, with exceptional attention to detail, and at a price that is significantly lower per head than other providers.
Inclusions
What’s included?
Wherever possible, known costs that will be incurred by all participants have been included.
Additional costs are minimal, and mostly personal. No surprises, no significant extras!
- Fully escorted tour with two tour leaders (male and female)
- Comprehensive travel and medical insurance
- Economy class international air travel
- All airport transfers
- Peru entry visa
- Peruvian SIM card with data
- Souvenir participant T-shirt
- All accommodation (twin or multi-share basis)
- 2-3 meals per day
- Professional local guides
- Tour tipping
- 2 weeks of community volunteering
- ½ day escorted tour of Cusco, an ancient city central to the Incan empire
- Visit Koricancha Temple, the most important Incan temple.
- Escorted tour of Iquitos City in the Amazon
- Visit to the Belen floating jungle market in Iquitos
- 2 weeks humanitarian or wildlife volunteering on the Amazon River
- 1-day hands-on activity learning traditional village enterprises in the Sacred Valley including beekeeping, chocolate making, fabric weaving, pottery, coffee production
- Full day tour of Machu Picchu, world-famous iconic “Lost City of the Incas”
- Exploration of Incan Sacred Valley
- Beautifully scenic train journey from Agua Calientes to Cusco
Itinerary
Itinerary
- Day 1-2 - Arrival
- DAY 3-4 IQUITOS
- DAY 5-10 AMAZON
- DAY 11-15 MONKEYS
- DAY 16-17 CUSCO
- DAY 18 SACRED VALLEY
- DAY 19-20 MACHU PICCHU
- Day 21-23: Homeward Bound
Day 1 – 2: “Bienvenida” Welcome to Peru
We fly trans-Pacific, arriving into the Peruvian capital of Lima.
- Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
- 2-3 star tourist hotel or hostel in Lima or Iquitos
Day 3 – 4: Iquitos, Peruvian Amazon
We fly to the remote north-eastern corner of Peru, and into the heart of the Amazon rainforest where we will spend our first few days in the frontier city of Iquitos on the Amazon River. Iquitos is a major trading centre for communities located within the rainforest. It is also the largest city in the world with absolutely no road access. The only way to arrive is by plane or riverboat.
While in Iquitos we will learn about the incredible biodiversity of the region, and of the indigenous communities that call the rainforest their home. We will also tour the eclectic Belen market, where boats come and go continuously and many of the residents’ houses are on stilts or even floating on the river.
- Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
- 2-3 star tourist hotel or hostel
Day 5-10: Volunteering with Project Amazonas
We travel upriver to our base at the Santa Cruz Forest Reserve, run by Project Amazonas, a humanitarian medical and conservation foundation that provides medical assistance to remote communities and helps to protect the rainforest ecosystem. During our free time, we will hike in the rainforest, and swim and fish. Keep an eye out for macaws, monkeys, peccaries, otters and any number of butterfly species. On our final evening, we will celebrate at a fiesta at the field station or with the local community.
- Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
- Volunteer dormitory, or village homestay
Day 11-15: Volunteering in Wildlife Conservation on Monkey Island
We will then switch our focus to wildlife conservation, moving to La Isla de
Day 16-17: The Incan city of Cusco
From the Amazon, we fly south to the historic city of Cusco, the oldest continually inhabited city in the Americas. Cusco is located in the Andean mountains in southern Peru at a height of 3,350 metres. We will spend a couple of days exploring Cusco’s colourful markets and beautiful churches while our bodies acclimatise to the altitude.
- Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
- 2-3 star tourist hotel or hostel
Day 18: Artisans and Archaeology of the Sacred Valley
En route to Machu Picchu, we spend a day in the scenic and fertile Sacred Valley of the Incas. We will visit Chichubamba village, where we will learn traditional village trades of coffee production, beekeeping, fabric weaving, and chocolate making.
- Breakfast/Dinner
- 2-3 star tourist hotel or hostel
Day 19-20: Machu Picchu – One of the Seven Wonders of the World
We end our exploration of Peru visiting the spectacular ruins of Machu Picchu. This dramatic 15th-century mountaintop citadel remained unknown to Europeans for almost 500 years but is now one of the world’s most iconic travel destinations. Catching your first glimpse of Machu Picchu through the morning mist is a memory that will remain with you for life!
- Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
- 2-3 star tourist hotel or hostel
Day 21-23: Homeward Bound
We return to Cusco for a celebration dinner on our final night before departing for home, losing a day as we cross the International Dateline.
- Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
Lima
Iquitos, Peruvian Amazon
Monkey Island,Peru
Cusco, Peru
Chichubamba village, Peru
Machu Picchu
Accommodation
Accommodation
Better World Adventures uses a variety of accommodation on the Amazon Volunteer Adventure in Peru.
In the Amazon, depending on group size, volunteers will be housed either in
In Cusco, accommodation will be in a comfortable 2-3 star tourist hotel or hostel, in
Volunteering
Volunteering
Project Amazonas, Mazan, Amazon
Our hands-on volunteering will focus on the rainforests of the Peruvian Amazon where we will partner with an American humanitarian medical and conservation provider. Project Amazonas run a fleet of boats on the tributaries of the Amazon river, bringing medical assistance to isolated communities, and provide conservation assistance to protect the rainforest from illegal industries. We will be involved in a variety of activities that may include assisting with trail and field station upkeep, school building projects, wildlife conservation, fisheries projects, botanical surveys, community development projects, or early childhood education to the local children of Mazan.
Isla de la Monos (Monkey Island), Amazon River
We will also learn about the impact on the rainforest wildlife by logging, farming and mining, by offering assistance at a primate centre La Isla de
Gallery
Peru Adventure Gallery
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