Travel & Visa

We recommend that you fly into Lima (airport code LIM) and take a domestic flight to Cusco (airport code CUZ). There are several airlines that operate domestically in Peru, but we suggest booking your internal flight with Latam (LAN) Airlines or Avianca Airlines. They operate the most flights back and forth between Lima (LIM) and Cusco (CUZ) and are the most reliable.

Arrival: Arrive to Cusco on the first Saturday of the volunteer week.

Departure: Depart from Cusco on the second Saturday.

We will arrange airport transfers to/from the airport in Cusco. You can arrive / depart at anytime on each Saturday.

• U.S. citizens must present a passport that is valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of departure from Peru.. No visa required for U.S. citizens. More info here for U.S. passport holders.
• Canadian citizens must present a passport that is valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of departure from Peru. No visa is required for Canadian citizens to enter Peru. More info here for Canadian passport holders.

Altitude sickness may occur at elevations of 7,000 feet or higher. Cusco is at 11,000 feet above sea level, so travelers often experience symptoms of altitude sickness when they reach Cusco.

From the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: The symptoms of altitude illness are similar to those of a hangover: headache, feeling tired, lack of appetite, nausea, and vomiting. Children who cannot yet talk may just seem fussy. Mild cases can be treated according to symptoms (such as with painkillers for a headache) and should go away on their own within a few days. Medicines are available to shorten the time it takes to get used to high altitude. However, people with altitude illness should not continue to ascend until they have gotten used to the altitude. More info on altitude sickness here.

Visit your doctor (ideally, 4-6 weeks) before your trip to discuss vaccines or medicines you may need.

There are currently no vaccines required for travel to Peru. As best practice, all travelers should be up-to-date on routine vaccines, including measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, polio vaccine, and your yearly flu shot.

Go here for more detailed travel health info from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.

Also see Zika Virus in Peru.