Medical volunteering in Cusco

A healthcare facility working with limited resources needs to organise people, materials and care around changing daily priorities. This programme lets you support that work in a role suited to your preparation, learning about local practice and context without replacing the professionals responsible.

You may observe activities, prepare materials and equipment, help organise documentation or support staff. Any direct care is agreed only when compatible with your training, experience and the facility’s authorisation. Your role will be confirmed around your preparation and the facility’s authorisation; a particular clinical procedure is not part of the booking guarantee.

Applications are possible from age 18, but documented healthcare training is required. The programme is for health professionals and advanced students, with individual assessment. Guidance gives medical-school years 3–4 as examples of its medical classification; these are not automatic equivalents between national courses, and later-year students are not excluded simply because their course structure differs. Actual training, experience, authorisation and a suitable placement are assessed before confirmation. Share your background before confirming travel. Basic English is enough. Spanish is not required, but helpful.

Your placement may be in a clinic, community service or care facility, according to available places. Direct patient contact or continuous work beside a doctor is not always part of the role. Bring discretion, respect for procedures and realistic expectations. Prepare the uniform and personal materials specified in your departure information; any tools to bring depend on the confirmed role.

There is more to your stay than project hours. Explore Cusco’s neighbourhoods and markets or meet fellow participants. At arrival, discover the local activities calendar: free salsa, cooking and Tandem sessions when scheduled, with events changing from week to week. Optional tours and excursions are arranged separately.

🏡 You’ll stay with a Peruvian family selected by the local team, possibly alongside other international participants. Standard rooms are shared; pairings and guest numbers depend on availability. Bathrooms are normally shared too.

Breakfast and dinner are included every day, including weekends. Shared meals and conversations when you get home offer a chance to get to know the family’s routines. Bedding, blankets, a towel, drinking water and hot water are provided. Wi-Fi isn’t always guaranteed.

If you have allergies or dietary needs, let us know before you travel so we can check the options with your host family. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options are available by prior arrangement. Laundry has a separate cost. You can use a local service or ask whether your host family offers it.

Prefer a different arrangement? The following can be requested, subject to availability and a separate quote:

• A private room with a host family, including breakfast and dinner. A private bathroom must be requested and confirmed separately.

• A participant residence for ages 18–26, with breakfast and dinner. Room and bathroom arrangements are confirmed in the quote.

• A three-star hotel, with a private room and bathroom and breakfast included. Lunch and dinner are separate.

• A furnished apartment, without meals, normally offered for four-week stays. Shorter stays need checking.

• A hostel, with a shared or private room and breakfast as specified in the quote. A private room doesn’t automatically include a private bathroom.

What about free time? The local team offers a monthly calendar with several free activities, giving you ways to try something new and meet fellow international participants. Events vary with the period.

For Spanish practice, join Tandem, a free exchange with a local person. You practise Spanish while they practise a language you know, according to available matches. Structured small-group or individual Spanish classes, from beginner to advanced, can be requested outside project hours with a separate quote.

There’s also time to explore Cusco’s museums, craft markets and historic places. For trips further afield, the team can advise on the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu or other parts of Peru, allowing for travel time and the days available.

🛡️ A local team representative welcomes you in Cusco. After booking confirmation, you receive the meeting point, how to recognise them and useful contacts, including emergency support.

Your host family is selected by the local team to welcome international participants. Learn the house rules and get to know your contacts as you settle in. Other guests depend on the dates.

During orientation, the team introduces the local context and practical guidance for getting around. You can ask for support during your stay and receive a 24-hour emergency contact. Follow the advice, use reliable transport and look after your phone, money and belongings, especially in busy places. Ask when something is unclear; support does not mean someone accompanies you continuously.

At the healthcare placement, only do agreed tasks suited to your training. Follow hygiene, confidentiality and staff guidance. Do not photograph patients or documents without appropriate authorisation. Clarify any doubt about your role before acting.

Applications are possible from age 18 for health professionals and advanced students with documented training, subject to assessment. Professional authorisation, skills and placement requirements are assessed separately from age. Share your actual course and experience; years of study are not automatic equivalents across national systems.

🧭 Before activities begin, you’ll meet the team and find out how the programme works. Your welcome information explains arrival arrangements and orientation, helping you settle in and understand your role.

Orientation includes:

• An introduction to your programme and assigned project.

• Guidance on activities, rules and your responsibilities.

• Practical advice on safety, transport and available services.

• Information about free-time activities.

• A Spanish level assessment to help arrange any optional lessons. Basic English is enough to participate; Spanish is not required, but helpful. Your healthcare background is assessed before confirmation.

On your first visit to the project, a team representative accompanies you, introduces the staff and explains your activities. They also show you the route between your accommodation and placement so you can travel independently afterwards. Depending on the distance, you may walk or use local transport. Daily transport costs are not included.

✈️ Your arrival airport is Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport in Cusco, code CUZ. Arrival is normally on Sunday, with the programme starting on Monday.

Pickup at Cusco airport is included. Once your travel is booked, send us the date, time, airline and number of your final flight into Cusco so the team can arrange your welcome.

After booking, you’ll receive the meeting point and operational contacts. If you can’t find your representative, stay at the agreed point and contact the team. Report flight changes or delays as soon as possible.

If you travel through Lima, arrange your connection to Cusco too: the domestic flight isn’t included. Check connections and baggage transfer with your airline, leaving enough time between flights.

Arrivals on other days and extra nights must be agreed beforehand. Additional nights and services depend on availability and cost extra.

📱 A practical tip: for internet from arrival, consider setting up an eSIM before travelling. You can explore Airalo options here.

Your return journey

The standard homestay ends on Saturday, with check-out by 11:00 and breakfast included. Other accommodation arrangements have their own confirmed check-out time.

For your return to the airport, allow for a separate travel cost. The team can help you arrange the journey. If you continue travelling in Peru, tell us in advance so we can coordinate your departure from the accommodation.