Overview

Do you fancy uncovering a new talent?

Most of Peru’s rich history is proudly on show above the ground; towering over your head in the shape of well-preserved colonial architecture or ancient Inca sites perched high on knife-edge cliffs. However, there is even more to be found under our feet and armed with a spade and a keen pair of eyes you could be the first person to see it for hundreds of years. Dating back to the 5th Century, the ceremonial site of Huaca Pucllana is one of Peru’s cultural wonders. The project is attempting to uncover and restore the site, but lack of funding means volunteers are needed to get busy excavating, cleaning, registering and cataloguing in order for the work to continue.

Trip Highlights:

• An incredible opportunity for hands-on learning about Peru's rich past
• Exploring Lima - a fascinating city with incredible food
• Practising your Spanish and enjoying the Peruvian way of life

Itinerary & Details

Project details:
This project was set up in 1981 by local government and the Institute of National Culture to preserve, uncover and then maintain the site of Huaca Pucllana, a 15 hectare archaeological site in Lima. Huaca Pucllana was constructed in the 5th century from adobe bricks and soon became an important ceremonial and administrative location.

Why volunteer at this project:
Volunteers are needed because the project lacks the resources to carry out all the survey and environmental education work that is necessary.

What kind of skills you need to go on this type of project:
As the locals do not speak that much English, you'll get more from your experience by learning some Spanish before you start your project. You should have an interest in archaeology, and it helps if you are methodical and precise due to the nature of the work.

Your role as a volunteer:
Typical activities will include archaeological excavation, cleaning, registering and cataloguing archaeological material and teaching English to guides on an informal basis.

Please note that during the months of February to possibly mid May there will be no digs occurring due to the heat in summer (January to March) and also as all digs need to be authorised by the National Institute of Culture every year. However other activities such as sieving, classifying collections, making bricks, cleaning archaeological material run all through the year.

Where the project is based:
Huaca Pucllana is located in the attractive Lima suburb of Miraflores, which is about 5 miles from the centre of the capital.

Accommodation is in homestays with local families. All the homestays are well equipped with electricity, running water, hot showers, kitchen facilities etc.

What exactly do i-to-i provide?

It may seem like a strange concept to pay for your volunteer experience. You'd be right if you think you shouldn't and the truth is you actually don't! Your placement is free; it's the benefits around it that you pay for. It's important to note that i-to-i is a travel company and not a charity. We provide a professional travel service. We are responsible for finding and assessing worthwhile projects across the world, preparing you fora the volunteering experience and supporting you whilst you're there.

Here’s some more information about what your placement fee covers….

Project sourcing and assessment

We work with hundreds of locally run partner projects around the world and are constantly sourcing new opportunities. We visit all projects to check that they are worthwhile and legitimate and we also conduct a thorough safety assessment before we'll send volunteers there. More

Expert help-desk

Almost everyone who works for i-to-i has traveled extensively or worked overseas. This means we're a goldmine of information; we're always available to offer support and guidance before, during and after your trip.

Thorough project briefing materials

Once you book on to a project you'll receive a Welcome Pack that contains loads of general information about volunteering, about your chosen country and how to have fun and stay safe. We'll also give you advice on visas and inoculations.

TEFL training

If you are volunteering on a Teaching project then a 60-hour Online TEFL course is included in your placement fee. This is an internationally recognised and accredited certificate that will help you to make the most of your time overseas. More

Airport pickup

It can be pretty daunting arriving in a different country for the first time - especially after a long flight! If you arrive on your project start date, there'll be a welcoming face at the airport to pick you up and take you to your accommodation.

Arrival orientation

Soon after you arrive you will attend a thorough orientation with our in-country team. This is to cover important safety and security information. You'll also get some tips about sight-seeing options for your time off and maybe even learn some of the local lingo!

Accommodation and meals

Accommodation is included with all projects and meals are even included with some. We only use locally-owned and operated accommodation so that part of your placement fee is filtering back into the local economy. Most projects offer homestay, guesthouse or shared volunteer houses as standard accommodation, but some offer the chance to upgrade to a more comfortable living standard. More

Local in-country coordinators

Your in-country team will arrange a pick-up for you at the airport and will conduct your orientation upon arrival. All coordination teams are English speaking and are locals of your destination country. They won't be at your project every day, but will be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week if you need them. More

24/7 emergency support

Aside from the local support from your in-country team you'll be given access to a 24/7 emergency phone line manned by our response team in case any problem should arise while you're overseas. We also hire crisis management professionals to be on hand in case of a situation that requires additional expert support. More

Ongoing training

The safety and security of our volunteers is paramount. For this reason we provide ongoing crisis management and emergency response training to our local teams around the world. We also fly in our in-country coordinators to the UK regularly for thorough training to help them offer the best safety to the thousands of volunteers they support each year. More

Supporting our projects

We don't fund our projects directly from the project fee that you pay us. Instead we choose to support a number of projects every year through a grant scheme for tangible long-term initiatives. In the last 3 years we have distributed over US$250,000 to our most needy projects to help them in the great work they do. 

Recruiting people like you

We make no secrets of the fact that part of your placement fee is reinvested in to recruiting volunteers just like you! The volunteers recruited in one week will typically deliver over 2000 man-days of service. The difference this makes to projects overseas is immeasurable. Many of our overseas projects rely on assistance from international volunteers, so it's necessary for us to put together brochures and websites to find the people who can support them. This recruitment process is vital to ensure programs have a constant stream of reliable volunteers.

The intangible benefits

Volunteering through a company like i-to-i has a lot of intangible benefits to developing overseas communities and the individual projects that we work with. To find out more about our placements. click here

Next Steps

What we will do after you've booked:

Orientation Information

We aim to provide you with a safe and soft landing into your destination by picking you up from the airport, giving you an orientation that helps to settle you into the country as quickly as possible. It's also the best time to ask any questions you have about your time in Peru. You will arrive on the Arrival Date - Friday (Monday if taking part in the Peruvian Andes Experience) and will be met at the airport on that day (whether it is 12 in the morning or 11:59 at night). You will be taken to your accommodation where you will have the first day/night to recover from your flight.

Note: If you're arriving early we can arrange a meet and greet for you. If you require this please contact us to arrange this service. If you wish to make your own way please contact Fiorella directly for your allocated accommodation in Lima.

Your orientation will take place the next morning and will introduce you to life in Peru as well as important information about staying healthy and safe and information on getting to your project. Over lunch you will have the chance to ask any questions of the team before starting work on Monday morning.

Flights & Insurance

Insurance

It's important that you get adequate travel insurance for your i-to-i experience and as many of you will be working this often means standard policies won’t work. The good news is that no matter where your coming from we have already found a policy to suit you.

The best time to get your insurance is when you book your project as this means you can get a fully tailored policy exclusive to i-to-i, just ask your consultant for further details at the time of booking.

EU Customers – find out more here >>

Australian customers - find out more here >>

All other customers - find out more here >>

Flights

As with insurance we advise you get these booked as early as possible to avoid high prices and to make sure you arrive on the right day. The i-to-i team is right up to date with the best deals no matter where you’re flying from; their insider knowledge could save you some time and money.

Early Airport Pick-up

If you are arriving before your designated arrival date, we can arrange for an extra meet and greet service for you. For an extra supplement we will be there to meet you at the airport and take you to your orientation accommodation. One additional night a

The cost of this Early Pick-up service is €20.00