Peru: Community Service & Language Immersion

We arrive to Lima and meet our Global Works trip leader. After checking into our hotel, we have an orientation to Peru and Global Works!

We wake up and take short flight to Cusco and head downtown. We stop for lunch at local restaurant and stretch our legs in Cusco’s famous Plaza de Armas. After, we travel by private bus to our local hotel in Urubamba with a stop at the Mirador for pictures. We participate in a local weaving demonstration at an Alpaca farm with feeding and interacting with animals. We end the day settling into rooms and having dinner at the hotel.

We begin the day with a Sacred Valley tour, which includes visiting the impressive ancient Pisac ruins and bartering for artisan goods. We eat lunch in the Pisac Market  and get to try the delicious empanadas! Participate in a silver ring and jewelry workshop, where we learn to make jewelry with a local artisan. The day ends with dinner at our Urubamba guesthouse and preparation for the next phase of our trip- community service in Calca!

We head to the town of Calca to begin our hands-on service work alongside members of the community. Past projects have included the construction of a food garden and the building of a community kitchen. We settle into our comfortable lodge and spend the afternoon reflecting on our trip thus far.

We go on an excursion to indigenous town of Kayllarakay where we learn about the traditional Quechua lifestyle, language, and culture. Share hearty lunches with members of the community. We continue with afternoon games , sports, and activities at the local school, as well as more service projects in Calca or in Kayllarakay.

This part of our journey ends with an excursion to the archeological Incan site of Moray, an important cultural landmark!

We work hard on our final morning of service work before departing Calca for our Machu Picchu excursion! Travel via private bus to town of Ollantaytambo for a quick tour and look around the artisan market. After, we board a train to Aguas Calientes, where we spend the night. We depart early for Machu Picchu for a full-day guided tour including hiking and exploring. We end the day with an evening departure to Ollantaytambo by train, then bus transfer to Cusco, and finally dinner and group reflections.

We end our trip with a Cusco tour, including a market scavenger hunt and a look at key sites across this culturally significant city. Depart for the airport – we are sad to leave, but excited to share our stories with our family and friends!