Program Directed by
Sylvie Littledale
If you have questions or would like to talk further about this program, please get in touch!
Immerse yourself in community life in Peru’s Sacred Valley on this high school service program. Work alongside local community members on meaningful construction and farming projects while learning about the landscapes, cultures, and flavors of the Peruvian Andes. In the afternoons, explore local markets, hike nearby peaks, and play soccer with new friends to deepen your connection to daily life in the valley. Then journey through the heart of the Inca Empire with visits to iconic archaeological sites, culminating in an exploration of Machu Picchu and its breathtaking mountain backdrop.
- Program Highlights
• Hike Inca trails to the well-preserved mountaintop city of Machu Picchu
• Immerse yourself in an Andean community Putney has worked with for years
• Practice Spanish and play fútbol with new Peruvian friends
• Explore the diverse flavors of Peru’s world-renowned cuisine
• Immerse yourself in an Andean community Putney has worked with for years
• Practice Spanish and play fútbol with new Peruvian friends
• Explore the diverse flavors of Peru’s world-renowned cuisine
“Working together and seeing the finished product brought a real sense of accomplishment and pride. Ellis spoke highly of his leaders. They were professional, yet fun and encouraging. They let the students help make some decisions on activities and included everyone.”
—Michele & Tyrone Gonzales, Houston, TX
Itinerary
This itinerary represents our best projection of the group’s schedule. However, we may implement changes designed to improve the quality of the program.
Departure — Travel Day
Meet your fellow high school student travelers and one of your leaders in Miami, and fly together to Cusco, Peru. To learn more about how we organize travel, click here.
Pisac — 2 days
Begin your program in the town of Pisac, nestled in Peru’s Sacred Valley in the towering South American Andes. Spend the first two days acclimating to the altitude while getting to know your group, leaders, and the spectacular Sacred Valley itself. Explore the imposing Pisac archaeological site to learn about the legacy of the Incas, a people whose influence is still woven into the fabric of modern Peru. Visit Pisac’s world-renowned artisanal market and learn about locally produced craft patterns and techniques.
Host Community — 10 days
Take a short bus ride from Pisac to your host community, tucked into a more remote part of the Andes. Live and work among local community members as you join in meaningful volunteer projects while getting to know the people, history, and culture of Andean Peru. In close partnership with local community organizations, specific volunteer projects are identified based on community need. Past projects have included building a classroom, painting a mural, constructing a community center, and volunteering in the local peach orchard. In the afternoons after the workday is finished, spend time playing soccer with your new friends, hike remnants of ancient Inca footpaths in the surrounding mountains, or relax and play music with your Peruvian peers.
Excursions — 4 days
During excursions, further explore the Sacred Valley. Trek to dramatic high mountain passes, hot springs, or an Inca quarry used as a burial ground. Explore the cobblestoned lanes and working aqueducts of Ollantaytambo, a picturesque town that has been occupied continuously since the time of the Inca. Visit Maras (Inca salt mines) and the world-famous Inca agricultural terraces at Moray. Try your hand at weaving during a workshop in Chinchero, Peru.
Machu Picchu & Cusco — 3 days
Say goodbye to your host community and head to Ollantaytambo for the night. Board an early morning train bound for Machu Picchu, the most famous archaeological site in the Americas. Descend from the train and prepare to hike the final eight miles of the Inca trail with the support of experienced guides. Wander the mountain sites of Chachabamba and Wiñay Wayna before entering Machu Picchu via Inti Punku, the Sun Gate. Explore this well-preserved Inca city and pilgrimage site, world-renowned for its remote, mountaintop location, and spend the night in Aguas Calientes before returning to Cusco. Spend your last day in Cusco, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the historic capital of the Inca Empire. Discover the city’s Spanish colonial center edged with Inca stonework, or stroll through the foundations of an ancient temple. Spend your last day in Cusco and enjoy a final celebration dinner with your group before returning home.
Return — Travel Day
Fly from Cusco to Miami with your group and a leader, then continue on to your final destination. To learn more about how we organize travel, click here.
Featured
Program Leaders
Meet some of our featured leaders. Please note that these may not be your leaders for the program.
Frequently Asked Questions
Review specific program questions here. For more general information, visit our full FAQ:
What are the main focuses of this program?
The focus of Putney’s Service Peru program is learning about another culture by forming meaningful relationships with local people and undertaking a shared community service experience together. The program combines cultural immersion, outdoor adventure, and community service to give students a broad introduction to the country's people, landscapes, and history. Students volunteer on meaningful service projects with the community, hike and camp in the spectacular Andes, explore the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, and engage with Quechua communities to learn about Indigenous traditions that continue to shape modern Peru. Throughout the program, the focus is on building cross-cultural understanding, embracing challenge, and developing a deeper appreciation for Peru's remarkable cultural and ecological diversity. Students should come to the summer with an open mind, eagerness to participate in new experiences, and interest in exploring another culture and way of life. All students participate in each of the group’s projects on a rotating basis, and everyone lends a hand in meal preparation and cleanup. To learn more about our Service programs click here.
What types of service projects do students participate in on this program?
During our Peru service program, you can expect to participate in several different service experiences—construction projects where you may learn to mix cement or paint a community building; environmental projects such as planting seedlings or shadowing local farmers; and educational projects such as leading workshops with local children. Students on this program have the unique opportunity to collaborate with local contacts and communities that Putney has worked with for years.
How many service hours can students expect to receive?
Students on our Peru high school service program can expect to complete 50–70 service hours. Students receive a digital service certificate after the program that confirms their participation. The certificate will specify the exact number of hours completed, based on our host community’s identified projects for the group.
What is the technology and cell phone policy?
To encourage full engagement and immersion in the Putney Student Travel experience, we limit the use of cell phones and other devices on our High School programs. Students are allowed to use their phones in transit to and from the program. During in-country orientation, leaders facilitate a call home, then collect and securely store all phones for the first half of the program. At the end of this tech-free period, leaders return student phones for the second half of the program. During the tech-free portion of the program, students have the opportunity for a weekly call home according to a pre-arranged schedule. For more details, please see our FAQ.
Will students have the opportunity to practice the local language?
Yes! Proficiency in Spanish is not required to join the program. However, students who speak Spanish or study Spanish in school will have ample opportunities to practice while communicating with local people. Students who do not speak Spanish will have the opportunity to learn some basic language skills. You will also have the opportunity to pick up and practice some Quechua, the local indigenous language of the Cusco region.
What is an Independent Project?
All students on Putney programs pursue an independent project as a way to more deeply engage with aspects of local culture that are of particular interest to them—in Peru, you might create a Quechua phrasebook, lead English workshops in the local school, interview locals about village history, learn to cook a traditional meal, organize a sports game for local kids, or spend a day harvesting potatoes with a local farmer.
How physically active is this program?
This is a physically active summer travel and service program. The service work and afternoon activities can be strenuous, and you can expect to spend most of each day outside, hiking, biking, and walking. You do not need to be at peak fitness to participate, but it is important that you have a desire to be physically active, and that you are excited about trying all activities. There is an eight-mile hike to Machu Picchu near the end of the program that reaches a maximum altitude of 8,000 ft (2440m).
Does this program visit high altitudes?
Yes, Putney’s high school Peru program visits high altitude destinations—our host community (above 10,000 ft or 3,000 m); Cusco (11,200 ft or 3,415m); Pisac (9,750 ft or 2,970 m); and Ollantaytambo (9,200 ft or 2,800 m).
What are the accommodations for this program?
Living accommodations on our high school Service Peru program are simple. The group sleeps in sleeping bags with shared bathrooms outside with sporadic running water and electricity. On excursions, we stay in small inns. Leaders reside together with the students for the duration of the program.
What are meals like in Peru?
In the host community, students help to prepare home-cooked meals with local cooks. During excursions, we eat most meals in restaurants and occasionally visit local markets to shop for picnic lunches.
What type of student is most successful on this program?
Students who thrive in Peru are curious, adaptable, and excited to step outside their comfort zone. This Peru program is a great fit for students who enjoy hiking and being active outdoors, are eager to engage with new cultures and perspectives, and are motivated by meaningful service rather than sightseeing alone. No prior travel or service experience is required—just an open mind, a positive attitude, and a willingness to contribute, learn, and embrace both the challenges and rewards of traveling through one of South America's most fascinating countries.
What makes Peru a good location for a Putney Student Travel program?
Peru is a beautifully diverse country with a strong sense of place, history, and identity. The Sacred Valley contains multitudes: a bustling city, thousands of small rural communities, hundreds of stunning archaeological sites, and breathtaking landscapes from mountain peaks to jungle valleys. Our groups connect with local partners Putney has been working with for years who offer students the opportunity to share, eat, work, and explore what it means to live in the Peruvian Andes. We have designed this program collaboratively with our local partners to not only expose students to Peruvian culture, but to afford them sufficient time to experience and understand local lifeways. Through hands-on projects with our host community, full day weaving workshops with a group of master weavers, and many other similar experiences, students are deeply immersed and engaged with the people and places we visit on the program.
How does the Peru program compare to Putney’s other Service programs?
Putney’s high school Service Peru program is a deep dive into the Andean region. The program takes place entirely in the valleys and mountains that make up the Sacred Valley, including long stretches staying in one community. This allows students to feel grounded and develop a sense of routine, turning what at first is a new environment and community into a home away from home. Far from monotonous, the diversity of the region brings students from their quiet host community to bustling local markets to some of the world’s most famous cultural heritage sites, like Machu Picchu and Cusco’s historic center.
Do students need prior experience or specific skills to join this program?
No specific experience or skills are required for success on this program, aside from coming with an open mind, willingness to try new things, and participating positively in a supportive, small-group environment.
What outcomes, skills, or growth can students expect to gain from this experience?
Students walk away from our Service Peru program with a strong sense of place and pride in the work they have accomplished together with their group and host community. They gain new skills in construction and agricultural techniques as well as Spanish language and communication skills. Students leave the program with a strong understanding of Peruvian history and cultural context for this region of the world. As travelers, they gain a greater sense of confidence and independence, strong new friendships, and a deepened global perspective.
A Day in the Life: Host Community
Due to the traveling nature of this summer program abroad, each day is different. Here is a snapshot of a day in our host community.
- Morning
7:00am
Enjoy breakfast with your group
8:00am
Break into work groups and head to the construction site or farm
- Afternoon
12:00pm
Reconvene at your residence for lunch
2:00pm
Continue service work, or work on an independent project of your choice
4:00pm
Kick the soccer ball with Peruvian peers, go for a hike around the town, or enjoy downtime
- Evening
6:00pm
Convene a cooking crew to prepare for dinner with the help of local cooks
7:00pm
Share dinner at your residence
8:00pm
Participate in an evening activity, such as a bonfire or a Quechua lesson with community members
9:00pm
Group meeting to discuss the day and upcoming schedule
“Expectations for program: safety and challenge; exposure to culture, people, place; positive group dynamics and fun. All expectations were met and surpassed!”
—Jennifer & Robert Knowles, Wenham, MA
