Volunteering Details
Please read the information below for details about Flights, Immigration, Housing, Food, Financial Budget, Medical Care, and Safety. As always, if you have any questions after reading, please contact Chris Payne by email or WhatsApp.
Air Travel to Peru
There are daily flights between many cities in the United States to Lima, Peru. Check google.com/flights for some of the current travel options and prices (be sure to use the “Date Grid” and “Price Graph” features to see the best prices for different days of the week).
Remember that Spirit will usually be the absolute cheapest option, but they include no luggage and if you pay for a bag it is only for 40 lbs. (instead of 50 lbs. like every other airline in the world). I personally don’t mind flying Spirit to Peru, but I keep in mind its luggage limitations. Some airlines have a 22 lbs. weight limit for a carry-on bag so check all weight limits before showing up at the check-in counter 😉
Immigration to Peru
A Bright Futures Peru volunteer enters Peru just like an ordinary tourist at the Lima, Peru international airport. See the airport’s website at https://new.lima-airport.com/en/. There is no visa required to enter Peru as a tourist or to volunteer while you are a tourist in Peru. You will need a passport that is valid for at least six months from the day you enter Peru and have a ticket for a return flight home or to another destination outside Peru.
(If you are not sure when you want to fly home, it is common to buy a fully refundable ticket for your return flight and then cancel the ticket once you have passed through immigration. The requirement for a flight home is a requirement to enter a lot of countries to make sure you have the ability to pay for a ticket home, even if you can just cancel the ticket.)
When you show your passport to the immigration officer at the airport, they may ask you how long you will be staying in Peru. It should be no problem to get permission from the immigration officer for up to 90 days or until your return flight is scheduled.
Peru is one of the most frequently visited South American countries by tourists from the United States and Europe (before the COVID-19 pandemic there were over 3 million tourists per year that visited Peru), so unless there are some very exceptional circumstances, there should be no problem with entering or exiting the country.
Air Travel to Trujillo from Lima
Once you pass through immigration, claim your bag, and pass through the customs area, you will exit to the main lobby of the Lima airport. From there you can remain in the airport and take a domestic flight directly to Trujillo. A flight from Lima to Trujillo takes about an hour and fifteen minutes and costs approx. $60 -$150 one-way including one checked luggage. You can check the prices with Google Flights, or directly with LATAM Airlines or Sky Airlines.
Once you arrive in Trujillo, one of the teachers that works with Bright Futures Peru will greet you at the airport and accompany you to La Esperanza.
Keep in mind that LATAM airlines frequently has lower prices on the Spanish version of its website, but they require you to put in a Peruvian identification card number to receive the lower airfare rate. Use the English version of the website to see the fares that you will actually be charged if you don’t have a Peruvian ID.
Bus Travel to Trujillo from Lima
If you feel comfortable traveling in Peru, you can leave the airport by taxi to explore Lima for a few days and then take a bus to Trujillo. An authorized airport taxi costs about $20 – $30 from the airport to most destinations in Lima (if you have a cell phone data connection you can also use Uber, see more about cell phone plans below). Hotels and youth hostels cost about $20 – $30 a night in Lima. A seat on a well-maintained non-stop intercity bus between Lima and Trujillo costs about $18 with a normal seat, $25 with a 160-degree reclining seat, and $45 for a 180-degree lay-flat seat. Almost all bus companies travel overnight departing Lima between 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and arriving about 9 hours later in Trujillo.
Some of the companies that have well-maintained busses and are recommended for tourists are:
Cruz del Sur, ITTSA (recommended for traveling to destinations north of Lima)
TEPSA, Civa (recommended for north and south of Lima)
Peru Hop (recommended for exploring all the best tourist sites in the south of Peru from Lima to Cusco and even to La Paz, Bolivia.
Remember that it is recommended to only take buses that provide non-stop service and have departure and arrival offices in safe neighborhoods. Buses that stop in small towns along the route are less safe as they may stop at many points along the route to let people on and off during the trip and this sometimes leads to robbers getting on the bus and robbing the passengers (this is rare, but it’s been known to happen, so just don’t take the chance). Always take non-stop, well-maintained busses from the companies suggested above and you will almost certainly have no problem traveling safely and comfortably.
Housing in Trujillo
Volunteers will arrive in Trujillo and initially stay in a spare bedroom of one of the school’s teachers. From that point, the volunteer will be assisted to find a longer-term housing arrangement with a local family or rent a private room from a normal landlord. This is so the volunteer can talk with different families and decide which accommodation will be best suited for them.
If you decide to stay with a host family you will have the added social benefit of conversing with the family and being invited to events the family is attending. If you choose to rent a private room from a landlord, you will have more freedom to come and go as you please without any other social obligations (but you may still be asked to tell the owners at least where you’re going and when you will return home).
You may decide to arrange housing in La Esperanza to be closer to the school and volunteer work or choose to live closer to the city center in Trujillo to be closer to the modern amenities and commute to the school for about 15-20 minutes by bus or taxi. Regardless of your preferences, the teachers will help you find housing that you are comfortable with.
See below for an example budget for living in Trujillo
Budget for Air Travel
Round trip air travel to Peru: $300 – $800
One way air travel from Lima to Trujillo: $50 – $110
Check Google Flights https://www.google.com/flights
Budget for Housing
The following prices are for private rooms including water, electricity, and internet.
Living with a family who have children studying English: $50 – $100 per month.
Renting a room from a private landlord in La Esperanza: $100 per month.
Renting a room from a private landlord in Trujillo: $130 – $200 per month.
Budget for Food
Healthy breakfast of fruit, bread, and cheese bought from a street vendor or small market: $1 – $2 per day.
Healthy lunch and dinner in a normal mom-and-pop restaurant: $6 – $10 per day.
Buying groceries and making your own food: $5 – $8 per day.
Bottled Water (2 liters): $1.30 per day.
Meal at a upscale restaurant in Trujillo: $7 – $12.
There is no shortage of convenient places to eat a meal at a mom-and-pop restaurant, buy street food, or buy groceries in Trujillo. You can do your food shopping at local markets with independent vendors or in modern supermarkets. If you go nearer to the city center there are many restaurant brands from the United States (McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Papa John’s, KFC, Starbucks) at the same prices as the United States. The tap water in Trujillo and Lima is chlorinated and safe to use for showering and brushing your teeth. Local people do not typically drink tap water unless it has been boiled first. I recommend buying bottled water which is widely available and reasonably priced.
Budget for Mobile Phone
Local prepaid SIM chip: $10 for 3.5GB of data and 30 days of activation. If you mostly use WhatsApp and don’t download or upload videos unless you have a Wi-Fi connection, the $10 per month plan should be fine.
T-Mobile’s international roaming plan: $0 per month, but it has slow internet, although WhatsApp still works very well for text messages and voice calls.
AT&T and Verizon: Check international roaming rates or just buy a local SIM card.
If your phone plan has international roaming included, but it is not working when you land at the airport, power cycle the phone and the roaming should start working properly.
Budget for Everyday Transportation
Local Busses: $1.00 one-way between Trujillo and La Esperanza (about 15-20 minutes). You will probably want to go into the city a few times a week for shopping and sight seeing, so an estimate of $10 – $15 a week on local busses is reasonable.
Taxi ride within downtown Trujillo: $2 – $3 for a one-way trip. Walking is free 🙂
Taxi ride from Trujillo to La Esperanza: $5 – $6 for a one-way trip (You should use a taxi to La Esperanza if returning home from Trujillo at night).
Budget for Other Miscellaneous Expenses
Clothing and shoes are priced at about what you would pay at Walmart or Target with similar quality (but with more creative decorations).
Toiletries prices and quality are similar to the United States and are widely available.
Over-the-counter and prescription medications are widely available at reasonable prices.
Nearly everything someone can buy in the United States at a Target or Walmart is available in Peru with similar quality and at similar or lower prices.
Monthly Budget Examples
As a volunteer renting a room, you can live adequately on $600 a month if you limit your spending to just the essentials with minimal splurging. If you want to engage in other activities such as learning to surf at Huanchaco beach, socializing in bars and restaurants frequented by other travelers, and going out to clubs or dancing, something closer to $900 – $1000 per month is recommended.
Just the Basics Budget
$3.00
$1.00
$3.00
$3.00
$1.30
$1.00
$1.00
$0.30
$1.00
$3.00
$17.60
$537
Housing (Private room near La Esperanza)
Healthy Breakfast
Healthy Lunch
Healthy Dinner
Bottled Water (two liters)
Local Bus (three round trips per week to Trujillo)
Local Taxi (one one-way trip per week)
Cell Phone (3.5 GB of Mobile Data per month)
Toiletries / Over-the-counter medicine / Laundry
Misc. Splurging / Unexpected Expenses
Total per Day
Total per Month
Additional Budget Considerations
$30-$35
$6
$10-$40
$10-$20
$8-$15
$10
$15-$25
$10-$15
$2
$5
$3
$450
Surfing Class… (2 hrs. & guaranteed that you stand 🙂
Surfboard Rental to Enjoy your New Skills
Night Out Dancing Salsa at Bar / Restaurant
Night Out Drinking / Karaoke
Fancy Restaurant Dinner in Trujillo
Movie Theater Ticket with Stadium Seating
Youth Hostel Nightly Rate Trujillo / Lima / Cuzco
Roundtrip Bus Fare to Otuzco for a day-trip
Smoothie at a Local Market
Taxi from Trujillo to La Esperanza at Night
Taxi within Trujillo at night
Airfare, Lodging, & Sightseeing in Cuzco & Machu Picchu
Credit Cards, ATMs, and Cash
It is easy to change United States dollars to Peruvian Soles at the airport and at currency exchange houses in Lima and Trujillo. The dollars you exchange should be in perfect or nearly perfect condition or they might not be accepted. It is recommended to get some brand new $20 bills (approx. $200 – $300) before you leave for your trip.
ATM cards can be used to get local currency from ATMs at nearly wholesale exchange rates. It is recommended to bring ATM cards from two different banks in case one card gets lost or doesn’t work. You may have to try a few different machines as it’s possible your card will be rejected by one machine but accepted at another.
Visa and Mastercard credit cards are widely accepted in Peru (but usually carry a 3% – 5% surcharge). Make sure you call your credit card and ATM card company before your trip to advise them you will be using the card in Peru.
Medical Care in Peru
There are many good doctors, dentists, and hospitals with modern equipment and facilities available in Trujillo and Lima. The prices for medical services are very reasonable compared to the United States. For example, a consultation with a specialist doctor would be about $20 – $30 and filling a tooth cavity at a nice dentist office would be about $25. There are large walk-in private medical clinics that have all specialty doctors under the same roof and they will have the prices for a consultation clearly posted. You will have no trouble finding high-quality medical care in Peru at reasonable prices.
Medical Travel & Evacuation Insurance
An emergency medical expenses and medical evacuation travel policy can be purchased before leaving the United States (they cost approx. $100 -130 per month). It is not legally required, and most young and healthy people travel without a policy, but you may feel more comfortable having a policy while traveling.
Please remember that Bright Futures Peru is a non-profit charity that operates on a small budget. In the event of a medical issue while in Peru, the teachers that work with Bright Futures Peru will help the volunteer receive medical care, however, Bright Futures does not have any funds budgeted for medical bills. Please take into consideration your personal ability to pay any medical bills when deciding to buy or not buy travel insurance.
Remember to check if your current health insurance policy includes reimbursement for medical expenses while in Peru and/or medically necessary transportation back to the United States.
Below are some well-known companies that write international emergency medical and medical evacuation insurance policies:
World Nomads https://www.worldnomads.com
American Express Travel Insurance https://aeti.americanexpress.com/travel-insurance/home.do
GeoBlue https://www.geobluetravelinsurance.com/
Allianz Travel Insurance (OneTrip Emergency Medical) https://www.allianztravelinsurance.com/find-a-plan/onetrip-emergency-medical.htm
General Safety and Crime
Peru is generally a safe country for traveling and living. During an average year, there are over 3 million international tourists that come to Peru. Although Peru is generally a safe country, there is a higher possibility of petty theft and robbery compared to a volunteer’s home country. For example, it is possible to see someone have a cell phone or purse grabbed from their hand, even during the daytime, and then the robber runs away or jumps into a waiting taxi driven by an accomplice.
To reduce the chances of being robbed, a person should avoid visibly carrying valuable objects such as cell phones or purses or setting items down at a restaurant within easy reach of a robber (for example, keep your purse on your lap, not on the back of the chair). If you are going to carry something valuable, make sure you are at least with some other people and don’t show what you are carrying. Volunteers must make good decisions about not going into neighborhoods they are not familiar with especially at night.
If a person is robbed, they should be willing to part with their property without putting up any kind of fight, and just be able to carry on about their day without letting it get to them too much. If someone loses something like a passport, there is a special police office just for tourists where they can file a report to get a replacement.
You probably will not be robbed in Peru 🙂 But it does happen, so you should be prepared mentally and not let it bother you too much in case it does happen.
Travel Information Websites from the United States and Peruvian Governments
Peruvian Government Official Tourism Website
United States Department of State website about travel to Peru
United States Embassy in Lima, United States Citizen Services
Please see the webpages about Trujillo and some of it's tourist sites.
Learn a little more about Trujillo and some of the main Tourist Sites in Trujillo.
