IRHS Trip – Guatemala
March 9 – 16, 2024
$1,300 (*does not include airfare)
This trip is intended for IRHS students. Participants will spend eight days volunteering in the colonial tourist town of Antigua and the nearby mountain village of El Astillero, where they will support the construction of a school site and experience what daily life is like in Guatemala. Their free time and evenings will be spent in Antigua. Volunteer work on this trip will include school construction in El Astillero and tutoring and helping in school classrooms in Antigua.
Fees
The cost of the trip covers virtually all in-country experiences, including:
- Housing and meals
- Excursions and cultural activities
- Coordination
- Service project materials and coordination
- Daily transportation
- Airport pickup and drop-off
- Dedicated group leader and experienced local guides
- 24-hour emergency contact
- Field journal
- T-shirt
The fee does not cover airfare, travel insurance, visa expenses or immunizations (if necessary). With the exception of meals during your free time on the arrival and departure days and any shopping you do, all trip costs are covered from the minute you arrive until the minute you return.
Housing & Meals
Volunteers on this trip will be housed as a group in a guest home in Antigua run by our in-country staff. They will commute daily to projects and activities in El Astillero or Antigua. Students will share a room with at least one other student and sleep in twin or bunk beds. Some rooms have private bathrooms, others will use a common bathroom just down the hallway.
At the guest house, volunteers will be served Guatemalan and international cuisine. The cooks are accustomed to cooking for Western stomachs. There are vegetarian dishes available for every meal, but meat or eggs are also included at least once per day. Packing trail mix and/or energy bars is recommended for people accustomed to a protein-rich diet. Volunteers will have access to purified drinking water, as it’s always available at the guest house. You can fill your own water bottles using the water dispensers.
Guatemala Service Trip Sample Itinerary
| Day | Morning | Afternoon |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in Guatemala City. Shuttle to Antigua. | Orientation and Walking Tour. |
| Day 2 | Service Projects | Salsa Dance Lessons |
| Day 3 | Service Projects | Mayan Cultural Ceremony |
| Day 4 | Trip to Lago Atitlan | Trip to Lago Atitlan |
| Day 5 | Service Projects | Tour of Macadamia Plantation |
| Day 6 | Service Projects | Vuelta Grande Home Visits |
| Day 7 | Service Projects | Tour of Antigua Local Market |
| Day 8 | Free Time | Airport Departure |
Preparing to Travel to Guatemala
We are here to help you every step of the way.
Booking Your Flight
Weather
In the rainy season (from June to October), heavy afternoon rainfall is typical. We recommend raingear and boots. Average temperatures are in the 70s(F) but it can be windy and cooler in the villages. We recommend layers.
Vaccinations
- Up-to-date boosters for routine vaccinations
(measles, mumps, chicken pox, etc.) - Hepatitis A & B
- Typhoid
- Rabies
- Yellow Fever*
Zika has been reported in Guatemala and the CDC recommends travelers to Costa Rica exercise rigorous prevention against mosquito bites. The mosquitoes that spread Zika are not prevalent in the highlands areas where most of our service projects are located and travelers to these regions are generally at less risk of getting Zika from a mosquito.
Many of these vaccinations should be started four to eight weeks in advance so please check with your healthcare provider or Travel Medicine clinic. Please refer to the CDC website or your doctor for more information on necessary vaccinations and insect repellents.
*There is no risk of yellow fever in Guatemala. The government of Guatemala requires proof of yellow fever vaccination only if you are arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever (not the US).
What to Bring
Attire
- Casual & Light (Layers)
- Short sleeve shirts, jeans, raincoat
- Old clothes that can/will get stained/dirty
- Layers for temperature changes
- Sneakers / Rain boots / Work boots
- Extra socks (to avoid blisters)
- Sandals for free time
- Swimsuit and towel
Other
- Bug repellent
- Work gloves
- Flashlight
- Umbrella / poncho
- Water bottle
- Spanish/English Dictionary
- Sunglasses / hat
- OTC Medicine
- Journal and pen
- Ear plugs if you are a light sleeper
- Spending Money ($100-$150)
- Camera
Donations & Gifts
Participants often ask what they can bring with them to support the communities they are serving.
Here are some ideas about how you can contribute.
- The villages we visit are not wealthy. The community is in constant need of donations of new children’s clothing, shoes, jackets, and school supplies. We would love for you to make an effort to collect these items and bring them with you if you have the space in your suitcase.
- Monetary donations are most helpful. If each of us could raise at least $100, we would be able to send 2-3 teens to school for an entire year, as well as improve the physical structure of the local elementary school.
Due to the humanitarian nature of this trip, you may find creative ways to ask friends, relatives, colleagues, teachers, store owners, etc. for monetary and in–kind donations. We can provide you with two documents, which may aid you in your efforts:
1. In-Kind & Monetary Donations Letter for Store Managers/Owners
2. In-Kind & Monetary Donations Letter for Friends, Relatives, Teachers
All tax-deductible checks can be made payable to our 501(c)(3)non-profit, Young Dreamer Network, and mailed to our headquarters: Dream Volunteers, 2221 Broadway Street, Redwood City, CA 94063
Fundraising
View Funding Your Trip for more ideas about financing your trip or Fundraise for how to involve others in the cause.
Let’s talk… We’d love to find a way to collaborate!
