Peru Amazon Conservation School Trips

Projects Abroad

Home to the Amazon rainforest and known for being one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, Peru makes an exceptional classroom for conservation education. In the Amazon, students work directly on projects that protect endangered species and restore ecosystems, gaining practical skills in animal care, biodiversity monitoring, and sustainable farming. Few locations offer such a powerful real-world setting to study ecology and conservation biology.

Beyond conservation work, Peru's cultural heritage - from the ancient Inca capital of Cusco to the world-famous Machu Picchu - provides an excellent opportunity to link environmental studies with history, anthropology, and global citizenship. This unique combination of service work, cultural exploration, and natural wonder enables students to build resilience, teamwork, and critical thinking while seeing how conservation connects with wider social and cultural contexts.

You'll begin your journey deep in the Peruvian Amazon, where you'll live and work at a conservation reserve. Every day you'll be getting stuck into vital wildlife conservation activities, such as feeding and caring for rescued animals, maintaining trails, or providing enrichment for species under rehabilitation. Under the guidance of local experts, you'll also learn to conduct animal surveys, climb South America's tallest canopy walkway to survey birds, and help to monitor wildlife such as parrots, bats, monkeys, and crocodiles.

Beyond conservation, you'll have plenty of opportunities to immerse yourself in the heart of Peruvian culture and explore its world-famous sites. After leaving the rainforest, you'll explore Cusco and the Sacred Valley, visiting bustling markets, Inca ruins, and the awe-inspiring ancient ruins of Machu Picchu. With a balance of conservation service, cultural immersion, and adventure, you'll experience a once-in-a-lifetime journey that teaches you as much about yourself as it does the world around you.

Teacher Checklist

green tick Risk Assessments
Inspection Visits
Free Places for Teachers
Resource Packs
LOtC Quality Badge
Expedition Providers Association
Tailor your trip
Help promoting your trip
Offset your trip carbon footprint

Example Itineraries for our 2026 trips

Day 1
Land into Padre Aldomiz International Airport, surrounded by the Amazon Rainforest, where our staff will meet you. Once you've claimed your baggage, board a boat heading for the reserve, drinking in the incredible scenery around you.

On arrival, you'll receive a thorough induction session, giving an insight into Peruvian culture, a guided tour of your accommodation, and the project work you'll be getting involved with.

Days 2 -3
Time to get your hands dirty. Your first few days will be spent learning and lending a hand where needed, which could be maintaining the rehabilitation centre, collecting fruit and foliage for food, organising deliveries, or feeding the animals. The rehabilitation centre is home to spectacled bears, parrots, bats, spider monkeys, crocodiles so you'll be supporting a huge array of animals here.

Learn how to conduct animal surveys and collect data, a skill you will need very soon!

Days 4 - 6
Climb the tallest canopy walkway in South America and conduct a bird survey from above the treetops - an amazing opportunity to truly appreciate your surroundings from a new perspective, and learn more about the birds which live here.

You'll also support the work of our pilot farm initiative, which is vital in preserving the native species while also providing additional food for the animals on the reserve.

Some of the greatest wildlife activity happens outside of daylight hours. Start early one morning to set mist traps for a bird survey, and spend one evening on a nocturnal walk through the forest, setting wildlife traps.

In the evenings, enjoy relaxing at the lodge and playing some games with your fellow travellers.

Days 7 -10
Travel deeper into the rainforest on a day trip to visit the Palma Real Native Community, of the Ese-Eja ethnicity. Take the 1.5 hour boat ride along the river to arrive at the traditional village, where you'll be welcomed by locals who will show you what their daily lives in the jungle look like.

Learn more about local customs and traditions, with an inspiring history lesson and the chance to try out your skills with a traditional bow and arrow.

Over the next few days, your project work continues. Visit a nearby reserve to conduct a Spider Monkey survey, and work on optimizing the enclosures for the animals at the rehabilitation centre - creating swings, bars, toys and tunnels to help the animals regain skills and strength.

On your last day in the rainforest, enjoy a farewell barbeque with your group and reflect on all your important work supporting the wildlife and environment here.

Days 11 - 13
Board the boat to Puerto Maldonado for a short flight to Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca Empire. Tour the historic city, visiting local markets, the Inca Museum, and architectural masterpieces like the Plaza de Armas and Cusco Cathedral.

The next day, head to the Sacred Valley, a stunning region of the Peruvian Andes central to the Inca Empire. You'll see ruins in the Ollantaytambo archaeological site and visit the nearby town of Aguas Calientes to explore, sightsee, and enjoy a traditional dinner.

The penultimate day of your trip begins with a visit to one of the New Seven Wonders of the World - the awe-inspiring Machu Picchu. Get a guided tour of the ancient citadel and learn about the importance of this site both locally and globally.

Return to Aguas Calientes to enjoy some shopping, dinner, and a visit to the hot springs, before you head back to Cusco that evening.

Day 14
Reflect on the once-in-a-lifetime journey you've undertaken and the memories you've made. Look back on the incredible work you've done and how you've contributed to the protection of the Amazon Rainforest with pride.

Think about your newfound confidence, skills, and cultural understanding during your journey - these will stay with you for the rest of your life.

Which Curriculum Subjects do we cater for?

Science

Your students will learn more about the Amazon Rainforest's fauna and flora, developing their knowledge of the main challenges nature faces in this part of the world. They will also learn how to preserve this environment and its ecosystem by participating in field research and caring for the animals in the centre before they are rehabilitated in the wild.

Conservation Wildlife Animal Care

You will stay in our rehabilitation centre where our team will introduce you to the animals in their rehabilitation runs and cages. There, students will take turns in various projects, from caring for and observing the animals to observations, surveys, and data collection.
Depending on the season, you and your students will join our turtle conservation effort (egg collection for incubation, hatching, and release) and participate in nocturnal bat surveys.
You will also learn about the local ecosystem, its main struggles, and what can be done to help preserve it.

What size groups do we cater for?

All group sizes of 5 or more. Free staff place with every 9 students.

Access for visitors with disabilities?

Disabled facilities can be offered on request.

Visitors with Special Educational Needs (SEN)?

Visitors with special educational needs can be catered for on request.

Anything else?

Projects Abroad holds the Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) Quality Badge and operates in compliance with BS 8848 standards for overseas activities. For school leaders and governors, this means the programme meets recognised national benchmarks.

We provide comprehensive risk assessments, safeguarding policies, and approval-ready documentation for every trip, supporting SLT, governor, and district approval processes. The team that plans your trip is the team on the ground when you arrive.

By travelling with us, you also contribute positively to local economies, environmental protection, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Don't take our word for it; we're B Corporation Certified! We're committed to setting the new sustainability standard in school travel by offsetting 110% of carbon emissions associated with your in-destination programming.

Our Partnerships Team is happy to answer any queries and guide you through the process of booking the school trip of a lifetime!

Who are Projects Abroad?

Since 1992, Projects Abroad has helped young people step beyond the familiar and discover what they're truly capable of. As a global leader in educational travel, we've partnered with over 500 schools to deliver transformative school trips that help shape students' passions, careers, and futures.

We realise that each school has its own goals and interests, and the students have their own interests. We work with every school to develop a tailored itinerary that reflects their values and allows the students to make a connection with the community in which they serve.

We're proud of our dedicated in-country staff whose diverse skill sets, local knowledge and love of their community allow us to develop relevant, immersive and worthwhile schedules for school trips. These experiences give the students responsibility and teach them to see the world through a different lens.

The result is a trip that students remember long after they've left school, and one that reflects well on the school that made it possible!