![Travelling with Worldpackers – Ultimate Guide](https://www.gigsntravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Worldpackers-turtle-conservation-.jpg)
Travelling with Worldpackers – Ultimate Guide
Volunteering with Worldpackers – A Beginner’s Guide to volunteering abroad and travelling with Worldpackers on a budget:
What is Worldpackers?
Worldpackers is an international volunteering organisation, connecting people looking to volunteer abroad with hosts in over 140 countries.
Volunteering activities primarily focus on topics such as sustainability, community, or social projects – but activities listed on Worldpackers can commonly include marketing assistance, agriculture, childcare, office administration, hospitality and even jobs such as plumbing, renovation, and more! There is quite literally something suited to everyone!
worldpackers provides travellers with the opportunity to volunteer abroad while travelling on a budget, through getting free accommodation and extras.
If this sounds good to you, then this guide has everything you need to know about Worldpackers and how to get started.
*This blog contains affiliate links and codes which earn a commission to help support this free website. All opinions remain my own. Affiliate links featured in my blog posts will never affect the price you pay, except to sometimes provide you with a discount. Learn more
How does Worldpackers work?
Going on a Worldpackers trip means you will exchange volunteering hours, for free accommodation from hosts. Many also offer free meals, transportation, and other perks.
This gives people the chance to give back to local communities and businesses, while getting to explore new countries on a budget.
Is Worldpackers legit and safe?
Yes, Worldpackers is a legitimate and safe platform. They have been connecting hosts and volunteers for over 10 years!
Hundreds of hosts join Worldpackers every month and each of these are vetted, verified, and continually monitored by Worldpackers. While over 127,000 travellers have used Worldpackers since 2014!
Worldpackers offers a Safeguarding and Support group for their users, so you can get in touch if you have issues.
Volunteers have the opportunity to leave reviews once their volunteering experience is over, so you can read honest reviews from other volunteers to help you decide which host experience is right for you.
![Travel for cheap with worldpackers](https://www.gigsntravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Travel-for-cheap-with-worldpackers-scaled.jpg)
How much does Worldpackers Cost?
You can create a Worldpackers account entirely for free! With a free account, you can browse experiences, read reviews from other volunteers, and see if there’s anything that takes your fancy.
To apply for an opportunity you will need to then upgrade to a paid account. There are different tiers of paid accounts which we will break down below.
You can use code GIGSNTRAVEL to save $10 (or the equivalent in your currency), off any Worldpackers membership.
Either type the code when signing up on the Worldpackers site, or click here to apply it directly.
Worldpackers Packages:
Worldpackers offer plans geared towards solo travellers, or group packages geared towards couples and friends.
Worldpackers membership levels have two different ‘tiers’, which include ‘Trips’ or ‘Packs’. ‘Trips’ tend to offer all the basics you need to access Worldpackers – a great choice for budget travellers. Whereas ‘Pack’ plans offer enhanced safety and compensation features.
Solo memberships:
Solo Trips
An entry level plan for budget travellers
Cost: Approx. £49 or $62.75 USD for a 12 month membership
Includes:
- Access to Worldpackers Safeguard (get up to $49 refunded for emergency accommodation if needed).
- Host Response Guarantee.
- Access to #1 world volunteering community.
- Highly responsive support 7-days-a-week.
- Part of your membership fee will be donated to support social and ecological projects.
Solo Pack
The most popular and one of the safest choices for first-time and solo travellers.
Cost: Approx. £99 or $126.78 USD for 12 months
Includes:
- All the benefits of the Trips Solo Plan.
- Access to Worldpackers Safeguard (get up to $199 refunded for emergency accommodation if needed).
- Priority support.
- Access to extra academy training videos.
- Exclusive discounts with Wise; Hostelpass, Pax, Babbel, Yesim, and Stasher.
Solo Pack Plus
For those looking for an extra layer of safety with the Prime WP Safeguard.
Cost: Approx. £129 or $165.20 USD for 12 months
Includes:
- All the benefits of the Solo Trips and Solo Packs plans.
- Access to Prime Worldpackers Safeguard – get up to $399 refunded for emergency accommodation if your volunteering experience doesn’t go as planned.
Couple memberships:
With the Friends/Couples plans it is not possible for a single person to use this plan to travel solo. You must be completing the volunteer experience in your pair.
Couples/Friends Trip
Apply to thousands of volunteer positions along with your partner or friend.
Cost: Approx. £59 ($75.56 USD) for 12 months
Includes:
- Access to Worldpackers Safeguard (get up to $49 refunded for emergency accommodation if needed).
- Host Response guarantee.
- Volunteer together – connect your accounts to apply to volunteer opportunities that accept couples or friends.
- Access to #1 world volunteering community.
- Highly responsive support 7-days-a-week.
- Part of your membership fee will be donated to support social and ecological projects.
Couples/Friends Pack
Travel with your partner or friend while enjoying more safety and exclusive Worldpackers benefits.
Cost: Approx. £119 ($152.39 USD) for 12 months
Includes:
- All the benefits of the Couple/Friends Trips plan.
- Access to Worldpackers Safeguard (get up to $199 refunded for emergency accommodation if needed)
- Priority support
- Access to extra academy training videos
- Exclusive discounts with Wise; Hostelpass, Pax, Babbel, Yesim, and Stasher.
Couples/Friends Pack Plus
Everything Worldpackers has to offer in order for you to travel with your partner or friend.
Cost: Approx. £149 ($190.81 USD) for 12 months
Includes:
- All the benefits of the Couples/Friends Trip and Couple/Friends Pack
- Access to Prime Worldpackers Safeguard – get up to $399 refunded for emergency accommodation if your volunteering experience doesn’t go as planned.
![Worldpackers](https://www.gigsntravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Worldpackers-.jpg)
Group Trips
Epic Trips
The latest Worldpackers membership option is something called Epic Trips. Worldpackers Epic Trips are another option for first-time solo female travellers to connect and join women-only group trips.
You can choose from a number of Worldpackers Epic trips that are available here.
Epic Trips include:
- An exclusive Trip Coordinator to help during every step of the way.
- The experiences are all inclusive (all meals, accommodation, and activities included).
- The trips last between 1 and 2 weeks, and come to under $100 USD per day.
- The trips take place in Worldpackers top-rated hosts.
- A 12-month Worldpackers premium membership comes along with Epic Trips, so you’re able to continue travelling after completing a group trip!
While Epic Trips have a larger price tag upfront, you get a lot more guaranteed perks compared to a basic Worldpackers package – as well as still getting a premium Worldpackers membership after completing your Epic Trip!
This can be a great option for women who are perhaps feeling a little nervous about taking the plunge and doing their first Worldpackers experience on their own!
View Epic Trip opportunities here
How old do I need to be to volunteer abroad with Worldpackers?
You must be at least 18 years of age to volunteer abroad with Worldpackers.
What languages do I need to speak to volunteer with Worldpackers?
While each host requires a certain proficiency level in a given language, including English. As a volunteer, you don’t necessarily need to speak a certain language unless it is otherwise listed on the specific volunteering opportunity that you’re looking for.
Many experiences involve teaching languages, so you could always look out for opportunities that involves teaching your native language to others!
Worldpackers is a great opportunity to learn and practise new languages as well. You can use your volunteering opportunity to help others as well as learn yourself!
What can you do with a free Worldpackers membership?
A free Worldpackers membership lets you browse opportunities and find volunteering jobs that you’d like to apply for.
To apply or message hosts, you will need to upgrade to a paid membership.
The great thing about Worldpackers offering a free membership is that there is no commitment until you find the volunteer opportunities that you know you want to apply for, there is no fee for simply accessing the platform!
How to optimise your Worldpackers profile
When applying for Worldpackers opportunities, hosts will see your profile. They can also search for profiles and reach out to you if they think they’d have a good opportunity for you.
Some volunteer experiences have high demand, so you need to make sure your profile stands out. Here’s some things you can do to optimise your profile.
Add your skills
Select your key skills from the given list and what your experience level is with each one, don’t worry about only having limited experience in certain skills. Hosts are generally very open to working with people with limited skills that are eager to learn.
Provide your personal, professional and travel background
The easiest way to make a big difference to your profile is updating it with some information on your personal, professional and travel background.
Good things to include here are:
- Your work experience – provide a brief summary of your experience, whether it’s office work, babysitting, hospitality, etc.
- Key skills – List key skills you have gained in your work experience that might be relevant to the type of volunteering you’re looking to do.
- Travel experience – list the countries you have travelled to, and where you’re keen to explore
- Volunteer experience – Provide any volunteering, fundraising, or charity experience you have
- Education – Generally I’d say this is less important than other categories, so keep this section shorter. If you have relevant education that is related to the types of volunteering you want to do, then make sure to highlight this at the top.
Update your bio
Fill in your ‘About Me’ section by writing a brief introduction about yourself. What type of travel do you like? What do you want to get out of volunteering? Are you keen to learn more about new cultures? Are you looking to improve your languages, or get out of your comfort zone?
Travel Motivations and Interests
You can select up to 5 travel interests and motivations from a list that sum up why you’re volunteering with Worldpackers.
![Worldpackers interests](https://www.gigsntravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Worldpackers-interests-.jpg)
Provide your Social Media
If you have social media profiles that are relevant, you might want to include them. For example, if you’re looking to volunteer in teaching sports and you have a fitness social media account, attaching it would be beneficial!
Additional Information
Additional information is information that includes useful information about you – for example, do you have any allergies? Are you a digital nomad who is planning to do some of your own work alongside your volunteering work? Are you a smoker? etc.
Presentation Video and Travel Album
To enhance your profile even more, you could include a presentation video to introduce yourself, and attach some of your previous travel pictures which show your personality off to your ‘ travel album’ – if you’ve done previous volunteer travel before, any pictures form this could be a great idea to add!
References
While not entirely necessary for most volunteering roles, you could attach some references from previous employers or other co-workers from previous volunteering experiences to provide you with some more credibility.
Complete the ‘How to become an outstanding Worldpacker’ course
Worldpackers offer a course called ‘How to become an outstanding Worldpacker’, which they encourage volunteers to take. The course takes about 45 minutes and is a series of 6 short videos which explain the entire Worldpackers process, what hosts value, safety, and how to ensure you have the best Worldpackers experience!
Once you’ve completed this course, it will be attached to your profile. Hosts will be able to see that you’ve completed this certification.
There are also plenty of other Worldpackers courses that you can take with the Worldpackers Academy to help give your profile an extra boost!
How to search for Worldpackers opportunities
When setting up your Worldpackers account, you can select a list of travel interests you might be interested in, such as eco programmes, social impact etc.
You can also select the type of trip you’re interested in, for example are you looking to solo travel, are you a digital nomad, perhaps you’re looking to practise a certain language, or you’re looking to travel as a couple?
As well as this you can highlight the continents you have the most interest in travelling to. While these preferences might help influence the opportunities that are suggested to you, you can still search outside of these preferences in the Worldpackers app, and you can change them anytime in the ‘Travel Interests’ tab.
![Worldpackers search function](https://www.gigsntravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Worldpackers-search-function-.jpg)
If you’re looking for a volunteering opportunity in a specific country, city etc. then you can search by location on Worldpackers. You can choose whether to view this in a list view, or map view and find the opportunities that are in the locations you’re looking for.
You can also search by volunteering activity on Worldpackers. For example, if you want to do gardening work, then you can search for ‘gardening’, or if you want to get involved with some marketing work, you can simply search for ‘marketing’ and Worldpackers will show you destinations around the world offering these volunteering opportunities.
Refine your searches by filtering for duration. Worldpackers programmes can last a few days, or several months, so filter down to find what you’re looking for. If you have a plan to volunteer during a set month, then you can also filter by month of availability – for example, you could bring up every Worldpackers experience in a certain country that has availability in November.
How many hours do I need to work for Worldpackers?
Worldpackers opportunities vary in hours and days required to work. A typical overview of a volunteering week will be displayed underneath the opportunity, so you can double check the experience is right for you before applying.
According to Worldpackers, the average hours requested by Worldpackers hosts is 25 hours per week. The maximum number of hours that Worldpackers allow hosts to request is 32 hours per week.
When searching for opportunities, you can also filter by working hours per week to make sure you’re finding the right opportunity for you.
Volunteering is super rewarding, but you ideally want to make sure your schedule has free time for you to also explore the country you’re visiting in.
Schedules from hosts will vary, for example someone might advertise a 25 hour week with 5 hours per day Monday – Friday, another host might squeeze the 25 hours across 3 longer days, so you have more days for ‘free time’, while other hosts could ask you to work those 25 hours across 7 short days, which means while you’ll be doing a little bit of work each day, you’ll still have the majority of each day to go out and explore.
Your work schedule depends on the host and the work you’ll be doing. Each host discloses working patterns underneath their posting.
![Worldpackers what you offer](https://www.gigsntravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Worldpackers-what-you-offer-.jpg)
![Worldpackers what you get](https://www.gigsntravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Worldpackers-what-you-get.jpg)
Advice for applying for Worldpackers Experiences
You’re not always guaranteed to get the Worldpackers experience that you apply for. Some hosts can get extreme demand and only have limited slots, other volunteer work might be seasonal, and applications are only open during certain parts of the year.
To increase your chances of getting a volunteer experience, consider the following:
- Check to see if an experience is ‘in demand’ to manage your expectations.
- Apply for multiple experiences.
- Check the host’s response rate before applying.
- Optimise your Worldpackers profile.
- Read reviews from other volunteers before applying.
- Add experiences to your ‘favourites’ folder, so they’re easy to find when you need them.
- If you’re certain about a particular location, use the map feature to see how many volunteering opportunities there are in that area and apply to multiple.
Worldpackers FAQ’s
Do you get paid for doing Worldpackers?
No, you are doing volunteer work with Worldpackers so your working hours are unpaid. In exchange, hosts will provide you with accommodation. Many hosts will also provide you with free meals. Some hosts will provide you with access to excursions, offer airport pick-ups, or use of equipment such as bicycles to go out and explore in your free time.
Is Worldpackers Safe?
Yes, Worldpackers is a legitimate and safe platform. They have been connecting hosts and volunteers for over 10 years. Worldpackers make sure that their hosts are vetted, verified and continually monitored. They also have a Safeguarding Support Team that you can reach out to at any time while volunteering.
Worldpackers cost?
You can make a free membership to browse Worldpackers opportunities. However, if you find something you want to apply for, you will need to upgrade to a paid plan. A 12-month membership can range from £49 ($62.75 USD) to £149 ($190.81 USD) annually.
Worldpackers Discount Code?
The Best Worldpackers Promo Code to use is: GIGSNTRAVEL
This will save you $10 (or the equivalent in your currency) off ANY Worldpackers membership. This code can also be used in conjunction with additional Worldpackers promos that might be running.
Is paying for Worldpackers worth it?
Yes! If you’re looking to travel on a budget and want to volunteer abroad, then paying for Worldpackers is definitely worth it, even if you just do one volunteer experience you generally make the cost of your membership back by all the free accommodation, free meals and other benefits you get too. It’s a great choice for budget travellers.
Do I need a work visa to volunteer with Worldpackers?
Typically you don’t need a work visa to volunteer with Worldpackers. This is because you are volunteering, so you are not earning a wage or salary. A limited number of experiences might require a Work VISA, so make sure you check with your host. You are still responsible for sorting any visas you need to travel, so you must do your research to make sure you are prepared before you travel.
Do Worldpackers host group trips?
Worldpackers have just announced they are hosting group trips for solo female travellers called ‘Epic Plans’.