Finishing high school or college in the first half of 2027 and wondering what to do with the summer? Take a volunteering trip to India.
Every summer, students and gap-year travelers join us to do something useful with their break and see some of North India while they are here. You can join any of our programs in Delhi and Jaipur from one week, and our summer volunteering guide helps you plan the whole trip. Still not sure? Here are six reasons to go.
1. It’s the best use of a summer break
Instead of another summer at home, you will spend yours somewhere completely new, doing work that matters to the people around you. You will work alongside local staff at a children’s project, a school or a women’s center, live with volunteers from all over the world, and eat Indian food in India, which is reason enough.
2. You will make friends from everywhere
Volunteers come from the US, the UK, Europe, Australia and beyond. You share a house, plan weekends together and swap stories over dinner. Language is rarely a barrier, and many volunteers leave with the best travel companions they have ever had.
3. You will see the best of North India
Weekends are yours. From Delhi, the Mughal tombs and bazaars of the old city are a Metro ride away, and the Taj Mahal in Agra is an easy day trip. Our weekend trips also go to the pink sandstone forts of Jaipur, the Golden Temple in Amritsar and the riverside ghats of Varanasi.
4. You can head for the mountains
Summer is the season for the Himalayan foothills. Many volunteers spend a long weekend in Rishikesh or McLeod Ganj, home of the Dalai Lama, where you can walk up to Triund for views of snowy peaks. Your coordinator can help you plan the journey.
5. You will learn more than you expect
Volunteering in India changes how you see things. You get used to a different pace of life, find out how much a small kindness is worth, and come home more patient, more confident and more grateful for what you have.
6. It looks good on your CV
International volunteering shows employers and admissions teams that you can adapt, communicate across cultures and take responsibility. If you are a pre-med or health student, our medical internship in Delhi gives you hospital experience to talk about in interviews.
Good to know before you book
- Summer in Delhi and Jaipur is hot, often above 40°C from April to June, and July to September is the monsoon. Projects run all year, and some move to the cooler mornings in the hottest months.
- Every program includes accommodation, meals, airport pickup and support from our local team at any hour.
- Most programs are open from age 17; under-18s need a consent form signed by a parent.
So make up your mind, talk to your parents and start planning your summer in India. Questions about the projects, bookings or anything else? Email info@volunteeringindia.com and our team will get back to you.