Welcome to HelpX
HelpX is an online listing of host organic farms, farmstays, hobby farms, lifestyle blocks, homestays, ranches, lodges, backpackers hostels and even sailing boats who invite volunteer helpers to stay with them short-term in exchange for food and accommodation. HelpX is provided primarily as a cultural exchange for working holiday makers, who would like the opportunity during their travels abroad, to stay with local people and gain practical experience. In the typical arrangement, the helper works an average of 4 hours per day and receives free accommodation and meals for their efforts.
This time range can vary considerably depending on the tasks at hand and the host's preferences. Some hosts may require just 2 hours per day for accommodation only, and ask you to provide and cook your own food.
Others may expect 6 hours per day in return for meals, your own room and sometimes other benefits such as free Internet use, horse riding, kayaking, bikes, local sight-seeing trips, yoga or English lessons, etc. Some will give weekends off, while others might allow you to put in 8 hours one day and later take a full day off. Helpers often live with the host family and are expected to join in and offer a helping hand with day-to-day activities.
Volunteer helpers are required to register for one of two levels of membership, Free or Premier. Helpers must upgrade to Premier membership to take full advantage of all HelpX has to offer. Premier membership costs 20 Euros for 2 years and allows the helper to contact all hosts and read all host reviews. Premier helpers can browse this site and contact hosts directly to see about making arrangements to stay.
Hosts wishing to add a free listing inviting helpers to stay will need to register. Registered hosts may update their details as often as they like and view helper profiles.
We advise both helpers and hosts to ask plenty of questions about each other in order to establish expectations from each party. Helpers should never turn up without prior arrangement.
Helpers can also opt to provide a self description for hosts to view who may then wish to invite the helper to stay with them. We advise helpers to include in their profile any skills or experience they may have, such as gardening, farming, agriculture, permaculture, fruit-picking; trade skills such as building, carpentry, landscaping, sail boat crewing; working with animals or an ability to care for and ride horses. Helpers can also look for travel companions.
HelpX (not helpex), operates worldwide including in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Europe including France.
Where will you go to next?
Australia
New Zealand
Europe
North America
Central America & Caribbean
South America
Pacific Islands
Asia
Africa
Testimonials
I have been a host for many years now. It is the best site ever. I have had people from all over the world and all of us learned so much in our cultural exchange. I can recommend to anyone who is travelling and also to become a host. It makes me happy to be hosting, you would love it.
Helpx is the best thing that ever happened to us. Not only has it made our farm more fun, I believe that it has enriched our lives and the lives of our family. Our international visitors are very welcome at lambing time when the workload seems a bit too much to handle. Thank you for a great website! We welcome more visitors and hope that this can continue for years to come.
Helpx is best way to exchange food and accommodation with skills. People can visit different corner of world without any cost, they learn cultural exchange and make world-wide friendships as family. Anyway I like Helpx.
As a host, my life has been enriched by the exchange brought about through Helpx. With approximately 30 helpers staying with me since I joined in 2009, much good things have been created here at my Guest House, and in the process have met some lovely young people from all over the world, and made many friends. Some came and visited me again, and I in turn have visited them in their habitat.
We are new hosts and have just had the best experience with our first Helpx helpers. We selected our helpers from the profiles and invited them to join us. We found this way we could get a good match for our family and needs. We all got along very well and they were fabulous helpers. A very positive experience for everyone. We will now wait until summer before we look for new Helpx helpers.
We have found HelpX a really good website and have connected with lots of travellers to NZ. Keep up the good work.
I love HelpX - could not do without all the lovely travellers we have hosted. We look forward to many more.
We have been HelpX hosts since 2011 and have had a succession of delightful HelpXers from all over the world. Having younger people around is such fun, they also say they benefit from hearing about our experiences of life. The website is brilliantly designed and easy to use, keep up the good work.
HelpX has been amazing for us as hosts. Not only has it been great to have help but the help 100 percent of the time has been of the highest standard which I think is incredible considering the cross section of ages, nationalities and sometimes language difficulties. It is also been wonderful to keep in touch and some have even revisited with other family members at a later date. Flexibility of hours worked and time off has been the key to the success of in our experience. Thank you for the opportunity.
I remember when I was thinking almost half year ago which web site to choose.. and thank God I have chosen Helpx. I have spent beautiful time with all of my hosts and it is an experience that I wouldn`t change for anything in the world.
We have hosted helpx visitors many times over the years and have loved it! - in fact we are still in touch with some who have returned home years ago. in the past couple of years we have been away so have not been able to host for a while but have updated the listing and we, and our old dog who just loves meeting new friends, are looking forward to welcome new travellers. Thanks for this wonderful site.
We have been having HelpX folk for about seven years and will continue to do so until we have to move from here!! All the HelpX that we have had come to us have been keen to work and we always enjoy their company and therefore try to make their stay as enjoyable for them as we can. The system works so well for us and we do valve the workers who do much more than we could achieve on our own.
I have been a host for many years now. It is the best site ever. I have had people from all over the world and all of us learned so much in our cultural exchange. I can recommend to anyone who is travelling and also to become a host. It makes me happy to be hosting, you would love it.
Helpx is the best thing that ever happened to us. Not only has it made our farm more fun, I believe that it has enriched our lives and the lives of our family. Our international visitors are very welcome at lambing time when the workload seems a bit too much to handle. Thank you for a great website! We welcome more visitors and hope that this can continue for years to come.
Helpx is best way to exchange food and accommodation with skills. People can visit different corner of world without any cost, they learn cultural exchange and make world-wide friendships as family. Anyway I like Helpx.
As a host, my life has been enriched by the exchange brought about through Helpx. With approximately 30 helpers staying with me since I joined in 2009, much good things have been created here at my Guest House, and in the process have met some lovely young people from all over the world, and made many friends. Some came and visited me again, and I in turn have visited them in their habitat.
We are new hosts and have just had the best experience with our first Helpx helpers. We selected our helpers from the profiles and invited them to join us. We found this way we could get a good match for our family and needs. We all got along very well and they were fabulous helpers. A very positive experience for everyone. We will now wait until summer before we look for new Helpx helpers.
We have found HelpX a really good website and have connected with lots of travellers to NZ. Keep up the good work.
I love HelpX - could not do without all the lovely travellers we have hosted. We look forward to many more.
We have been HelpX hosts since 2011 and have had a succession of delightful HelpXers from all over the world. Having younger people around is such fun, they also say they benefit from hearing about our experiences of life. The website is brilliantly designed and easy to use, keep up the good work.
HelpX has been amazing for us as hosts. Not only has it been great to have help but the help 100 percent of the time has been of the highest standard which I think is incredible considering the cross section of ages, nationalities and sometimes language difficulties. It is also been wonderful to keep in touch and some have even revisited with other family members at a later date. Flexibility of hours worked and time off has been the key to the success of in our experience. Thank you for the opportunity.
I remember when I was thinking almost half year ago which web site to choose.. and thank God I have chosen Helpx. I have spent beautiful time with all of my hosts and it is an experience that I wouldn`t change for anything in the world.
We have hosted helpx visitors many times over the years and have loved it! - in fact we are still in touch with some who have returned home years ago. in the past couple of years we have been away so have not been able to host for a while but have updated the listing and we, and our old dog who just loves meeting new friends, are looking forward to welcome new travellers. Thanks for this wonderful site.
We have been having HelpX folk for about seven years and will continue to do so until we have to move from here!! All the HelpX that we have had come to us have been keen to work and we always enjoy their company and therefore try to make their stay as enjoyable for them as we can. The system works so well for us and we do valve the workers who do much more than we could achieve on our own.