Premium Walking & Hiking in Peru

This active hiking trip requires a good level of fitness, due to the varied terrain and potentially hot temperatures. Many of the hiking days involve steep hills and lots of steps that you'll need to be able to walk up and down. Walking times vary between three and six hours a day, but the rewards are worth every step.

Some trails will require unexpected maintenance throughout the year, requiring closure of the trail. If that is the case, we will take an alternative trail with similar features, distances and elevation where possible.

Due to the high altitude of the places we visit, some people can suffer altitude sickness, regardless of age, gender or fitness. The maximum elevation visited on the trip is 4030 m at Kinsa Qocha Lake), and the maximum sleeping elevation is 3399 m in Cusco). Please see the 'medical and health information' section of the Essential Trip Information for more details.

Visitors are not permitted to explore Machu Picchu without a Machu Picchu guide (not our trip leaders) and must follow set routes within the site. As per visiting regulations all visitors to Machu Picchu must follow a pre-determined circuit within the site as a way to relieve crowding. The circuit-based entrance tickets are available on a first come first serve basis. We will do all that is possible to get everyone traveling in a group on the same route, but be aware that it is possible that members of the same group might be visiting Machu Picchu on a different circuit and not be together during this visit. Once the guided visit concludes, visitors must exit the site and personal exploration of Machu Picchu is not permitted.

1. Full passport details are required at the time of booking. These details must match the passport you will travel on. Mismatched details can lead to refusal of entry by the Inca authorities. Delays in providing this information may result in booking fees or changes to your itinerary.
2. We will request an Inca Trail permit for you unless, at time of booking. Fees may apply to changes made after the time of booking, and availability on other options cannot be guaranteed.
3. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights of your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
4.The Inca Trail closes in February to allow cleaning and restoration works. If the trek portion of your trip starts in February, you will be automatically booked to hike the Quarry Trail.
5. According to Machu Picchu visiting regulations all visitors must follow a pre-determined circuit within the site as a way to relieve crowding. The circuit-based entrance tickets are available on a first come first serve basis. Regardless of the circuit you will enjoy the beauty and grandeur of the site.

What you need to bring will vary according to the trip style you have chosen, the countries you are visiting and when you are travelling. We recommend you pack as lightly as possible, ensuring that you are able to carry and lift your own luggage and walk with it for short distances or up or down a flight of stairs. Help will be on hand in most locations, but there may be times you need to handle your own luggage, for example in airports and train stations.

A lockable suitcase with wheels is ideal for this trip. It is recommended that you keep your main luggage weight around 15kg and certainly no more than 20kg. A small or medium-sized backpack (45-50 litres) is another good option.

You'll also need a day pack/bag to carry water, camera, jacket, etc. when you’re exploring during the day.

Below is a link to our ultimate packing list, a guide to get you started:, https://www.intrepidtravel.com/packing-list, AMAZON JUNGLE PACKING LIST

- Long, light-coloured, tight-weave cotton shirts and pants
- Comfortable shoes or sandals for wearing on boardwalks or around the lodge
- Long, thick socks to wear with the rubber boots provided by the lodge
- Rain jacket or poncho
- Tropical strength insect repellant
- Small-denomination bills for incidental purchases (eg drinks)
- Head torch or flashlight (optional, smartphone torch sufficient)
- Binoculars (optional), 1-DAY INCA TRAIL PACKING LIST

Passport:
You MUST take your passport, a photocopy is not sufficient. It's important the passport matches the details your provided us when booking this trip. Keep it in a plastic bag in case of rain.

Water Bottle:
You should be carrying at least 2 litres of water for the day.

Day Pack:
This bag only needs to be large enough to hold the few things you need during the day (hat, water, camera, snacks, rain jacket, sunscreen etc).

Boots:
It is vital to ensure your boots are well worn in and lightweight. Ankle support and waterproofing is recommended, but if you already have something comfortable with good grip on rocks then don’t go rushing out to buy new boots – you are better off with your well-worn in pair!

Clothing:
Items that can be layered are important (zip off trousers, fleece tops, T-shirts, etc).

While the included hikes on this trip are usually shorter and designed to showcase the best of walking in the region, the natural terrain and climate can still make them quite strenuous. Many of the walks on this trip have long uphill and downhill sections so we recommend that you undertake regular aerobic exercise in the months before you travel, particularly if you are not in the habit of regular exercise. Doing mountain walks or climbing long staircases with a pack is good preparation. Walking, jogging, swimming or riding a bike are all good ways to increase your aerobic fitness, which will allow you to enjoy the trekking to its fullest. More information can be found here: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/trekking-training-guide-tips/

Aranwa Cusco Boutique Hotel, C. San Juan de Dios 255, Cusco, 08000, PERU, Phone: 51 84 604444

Alternate Joining Point

Aranwa Cusco Boutique Hotel, C. San Juan de Dios 255, Cusco, 08000, PERU, Phone: 51 84 604444

Alternate Finish Point

Breakfasts included: 6

Lunches included: 3

Dinners included: 2

While travelling with us you'll experience the vast array of wonderful food available in the world. Your group leader or local representative will be able to suggest restaurants to try during your trip. To give you the maximum flexibility in deciding where, what and with whom to eat, generally not all meals are included in the trip price. This also gives you more budgeting flexibility. As a rule, our groups tend to eat together to enable you to taste a larger variety of dishes and enjoy each other's company. If you have dietary requirements and/or food allergies, please let your booking agent know prior to departure.

WEATHER IN PERU
Peru is a fascinating country with four distinct geographical regions. June, July and August are considered the driest months in the highlands and Amazon basin and are optimal for hiking and river journeys. However, even during the rainy season in the Amazon, the rains only fall for a few hours at a time. In the Andes, the rainy season can sometimes just mean a bit of overcast weather. The advantage to travelling in these areas at this time is that many other travellers make the mistake of postponing their plans until the dry season, leaving you with more of Peru to yourself. The best time to visit the infamous Nazca Lines or the coastal areas is from December to April, although the other months of the year are perfectly good times to visit also. Remember that the Inca Trail is closed for cleaning during February, although there are other treks to Machu Picchu which are available at this time.

While we always endeavour to provide the best possible holiday experience, due to the nature of travel and the areas we visit sometimes things can and do go wrong. Should any issue occur while you are on your trip, it is imperative that you discuss this with your group leader or local representative straight away so that they can do their best to rectify the problem and save any potential negative impact on the rest of your trip.

We recognise that there may be times when your group leader or local representative may not be able to resolve a situation to your satisfaction - if this is the case, please ask the group leader or local representative to speak to their direct manager.

You may also choose to provide details in your online feedback, which we ask you to complete within 30 days of the end of your trip. Please do be aware that it is very difficult for us to provide any practical help after the trip is completed, so informing us while still travelling will give us the opportunity to resolve the issue in real-time.

For general contact details please use the following page: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/contact-us

In case of a genuine crisis or emergency, you can reach our local office on the numbers below:

Available for phone call or WhatsApp call on +51 996 055559 Lima, +51 940 512701 Cusco

The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation.

Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available.