Peru Vacations

For the most up-to-date recommendations please check with your doctor or travel clinic, and always go with their recommendations, as these can often change. We strongly recommend you see a doctor, preferably one with experience in travel medicine, at least 8 weeks before your trip starts to discuss appropriate vaccinations.

On some of our Peru trips we get to some higher altitudes (for instance, 15,420ft on the Lares Trail). Over the years we've found that if you take it easy on arrival in higher locations, you'll be just fine. Sure, we get straight into our activities at the start of our trips, so our itinerary takes altitude into account and there is plenty of leeway to relax during the first couple of days. When you're hiking in remote areas, oxygen is carried by your porters as a precaution. If you’re concerned, chat to your doctor about a prescription for Diamox (which can be taken as a preventative measure in the days before arrival) or consider alternative treatments like ginkgo or Oxishot.
If altitude is affecting you, please let your guides know so they can help take care of you.

Spanish is the main language of Peru, with Quechua being the main indigenous language. English is spoken in some hotels, airports and tourist areas but not everywhere, particularly not on Amantani Island where they speak largely Quechua. A little understanding would be helpful, especially on arrival and for ordering food in restaurants, but it's certainly not required. Our guides are all fluent Spanish speakers so if you don't have time to learn a little Spanish before arrival you don't have to worry... they will take care of everything.

Accommodation

You'll stay in a variety of places depending on the destination and activities; nice hotels, tents while you're hiking (complete with porters to put them up for you, cook your meals and generally make sure it's the best camping experience ever!), jungle lodges and local homes on Amantani Island (a truly once in a lifetime experience).

Transport

Your transport will be a mixture of bus, plane, boat, bike and your very own two feet on our trips in Peru. All your transport is included from the start of your trip and we'll drop you at the airport at the end. The details are all listed in the trip specific itineraries.

Meals

All your meals are included as described in the itinerary, we have found people enjoy checking out what is on offer by themselves sometimes, so you can go and see what's out there! We've chosen places to eat that can cater for our hearty appetites, work well with our small groups (they know we are coming) and provide us with an authentic destination specific culinary experience. There are always options for you, so you can either be brave or choose something more familiar. On the hiking portion of our trips, such as on the Lares Trail, we work with an outstanding team of cooks who will amaze you with what they can produce on a campsite miles from the nearest town. You can be assured that on all our trips we will make sure you are very well fed.

Guides

Our trips are all led by experienced guides who are very proud to work with us and often lead our trips for many years, for which we are very lucky and very grateful as it means we're able to consistently offer a fantastic level of service. They work closely with local specialist guides to provide you with a seamless, fun, exciting and memorable trip. They will happily share with you as much or as little as you want to know about the history, culture, social aspects and lifestyle of the country you are visiting. In the Galapagos Islands you will be accompanied by a specialist Nature Guide, qualified to provide you with plenty of information about the species that make their home on the islands.

Our porters will carry up to 17 pounds (8 kilograms) of your gear included in your trip fare. They will also carry your group gear, like your tents and food, and this is included in your total amount of your trip.

At the beginning of the Lares trail you'll pass through the official start gate where your tickets will be checked against your passports (your guide will take care of this for you) to allow you to access the trail. Going through a different gate, all the porters will weigh in with their luggage, which ensures the agreed weights are adhered to.

The currency of Peru is the Peruvian Sol (PEN).

Your trip fare includes all transportation, guiding, meals and activities (except any optional activities). Most people like to bring a little extra to cover a round of drinks at the pub, take home some souvenirs, book a tour and eat out on their free day, and tip our guides if they've had a great time.

Usually the easiest thing to do is use your credit or debit card to withdraw money directly from your home account, in local currency. There are plenty of ATM's and banks in larger towns in Peru (Cusco and Lima), and ATM's will accept all major credit cards and many debit cards.

Once you've booked your trip, you'll have access to a recommended packing list in your portal on exactly what to bring along. The recommended packing list is carefully thought out to provide you with everything you need to be warm and happy, or cool and relaxed, whatever the weather! So it is best to bring everything we recommend along, if you don't bring everything you need, we can't guarantee your comfort.

You will need proper hiking boots - trail shoes are not good enough. We'll be taking you to some awesome places where you'll be hiking over a variety of terrain, therefore your boots should have full ankle support and a stiff sole with a high profile tread. It's also important that whichever footwear you decide to bring it's well broken-in and waterproofed before you come down. If you have good ankles that will be able to cope pretty well with varied terrain, then good hiking shoes should be fine, but if not then hiking boots will give you better support.

Peru can be divided into two main seasons. These seasons have different effects in the different areas of Peru – the mountainous Andes, the Amazon and the Coast.

Mountains
June to August is the drier, cooler season. Higher altitudes mean average temperatures are very cool, especially at night. December to March is the warmer, wetter season, so quality rain gear is essential, however rain can happen in any season. 

Amazon
It rains for most months of the year here, with the driest months being June to September. November to March is the wettest period, though only for a few hours at a time. Cold fronts can occur at any time of year, and it can drop down to 5-9°C (43-50°F) so always be prepared for wet weather.

We are accustomed to catering to the following special diets:

• vegan (no meat or animal products)
• vegetarian (no meat products)
• pescatarian (vegetarian, and eat fish)
• no red meat (eat chicken & fish)
• no pork (eat chicken & fish)
• gluten intolerant (no wheat, rye, barley or oats)
• lactose intolerant (no dairy products)

You will get the opportunity to specify your particular requirements when you fill in our pre-trip questionnaire. If you have any other dietary requirements please let us know well in advance, via email or in your Account.

Peruvian cuisine is delicious but quite humble. Its base ingredients are usually potato, quinoa, chicken and seafood, or some kind of combination. If you’re vegetarian or vegan your options may be more limited though we’ll do our best to help find things you may like.

Peruvian tap water is not safe to drink, or brush your teeth in, so you’ll need to use filtered water instead, which we’ll provide, and treat ice and salads with caution. You can also use hand sanitizer, iodine or water purification tablets if you prefer.
We encourage you to bring a durable water bottle to refill instead of purchasing bottled water.

Electricity is available in most places in Peru except on the Inca Trail, and the electricity turns off at 7pm in the jungle lodges and on Amantani Island. Peru operates on a 220V AC system with the Plug Type A.

Wi-fi is available at most of the accommodations you'll be staying at, log-in instructions will be provided. If you have data roaming switched on, you'll be able to use the internet on your smartphone about 70% of the time during your trip, but beware of the fees!

There's no Wi-fi along the Lares Trails, and cellphone coverage will be minimal.

Peru is in the Peru Standard Time (PET). It is -5 hours behind of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

We recommend researching as much as possible before you go so that you can have the best possible experience. Reading any Peruvian travel guide will give you a good insight into the history, culture and people of the place you are about to visit. There is plenty to read online too. If you would like to study more in depth then we recommend the following:

• Lost City of the Incas, Hiram Bingham - A first-rate tale of adventure by the man who rediscovered Machu Picchu in 1911. This classic account is a gripping story of exploration, archaeology and natural history -- and still an outstanding overview of the site itself. With original expedition photographs. Originally published in 1952, the book is still an excellent account, not only of the expedition but also of the site itself.
• Conquest of the Incas, John Hemming - This classic masterful prize-winning history of the Inca struggle against the Spanish invasion brings together wide-ranging scholarly material in the interests of telling a good story.
• History of the Inca Realm, Maria Rostworowski De Diez Canseco - This scholarly history boasts the most thorough treatment of the pre-Hispanic Incas available in English.
• The Last Days of the Incas, Kim MacQuarrie - MacQuarrie tackles the personality, aspirations and greed of Francisco Pizarro in this vivid account of the conquest of a continent.
• Art of the Andes, from Chavin to Inca, Rebecca Stone-Miller - This authoritative and concise illustrated survey of Andean art and architecture covers not only Machu Picchu and additional Inca monuments, but also Chan Chan, Nasca and other archaeological sites and cultures.
• Fortifications of the Incas, H. W. Kaufmann, J.E. Kaufmann, Adam Hook - With color photographs and reconstructions, site diagrams and 17th-century engravings, this slim guide introduces building techniques and major Inca sites from Cusco and the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu and Vilcabamba.
• Machu Picchu, Unveiling the Mystery of the Incas, Richard L. Burger, Lucy C. Salazar - Burger and Salazar, both archaeologists at Yale, vividly evoke the art, architecture, culture and society of Machu Picchu in this illustrated, up-to-date survey. With illustrations of 120 gold, silver, ceramic, bone and textile artifacts, Hiram Bingham's original report of the "Discovery of Machu Picchu," published in Harper's Monthly, dozens of archival photographs, and excellent chapters on recent archaeological investigations and insights into life at Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui's royal estate.
• The Incas and their Ancestors: The Archaeology of Peru, Michael Moseley - An outstanding illustrated survey of the archaeology of the Inca, Moche and Nasca civilizations. With hundreds of color illustrations and line drawings, it's an in-depth look at the ancient cultures and history of Peru. A great general introduction.