Our best advice is first buy a good guide book and read it. Decide how long you’ve got to travel, where you want to go, and how much it’ll cost when you get there. Then plan your total budget. Don’t try to see everything and visit as many countries as you can or you’ll find you’ve spent all your time traveling on buses looking for new accommodation and places to eat. Try to build a bit of flexibility into your program and leave plenty of days free to relax in places that you enjoy.
PERU
Peru ranks amongst the world’s great centers of ancient civilization. Their remains fascinate travelers and archaeologists alike.
VISA & PASSPORT
If you are a U.S. citizen or of the European Community, no visa is required for stays of up to 90 days, but your passport must be valid for six months after the desired permanence in Peru.
On the other hand, if you come from countries in the region such as Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil and Chile, you can enter just by showing your identity card.
HEALTH CARE
Health conditions in Peru are generally good, especially in clinics and hospitals in the capital and major cities.
Even though it is true that to travel to Cusco is not necessary to be vaccinated against yellow fever, if you plan to travel to the jungle, we recommend taking the necessary protective measures against mosquito bites.
TRANSPORT
CUSCO
WEATHER
MACHU PICCHU
Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas, is one of the most famous examples of Inca architecture. It is located 112 km from the city of Cusco (a 3 ½ hour journey by train) and 2.240 meters above sea-level.
The ruins are located in the middle of a lush rainforest and it is believed that they had been built in the mid-fifteenth century by the Inca Pachacutec. Lost in history, the ruins were not discovered until 1911 with the arrival of the American explorer Hiram Bingham.
WEATHER
Since Machu Picchu is located at a lower height than Cusco, the Inca citadel weather increases a few degrees.
WAYNA PICCHU
- The Wayna Picchu, eternal guardian of the Inca citadel, is the highest mountain seen in the typical picture of Machu Picchu, and climb to the summit is an unforgettable experience. The difficult climb takes approximately one hour thirty minutes and is done from the main square of Machu Picchu, along a road built by the Incas themselves, and which now is very well marked and in good condition.
If you want to be part of this unique experience in life, we recommend you arrive very early and go directly to Wayna Picchu to reserve a place, as the number of visitors allowed per day is 400 (in 2009) and is not allowed to enter after 13:00 hrs.
It is important to mention that to climb, requires to be booked long time in advance (This new State law began since the 18th of July, 2011).
Also, you should not carry a big backpack, but plenty of water.
This route is not recommended for the elderly, pregnant women, people with heart disease or afraid of heights.
INCA TRAIL
Machu Picchu is with no doubt the most important exhibition of the extraordinary Inca civilization. For the pilgrims and authorized officers of the Empire that wanted to access the citadel, it was necessary to travel El camino Real (The Royal road) through the rugged Andean geography. Today, this road is known as the Inca trail.
Surrounded by stunning natural beauty and unforgettable views, this road used to run over 23 thousand kilometers, integrating the Tawantinsuyo Empire, that covered southern Colombia, western Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia, coming to central Chile and northern Argentina.
Today, you can make this unforgettable journey through valleys, rivers, tunnels and bridges, in one of the six existing routes (up to 39 kilometers). To do this, contact us and reserve your space in advance.
TOURIST TICKET
SOROCHE
BUS TO MACHU PICCHU
When you arrive to Aguas Calientes, you have two options to climb to the Machu Picchu citadel, on foot or by bus.
If you want to walk up this 6 kilometers road, it will take no more than 1 hour.
You can also take one of the 20 buses that travel the winding road and that depart every 15 minutes. The first one leaves at 05:30 am, while the last one returns at 17:30 hrs.
ELECTRICAL VOLTAGE
STUDENT
To access this special rate, you must present your International Student Card (ISIC GREEN).
AIRLINES COMPANIES
Information on booking flights in Peru. Brief summary of airlines: Latam, Star Peru, Sky Airlines, Jet smart.
GENERAL FAQS
International cuisine is widely available, but because Peru is renowned for its excellent and varied cuisine we recommend that you try the local food. Local cooking varies from region to region, with most cities producing at least one traditional dish. Not surprisingly, Peru Pacific coast provides the ingredients for some of the world finest seafood dishes.
If you have special dietary requirements, send us prior notification then we can accommodate any dietary requirements, including vegetarians, vegans and those with food allergies.
Peru doesn´t require any vaccinations for its visitors but we recommend that you have updated vaccinations for: rabies, tetanus, typhoid, diphtheria, polio and hepatitis A. For those travelling to the Amazon region, yellow fever vaccination certificates are required and malaria prophylaxis is recommended.
For children to enjoy reduced travel, they must be 11 years of age or younger. Please make sure that your children do not turn 12 while travelling, as they will not qualify for discounted fares.
There are many ways to categorize hotels, but the most popular ones are either the categories we use or the stars. If you are not familiar with our system, think of the following: deluxe = five-star or occasionally selected four-star hotels, first class = four-star accommodation, upgraded tourist class = the top end of the three-star hotel, tourist class = three-star establishments, low budget = two-star hotels.
