For US and Canadian passport holders, Peru adventure tours couldn’t be easier. You only need a passport. No visas or special vaccinations are required.
For those with skills to search the Internet, the tools to find your own hotels and make your own reservations are conveniently located online, provided you have the time.
Another option is to seek the services of a reputable operator for Peru adventure tours from satisfied customers, either online or by word of mouth.
The operator will put together a package of services and destinations including a full-time English-speaking guide based on the needs and abilities of your group.
Unlike Europe, it is acceptable and affordable to hire a full-time guide or ask for “semi-independent” options where you choose guide services “a la carte.”
With 10-14 days, you should have plenty of time to explore our top 3 “can’t-miss” destinations:
- Machu Picchu
- Lake Titicaca
- Colca Canyon
All international flights arrive in Lima. Many US flights arrive late evening, which means an overnight stay in Lima. These arrangements which can be handled by your tour operator.
Then it’s back to the airport early the next day for a one-hour flight to Cusco, which is nestled in the Andean Mountains at an altitude of 11,000 ft.
An attentive guide will adjust the activities the first day and evaluate each person as they acclimatize. Minor headaches, dizziness & nausea are normal. Drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol and take OTC (over the counter) pain relievers as directed.
Local remedies include coca leaf tea, which is offered in most hotel lobbies, right next to the oxygen tank. Taking a few hits of oxygen may alleviate the discomfort of altitude in less than five minutes. By the second day, everyone should feel better, but all may notice breathlessness for several more days when walking or climbing steps.
Many Peru adventure tours will include a drive through the Sacred Valley to the train station in Ollantaytambo. Here you board for a 2-hour ride through several jungle micro-climates, before arriving at Aguas Calientes, the gateway to Machu Picchu.
After your tour of Machu Picchu, you’ll go back to Cusco and can look forward to the full-day bus ride to Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca.
Alternative transportation includes train or private vehicle, but the bus is an enjoyable ramble through the countryside with stops in small towns and ruins. You’ll also feast on an incredible Peruvian buffet lunch.
The altitude at Lake Titicaca is 12,500 ft, but should not cause any significant problems, since you will already be adjusted.
Puno is a small town which depends on the tourism industry, and while not as big as Cusco, has just enough tourism infrastructure to keep you comfortable during your visit.
The next day you will board a boat and travel about 30 minutes to the floating reed islands, Uros, built by the innovative Aymara people.
The islands are a living laboratory of ancient ecological practices and a great place to take your kids.
The boat ride continues for another couple hours to Takile Island for a wholesome lunch prepared by people with ancient culinary knowledge. Then it’s back to Puno for the night, unless you decide to try a home-stay in a private home on Amantani Island.
Like an “indigenous B & B,” you’ll sleep in comfy beds indoors. Your kids (and those who are young at heart) will love it.
Host families have set up rustic toilet facilities to accommodate guests, but amenities are limited. This is another great way to support a shrinking indigenous culture.
The next day your boat will take you back to Puno for the night. The following day, a 40-minute drive will land you in the Juliaca airport for a 30 minute one-way flight to Arequipa, the closest city to Colca Canyon.
Colca exceeds 11,000 ft in depth, almost twice as deep as the Grand Canyon and is reported to be the deepest in the world. Unlike the Grand Canyon, Colca is inhabited in some places with pre-Columbian terraced ruins, still occupied, and is the most likely place to spy the mighty Andean condor. The area was insulated from the outside world until as recently as 1980 and offers a glimpse back in time.
From Arequipa, it’s a three-hour bus ride one way with the option of spending a night at either end of the canyon.
Return to Arequipa for a 30 minute one-way flight to Cusco, or fly one-way from Arequipa to Lima. Either way, your trip will come full circle back to Lima.
It is not uncommon to book one-way flights on domestic airlines in Peru. The cost is slightly higher than round trip but is not prohibitively expensive.
After several years of adventure travel planning and guiding on three continents, Jacquie Whitt made her first trip to Peru in March 2007 because she wanted to try something different from the typical European/Western culture travel experience. Jacquie fell in love with Peru and its people and decided to license Adios Adventure Travel in the U.S. to help others wanting to discover the ancient mysteries hidden deep inside Peru.
For more information on how you can explore incredible Peru adventure tours you can contact Jacquie at: [email protected], visit the Web site at http://www.adiosadventuretravel.com, or call her at 757-714-6649 (or Skype: jacquie.whitt).