What is it important to know about the functioning of your trekking (ramble) in Peru?
How does a trekking (ramble) in Peru is organized?
During trekkings, we propose camps with comfort. The tents made for three person can accommodate comfortably two hiker with their backpack; floor mats are included (sleeping bad not included). The camp is compound of a refectory tent, a cooking tent and a toilet tent (real toilets during some treks. The refectory tent has gas light, tables and stools. All the cooking material is included and the meals are prepared by a cooker. The personal material (except Inca Trail) and the collective material is transported by animals (mules and/or horses) and one of it is with saddle in order to be ride in case of tiredness or accident (for private treks or for minimum 3 participants in collective treks). You only carry your possessions of the day (water, camera, jacket…). The personal include a bilingual guide (francophone in option), a cooker and mule drivers in charge of animals. Finally, the guide has a first aid kit and a bottle of oxygen (disposable model for some treks). In any case you have to bring your own medication for headache or intestinal problems.
Choice of the camp place for a trekking (ramble) in Peru
The choice of the camp place is the only one decision of the guide. The place is tributary of water access and the group progress.
In most of time, the Andean communities we cross impose the places and we have to respect this scrupulously.
Particular case of camps on the Inca Trail
Camps during the Inca Trail are chosen by the INC (Organism in charge of the archaeological park management). We cannot change this decision. That is way according to the camp, the arrival time on the site cannot be chosen (like for example the sunrise on the site).
The departure day of your trekking (ramble) in Peru
Your guide will come to your hotel for you at the time indicated during the briefing.
A time slot will be given to you but you have to understand that the guide will bring all the group members. A stop during the travel can also allow you to buy a bottle of water for your first day walking, as well as, if you need, sometime to eat for the breakfast because the departure is very early.
Practical life during a trekking in Peru
Nights during this trekking are spent under a carp, except the last night where it’s a hotel (except Inca Trail trekking 4 days, Choquequirao and Ausangate). Before each meal and during the morning, a small water basin will allow you to wash your hands and do a little grooming. We also advise you have wet wipes. For the toilets, some camps are made with latrines (payable to your charge). It is recommended to have with you toilet paper.
During the trekking, you will have the possibility to buy some drinks and handicraft. So, it’s a good idea to have change for your personal expenses, tips in use.
Drinking water during a trekking (ramble) in Peru
For water, drinks (especially hot drinks), there are given to you during meals (breakfast, lunch/diner). During the walk, this is not provided. But it is possible to buy seals bottles of water in some points of the trekking (to your charge). It is to know that the coast is higher in comparison with the city of Cusco. During the walk or on the camp where it is impossible to buy water, it will be given at the beginning of the day (porridge, upon request to the cooker with anticipation).
Meals during a trekking (ramble) in Peru
All the meals during the trekking are included except the first breakfast (on the road for the trekking, we will do a stop where you can have the possibility to be something), the last lunch (we will be in Machu Picchu) and the diner of the last day.
Meals on the camps are prepared by our cookers with fresh products. Special meals (vegetarian, not tolerated food…) can be provided upon request.
Examples of menus proposed during your trekking
Breakfast
Cereals, yogurt, omelet with fried plantain banana, bread and marmalade. Quinoa with apples or home chocolate, coffee, milk, tea, coca tea.
Lunch
Starter: avocado, garlic bread, cream of marinated chicken and asparagus, sweet potato, salad. Infusions.
Snack during the day
Biscuits, chocolate, cereals, orange, coca cake.
Afternoon snack
Popcorn, biscuits and hot drinks: coffee, milk, chocolate and coca tea. Stuffed with ham and cheese, hot drinks, fried cheese.
Diner
Vegetable soup, trout with garlic salsa, roasted potatoes. Bananas Foster and tea.
Those meals are given to you as an example and are possible to change according the period of the year and the cooker in charge of the trekking.
How do they carry possessions during a trekking (ramble) in Peru?
For all your trekkings (except the Inca Trail trekking of 4 days and Colca canyon), you are with mules of charge. Those mules carry the common material for the trekking and your personal things (you can have 6kg per person).
On the Inca Trail trekking, animals to carry are forbidden, so you have persons who carry the common material. You have to take your personal things, as well as floor mat (you have the option to contract somebody to carry your things).
For your baggage, you have to think on a backpack (not included) with capacity of about 30 L. Any other piece is forbidden. Your baggage are given to mule drivers or holders before your departure from the camp and are given back at night.
The access is impossible during the day. For this, you must have a small bag for your necessities of the day, especially a gourd (about 1 L), a rain jacket and your camera. You must know that 6kg correspond to the needs of a person for a trekking of 4/5 days, including changes clothes + sleeping bag + floor mat.
There is nobody to carry things during the Inca Trail of 2 days.
What is authorized in the train for Machu Picchu and to visit Machu Picchu?
During the visit of Machu Picchu and in the train, you only can have a small bad (maximum 20L). It is to notice that there is a check service at the entrance of Machu Picchu site (not included).
How many tips do we have to give after a trekking (ramble) in Peru?
The tip is usual here in the Andes. Obviously, the amount of your tip depends of your satisfaction degree and isn’t obligatory. We give us here an indication of the tip amount so you can have an idea. Tips in average are about 2 dollars US per day for the trekking personal (cookers, mule drivers) and 4 dollars for the guide.
At what time is the arrival in Machu Picchu after a trekking (ramble) including the visit of the site?
In the case of Inca Trail (4 days)
The arrival on the site depends of the camp assigned to the group by the INC (selected at random). In fact, it is impossible to assure a precise schedule of arrival on the site moreover, some camps need more than 3 hours walk until the Gate of the Sun.
In the case of other trekkings (Lares and Salkantay)
All the other trekkings are proposed with a night preceding Machu Picchu visit in the village of Aguas Calientes. So you will leave from Aguas Calientes village in bus (included) to go to the citadel. The time departure, normally on early morning, is decided in concertation with your group and your guide.
How does Machu Picchu visit proceed after a trekking (ramble)?
The visit of Machu Picchu is planned with your guide. This one last two hours.
After the visit, your guide will give you the return tickets (always included in our programs) to spend the time you want in the citadel and to eventually visit (unaccompanied) Huayna Picchu, the mount Machu Picchu (upon reservation) or the way to the Gate of the Sun.
Then, you have to go back to the bus to the village to reach the train station at the time indicated on you ticket.
Huayna Picchu option
For all the trekking we can propose you in additional the possibility of visiting Huayna Picchu mountain. If this name doesn’t sound to you, at the contrary, you’ve already seen it. This is the mountain that dominates the site, the sugar loaf or the “nose” of the face from the most famous photo. Its access is now limited to 400 persons per day, divided into 2 groups (departure 7am and 8am for the first group and 10am/11am for the second. The visit is always without guide because the way is marked and very easy to follow. The drop from the site is about 500m (2 hours walking, round trip). It is also possible to continue the way to the Temple of the Moon (about 2 hours).
Warning: the access to Huayna Picchu is made through a very staggering road so it is important not being subject to vertigo. The access in case of rain is strongly discouraged (floor rocky and slippery.
What are the schedules of return to Cusco after a trekking (ramble) that lead to Machu Picchu?
Travels made in train are with the « Expedition » category (or Backpacker) and are unaccompanied (except for private trekkings). Generally, the return to Cusco is made later in the evening or the afternoon, depending of the trains availability. More often than not (according to the availability, of course) the train back provided is the Expedition leaving from Aguas Calientes at 6.45pm. Unfortunately, we cannot assure you this schedule. In order to benefit of the best schedules, we can propose you travels in category “Vistadome” (Vistadome train). The wagons are with panoramic roofs and bay windows to provide better the landscapes. You can find the supplement of this service in the part “Options”. It is in dollars US and per person. We cannot be responsible in case of modification, changes or reprogramming of the schedules. The option Vistadome do not guaranty an early arrival to Cusco.
At your arrival in Ollantaytambo, a driver will be waiting for you with a panel including your name (collective bus).
Coming from this trekking, it is strongly discouraged to plan a departure from Cusco. Indeed, the return schedules to Cusco are rarely compatibles with a departure.
Unplanned/ program changes
We are also working on respecting the most the program we proposed but sometimes, to preserve your security, some ways are modified for extern reasons to our organization. All the excursions are summited to local meteorology hazard. Don’t forget that you are in a natural environment often far from the communication ways. A kind of flexibility and adaptation capacity is better. So, your guide will be the only one who can take all the decisions necessary in case of imponderable.
