Machu Picchu Destination guide

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1 PERU Machu Picchu Destination guide Trip highlights Enjoy a private tour of the ruins at Machu Picchu Climb Huayna Picchu for stunning views of the Machu Picchu ruins See the beautiful city of Cuzco, ancient capital of the Incan empire Explore Lake Titicaca, Colca Canyon, or the Amazon jungle Trekking in Machu Picchu with Kandoo Thank you for considering organising your trek to Machu Picchu with Kandoo. We hope we will be able to have the opportunity to arrange the trip of a lifetime for you. Kandoo are unique in running all our own treks and this extra control allows us to consistently deliver a great experience leading our customers to rate us as the Number One Tour Operator on Trustpilot. Whilst in Lima... If you plan to spend a day sightseeing in Lima (which we do recommend), consider booking a private tour with PERUVIAN LOCAL FRIEND, an excellent local organisation run by our friends Alonso and Sarah, who will be happy to show you the best of Lima. How to get there All our Machu Picchu tours begin and end in Cuzco, a vibrant town that used to be the epicentre of the Incan Empire. Airport transfers are an optional extra for Inca Trail or Lares Treks, but are included on other Peru treks but we do not arrange flights for our customers. Flights to Cuzco from Europe and the UK There are two good ways to get to Cuzco from Europe or the UK. The first is to fly KLM to Lima with a stopover in Amsterdam (check KLM flight options here). The second is to fly BA who offer direct flights from Gatwick to Lima. Or Iberia who fly via a stop at Madrid. From Lima you will have to get a domestic flight to Cuzco. Domestic airlines include LATAM, Avianca, Star Peru or Peruvian Air. We recommend flying with LATAM as their planes have the capability to land in the foggy conditions that can affect Cuzco and Lima. Most flights from Europe land in the evening, local time and flights for Cuzco don t leave until the morning, so if you don t fancy loitering in the airport all night (which we do not recommend), you ll need an overnight stay in Lima. Flights to Cuzco from North America Trekkers starting off in North America have a much wider set of options. American Airlines and US Airways both offer flights into Lima, as do several other carriers. at...

2 Inca Trail The best trekking routes There are literally thousands of miles of Inca trails that connect Machu Picchu with all the distant parts of the Incan Empire. The Classic trail was the main pilgrimage route from Cuzco, the capital of the Incan Empire, to Machu Picchu and became so popular in recent years that to prevent damage to the trail, the Park Authority introduced a permit system which now sell out very quickly. This system caused interest in other Inca trails to increase dramatically and there are now many Inca trails that are well established. Of all these routes, we have chosen to run those which offer a range of scenery and length of trek to suit all trekkers. Classic Inca Trail 5 days The classic trek, entering Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate Explore Inca history with fascinating ruins all along the trail Trek diverse environments from mountain passes to cloud forest Walking tour to explore Cuzco, capital city of the Incas The Inca trail is the most wellknown of all the trekking routes to Machu Picchu and was recently rated by National Geographic as the best destination trek in the world. Arriving at the famous Sun Gate, your first view of the iconic ruins is every bit as good as the hype. Classic Inca Trail 2 days Want to visit Machu Picchu and arrive at the Sun Gate but pushed for time or fancy a shorter trek? - This 2 day Inca trail is for you. Salkantay Trail 8 days Trek through the quiet and remote Salkantay valley Fascinating range of bio-diversity from mountain to jungle Private tour of Machu Picchu and chance to climb Huayna Picchu Explore Cuzco, the capital of the Incan empire One of the reasons the Classic Inca trail is popular is the incredible diversity of the views and ecosystems and in this respect the Salkantay route is even better. Voted among the top 25 best treks in the world the walk is dominated by the 20,500-feet-high Mount Salkantay and cuts through the beautiful Mollepata Valley and passes Salkantay at an altitude above 15,000 feet before traversing around the mountains to arrive at Aguas Calientes. The trek is only a little more difficult than the Inca Trail, and horses are used to carry food and equipment. at...

3 Inca Trail The best trekking routes Lares Trail 7 days Trek through the fabulously fertile Sacred Valley Visit authentic villages where time has stood still Stunning mountain scenery along the whole of the trail Explore Cuzco, the capital of the Incan empire The Lares trek is an excellent alternative to the Classic Inca trail and great for those who want to get off the beaten track as it treks through Andean communities which have remained unchanged over centuries. You are surrounded by stunning mountains, lakes and valleys but the real interest is in the fascinating traditional and colourful villages you trek through. The trail starts from the Sacred Valley, so called because of its incredible fertility, and crosses the Willkapunku Pass at over 4400m, before descending to Aguas Calientes and your tour of Machu Picchu. Inca Trail via Salkantay 10 days Approach under the base of Salkantay Mountain A quiet route onto the main Inca trail with very few trekkers Arrive at Machu Picchu via the famous Sun Gate Guided tour of the ruins of Machu Picchu Located northwest of Cusco, Nevado de Salkantay, the cordillera's tallest peak rises to 6271m and is a strikingly beautiful single peak providing a great focal point for this route. The Salkantay to Machu Picchu trek takes 7 days walking and has become popular with trekkers wanting to combine a quieter, less trodden route with a visit to Machu Picchu. For the first 4 days you will be surrounded by magnificent scenery and rarely see other trekkers. On the fifth day you join the Inca Trail at Wayllabamba and continue to Machu Picchu, arriving at the Sun Gate. Ausangate Trek 10 days High and wild off the beaten track challenging trekking adventure Visit the candy-striped Rainbow Mountains of Vinicunca Explore the city of Cuzco, the capital of the Incan empire A guided tour of the famous lost city of the Incas, Machu Picchu The Ausangate trek is an amazing option for those looking for a challenging high altitude hike with several high passes to cross. It is not for the faint hearted and a good level of fitness is required. You will be rewarded by quiet, uncrowded trails, spectacular coloured glacial lakes, stunning snow-capped peaks and the unusual red scree landscapes of the Rainbow Mountains of Vinicuna with their multi-coloured layers or rock sediment. And with this tour, we will drive you from the end of the trek to visit the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu. at...

4 Machu Picchu The best time to trek WEATHER There is no single best time to trek in Peru, whether to Machu Picchu or elsewhere, and the ideal time depends quite a bit on your personal preferences. As in every destination, there is a huge trade off between when the weather is likely to be best and when the trail is likely to be quiet. This is particularly true for Machu Picchu as 95% of visitors are not hikers, so there is huge surge in numbers visiting during the drier summer months. This does not affect the trekking part of the trip but it can make the ruins themselves extremely crowded. DECEMBER - FEBRUARY Rainy, hot and humid Heavy rain affects the trails so badly that to protect it from the heavy footfall the Inca Trail is hut for the month of February. Other trails remain open. MARCH - APRIL Rainy becoming drier and quiet The number of dry days starts to increase dramatically and by the end of April there are less than five days that are rainy each month. A good time avoid crowds. MAY - SEPTEMBER Dry but busy The driest months and also the least humid making this the most pleasant time to trek so of course everyone wants to trek so permits scarce and the trail busy. OCTOBER - NOVEMBER Dry to start but becoming wetter The number of rainy days increase again and the humidity rises. Still a good time if you can stand a little rain as most days are still dry and trails quieter. FESTIVALS If there s one thing that South America does really well, it s hosting fantastic festivals and fiestas. Brazil might take the party crown but Peru is no slouch when it comes to local and national celebrations. INTI RAYMI FIESTA DE LA CRUZ PUNO WEEK EL SENOR DE LOS TEMBLORES VIRGEN DEL CARMEN JUNE CUSCO More than 200,000 people come together to celebrate The Festival of the Sun - a beatiful reenactment of the festival of the Inca empire to celebrate the winter solstice. MAY CUSCO One of the best places to experience the Festival of the Cross is Cusco - locals lug huge, ornate wooden crosses with huge processions, folk dancing, fireworks and a whole lot of revelry. NOVEMBER LAKE TITICACA One long mega-party to celebrate the founding of the Inca city of Puno with dancing, parades, fireworks and countless local folk in costume partying on down like there s no tomorrow. EASTER CUSCO During Holy Week Cusco is alive with brass bands and dancing by day, fireworks and partying by night with the The Lord of the Earthquakes on the Monday being the main event not to miss! JULY PAUCARTAMBO For four days in July each year the otherwise sedate Paucartambo becomes party-town, where locals and visitors alike join in a joyous and raucous celebration of the Virgin of Carmen. PERMIT AVAILABILITY Unless you book as soon as permits for the classic Inca trail are released in October for the following year, the high season dates will have sold out. If you can t plan your trip well in advance and still want to trek the classic trail you will need to look at dates in the shoulder periods. FLIGHT PRICES Prices escalate a lot during the main summer season - off-peak periods can be a much more economical option. at...

5 Peru Passport and visa requirements Unlike some of the other countries where Kandoo runs treks, there is no special requirement that your passport be valid for 6 months longer than your expected stay. As long as it is valid through your departure date, you re fine. Better still, British and EU nationals do not need a visa to come to Peru as a tourist. You can get permission to visit upon arrival at the airport, and the duration is usually up to six months. American citizens and nationals don t need a visa either so long as they have a valid US passport, but will generally only get permission to stay as a tourist for 90 days. Still, this is usually plenty of time. If you are coming into Peru from Ecuador, get your passport stamped for entry at the local immigration office nearest your border crossing. Most enter this way through Aguas Verdes in the Tumbes region. Make sure you find your way to the immigration office there, as if your passport is not stamped you will have to go back to the Ecuador border if your papers are inspected. You may also have trouble if you do not have a valid exit stamp from the country you left before coming to Peru, so do make sure you dot all the i s and cross all the t s. Those entering overland from Columbia generally enter through Leticia. You will need to get your passport stamped in Santa Rosa, on the Columbia/Brazil/Peru border. Please keep in mind that Santa Rosa is rather under-policed, and tourists should avoid isolated places, and travel only in groups. Lastly, if you are crossing into Peru from Bolivia by road, you ll need to visit the immigration office for the Puno region, in Desaguadero. Insurance for your trek Kandoo requires all of our trekkers to carry adequate insurance to cover any medical or accident-related expenses that may arise. Specifically, you must ensure that your insurance will cover you for treks up to 4500 metres, as well as provide for emergency helicopter evacuation and repatriation if you become ill on the trail. You are responsible for making your insurer aware of all aspects of your itinerary, and for ensuring that you are covered for all of the activities you will be engaging in. We recommend DOGTAG, the specialist adventure travel insurers and the global supplier of travel insurance, WORLD NOMADS. Make sure to add 'hiking up to 6,000m' on check out and be sure to read the small print carefully for any policy you are considering. OTHER THINGS TO DO Peru is a fascinating country with an incredibly rich cultural history and an equally amazing range of scenery, landscapes and wildlife. Huayna Picchu Directly behind the Inca site of Machu Picchu stands the towering mountain of Huayna Picchu, the views from the top of here back over Machu Picchu are awesome. Permits for Huayna Picchu are very restricted so it is essential that you book this as an add-on when you book your Machu Picchu trek. Cusco cultural tours If you have a couple of days to spare you will not be short of things to do in Cuzco and we offer a range of guided tours to make sure you get to see the best of the city and the Sacred Valley. Lake Titicaca We can arrange an extension to your Machu Picchu trek to visit this region or incorporate this into a longer circuit visiting all of the best of Peru. Whatever you have in mind give us a call to discuss the fantastic range of options. Nazca Lines The Nazca Lines are what archaeologists call geoglyphs: patterns carved into the ground creating immense images. The best way to view them is to take a flight to see them from the air. Amazon Jungle Canoe through the flood plains of the Amazon rainforest, being woken in the jungle by the noise of a thousand birds or the cry of howler monkeys. We can arrange trips to the Amazon from as little as three days. Colca Canyon All our trips to Colca Canyon start from the beautiful colonial city of Arequipa located at an elevation of 2380m at the foot of the now dormant Misti Volcano. Adding in a walking tour of Arequipa and a visit to Colca Canyon is a great way to acclimatise before your trek to Machu Picchu. Let s start planning your next adventure +44 (0)